Home / Health / Woman sleeps for 45 days, wakes with ME diagnosis
Woman sleeps for 45 days, wakes with ME diagnosis
6 Oct
Summary
- A woman slept for 45 days after a cold, waking to an ME diagnosis.
- Her family provided fluids, but she lost over 7lbs due to inability to eat.
- She retrained as a health coach and wrote a book after her diagnosis.
A former lecturer from Devon, Jan Rothney, experienced an extraordinary turn of events when what she believed to be a common cold led to an extended period of unconsciousness. Jan retired to bed on September 11, 2003, with cold symptoms, but did not regain consciousness until November 26, 2003 – a span of 45 days.
During her six-week sleep, Jan's daughters, grandmother, and a neighbour provided care. They ensured she remained hydrated but were unable to provide food, causing Jan to lose over 7lbs. Upon waking, she was disoriented and weak, struggling even to stand.
Medical assessments revealed her condition was myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), or chronic fatigue syndrome. This diagnosis prompted a significant life overhaul. Jan left her lecturing career, pursued retraining as a health coach, and documented her recovery in a book.
She developed a recovery plan emphasizing calmness, celebrating small improvements, and prioritizing physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Today, 20 years after her last sleeping episode, Jan reports having more energy than ever, crediting her illness with prompting life-saving lifestyle changes.
