Survivor: Christine Leydon, right, is determined to continue her journey back to health from a severe mystery illness. Pictured with her mother Shona Burkhardt. Photo supplied by family.
When you hear Christine Leydon's survival story you can see she is a fighter.
Christine, who hails from Whangarei, New Zealand, was only released from hospital a few weeks ago, after having lost most of the use of her body from an illness that still remains, for the most part, a mystery.
"Just a few days before Christmas, I woke up with a severe pain in my side, which I put down to pancreatitis, because I've been diagnosed with a chronic form of that before," she says.
But it wasn't pancreatitis and what incapacitated her is still unknown.
Christine remembers nothing of her one and a half month ordeal, from that moment on.
So, husband Gary picks up the story.
He wasted no time in getting her to the Whangarei Hospital's A and E department.
He says his wife was incoherent, hallucinating - feeling she was being kept hostage, with her speech deteriorating fast.
"Christine was admitted and put through numerous tests; including ECGs, blood, heart, to name a few," Gary says.
The couple were told there was a possibility Christine may have legionella pneumonia and there would be a considerable wait for results from tests to either confirm or rule out the condition.
She was shot to Auckland Hospital where she was given five plasma transfusions to try to get rid of any lurking bugs.
There, she was put through more tests and a type of anaemia was diagnosed which was thought to be related to the legionella condition but still not certain.
Christine was also tested for kidney and more blood problems, mild diabetes and it was noted that she had global limb weakness.
"My whole body was affected, including my hand/eye co-ordination. It seems to be coming back slowly, but I'm very shaky and my balance is all up the wop," she says.
She was close to death a couple of times but despite all this, there still seems to be no clear overall diagnosis as yet.
Health professionals haven't given her much hope of further mobility improvement and they can't rule out the possibility of the mystery illness coming back.
After a month and a half between Whangarei and Auckland hospitals, including some time in rehabilitation, Christine returned home on February 9.
She celebrated a belated family Christmas only a couple of weeks ago, having been hospitalised during the recent festive season.
But it's hard to keep a good woman down!
Christine says she is determined not to let this illness get her down and the born-again Christian says a lot of prayer and plain determination has got her back home, with some mobility and her speech.
"My philosophy is, there is always someone worse off, so what have I got to complain about?" she says.
Christine is determined to prove medical opinions wrong.
Having been an enthusiastic Rock 'n Roll dancer and dance teacher keeps her determined to get back into that and she's even put a date on it for the future.
"I love my Rock 'n Roll so much because it brings me back to my normality," she says.
She continues with both physical and neurological rehabilitation and realises the importance of doing set exercises.
"I am probably overdoing the exercises if anything, to try to improve my situation, quicker."
She says at least she's out of hospital and has days when she's feeling good and others when she's not but is generally getting on top of things.
Christine says she has to stay positive no matter what medical advice she gets about her condition.
"The medical people's job is to treat the symptoms and try to find the cause/s but no one knows how I feel inwardly but it's the power of positive thinking that keeps me going."
She champions Gary for being right at her side, taking time out from his work. His employers have been very supportive to the couple.
"I couldn't have got through all this without his support," Christine says.
She is also grateful to her brother Terry Burkhardt who has been able to clarify aspects of her journey by helping to find out more about the medical stuff.
Her mother Shona Burkhardt also returned home early from a holiday overseas, when Christine fell ill, to support the couple and tend Christine's succulent plants she grows as a hobby.
She says she is prepared for the possibility of perhaps not returning to her former self.
"I can't dwell on what might happen.
"Some years ago, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which put paid to my netball and tennis interests and I worked my life around that, so I guess I will be able to do the same again," she says.
"I am thinking ahead, you've got to plan."
Christine and Gary are both in their second marriage. Christine has three children and Gary, two.
They have 13 grandchildren between them.
Beating the Odds wishes Christine all the best for a complete recovery.
Have you had to fight back from a difficult illness or experience? We would love to tell your story or hear from you!
BTO
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