Mary Lou Worster Anderson.

American Fitness March 1, 2000 Mary Lou Worster Anderson, 48, has been afflicted by Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) for nine years. Prior to her collapse from this illness (which had apparently been triggered by gall bladder surgery), she was pastor of a Presbyterian church in Henrietta, New York, for nine years. She is currently also a professional folk musician and a teacher who is certified in music, reading and elementary classroom. website gall bladder surgery

Anderson and her ex-husband met at Middlebury College, where they were both music majors. After several years of work at the University of Rochester, they both left their jobs to pursue parish ministry at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Their second job out of seminary was as interim co-pastors of the Lyndonville Presbyterian Church in Lyndonville, New York, a small apple-growing town with a population of about 1,100. They lived there for only four months with their eight-month-old son. From there, they went to John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Henrietta, New York, as co-pastors.

James G. Anderson, Mary Lou’s ex-husband, became ill in the fall of 1984. He tried to return to work in 1985 although he never felt well. He then collapsed completely in the fall of 1986, suffering from severe exhaustion, depression and weakness.

Mary Lou took over as pastor of the church until November 15, 1990, when gall bladder surgery changed her life in ways she had never imagined. “Looking back, I can now see that my health was declining over a period of several years prior to the surgery,” she says. “I tried to return to work, but I collapsed physically and emotionally. I suffered fatigue and dizziness so severe that I was confined to bed or the couch for much of the next eight years.” Her symptoms included fevers, continuous infections, joint and muscle pain, episodes of blurred vision, severe memory loss, concentration difficulties, progressive loss of right arm use, periodic loss of right leg use, intermittent numbness on the right side of her face and severe depression. Forty years of age at the time, this mother of two young children felt as if her life had come to an abrupt halt. “There I was–an excellent student with two master’s degrees and a very successful professional life who could not do household tasks for more than 20 minutes without requiring a one- or two-hour nap immediately thereafter,” she says.

During the next few years, Anderson learned she suffered from Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome–probably from as far back as the summer of 1989. She was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder, type II diabetes and early stage Hashimoto’s disease (a thyroid disorder). “Needless to say, I couldn’t work,” Anderson says. “My marriage also suffered greatly, leading to a separation in the fall of 1991.” Eight years ago, Anderson’s now-19-year-old son, Jesse, became ill with CFIDS as well. Two years later, his sister, Rebecca, began suffering from the same affliction. “I later learned that during this same period of time, one out of every five people in Lyndonville, New York, fell ill with CFIDS,” she says. “To this day, we do not know why, as the government has never been willing to investigate this epidemic.” Anderson says that her biggest challenge as both a minister and single parent has been to not give up. “There were several years when I was very sick and had both of my children home-schooling because they were too weak to attend school,” she says. “I have been part of a 12-step program during this entire time, which has forced me to take life one day sometimes one hour–at a time. I have pursued any treatment that I thought would help us and, along with the children’s father, have tried to have a household filled with music and love.” Several years ago, Anderson underwent a course of physical therapy followed by the beginning of a regular exercise program. When both of her children became ill, Anderson could not continue the regimen, but she did not forget how much it had begun to help her. “This February, I wanted to start physical therapy again, but I realized that I was a little stronger than I had been six years ago,” she says. “I was also inspired by the stories of three women on Olympic teams who had been stricken by CFIDS, were ill for years, and then retrained using a modified program. All three had made it back to the last Olympics. Hearing that, I started an exercise program at Gold’s Gym in Irondequoit. At first, it was three days a week, but now it’s every day. I structured my program after the one I had learned in physical therapy, starting with very low weights and low [bicycle] speeds. I only moved things up when they became very easy for me.” After 11 months, Anderson says she’s amazed where such a highly disciplined and careful approach has taken her. “I started out with five minutes on the exercise bicycle at the lowest speed,” she says. “I can now do 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular work a day at low to moderate speeds. I started out with 10 minutes on the lowest weights on resistance machines. I now work for 30 to 90 minutes, depending on my schedule. My weights on the upper body machines vary from 40 to 80 pounds, while my weights for leg work vary from 80 to 140 pounds.” Anderson testifies that her life has been profoundly changed by her fitness endeavors. She is much stronger, more alert and far more active than she has been in a long time. She’s even begun to sing and write music professionally again, as well as tending to domestic matters. “I can actually clean my house because I no longer get sick from the exertion,” she says. “I have hope for my future and can imagine returning to work again.” Part of this new future includes attending the Rochester, New York, AFAA Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor Certification program February 18-20, 2000. “My goal is to work with people who have Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Persian Gulf War Syndrome (which have been thought to be the same or related diseases),” she says. “I want to help other people find hope again. When one is confined to a bed, the world becomes very small. I would like to help others experience a gradual expansion of their world as they regain strength through carefully structured, extremely moderate exercise programs. My long-term goal would be to develop an actual center in Rochester where physicians, physical therapists, counselors, personal trainers and support groups could work together. My son, Jesse, would be especially interested in seeing this happen for children and adolescents, as more and more of them are diagnosed with CFIDS and there is very little support for them.” As is clearly evident, Anderson is very excited about the future and the opportunities her path to recovery and increased wellness has brought her. Since beginning her exercise program, Anderson has lost 28 pounds, dropped 21/2 sizes and ceased three of her medications. Her diabetes is now controlled by diet and exercise alone and although she still deals with memory loss, concentration difficulties and depression, all three are improving. gallbladdersurgerynow.com gall bladder surgery

As 2000 promises further progress, Anderson admits to finding a bit of irony in the entire situation. “I think it is humorous, in a wonderful way, that a woman who has spent much of the last nine years in bed can become trained as a fitness counselor,” she says. “To me, this is a way to take a desperately discouraging experience and turn it around to help other people. It has given me hope, excitement and renewed dreams. It has helped me to believe once again that there are no experiences in life which cannot be used to help someone else.”