From Bedbound to Dancing: Kathy’s Recovery from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue & Hashimoto’s

Written by Kathy S. on August 7, 2025

"I tried a lot of different things. I tried juicing and drinking green smoothies all day. My naturopath kept trying different supplements. There were a few that helped some, but none of them helped me to recover. My naturopath also had me try vitamin IVs and ozone therapy. I paid a good amount of money, and nothing helped."

In 2015 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Leading up to that I gained weight and had a lot of fatigue. I went on medication and cut out all gluten. Yet still I had a lot of fatigue and other symptoms also started. The worst was the terrible flu-like pain. Over-the-counter pain medication didn't really work.

So, I decided to see a naturopath. I was very much into natural forms of health and decided to see what she had to say. She ran a bunch of tests and told me I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

That was in 2016. After that my health rapidly declined. I started out becoming housebound and then a little while later I became bedbound. I was bedbound for 8 months straight. I had numerous symptoms. I had brain fog, extreme fatigue, dizziness, flu-like pain, joint pain, light and sound sensitivity; those are to name just a few. I had to have blackout curtains in my room and earplugs if things were too loud. It was a terrible time.

I reached out to Jitka for help with my diet. I already ate a vegan diet and had for many years. I truly believed that if I just had the perfect diet, I would heal myself. I did the best I could, but eating was hard as I couldn't eat much. I did try and eat as healthy as I could. Unfortunately, I didn't see any real improvement.

I tried a lot of different things. I tried juicing and drinking green smoothies all day. My naturopath kept trying different supplements. There were a few that helped some, but none of them helped me to recover. My naturopath also had me try vitamin IVs and ozone therapy. I paid a good amount of money, and nothing helped.

I also tried doing the sauna (that did help some) and pacing my activities. Some things helped a little, but I never got very far.

Then someone I knew from a group told me they had done a program called The ANS Rewire program. It is a mind/body program that teaches you how to rewire your brain. I started that program when I was bedbound. It included diet principles (I didn't fully adhere to that, since he believed a vegan couldn't heal—I proved him wrong), meditation, and a few other things, but mostly focused on the rewiring principle. I started the program and within a few months I was not bedbound anymore. A few months later I was taking short walks. I started to make some real progress, and my symptoms started to improve. I was no longer light and sound sensitive, although I still had fatigue and pain.

I was making improvements until we moved into our new house, which had a lot of stairs, and the move set me backwards a little. I started to pace my activities more and I even got an electric chair for one set of my stairs to conserve my energy. I started to become fearful of doing too much and that it would make me worse. So I remained mostly housebound. It was during that time that my doctor also diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. I was lost with what to do to recover.

Kathy in a wheelchair

Bedbound Kathy with her grandchildren

Kathy's stair chair

↓ How Kathy healed from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis... ↓

Then I heard a recovery interview from someone who had worked with Dan Buglio (Pain Free You). I resonated a lot with what he said. I decided to watch his daily videos. And then I decided to sign up for his group coaching program. It was the best decision I made. He teaches a lot about how fear can keep us in that pain/symptom loop—that the brain is sending danger signals in the form of symptoms and pain because it thinks it needs to protect us from the danger it perceives. The pain and symptoms we experience are perceived danger. The pain and symptoms are very real, but we need to teach the brain that we are actually ok. Dan Buglio explains it way better than I do.

I stopped being afraid of things. And even though I had symptoms, I started doing things again. Within a couple of months I was walking three times a week for 15 minutes. I started adding a few gentle weight exercises at home. I started the program in the spring of 2023. In December of that year, I started going back to the gym and lifting weights and also got a car as I started driving again after 8 years of not driving. In February of 2024 I started taking a Tahitian dance class.

Kathy dancing a Tahitian dance

Kathy with her daughter

I healed from Hashimoto’s in 2019. I do believe that was down to diet and cutting out gluten. I have not needed medication since then and my thyroid numbers have been perfect.

I am healed of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. I do believe my vegan diet and doing the mind/body work is what finally got me to a full recovery. I live a full active life now. I spend time with my kids and grandkids and go to their activities. I walk between 30 minutes to an hour each day. I lift heavy weights three times a week and take Tahitian dance twice a week. I performed in Tahitian dance performances both last year and this year and I find it a lot of fun! I am so glad I got my life back!

--Kathy Stoner

"Fear can keep us in that pain/symptom loop—that the brain is sending danger signals in the form of symptoms and pain because it thinks it needs to protect us from the danger it perceives. The pain and symptoms we experience are perceived danger. The pain and symptoms are very real, but we need to teach the brain that we are actually ok."

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Note from Jitka:

I first started working with Kathy in December 2020. At that time, she was already eating a vegan, gluten-free diet and had healed her autoimmune disease—Hashimoto's thyroiditis—through her dedication. Unfortunately, even with an even cleaner whole-food, plant-based diet, her fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue did not improve. Back then, I had not yet discovered the missing piece to solving these conditions, and I felt sad that I couldn’t help her more.

Since then, through my work with clients, I have learned that diet and exercise—though essential—are not always enough. Our mind, especially the subconscious, plays a powerful role in healing. Stress, past traumas, and unresolved emotional experiences can keep the body in a state of illness. Many people suffer greatly even when all tests look normal, because a deficiency of drugs or supplements is not the true cause—and therefore not the cure. Lasting recovery often begins when the nervous system feels safe and calm again.

Kathy’s story shows this so beautifully. Once she addressed the fear that was holding her back, her health began to turn around. I followed her journey over the years and was so happy to see her keep searching until she found the right path to recovery. It wasn’t an easy or straightforward road—she tried many approaches before finding what truly worked.

Through mind-body therapy, Kathy transformed her life. She went from being bedridden and exhausted to active, strong, and joyful. Today she exercises, dances, and lives her life fully. Watching her make this transformation feels like a true miracle, and I couldn’t be happier for her. I wish Kathy many more years of health, joy, laughter, and of course—dancing!

--Jitka