Jennifer Mann was convinced that she would never recover from the mysterious illness that suddenly floored her in 2019.
“A year had gone past, and I was lying on the ground in tears of agony after yet another devastating visit to a neurologist,” says the former ballerina and yoga teacher. “The doctor had told me I would not recover, and – worst of all – that I’d never be able to have any children. My pain was physical, but it was also emotional. And when I heard that news, I honestly thought I would rather die.”
At the time, Mann was 28, a trainee physiotherapist, living in London with her partner Yiannis Konstantonis, a fitness coach who had worked with the Team GB Olympic canoeing team.
“Just before I fell ill I’d been working exceptionally hard,” she says. “From 6am I was teaching yoga and Pilates at a gym in west London; then spending the day studying for my physiotherapy degree at King’s College London, only to return to the gym until 10pm.”
When Mann started to develop fevers and body aches, her GP told her she was “just tired”. “I now realise that, with every symptom, my body was screaming ‘no!’ and imploring me to slow down,” she says. “And yet I ignored all the signs, and kept pushing.”
The last straw came suddenly in February 2020, when Mann’s back suddenly spasmed in excruciating pain during a yoga session.
“The following day, I developed flu-like symptoms, far more severe than the earlier fevers and pains,” she says. “I was so exhausted, I simply couldn’t get out of bed. At one point, I didn’t even have the energy to speak.”
Mann had to drop out of her work, and put her university course on hold. Overnight, Yiannis went from being Mann’s boyfriend to being her carer. “I became so incapacitated that he had to carry me to the toilet, cook for me, even change my clothes and wash me,” she says. “I was terrified, and in tears much of the time.”
As Mann’s illness progressed, her vision became blurry and her face covered in acne.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
