Join Mara's Journey to Heal, Rise & Inspire Others

Hi all, my name is Mara and, as I was writing my story here, my friend helping me, asked me why I am minimizing the symptoms my body is experiencing, the health situation I am in and that I need financial support: “You can offer for others in need your skills, the vast international experience you have", he said. And he was right: I felt embarrassed, sad, tired. I was thinking of the risks I am in, the amount of money needed and the life of people around me.

I am in a health challenge where, besides my body looking to find a way to cope with an avalanche of severe symptoms, the risk in not following the treatments & therapy approach is blindness and paralyses, as mentioned in the report of the doctor based on the EEG done (electroencephalogram). This indicated an overreaction and inflammation process in many brain areas that affected several neuronal connections (dysfunctional electrical activity of the brain).

The entire medical approach with different therapies, treatments, tests, scans for a period of about 7 months and some related expenses that have been, they are summing up to an estimation at this stage of 48 000 – 54 000 euros, costs that are not covered by the health insurance I have. Plus, certain therapies are available in different locations/ countries.

With all the above and although I am offering in exchange my experience in some services I mentioned at the end of this story, I felt embarrassed because I look around, I see different challenges people have, everyone with its story, pain. In the same time, people know me as sunny, happy, powerful Mara, always handling everything, being able to support the family situation when parents were ill.

Following in a matter of moments, everything to change: my health, the job and the financial situation, personal relationships. It was hard to accept that this is happening to me. True, many of us are passing through such situations, but when it's happening to you, it is different.

However, I've learnt that your life starts every day with the sunrise and that every life matters. With this in mind, I am aligning some further details hoping this will help you in helping me.

✅ Thank you for taking the time to go through the story, for joining my journey, for your generosity and sharing.

✅ A medical journey that many can relate to, knocking from door to door:

In the last 10 months, my body started to experience a decline in health with different symptoms manifesting every day, almost all in the same time and along all levels:

These brought me in the challenge of not being able to work fully or see my family for a while, quite hard to accept. I was afraid too, feeling a huge pressure from the environment. Many nights of crying too, if I should be honest, but then was literally looking up to the sky in the evening thinking that life is a gift and that somewhere from above my parents are watching me. I was looking for a way to "stay positive". I love life and, in a way, I know life loves me.

Some doctors labelled me with different complex auto immune diseases and different prognostics. Others scratched their head and wondered what is wrong as the body is accumulating so severe symptoms and the blood tests do not match all.

Some told me that nothing can be done or, worse, that nothing is wrong. So I was sent to the psychiatrist, who sent me back to other specialists as, based on the consultation, I was stronger in my head and attitude than many healthy people. One doctor offered me a cream to relax my neck. I did not know if it was too complex for him, or simply did not have the mood to take care. I was looking not to get into the victim mood, but I felt angry.

I could have agreed that fear and stress create different reactions in the body, but I knew my body a little bit. Plus, I was always active, doing sport, methods to relax, long walks with friends, while symptoms were becoming worse.

I started a long way from doctors to doctors (neurologist, reumatologist, immunologist, ears specialist, pneumolog, cardiology ....) and days spent in hospitals or emergency rooms. I felt often alone, not able to go outside many times, losing friends and fighting against an old medical system. You try to stay in the positive part, but you are human too.

I met few extraordinary doctors, but working in a medical system that is used to treat humans as machines, based on some rules, 10 - 15 minutes the medical talk, without having the time, the availability and the will to go a bit beyond the standard learnings from the past, from the years of study, to be open to understand “strange” cases too, to be open to different information. We are used to label everything in x or y and do everything speedy. It is a system.

✅ Every life matters:

And while writing here and talking with my friend, it is true that despite how the situation looks now, these symptoms are not who I am. Everyone of us is more than the challenges we are passing through. And every life matters. With all these things I am experiencing, embarrassment should not be. I am the same Mara and even more, with my success, mistakes, hopes and dreams. I am who I am.

I know everyone in the world experiences parts of these issues at times, whether they have anxiety or some tingling sensation or a pain that doesn't seem to go away. I’ve learnt that we cannot compare health challenges because each of us has his/her own response. For me, I've been having the symptoms all at once within the last 10 months, every day.

I understood that the mental response to everything what was and still is happening is key to manage further and something to dig into. But the emotional and mental carousel is just as demanding as the physical part. And still, I wanna shine again, not only outside, but also inside.

✅ A bit of who I am:

I always like to smile, enjoy the places and people around. It is the belief that life has its beauties with all the different situations it brings.

People are my passion and, so far, life has gifted me with a magical gang of brothers, nephews and nieces, colleagues and teachers in all my schooling years that would not change them with anyone, university mates that became quickly lifetime friendships, sharing the goods and the bads, colleagues at work that we shared not only business KPIs and long days and nights working, but we shared our dreams, aspirations, pains and smiles, my neighbors and friends that touched my life with their generosity, people maybe I just met online but inspired me with their stories, life, or just with their presence.

✅ The way to Germany & pushing myself over the limits:

I worked mostly in international organisations and soon, I left my home country and family to Germany, in order to support the business of the company I was working for. After a short time, I received the offer to join permanently the team in Germany. I decided to stay in Germany so I could have helped my family situation and my parents that were ill. But also to have this chance to learn new things, interact with different cultures. Hamburg is the beautiful city I am still living.

For a while, my clients became like my life. Like in every corporation, it was an extraordinary level of work and performance, always heading to the next challenge. But very rewarding in terms of the people I met, personal and professional, from different countries, different backgrounds, traditions, cultures. And soon, once I was advancing in my career, I learnt that diversity makes our life rich and tolerance between people empowers us.

In this excitement for life, I started to feel some time ago that my body was giving signs of slowing down. However, even after our parents died one after the other one, only at one month difference, I was continuing in the same rhythm, advancing in my career and handling life with what was coming: new job opportunities, travelling in other countries to train the teams, legal issues following the death of the parents, changing places to live...and smiling. I was strong enough. Little did I know my body was struggling.

And isn't it that only when something does hit us, we stop to see what is really happening with us? Indeed, all were my choices.

✅ After months of not figuring out, something was discovered, at least partially:

And here I am today, experiencing the avalanche of body reactions, overwhelmed, but also with hope. Outside, I look to keep a positive face, thanks to the people supporting me too and the things I do on my own. We are more then our bodies. There are still the little things around us that count. But inside the body, it is a battle.

Just recently, based on an EEG (electroencephalogram) done, scanning the whole brain, it was discovered that the functionality of different neuronal connections is affected by an overreaction and inflammation process in certain brain areas (dysfunctional electrical activity of the brain) . I've never heard or had a clue of something like this.

This leads to visual decoding and processing issues, hearing problems, issues with language processing and articulating words, loco motor problems, digestive issues, paralysis of different parts of the body, breathing challenges, neuropathy... some of them already experiencing, as was sharing at the beginning of this story.

✅ Medical approach for therapy :

To put in place a whole procedure to recover during the next months, this involves different therapies, one also in partnership with IFEN (Institut für EEG – Neurofeedback), different treatments, tests, additional scans. As the symptoms, so the approach, how someone close told me.

Some therapies are done each day, 2 times per day. All in all, this treatment approach (for about 7 months) and related expenses from the last period require a financial support about 48 - 54 000 euros, depending how the body behaves during this time.

Not working fully, my income at this stage is the one I receive from the German unemployment agency, covering basic needs.

✅ What I love & offer in exchange:

I love skating, paragliding,being with kids, playing piano, dancing, driving, water melons and camping. Most, I love people with their diversity and writing...I thing you can see :-). I wrote articles for an organisation that supports women around the world and I am also writing a book about my this journey of healing and the mirage of being in the "West world".

The positive aspect of this experience is that I met people who inspired me with their dedication, support to others, knowledge and expertise and I am grateful for that.

I’ve discovered new fields of interest and training myself in quantum physics, epigenetics, body mind connections, technics to release emotions from traumas, how humans function and develop certain patterns and beliefs that sabotage our development and the reaching of our goals, areas. I'm keen on this new fields of science. And this is where I want to dedicate in the future. We, people, are so amazing with all our characters and experiences. And I am learning this still.

https://womenesteeminternational.com/3d-flip-book/womenesteem-international-for-you-no-13/

https://womenesteeminternational.com/3d-flip-book/womenesteem-international-for-you-no-15/

https://womenesteeminternational.com/wei-for-you-magazine/

In exchange of your support, I would like to offer to some of you that need (please use the "contact button" in this application to require as an exchange one of the options)

✅ My dream:

I imagine my own coffee place where people can read books with small lamps and a cozy light, playing piano or maybe saxophone, just a place for people to take a small break.

But my biggest dream is that I live my life for what I am and that one day my experience in my journey will be an inspiration to others, be a service to others who are struggling in the same way I have been.

And that's why I'm asking you for even a small donation of 10 or 15 euros or whatever you can spare. Even one euro helps. Because when you feel like this, to work fully becomes impossible. And you still want to embrace life fully again, for yourself too, be with the people you love, help others and maybe pay attention to the little things earlier were not so important.

I would like to continue my passion in supporting the development of people and contributing even a little bit to the happiness of others.

Because every life matters, no matter where we come from, who we are, how old we are or the social position we have.

Thank you again for getting to this point of reading, for helping, for your generosity and sharing. And certainly will be happy to come back with updates to you. Have a day filled with smiles!