The researcher and the practitioner: Gez Medinger talks with Suzy Bolt about what he has learned.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ธ.ค. 2022
- Gez has been on a long journey of discovery following his own challenging journey back to health following a Covid infection in March 2020. After talking to dozens of 'specialists' in the field of medicine and health, might he finally be landing on some personal understanding that could be his key to recovery?
This video made me cry with grief for myself and Gez. We can't thank this man enough for what he's done for this community. In years to come once we hopefully have treatments and a better understanding he should be recognised by the medical community as someone who helped lead the way on helping millions around the world.
I get a bit bashful with these kind of compliments!
I go through episodes of crying with grief too. I think that's healthy, allowing yourself to process you feelings, and doing so will help healing. I think trying to ignore grief and bottling up feelings would keep us sick for a longer time.
Yes! He @gezmedinger talked about the need to achieve something meaningful and I’m thinking he’s already done this. I’ve only seen a few of his vids (as I’ve just recently been thinking ‘I think this is long Covid on top of Ebv’ and looking into) and I can already see the great impact he’s made and the massive heartfelt appreciation from his community.
On a side note @gezmedinger I have a strong feeling Pluto has been transiting your Venus and maybe your sun and Mercury over the past 10 years. Are you Capricorn??
Gez @rundmc1, this video reveals that you don't realize how many THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of people you've helped through your videos and handbook. That is a HUGE achievement in and of itself! Not only have your findings given direction for so many, but also, hope.
Because of you, I learned NOT to push it when I was very ill. I avoided cardio, took anti-histamine (which worked within HOURS), took the whole supplement stack (niacin esp.), and started meditating when I always pushed it away (before getting sick), thinking I didn't have time for it. Now at 6.5 months, I'm feeling almost 90%, although I haven't tried doing hard cardio for fear of crashing. You've taught me and so many others so much. Having seen people on the long haul support groups, I see how many people are on the brink of doing something very drastic to themselves in desperation, thinking that their condition won't end, but your videos have helped them so much! For me, it's not even a thought that crosses my mind; I can't imagine how many others it's helping.
Dr. Tina Peers said that it takes the mast cells 6 months to regenerate. You have been doing SO much -- from researching and interviewing doctors, creating videos, to the handbook -- plus you were much, much more extreme in physical exertion with the marathons, not to mention pounding your body to death just when it was showing green shoots of recovery -- it's no wonder that you're not recovering as fast as you could be! You even said it yourself -- you should take at least 6 months to do nothing, just recover (and do things you enjoy, like skiing)!
I wondered why the heck I had to suffer, when my close friends/family are all fine. My best friend told me that getting Long COVID was to teach me something. I've learned that being always "go-go-go" is not OK. Learned to meditate when I never had time for it before. Learned so much about the autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability -- there's much more but those are just a few of them. This is all thanks to you.
You are educating the public and helping others in so many ways. btw, love the radiance you had at the end! I KNOW you will be OK too, eventually!
Suzie, thank you for this video, it gave us a better glimpse at Gez from the inside, not always just talking about work. I can't wait to try out one of your yoga sessions! Love from Vancouver, Canada.
What a wonderful comment - thank you so much Priscilla! Wishing you the best on your continued recovery :)
Thanks @@RUNDMC1. That comment only captured a fraction of the things I've learned from you videos, and what I wanted to say overall, like the work you're doing is creating a legacy, but I didn't want to write an essay! lol :)
@@PriscillaThen Haha, still very much appreciated!
What did you learn about CNS and heart rate? Do you have POTS? My lingering issue is POTS, my doctor says it's lingering Autonomic nervous system being on high alert.. I don't know how to heal it!
@@tanyawieczorek6603 Watch my films with Dr Boon Lim on dysautonomia (there’s 3 of them)
The two people who have helped me the most through my LC journey in one video!!! Thank you for all that you do! I share both of you to as many people as will listen!
Exellent watch guys, really enjoyed it. I was hospitalised with EBV. I've got ADHD and I was either born with, or developed a highly sensitive nervous system after spending the first 7 years of my life in an incredibly abusive home.
When I was 18 years old a customer left a book in the pub I used to work in called How To Thrive In The World When You're A HSP (Highly sensitive person). I read it and realised that was me!
I could feel like signs of my ANS starting to dysfunction in the months prior to me catching Covid, but I didn't know what was happening, so I didn't listen to my body and carried on burning the candle at both ends. Covid was definitely the straw that broke the camels back for me. The book Breaking Free has made me re-evaluate my whole life, the way I was living before, working 18 hour days 6 days a week in my business, and tolerating terribly abusive relationships on top of all of that, I'm not surprised my body has shut itself down. Looking back now, I am able to connect the many pieces of my puzzle that I missed all those years ago. The light bulb moment for me was reading Breaking Free, when Jan explains how our brain has reset our threshold to a much lower threshold to protect us from relentless stress and overwhelm. This is why we crash with very minor stress now, our new threshold simply can not tolerate even small amounts of physical and emotional stress. You're right Suzy when you mentioned that it is very difficult for people to come to terms with the role our brains play in this condition. No one wants to accept that maybe we do have more control over this than we realise, because then they feel as though they are partly responsible for making themselves unwell and that's a very hard pill to swallow. I'm 13 months in and still have alot of work to do to help my mind and body heal, but I'm a million miles from where I was 5 months ago. I am completely at peace with my long covid now, and I am committed to giving my mind and body the peace and freedom it needs to recover without me being hell bent on finding a magic pill to make it all go away. God bless you both on your journeys, and thank you so much for all that you have done to help our incredible community x
So what did you do to reset your threshold?
Please, please forgive yourself for overworking. You just didn't know it was weakening your immune system. And that was a healthier way to cope with childhood trauma, than my brilliant notion that alcohol was helping my anxiety, thus ending up in AA. Also, I retired early, was relaxing and enjoying still being sober, free of a challenging job for two years prior to getting sick. This can happen to absolutely anybody. You didn't cause this. Our childhood trauma partially set us up for this, also totally not your fault either. I'm just glad you are healing, as am I.
I’ve had LC for 20 months now and there were only 2 men I was following. Jesus and Gez. I believe you are a God send to us who are suffering with this LC. I felt so alone as I knew nobody else who had it, my friends didn’t believe me, my doctors didn’t believe, all my tests came back fine , it made me my symptoms even worse. I prayed to Jesus and bingo ! Found your TH-cam . I have watched every single one of them. Your research on this during your own suffering helped me so much……it took a long time but following you made me realize …it’s OKAY. It’s okay that I am this way right now. It is what it is….I accept it and I don’t push myself., I take my supplements, I sleep when I need too, I keep away from stress triggers and at months I am better than I was 6 months ago. I will continue to keep my faith and follow you Gez. Your a good, honest man . God Bless
If anyone deserves to recover it's Gez. He's done so much to help others. I'd love nothing more than to see an upcoming video about how he has finally recovered. I actually believe this will happen as we are seeing people over two years in who are recovering. Anyway... you're both awesome.
Absolutely he does deserve to recover. We all do. Some of us would kill to be at Gez's level of physical abilities and cognition.
Gez talking about living a stripped back life brought me to tears. The sacrifices we have to make just to stay afloat. Brilliant interview 💛
Glad it resonated with you Naima!
I can so relate to the feeling of needing to make a difference.. I struggled with the concept of being irrelevant and invisible when I was so sick. I felt my life was going to be a waste. Acceptance of my small, little insignificant existence was not something I was going to go down easy with. (There’s some sarcasm there.) I think LC taught me how much beauty there is in the small things. “Coming back home to self” is something I have never been taught to do and I lived a life of fight or flight for years. Maybe all of my life. You guys have become family.. every time you speak of your experience it’s like you’re reading a page from my journal. You deserve your healing, Gez. You have been a puzzle piece for all of us. The journey isn’t over and we hope to see you fully recovered and risen from the ashes. 🔥
I watched Gez' videos, and always wondered if his dedication to making the videos for the rest of us, was actually preventing him from doing the healing he needed. I am so glad to see that he is going to take time for himself, we need him to heal - he deserves it after all he's done for everyone else.
Thank you DJ!
A brilliant & emotional video, with the 2 people I've learnt so much from. It wasn't until my lovely Chest Specialist said in June 2022, they still don't know how to treat long covid people (he'd let me know the March 2020 damage covid had caused to lungs/heart previously), that I thought "right, I'll get better a non-NHS way then" I somehow came across Suzys Retreat in June, travelled alone & I've done her online classes ever since and can do more in a day than before. I can relate with Gez as I don't want the crazy life I led before and happy now having decaff coffee with friends, meals out (have lots of intolerances like you), yoga retreats & holidays. I met a lady who is helping with different sort of breathwork & visualisation. All of this can only be good. Good luck in your recovery too Gez.
Thank you Melanie!
What kind of breath work?
@Tanya Wieczorek she's a hypnotherapist and various breathwork but mostly breathe in, to the count of 6 and out through nose to the count of 6. Sorry just saw this message.
These videos are so validating of my confusing Long Covid experience. Thank you.
One amazing interview. So happy Gez has joined the beautiful rest and repair community Suzy created. It has been foundational for my recovery. You both have been so valuable to the LC community- grateful for the 94 videos and RRR. ❤
Good luck Gez, I hope your time away works well for you. It sounds like a plan 🙂
Hey Gez,
Just echoing everyone else here and saying thanks. Your contribution has been huge. Firstly by just being there when no one else was, helped tremendously and stopped us all from going nuts and then your investigations and research were incredible. I’m not usually one for such effusive language but just wow Gez👏👏👏💕
Suzy Bolt embodies a kind of wisdom that I find inspiring. The point is not my symptoms, the point is the whole picture. Thank you for this video!
Such an interesting interview! Looking back, it's incredible how much knowledge has been generated since March 2020! Feels like a revolution
thank you both so much for this conversation - it sent me flying up to parasympathetic from desolation! Here in Fiji there is zero support and my intention is to get through this damn thing - without your videos I would be lost. It was great to see Gez again, and I am now determined to stop fighting the anti yoga thing (!) and start a daily routine - it is time. Many thanks and hugs to you both
Hey Jane! So glad you have found us - please join our community if you want extra support and encouragement - xxxx
What a gorgeous talk. Thank you both.
Thank you so much. I realise that much of what drives my physical symptoms is my anxiety about my health since getting covid a year ago.
"Life shrinks and expands in proportion to one's courage."
Very sorry to hear you haven’t got back to your pre-omicron level Ges. 14 months in and I’m feeling much better. Getting it again is my greatest fear.
Wow. Fantastic interview. I’m only 2 months from acute COVID (horrible vomiting and diarrhea as primary symptoms, headache, fever, sinus congestion, fatigue) I’ve had 5 relapses (vomiting) spread out by a week-but have a lot of nausea and fatigue, brain fog. Didn’t even know about long COVID, but learned to breathe deeply and meditate more-went from 10 minutes to 30.
You are giving me hope. Thank you!
Thank you for this video, watching this has made me realise how important it is for me to stay away from my family who are unfortunatley toxic and narcissitic. Ive spent the last 4 years processing these traumas and unfortunately been in fight or flight and not been able to focus on healing my long covid, but im hoping to start soon. Blessings.
So helpful to me in the confusing journey I am on. Thank you both.
So heart warming. Love ❤ love this conversation. Your combined knowledge and contribution to helping people heal from long covid has been more valuable than all of the research, supplements and drs appts. I am 3 years in and only now realising that my future is only going to be healthful if every action and thought and step forward I take is in alignment with my parasympathetic nervous system. I think that is the one key for every sufferer regardless of our own individual pathologies. This video really brought that point home. Thank you ❤
Thank you Eleanor! ❤️
Thank you for everything. Two special people. Good luck in your recovery.
Thank you Gez, I hope we can recover from this. I hope you can recover. It surely is a long journey and a difficult one :(
Such a compassionate interview Suzy, and Gez was heart wrenchingly open about his journey to date. Listening to you was emotional man and you could see you both felt it too. Thank you both xxxxx p.s. DO YOGA, IT”S NOT A CLICHE
You’re right, it’s really not a cliche!
I know because I’ve trained to be a yoga teacher myself as a result of attending Suzy’s RRR programme for about 18 months.
Thanks Suzy and Gez. I went for a run and swam 1k as soon as line went faint (day 6) when I got Covid June 2022 felt fine, in hindsight not 100%. I continued running and swimming when I could, and going up and down until August 2022 when I went down, down. I had no idea what was going on, I didn’t even know long COVID was a thing. So horrid and confusing. I intend to recover 100% and NOT running until then😂Thank you for your fab advice💯
Take 6 months off!! (But we will miss you!)
Haha, thank you!
Great interview. Nice to hear Gez’ story. I’ve been struggling for 8 months but can totally relate to his story. Glad to know I’m not alone.
What a wonderful wonderful conversation between you both!
Gez you so succinctly describe your journey and the conclusions from all the 94 films that you have made that medical treatments can only aid symptom control but not cure or prevent relapses. And Suzy, you so clearly describe the role of the nervous system, how it can work to sicken or heal ourselves and how to tap into it through yoga, breathing and lifestyle changes.
I do hope you prioritise your health now Gez and take the full 6 months off.
Let’s see how I get on!
Enjoy your well deserved break Gez. Agree with all the other comments, nothing short of fantastic, your role in all of this. Thank you so much and thanks Suzy. I'm sure you'll figure out the last part and will get there. Take care.
Thank you both for all you do despite your own challenges. You give so many of us hope and validation. I pray that God will your reward your service with a full recovery.
Amazing interview, thank you both so much for your support over the past few years xxx
This interview gave me many light bulb 💡 moments.
Thank you both xx
I've been 'wowing' throughout the whole length of that interview! So humbling and relatable! First of all, I'd like to thank you both for that touching video. Gez, If I want to be honest with you, I've enjoyed your channel so much but the fact that you are still recovering and working hard on that made me feel uncomfortable. After listening to your story, I realised how similar our personalities are and I want to thank you for your honesty regarding reshaping your work and giving up chasing. Coming myself from the field of physical theatre and social work, I've been trying so hard for the last few years before LC to prove myself that I can give back to the world through this work. Chasing something that was causing so much physical, mental and emotional stress. I was 'flirting' with the idea of giving up some big theatre career, and all this intense social work around the world, but I was so scared. Your words filled me with so much courage to let go of the fear and trust that the universe will bring me what it's healthy for me. I still see how my experience as a clown and physical actor is helping to treat recovery with curiosity, and find joy in symptoms when they are around. It's been definitely a game changer that I'm so grateful I pursuit it in my life before. Many many thanks again and wish you to discover your own sacred clown who will fill your recovery with curiosity and joy.
Good luck on your journey Maria - I’m glad some of mine resonated with you and perhaps encouraged you with some directions forward :)
I related to so, so much in this conversation. Thank you both so much.
Great interview. Thank you. I’m glad Gez is on his way to healing. I’m working on it myself. I was a yoga, fitness teacher and engineer prior to Long Covid. I totally get the overdoing part that may have preceded this awful cluster of symptoms. Still working on trying to get back to yoga.
Well that brought a tear 🥹Thank you both so much, for this beautiful interview today, and for between you producing the most useful and supportive content on Long Covid that I have found. 🙏
47:09 so very true!!!! I don't feel safe in my body right now!! The POTS is bad!!
Gez, I don't think you got "a bit of EBV reactivation on top of long covid". I have a feeling that virus reactivation is actually a big underlying cause of post-viral disease like this. Virus reactivation can cause both the MCAS (it triggers the immune system), the dysautonomia, the brain fog (viruses like EBV have an affinity for the nervous system),... And the metabolic issues (the viruses are hijacking our mitochondria). Wishing you well, thank you for all your great work :)
I completely agree!
So much love 🧡 May we all heal and live our best lives.
I followed Gez’s videos throughout 2021 right after I caught COVID in jan21
I did the Flccc supplement protocol and was walking 3 miles a day
Then more of the neuro psych symptoms hit me including insomnia
I ended up on benzo and mirtazapine and now early 2023 I’m trying to determine if I can taper off these two meds
My cognition changes are the most concerning
I was high functioning.
Decent with technology and now I struggle with basic tasks
Thanks to both of you for all you have done for the many people suffering this awful condition. The brain piece has been crucial and so interesting for me. I suffered horrendous neurological symptoms for a year after my covid infection and a very clever neurologist has recently put me on lamotrigine which is an anti-seizure medication. Within a few weeks of starting the meds I am feeling better than I have in years and I haven't had any LC symptoms since. For me, its clear that covid affected my brain and CNS and want to share that the meds I've been given (which aren't the obvious choice for the long tail of a respiratory virus) together with your videos have given me my life back.
Damn Gez - gonna cry - not becuz of how I am affected - but becuz I am understanding so that I am able to help my family and others. The last portion of the film about your catharsis - wow, not only acceoting your sickness but accepting your body- and Suzy’s suggestions about a safe place - WOW - I’m going to have to write a book about What I learned from Gez.
Hey Gez, great to hear your story. So much I can relate to in my journey from fit and loving my work to practically housebound over 2 1/2 years on. Thanks for all the great work you're doing. I need to do more of Suzy's gentle yoga me thinks 😁👍
It’s highly recommended Michael!
Lovely video-thank you both! I looked at your work, Suzy, a year ago after Gez mentioned it in one of his videos and tried to watch (yoga was part of my life pre illness). Unfortunately I couldn’t check in without discomfort as the virus has given me autism-like sensory issues (sound, light, touch, movement sensitivity mainly) and it just hurts my head to the point I can’t be present. Signed up to RRR yesterday and tried to check in this AM, but had the same issues, mainly with sound-yoga teachers work in lovely rooms but this makes the sound quality just hideous with echoey spaces adding to the feedback squeal on zoom (even with microphones off). I tried the recording, which was slightly better but not something I’d want to do again. I think there must be a lot of us like this, with a more ME-like presentation of LC, it’s been a constant for me now for 2.5yrs. I think I’m going to have to go back to doing it on my own, or with a Wim Hof recording (his voice is the only one I’ve found I can tolerate). I was looking forward to a bit of community, but hey?!
Which class did you try? I want to remedy this solution. Was it my own class? I absolutely want this feedback to be able to sort it out. Thanks for taking the time to write. Xx
Thanks Suzy, it was the 11am breathe, 71 folks including me! By the time everyone’s mic was off and people were settled, I was at meltdown! I’m going to try the 10.30am tomorrow and maybe see if I can turn the sound right down and find some audio captions. Like I said, it’s not really your issue as yoga is usually taught in rooms which are literally the opposite of what you’d want for sound quality! Like a lot of people I’ve spoken to, the sound issue seems to be something that doesn’t improve much, despite daily vagus nerve time, breathing and meditation (and a lot of time in bed in the dark). I spoke to someone from the States once who said they were treating it at Mayo Clinic with aversion therapy- literally making people take ear plugs out and walk around the shopping mall. Not sure about that one!
I can make sure the settings are in place for the class to come in unmuted…also, make sure the volume is down low on your device before Caroline starts to teach. You can also get noise sensitive ear plugs which take the sharp edge off environmental noises that make us uncomfortable. Have a look for some of those. Xxx
What is this 3 week program in Switzerland? Can you share more details? Many thanks
Do we talk about a three week program in Switzerland? Gez has gone skiing in Switzerland and staying with friends. No programme as such. X
48:18 who are those 2 people she mentions?
43:55 is important for me !
I m suffering from dry eye since covid, is it normal
Look into Dr Sarno and Schubiner's work. It helped me!
Feel better!