Part II of my medical history picks up where I left off when Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating part of most autoimmune diseases, took over my body and left me without any energy back in 2020. I talk about the brain fog that came with it, what it felt like, how far down it dragged my life, accelerated by the respiratory issues I had developed, the resilience I showed with my relentless attempts to rebuild by body and mind via breathing exercises and advanced physical therapy for years, all the way through being attacked by a long post viral syndrome which is much like long COVID. This unleashed a host of new debilitating symptoms on my already weak immune system ranging from costochondritis and neuropathy to vestibular neuritis and migraines leading to hypersensitivity to light and sound, sharp nerve pain, the chills, a trembling internal rattling feeling, and much more.

This chapter of my life introduced me to everything that was in the fine print of my original autoimmune diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, specifically the risks, reality, complications, and struggles of being autoimmune, immunocompromised and immunosuppressed.

This episode covers most of where I have been and why I disappeared the last 5 years. While it is hard for anything to be more painful than the onset of my autoimmune disorder and the unbearable chronic pain and inflammation that set in with it, this part of the story is even more raw since it is more recent. Also, I did not see any of it coming and it was way outside of my “expertise” of pain tolerance, pain management and physical rehab, and it clearly took me out even harder and longer than the previous times my disease came for me, leaving me not only unable to work, but unable to think or live properly, for years.

In this episode, you can learn:

What Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can do to you
What respiratory problems can do to you along with ME/CFS
How to survive and battle Chronic Fatigue and Respiratory issues
How to fight back against Atrophy and Chronic Pain with Advanced Physical Therapy
How to battle an autoimmune disease and stick to a process for years, joyfully
How to not give up during the worst times, survive day to day, and improve your mental health by doing the work while finding joy in small things.
How to stay as positive as you can while dealing with and healing from trauma
What long Post Viral Syndrome (much like Long COVID) feels like and does to you
Why I am starting this podcast now
What you might get out of this podcast

I hope this episode gives you some company and you learn a little something and feel a little something.

I hope this show is a good friend to you in a world where joy is in short supply and where we all need all the help we can get in getting better, being better, and making and chasing our dreams.

Have fun, have joy!

Amrit Bandy

00:00 Recap

00:38 What Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Brain Fog feel like

02:50 The End of My Life feeling that my respiratory issues brought on

03:39 A new process to fix my breathing and respiratory issues (2021)

05:03 An attempt to reboot my life and facing failure (2022)

08:05 Back in Advanced Physical Therapy (The Shawshank Mindset), an enhanced intense process

09:55 Feeling some Joy after years (2023)

11:00 Landing in the ER for the first time and Hospitalization

11:59 Back in the ER with Post Viral Syndrome (like long Covid - 2024)

13:03 What Vestibular Neuritis felt like with an autoimmune disease (2015)

13:34 What Post Viral Syndrome Symptoms can do to you and fighting back

15:20 More struggles with medication withdrawal, Insomnia, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi)

15:55 Back in the ER with an eye disorder, Uveitis, and Heartbroken

18:16 Adjusting to new limitations on abilities and adjusting expectations from life (2025)

20:11 Why I am starting this podcast now

21:52 What you can get out of this podcast

Fun & Follow

https://www.facebook.com/thebandyingshow/ https://www.instagram.com/thebandyingshow https://www.tiktok.com/@thebandyingshow