HEALTH A bout six years ago, Adene Nieuwoudt, owner of Adene’s Farm Flowers in Wolseley in the Western Cape, started to feel fatigued and unwell. “Weekends would arrive and I would just sleep through them,” Adene says. “I thought it was a bit of burnout, because at that stage I was working almost every day, even on weekends. But by the third weekend, my husband, Andrew, said I should visit my GP, who tested my blood and it showed that I had elevated antibodies for Graves’ Disease.” Graves’ Disease is a condition that originates within the body’s own immune system, which begins to produce antibodies that target the thyroid gland. “The first six months were the most difficult,” Adene recalls. “I felt really horrible, almost like I had a hangover every morning. Looking back now, I can see how in addition to Graves’ Disease symptoms, I had symptoms that were consistent with mould toxicity.” Adene started treatment for the disease, but she felt that there might be more to her diagnosis. She started reading every book she could find on her condition and visited a number of functional-medicine doctors, and while none of them Adene started treatment for [Graves’ Disease] but she felt that there might be more to her diagnosis. could get to the root of her illness, they each taught her a lot about managing her symptoms. One doctor found that she had a genetic predisposition that made it difficult for her body to get rid of toxins. “I started eating very clean – only fruit, veggies and free- range meats,” she says. While Adene started feeling better, she still did not feel like herself. “About a year ago, I was feeling so desperate. Imagine feeling like you have the flu every day! I felt like I was missing out on life. I could not be very social because I did not feel well. I prayed for help and answers. Within two weeks I got some very clear signs.” Through prior testing, It took a long time for Adene Nieuwoudt to get to the bottom of the health issues she was experiencing. Research and reading led to a diagnosis and treatment. 66 IMAGES JULIA JANSE VAN VUUREN
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