Pontefract social worker with fibromyalgia devotes her time to helping others with chronic illness

Keilly Parker, a mental health social worker from Pontefract, used to be bed bound with a condition called fibromyalgia.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

But now, she is symptom free and alongside her day job as a social worker, she is running her own life coaching business to help others who continue to battle the condition and other chronic illnesses.

Her journey to recovery began when she was diagnosed with her condition in 2016.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Keilly said: “Living with fibromyalgia can be so difficult. For me and many others it comes with a range of symptoms like widespread pain throughout the whole body - it leaves you bed bound.

Keilly Parker, a mental health social worker from Pontefract, used to be bed bound with a condition calledfibromyalgia, now she helps others with chronic illnessesKeilly Parker, a mental health social worker from Pontefract, used to be bed bound with a condition calledfibromyalgia, now she helps others with chronic illnesses
Keilly Parker, a mental health social worker from Pontefract, used to be bed bound with a condition calledfibromyalgia, now she helps others with chronic illnesses

“I experienced strange sensations like extreme fatigue and exhaustion and feeling so run down, like I had a constant flu.

“One of the strangest feelings I used to experience was like pins and needles, I felt like I had ants crawling all over my body, I even told my older daughter to check the house for bed bugs.

“I had experienced a lot of the symptoms before my diagnosis, but I just put it down to everyday stress, it really sucked the life out of me.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it's thought to be linked to the level of chemicals in the brain and a heightened level of hormones in the body, which create a stress response.

Keilly said:"It can be a very lonely, dark place and just because we cant see the illness doesn't mean its there."Keilly said:"It can be a very lonely, dark place and just because we cant see the illness doesn't mean its there."
Keilly said:"It can be a very lonely, dark place and just because we cant see the illness doesn't mean its there."

Keilly said: “It’s such a strange condition because you don’t know when the symptoms would come, when they were going to go or whether it would last.

“I was out of work for three to four months at a time when my condition was at its worst.

“I remember all my senses being heightened, touch was particularly painful, I couldn't hold my two daughters or hug my friends and family who I felt the lowest because it was too painful - wearing clothes felt like I was wearing a lead jacket .

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I honestly thought I was dying. My daughters, who are older and self sufficient, were supporting me - thank God they are older because I can’t imagine what it’s like to have this condition with young kids.

Keilly encourages healing practices like reiki and yoga in her wellness routineKeilly encourages healing practices like reiki and yoga in her wellness routine
Keilly encourages healing practices like reiki and yoga in her wellness routine

“I couldn’t eat a lot, I wasn’t functioning properly. It broke my heart knowing my girls had to see me at my lowest, unable to use the toilet, brush my teeth or even get out of bed in the morning.”

At the time, Keilly was grieving for her mother and when the symptoms worsened they were misdiagnosed as depression.

She visited eight doctors before they could figure out what the actual problem was.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

After visiting a rheumatologist in 2016, it was then she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia..

Symptoms of fibromyalgia can ‘mimic’ other illnesses like MS, so it can be difficult for specialists to diagnose, Keilly said.

“I’d gotten to the point where I needed to try alternative healing methods for myself, I did so much research into how different stresses affect the body.

“Im now 95 per cent symptom free. By doing lots of recovery and respite work on myself, I found that my fibro symptoms were induced by different stresses on the body.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I began by making gradual lifestyle changes. I work from home when I need to and do a lot of care package reviews rather than high risk jobs.

“I was gluten free anyway, but had to cut out dairy, sugar, caffeine - rarely drink alcohol but allow myself a bit.

“My sleep pattern is regulated, thanks to CBD oil to promote sleep and support my pain management - this supplement helped massively.

“I cut out the toxic relationships in my life that I didn’t need any more too - all these things cause stress responses in the body, a lot of medical specialists wont recognise that as a link to fibro.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Each symptom reduced the more I eliminated the stresses in my life.”

She now devotes her time to helping other people cope with the symptoms of chronic illnesses through her life coaching company ‘Be True To You’, through group and individual sessions.

Keilly said: “So many people out there are feeling hopeless, there will even be people out there who haven't had a correct diagnosis or won’t even know they have the condition.

“I just want to share the message that there is hope, there are a lot of people caught in the cycle who can’t see a way out, I want to let people know I've been there too.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I recovered not through any amount of medication, I did it on my own through natural means.

People with ‘invisible’ illnesses can try and hide how they feel and my heart goes out to those who grit their teeth and bear it every day to get through work or who are just feeling the pain all day.

“Being open about your limits will help a lot more rather than being in pain in silence.

"It can be a very lonely, dark place and just because we can’t see the illness doesn't mean it’s there.

“When you’re stuck in that cycle of thinking it’s hopeless, it's hard to get out but I want people to know that life can be beautiful.”

To contact Keilly see her website: Be True To You

Related topics: