Bernadette's Report

I was diagnosed formally with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome five years ago. I visited the MCC, Dr Gorter's clinic in Cologne for two weeks in May 2004. I travelled with Germanwings.com on a Sunday and was met by Dr Gorter that evening for an interview. This enabled me to commence tests and treatment at 8.30 the following morning. On the first day I had my first of six hyperthermia sessions. This initial session lasted two hours. I lay in what looks a bit like a sunbed except I am covered with a tent like contraption which has an infra-red light on inside. My temperature is raised from my normal (around 36 degrees) to around 38.5 degrees and held there for an hour. My head is sticking out and a kindly nurse is wiping my brow now and again as I sweat profusely. Meanwhile I am getting an infusion (drip) of various ingredients like Vitamin C and magnesium. In the hyperthermia bed my pulse and heart is constantly monitored. The hyperthermia is the hardest of all the treatments but do-able.

I stayed in the Esplanade Hotel nearby which was friendly but dear. It made sense to be close to the clinic. I had a treatment every day except Sunday. When I hadn't a hyperthermia session I'd have an Ozone treatment or an infusion (drip). With the Ozone treatment, they take some blood, mix ozone with it and put it back via a drip. As the results of the tests came in, the ingredients of the drip were modified, e.g. as I showed up anaemic, iron was added.

At all times I experienced being well looked after by the clinic and Dr Gorter takes a personal interest in his patients meeting them for regular briefs and updates. In fact they are wonderfully friendly. Dr. Gorter has the best English. Another doctor with excellent English is a Mexican oncologist called Dr Eloy. He was a great back-up for me.

I was well able to manage physically as the treatment gives an instant boost. I was able to do more than I would be at home.

The results come in dribs 'n' drabs from the various labs. I was told specifically what was wrong with my immune system. The T4 helper cells who are the conductors of the orchestra in terms of the other cells (virus fighters etc) were only 5% active when they should be 75%. My immune system had given up, he said, because I had so many infections to fight. One for example was Lyme's disease, and there were others. I got a long list of ailments in fact. Some of these are recognized by doctors in Ireland, others not. Also the test they do for Lymes is different in Germany. I am on anti-biotics and Nystatin, on the orthodox side, and other what would be considered here as alternative treatments. I am injecting myself with Thymus extract and other ingredients for the immune system.

I'm back three weeks now. Naturally I'm sometimes under the weather from the treatments. So I can't say I'm one of the instant cures! However I know too I had an exceptionally long list of things wrong, even according to Dr Gorter. I know I'm doing well as normally with a bit of stress or doing too much I would be down with a flue-like illness. Never mind two weeks in Germany.

Overall I am happy I went. It was invaluable for me to know what was going on in my body other than Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

June 2004