"Until I realized it was a vitamin deficiency, I assumed my brain fog was dementia."

Katrina Burchell was traveling from her London-based profession as an attorney to her Hertfordshire home on a chilly, overcast, wintery night in October 2018. Tired and disoriented, Burchell boarded the wrong train by mistake and ended up miles away from home on a dark platform when it reached the end of the line in north London.

"I got on the wrong train for the third night in a row," she says. "I was totally disoriented and perplexed when I finally got off the train. After glancing at me, the train driver noticed something was off.

As he graciously escorted me back to the main station, I stated that I was feeling exhausted and disoriented and that I had pins and pains in my hands and feet. He questioned me why I wasn't receiving any treatment and had a troubled, anxious expression. "You deserve to be listened to," were his final words to me. Until the doctor agrees to assist you, don't leave their office.

Burchell had been suffering from crippling exhaustion and cognitive confusion for a few years. She was worried that it might be an indication of dementia or a brain tumor, but her doctor was not responding to her questions.

A few days later, Burchell was referred to see a haemotologist, and recalling what the train driver had said, She assured the doctor that she would stay until everything was resolved. She soon received a diagnosis of pernicious anemia, the most frequent cause of vitamin B12 deficiency and an inflammatory illness that damages the stomach.

"My mother used to say, 'If you go to bed any earlier you will meet yourself getting up,'" Burchell, now 60, says her primary symptom of exhaustion has existed for as long as she can remember. My GP diagnosed me with IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] when I was 19 years old after I told him about my lethargy and some stomach issues. He informed me that it was quite typical, that there was nothing I could do about it, and that I would simply have to accept it.

Although both her iron and B12 levels were low, they were within the usual range, according to her GP. She claims that if she were tested today, the revised recommendations would indicate that she is deficient. One water-soluble vitamin that supports DNA synthesis, metabolism, and cell health is vitamin B12.

After completing his legal studies, Burchell worked as a solicitor for 35 years, practicing intellectual property law. She also got married, started jogging, and had two kids. However, her problems persisted.

"I was working, but I was exhausted all the time," she claims. However, it's similar to having impaired vision in that you're unaware of what other people can see. It took me some time to grasp that not everyone had the same feelings.

When she had children, who are now 26 and 30, things became worse. When used to relieve pain during labour, nitrous oxide (or gas and air) is known to deplete B12 and cause neurological problems.

She claims she was a busy, diligent mother, which she now believes was a coping mechanism for her worries. "I was informed that my job was difficult or that I was exhausted because I was a mother. I was even accused of having an eating issue by one doctor.

People would remark things like "You're working too hard" or "Oh, you're just a tired new mum." However, that wasn't it. I was unable to function physically. I would have to lie down to gather my strength after waking up and taking a shower.

The brain fog was so thick that I would read every email three or four times as I slept on the train. I frequently felt as though I was barely surviving since it was all a kind of concealing. At my lowest points, I wondered if I truly wanted to live this way and if I could sustain it over the long run.

"I had less energy for home because I tried so hard to keep it together at work, and I noticed family members becoming irritated with me for struggling with the right words," she said, withdrawing socially. I stopped interacting with people because I was nervous. The toll it took on my mental health is something I cannot emphasize enough. I suffered panic episodes, believing I had a brain tumor or dementia. as a result of my early disorientation and mental fog.