About Julia
Julia graduated from Glasgow University in 1983. Since then she has taught in establishments as diverse as the Royal Navy, 6th form college, secondary schools and adult education. She currently teaches 2 days a week in a local secondary school, and spends the rest of her time seeing clients individually, or running Lightning Process™ Courses. In her spare moments she loves playing the piano, singing, walking along the Cornish cliffs, cooking and having fun with friends and family. This is her story of how she transformed her own life with the Lightning Process™:
Julia’s Story
Written just after Julia did the Lightning Process™ in April 2007
I was first diagnosed with ME in 1988, and it was traced back to a bad reaction to a BCG vaccination when I was 13 in 1973. By 1990 I was much better, had my third child, started teaching again and was leading a fairly normal life, though with much less apparent energy than my peers.
However in 1998 I became seriously ill again. I was hospitalised on two occasions, firstly for nearly three weeks and secondly for five weeks. Despite the countless tests I underwent, including MRI scan and lumbar puncture, the diagnosis was the same: ME. There was no treatment for the plethora of symptoms I had (almost total lack of energy, swollen glands, sore muscles and joints, numbness and tingling, anxiety, multiple food and chemical sensitivities, digestive disturbances. You name it I seemed to have it!) so I set about adapting to living my life largely from my bedroom. I had carers come in three times a day to help me. As well as having a devastating effect on my own life it also impacted hugely on my family, especially my husband who found himself trying to hold down a full time job, look after three children and a sick wife.
Over the years I tried various therapies; sometimes I seemed to get better, but the improvement was never sustained. I improved considerably in 2005 and the five of us plus wheelchair and electric buggy went to Spain for our first family holiday in many years. By summer 2006 I started to slide backwards, and no matter what I did - and I did all the 'right' things - I got worse. By Christmas I was unable to leave my bed without help, and had to be fed blended food. Even then swallowing was so exhausting that I couldn't eat enough and became tangled in a low blood sugar, low energy, weight loss vicious circle. I couldn't bear noise or talking or any input at all. It was a nightmare. After Christmas my husband took time off from work to help me, then went back part-time as my daughter took time off to feed and help me on and off the commode.
My husband, who in some despair had started surfing the web for cures for ME, found the Lightning Process and began drip-feeding me information about it. He was convinced it could work for me, and I became convinced too. The question remained, 'Was I ever going to be well enough to travel to Gill (our nearest therapist) in Bath?' Iain talked to Gill on the phone and by e-mail, and we decided to book for a course in April, giving me some time to hopefully gets well enough to travel. I wasn't convinced this was a sane decision; part of me thought it was, in fact, utter madness!
The more I heard about the Lightning Process, the more I became convinced it would work, and I began to plan what I would do when I was well. In my head I: re-planted the herb garden, 'cooked' a different recipe every day to prepare for when I could do it in reality, imagined the things I would do with my husband and children and started to think about the practicality of what I would do when I was off benefit. I couldn't wait to start LP, and April seemed so far away, that I decided to see if I could implement some of its philosophy. I didn't know the process that LP taught so I started using meditation as my process. As soon as a symptom or fatigue appeared I would put myself straight back into meditation, and after 20 mins max the symptom would disappear. I began to feel better, and hugely encouraged started moving out of bed, with, it has to be said, some trepidation! Three weeks after I had started feeding myself I walked up and down stairs for the first time in 9 years.
In short, by the time I went to Bath I knew that the LP would give me all I needed to make the next step from being an ill person to being a well person.
Learning the LP filled in all the gaps in my understanding of my illness and life, and gave me powerful tools to get it back on track. After the first session I went back to the hotel and managed to fall from a step in the bathroom onto a very hard floor. One of the features of my illness was that I went into shock very easily; this time, despite beginning to go into shock, I applied the Process several times, and just continued with the rest of the evening - had a bath, went out for a meal with my husband, and completely forgot about it! The only sign of its effect was the bruises. I walked out of my last session with Gill feeling and knowing that I could do practically anything I wanted to.
Since completing the LP I have done almost exactly what I have wanted to do; I live my life as a normal person. Two days after returning from Bath I took full part in a two day hotel-based family celebration for my parents' Golden Wedding anniversary. The herb garden has been re-planted and looks splendid, and I have cooked several meals. Last evening I played the piano with two of my children singing, for two and a half hours! This morning I have been into town to do some shopping, had a coffee while out, got back for a late lunch, wrote this report, will be making scones afterwards, and am then going to a Feldenkrais class this evening. I'll probably squeeze in some piano practice too! My life is full, rich and very rewarding.
February 2008
Having been wheelchair-bound for 9 years I spent some time improving my levels of fitness, and some time working out exactly what I wanted to do with my life. At the beginning of June I was offered a part-time teaching job starting in September which was exactly what I wanted, and I am now teaching two days a week. I decided that I wanted to train as a Lightning Process practitioner, and in the same week that I was offered the teaching job, I was also offered a place on the ECHM Diploma Course, a stepping stone to becoming a LP practitioner. Yay!
I also wanted to explore my new-found independence, so in June I set off for Avignon in the South of France, catching a bus, then a ferry then two more buses. I had never travelled abroad by myself before, and I relished the whole experience. I spent a wonderful week travelling, exploring and meeting people.
Since then I have steadily improved my levels of fitness, regularly cliff walking. I have done a course of Feldenkrais classes, joined a choral society, fallen in love with playing the piano again, and discovered my passion for cooking and my hatred of housework.
September 2008
I have just begun my second year back teaching, still relishing my job. I have completed both my Diploma in hypnotherapy, NLP and life coaching and have had the joy of helping others make huge positive changes in their lives. I am now also a fully qualified Lightning Process practitioner. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been in my life and it gives me so much joy to help other people experience the changes I have.
