My Recovery Journey

Last Update 11/7/2025

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler in unaware“

Martin Buber

Here I am listing all the things that have helped/not helped me in my recovery from chronic carbon monoxide poisoning. This page is currently incomplete and will be updated periodically as I still have a way to go. On a good day, I am finally functioning at about 80 percent of my normal health (normal before the CO poisoning). At one time I was often bedridden. (Update 11/7/2025: thankfully the improvement continues, I am about 90 percent of normal now. My current focus is on improving stamina and trying to gain muscle back. Currently seeking a part time job.)

This list is what worked for me. It might not work for you, we are all slightly different. However, it will give you an idea of what the road to recovery looks like. In modern times we get the impression that one pill, or supplement, or treatment will have us healthy again. Some conditions are too complex for that way of thinking. Often a “total load” approach is needed. No one thing has helped me get better, it’s been a combination of several, some small and some big.

(BENEFIT: BIG) Recommendations from toxicologist Albert Donnay have been a godsend. His partial rebreathing technique and sunbathing have been especially beneficial. He has a book written in haiku form so it is easier for those with brain injury to read (BRILLIANT!). It is available here on ETSY.

(BENEFIT: BIG) The National Carbon Monoxide Association (NCOAA) was where I first learned about personal low level carbon monoxide detectors. It was founded by Charon McNabb who is also a low level chronic CO survivor herself. She has gone through a similar journey.

The NCOAA is a non-partisan, grassroots, civic-minded organization that is focused on eradicating carbon monoxide poisoning and helping carbon monoxide poisoning survivors recover to lead a happy, healthy, and productive life. Their website is full of valuable information. Please look through the website to learn more.

Gut Health Diet (BENEFIT: BIG) Many chronic CO survivors are left with GI issues and food intolerances. We simply have lost tolerance to junk and even healthy foods, because our margin of error was wiped out by the CO poisoning. In addition, chronic hypoxia can alter intestinal bacteria and the intestines (1, 2, ).

Some of us have found that a seriously clean whole foods diet can offer good results. This often includes removing foods we have become sensitive to, with culprits ranging from gluten, dairy, sugars, additives, processed foods, meat, etc. (It is different for each person).

Research on diet and the microbiome show that food, for better or for worse, has a huge impact on our gut flora (microbiome). (See my Food page). A healthy microbiome not only plays a central role in immunity and inflammation, but a healthy one also produces the bulk of our neurotransmitters. So the benefits of these diets can extend beyond just gut health.

For me it’s the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), which has been researched and proven to improve gut flora. Seattle Children’s Hospital uses this diet for their IBD patients. Lucky me, grrr, I developed small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO), which causes severe GI bloating, food intolerances, nutritional deficiencies, and fatigue. Following the SCD has helped with GI issues & my fatigue.

Pacing Guide from Dr. Sarah Myhill

(BENEFIT: BIG) I found Dr. Sarah Myhill’s pacing guide to be invaluable. Pacing is learning when it’s ok for your body to be upright and active and when you need to seriously rest. (LINK TO GUIDE) Not pacing correctly will result in Post Exertional Malaise (PEM). This is when activity burns more energy than your body can make. IT IS MISERABLE! It will prevent you from healing.

Learning to pace, and accepting that I needed to do so, was a crucial part of my recovery. While Dr. Sarah Myhill is a controversial figure in the UK, she is devoted to finding recovery for ME/CFS patients and is worth looking at, even if you don’t completely agree with her. She also has much of her information online HERE.

(BENEFIT: BIG) Stress coping skills are diminished with ME/CFS and chronic CO exposure. Not only is your brain not able to cope as well, now add in your inability to actually work, concentrate, clean house, socialize, etc. Plus the insane insomnia that can also come with the package. To make it worse, this stress can drive the inflammatory process. So you have to learn to make peace with it.

This book covers many strategies and the research that goes with. The author is dealing with a chronic condition herself and the book is written like a novel, with valuable information woven into the story.

(BENEFIT: BIG) Doing easy crossword puzzles helped me with word recall. I use the cheap kind that I get from the Dollar Tree. It took me awhile to do them at first, but I got better over time. And my word recall improved. I have a post on it here.

Physical Therapy (BENEFIT: BIG, IF your body can handle it) While I have been able to go for long walks, mild hikes, 200 steps on my elliptical, and do housework the past two years, that has been the bulk of my physical activity. Working against me is the years I spent with CFS where I couldn’t do much, two years of Prednisone, and decades of undiagnosed Celiac Disease, and now I’m dealing with osteopenia. I also developed poor posture and lost muscle tone since the CO poisoning. I recently started physical therapy for bone strength and balance improvement. I’m hoping I can build up stamina as well. My therapist has given me several exercises I can do at home and I can customize them for my energy levels. I had a short bout of PEM after my first PT session. It only lasted a few hours but it felt terrible to experience that again. At my next visit we lightened up the routine and I was fine. I’ve been able to slowly add more weight. I have been sleeping better since starting PT which is another big benefit. PLEASE NOTE: I am several years into recovery. Not everyone may be able to do this.