First-person testimonial by Kelly McKenzie describing a roughly 20-year career as a systems analyst, severe illness following a move into a mold-contaminated home, extensive medical testing (mold/Lyme specialists, brain inflammation psychiatrist), and gradual recovery after about three months into a program. She reports improvements in cognition, energy, ability to hike, attend her children’s events, and seek employment again.
Chapters
My name is Kelly McKenzie and I was a systems analyst previously for about 20 years. Lived a very stressful life at that time, but was very into adventure hiking, travel, dogs at the time I became sick. I had a very stressful job. I was a manager of a systems analyst team, and I worked long hours, had two young kids, and we moved into a new home. It turned out that home had mold. So after about a year, I started getting sicker and sicker and was looking for reasons as to why I was getting sick. There may have been some other things in there, but I think the stress and the mold was what took me down. And eventually I couldn't work my job anymore. The symptoms I had were extreme fatigue, severe cognition issues, brain fog, learning difficulties, really big learning difficulties. Things that I used to understand regarding software and tech, I just couldn't understand anymore. I'd be in meetings and I would just blank out the confusion. Concentration issues were the absolute worst as, of course, the fatigue was as well. I've seen so many doctors, a really reputable mold doctor. He was a mold and Lyme expert. I have seen a SURS doctor who specializes a psychiatrist who specializes in brain inflammation. I had done so many tests, too. I've done all the Lyme tests, the mold tests, brain scans to find out what was wrong, and we didn't totally know what was wrong. I'm a little bit compulsive about the science of all of it. I mean, I also find it fascinating. But at the time, I was compulsively researching what was wrong with me and ways to get better. I always believed I could get better, and I was just looking for the one solution constantly. I would say it was probably about three months before I started feeling changes. I could focus longer on things. I could actually do some learning. It has been wonderful to actually do some software training and be able to sit through it and learn from it. It's really wonderful. I couldn't even just sit and listen to a video before or, you know, participate in a session. My energy has gradually gotten so much better in terms of walking. I love to be outside, I love to hike, and I would crash constantly. And now I can go outside. I can go for a walk. I can do two walks with my dog now and be just fine and not suffer any repercussions. One of the biggest milestones for me has been just being able to look for a job again. I haven't found one yet, but just being able to do that is really big for me. One of the biggest ways that my life is transformed is that I'm able to be there for my kids. There were times when I couldn't even get to their sporting events. It's one of the greatest joys in my life is attending their sporting events. And I couldn't do that. Sometimes I would be bed bound, and that's huge for me, to be able to participate in their lives, to go on hikes with them, to help them navigate preparation for college. And actually, there was a time when I couldn't think through any of that and I had to just sit back and I mean, this is a person who I was a perfectionist and an achiever, and I was all about this college process, and I couldn't do any of it to help my son. So just being able to be there for my kids is pretty huge for me.
