Bedridden to Hiking with My 1 Year Old Son
"Everyone's wins have kept me afloat during dark times. I hope that my wins here will help someone to keep believing."
Individual results vary. This is one person's experience and is not a guarantee of specific outcomes.
Watch David's full recovery interview
Key Takeaways From David's Recovery
| Condition: | Long COVID triggered by food poisoning on top of a prior COVID infection. Bedridden and wheelchair-bound. |
| Treatments that failed: | Hospital tests (all clear), antibiotics, inhaler with synthetic cortisol, Long COVID Clinic, supplements. |
| What worked: | CFS Recovery's recovery system, built on nervous system retraining with group coaching, daily coach access, and community support. |
| Timeline: | Joined in January, walking 6,000+ steps by March, sleeping without medication by March, feeling 95% by June. |
| Now: | Hiked a gorge, carried his son, drove his family on holiday, sleeps without medication, considering tennis again. |
What Caused David's Long COVID Symptoms?
David got COVID in July and thought he'd recovered. Two months later, a severe bout of food poisoning pushed his already stressed nervous system over the edge. He'd been in survival mode for years. Burnt out from work, running on no sleep as a new dad, and dealing with the fear and anxiety of having a newborn during COVID.
The nervous system was already overloaded
David believes he always had a more sensitive nervous system. Years of high stress in school and work, followed by burnout, had already pushed him close to the edge. When his son was born, both he and his wife got COVID. They were terrified about passing it to their baby. The fear, anxiety, and survival mode were constant.
Then the food poisoning hit. Within days, David developed severe stomach pains, dizziness, and cold sweats. He was admitted to the hospital. Every test came back clear. The doctor told him to rest and he'd be fine in a month. He went home feeling relieved. Fifteen minutes later, while chatting with family, brain fog descended on him like a wave.
How Bad Did David's Long COVID Symptoms Get?
David was bedridden for seven straight days after that initial crash. He couldn't lift his head off the pillow. His chest felt like it was being pushed down. He couldn't breathe. Brain fog locked him into bed. It was, in his words, the most terrifying seven days of his life.
The breaking point
By the end of that first week, David told his wife that if he stayed like this, he wasn't sure how to live. His baby was only three or four months old. His wife was juggling a newborn and trying to bring him food. They had to call in family to help. He was essentially bedbound.
Over the following months, the symptoms kept changing. First it was weakness and breathlessness. Then came severe insomnia. David couldn't sleep without medication for 7 months. Then panic attacks started, something he'd never experienced before. He was gasping for air after five-minute conversations.
By January, David hit his absolute lowest. He needed a wheelchair for five days because walking was too painful. He'd never felt so helpless in his life.
What Treatments Did David Try Before CFS Recovery?
Like so many people, David went down the rabbit hole. He was on his phone reading scientific papers, making lists of supplements, and convinced it was a gut problem. He went through a string of doctors and specialists who couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
The Long COVID Clinic letdown
The hospital admitted him overnight. Every test came back clear. A lung specialist suspected mycoplasma and put him on strong antibiotics for a month plus an inhaler. David felt better, but it turned out the synthetic cortisol in the inhaler was masking his symptoms, not treating the root cause.
He was referred to the Long COVID Clinic in Singapore. He walked in expecting answers. They told him to get some sun and rest. After his second visit, David discharged himself. The clinic had nothing to offer.
How Did David Find CFS Recovery's Program?
In mid-October, David decided he needed community. He joined Instagram with no plan other than to connect with people who had Long COVID. Very quickly, he found resources on brain retraining and the nervous system. His first reaction was skepticism.
From skeptic to believer
David's initial thought was the same one most people have: "This can't be real. Where's the medicine? Where's the physical treatment?" It felt like something very physical was happening in his body, so the idea that brain retraining could help seemed impossible.
But something clicked by end of October. He remembers telling his wife: "I know what causes this. And now I feel optimistic for the first time." He found CFS Recovery through Instagram, watched recovery interviews, and connected with coach Crista. He applied to join in early January after a devastating adjustment period left him in a wheelchair.
How Did David's Recovery Progress in the Program?
David joined CFS Recovery's recovery system on January 16th. He was in a bad place mentally. For the first two months, from January through early March, he didn't make any visible progress. He attended every call but his mindset was struggling under the weight of the weakness he was feeling.
The turning point
Things started shifting slowly. The coaches laid everything out clearly so there was no doubt about what was going on. One of the biggest keys for David was learning that hidden emotional and mental triggers were driving his symptoms, not just physical activity. That understanding changed everything.
The group calls twice a week became his anchor. The nine or ten people in his group became close friends. They'd crack jokes, check in on each other, and share wins. David said it felt like walking into a pub and seeing all your friends.
Having direct access to coaches, especially Adrian, gave him a safety net he'd never had. When he didn't know whether to rest or walk, Adrian would guide him. When he was spiraling in fear during an adjustment period, the coaches would message back with encouragement and clear next steps.
Before vs. after: David's recovery by the numbers
| Metric | Before Recovery | After 5 Months |
|---|---|---|
| Functional level | Wheelchair-bound | 95% recovered |
| Daily steps | Couldn't walk | 6,000-8,000 steps |
| Sleep | Needed medication for 7 months | Sleeping naturally, no medication |
| Physical activity | None possible | Hiking gorges, carrying his son |
| Mental state | Panic attacks, constant fear | Doesn't think about Long COVID |
| Driving | Unable | Driving family around on holiday |
The family holiday that changed everything
In March, David went on a family holiday. He was anxious. He brought a travel wheelchair just in case. His coach Adrian helped him manage the worry beforehand. But once he was there, something shifted. His body entered a flow state. He was able to push past the negative thoughts and the symptoms more easily.
On that trip, David walked up to 6,000-8,000 steps a day. He carried his son for the first time in six months. He drove his family around. And then came the moment that defined his recovery.
The biggest breakthrough on that trip? His sleep came back. For the first time in seven or eight months, David fell asleep without medication. That continued when he got home.
Where Is David Now?
David reports feeling 95% recovered. He no longer has weakness that makes him feel sick. He wakes up without thinking about Long COVID or CFS. He's considering getting back into tennis. The fatigue that lingered through April and May, a normal low-level tiredness rather than the crushing weakness of before, has lifted even more.
His biggest takeaway from the entire experience? The power that our minds and nervous systems have over our bodies. He's committed to looking after his nervous system, keeping the good mental habits he built, and living life in balance rather than in survival mode.
David's story is one of over 70+ documented recovery interviews from people across 20+ conditions who've gone through CFS Recovery's recovery systems. Every single one of them once felt exactly like you might feel right now.