We’re back with a brand new interview, and Riané shares heartfelt wisdom from her four-year journey back to a full life after severe Long Covid, ME/CFS, POTS, and fibromyalgia. A powerful reminder that even after the biggest setbacks, the right pieces can come together. TIMESTAMPS & Overview below:

TIMESTAMPS:
0:26 Intro
0:46 What her purpose is for sharing her story
2:19 Life before chronic illness was perfect... or was it?
3:50 Was her onset sudden or gradual?
4:07 Riané first loops back to share this hard part about recovery stories. She was there herself.
6:30 How condition became severe
7:45 Hindsight is 20/20 - why we should normalize doing this during early days of illnesses.
8:35 Why it was so hard with standard medical system. She was told THIS from early doctors... and why I'm shaking my head.
9:05 One of the hardest parts of this illness... you can probably relate!
9:47 Riané paints a detailed picture of her former functionality - what her days and life looked like. How often she could shower.
11:00 Wheelchair pics, the few things she could do (but were a challenge)
11:25 Summary of her functionality
11:40 She talks about her experience with severe POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia), which she was later diagnosed with
12:20 List of Riané's symptoms and diagnoses she'd ultimately get a year in.
12:40 How it was for her husband, why she is thankful.
13:28 Message to those without support of a loved one helping them.
14:00 She'd go back in time to ASK THIS.
15:10 Riané's experience with an ME/CFS and POTS specialist
15:53 Why the diagnosis was a big shift, in a good way.
16:10 Negative part of dx
16:25 What the specialist recommended (& why it didn't help get her out)
17:27 Two rabbit holes she went down
18:18 Did supplements help?
18:40 What helped her manage
19:00 Diet changes that stabilized things
19:25 Her experience with LDN (low dose naltrexone)
19:52 Almost 1.5 years in, she came across a popular brain retraining program. But it didn't have the results she expected.
21:18 Describes her worst crash a little over 2 years in (very severe / fully bedbound)
21:50 Recap of things that made her worse including anxiety meds - list at 22:30
22:50 Are our stories unique?
24:15 Riané's philosophy on golden threads & puzzle pieces.
25:20 Epiphany after an adult tantrum.
26:24 What she found on a sleepless night. Things she started to try. More things started to pop up.
27:37 A treatment her mom told her about.
28:00 Coming across a trauma therapist in her search
28:37 What she found that led to a tiny shift
29:10 The big difference between brain retraining and the nervous system and trauma release tools
29:45 Riané shares an example of a simple somatic nervous system practice
31:16 When does she start to do deeper work? Her first experience.
31:50 A misperception she had about this work.
32:27 Emotional processing (what video on my channel fascinated her), Journal Speak
33:00 The combo approach & adding brain retraining back
33:20 A big epiphany she had in a dark period after she read this book. So beautiful, one of my favorite moments from our interview.
34:40 Riané talks about Body Stress Release (a different practitioner). What it helped her with. Things are starting to shift, but it wasn't a straight line.
36:30 Real talk about symptoms and setbacks and a way to frame it.
37:25 All or nothing thinking vs. this big shift.
39:40 Reassurance for those who have setbacks after symptoms first go away. The re-integration part.
40:52 Reality of how she dealt with setbacks & helpful tips for dealing with difficult moments.
42:00 Why I love the nuance of her authentic story
43:00 How she went from not walking to walking
44:05 The deal she made with herself.
45:15 The puzzle pieces
45:20 Life now
46:30 A higher power.
47:47 Why she wants to share her hard-won wisdom with others.
49:35 Her final message and goodbyes.

OVERVIEW:
Riané Booyson, a South African living in The Netherlands, was one of the first people to get Long Covid, before it was even a term. She became primarily horizontal and had severe pain, PEM/crashes, POTS, and more.

At her rock bottom (bedbound), she ultimately would find the puzzle pieces that worked for her. It was not a straight path out. Riane's recovery story demonstrates that there are golden threads to recovery stories, but the order and combination of things that help will be our own unique recipe.

This interview was one of the most powerful, heartfelt, and insightful. I love the part in the interview where she talks about the part of us that cannot be damaged, wisdom she read in a book.

Written transcript of our conversation available here: https://healwithliz.com/rianes-heartf...
Riané's Instagram: Instagram: reconnectwithriane

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