A better quality of life thanks to fasting.
How fasting helped to improve Hannelore Tiedke’s severe symptoms of long Covid
For more than a year, Hannelore Tiedke (70) suffered from constant exhaustion, breathlessness, headaches, and an inflammation of her cochlear nerve – all severe symptoms of long Covid that made each day a challenge. She talks openly about how long Covid affected her quality of life and why she decided to come to stay at Buchinger Wilhelmi in spring 2021.
Positive experience with fasting at Buchinger Wilhelmi
As executive director of a large school centre and secondary school head, Hannelore Tiedke, who is now retired, had responsibility for around 2,600 pupils and the entire teaching staff. She often found day-to-day work stressful in this challenging leadership position. In 2011, she came to Buchinger Wilhelmi for the first time after being diagnosed with transient brainstem ischaemia.
“That was the first time I realised what it was like to shake off the burden of an extremely strenuous job, as well as work-related and private exhaustion in such a beneficial environment – through fasting and with the professional support of doctors, nurses and therapists”, she recalls. Her first experience of fasting was so good that she decided to come back again in 2012.
Long-lasting infection with Covid-19
In March 2020, Hannelore Tiedke caught Covid-19. A month later, she still had aching limbs, headaches, a high temperature and a sore throat. She had also lost her sense of taste and smell. After recovering from the infection, her sense of taste improved slowly, but she could only smell things intermittently. She describes how it feels when you can no longer rely on this essential faculty: “On some days, I could smell things again for a few minutes, or even for one to two hours. But I was no longer certain where the smell came from, because my brain seemed to lack the information.”
On some days, I could smell things again for a few minutes, or even for one to two hours. But I was no longer certain where the smell came from, because my brain seemed to lack the information.
— Hannelore Tiedke
Guest at Buchinger Wilhelmi
Another sign that Hannelore Tiedke was suffering from long Covid was that despite no longer showing symptoms, she was constantly tired and exhausted. Any physical effort, such as walking uphill or climbing stairs, caused a strong tingling sensation under her skull, as well as breathlessness and a slight feeling of dizziness.
In September her health deteriorated further. She was finally admitted to hospital with vertigo, nausea and vomiting, and diagnosed with a probable inflammation of the cochlear nerve – another possible consequence of Covid-19.
Up until the end of October, Hannelore Tiedke suffered from a high temperature, a stiff neck and severe headaches every evening. Some of the symptoms finally eased, but the fatigue and evening headaches continued. She remembered how her health improved during previous stays at Buchinger Wilhelmi, and decided to come to Lake Constance again to fast for three weeks.
Fasting leads to a lasting improvement of long Covid symptoms
During her stay at Buchinger Wilhelmi, Hannelore Tiedke fasted for a total of 19 days. She did lots of exercise, swam regularly and received various treatments such as infusions with vitamin B, selenium and folic acid. Gradually, she regained her strength and the symptoms started to disappear.
Today, months after fasting in our clinic, Hannelore Tiedke has enough energy to manage her day-to-day life again. The breathlessness and constant fatigue have gone, and she can walk up to 10 kilometres without any problem. The evening headaches, stiff neck and high temperatures are also a thing of the past.
Fit and energetic after fasting
“I now feel fitter, more alive and energetic, but also calmer and more content than I was at any point in 2020. I was able to help with the grape harvest, went on an extensive city tour, still go swimming every week and have generally regained my enjoyment of life,” Hannelore Tiedke tells Dr. Eva Lischka, her doctor at the clinic.
Her ability to smell has also improved: For the first time in 15 months since catching Covid-19, Hannelore Tiedke was able to identify the scent of a lemon while at Buchinger Wilhelmi. But it has not returned completely. Sometimes she is aware of different smells, and can even name some of them, while others she can smell but has problems saying what they are. “I lack memories or words”, she says. And yet she remains optimistic: “I have already got this far and fought to win back my life. I won’t give up and am confident that I will also regain this little piece of normality.”
I now feel fitter, more alive and energetic, but also calmer and more content than I was at any point in 2020. I was able to help with the grape harvest, went on an extensive city tour, still go swimming every week and have generally regained my enjoyment of life.
— Hannelore Tiedke
We wish Hannelore Tiedke the very best and good health for the future!
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