From Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail to Bedbound: How This Mom Got Her Life Back from CFS

January 17, 2026

She had hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail. 2,650 miles. Through deserts, over mountains, across snow fields.

Kim was the kind of person who sought adventure. Who worked at a ski resort. Who said yes to everything. Who was always moving, always excited, always go-go-go.

Then in 2016, everything changed.

During a hiking trip, her body started breaking down. Panic attacks. Crushing fatigue. She couldn’t ignore it anymore.

By the time she got pregnant with her first child, she was so ill she could barely get out of bed.

The first two years of her son’s life, Kim spent mostly in bed.

Her husband took care of everything. The baby. The house. Her.

She was terrified. Not just because she was sick, but because she couldn’t care for herself, let alone a baby.

Her symptoms:

Severe fatigue and brain fog
Intense migraines (daily at worst)
Panic attacks
Sensitivity to light and sound
Digestive issues
Emotional instability
Difficulty with basic tasks like walking

This is Kim’s story. How she went from bedbound and unable to care for her children to homeschooling three kids, rock climbing, skiing, and living a full life again.

If you’re a mom dealing with CFS, if you’re terrified you can’t take care of your kids, if you’re wondering “can I heal if I have children?”, Kim’s journey will show you what’s possible.

When Being a Mom Felt Impossible

Before CFS, Kim lived an incredibly active lifestyle.

She had completed the Pacific Crest Trail in 2015. That’s 2,650 miles on foot. Months of hiking 20+ miles per day, pushing through pain, focused on one thing: finish or fail.

She worked at a ski resort. She was always seeking the next adventure.

Then after her wedding in 2016, during a hiking trip, her body started breaking down.

At first, she tried to push through. That’s what she’d always done. Bulldoze through. Keep going. Don’t stop.

But this time, her body wouldn’t let her.

Panic attacks became frequent. Fatigue was constant. She couldn’t work at the ski resort anymore. She couldn’t hike. She couldn’t do any of the things that made her feel like herself.

Her life shrunk.

She kept looking for answers. Nutrition adjustments. Supplements. Restrictive diets. It only led to temporary relief and more confusion.

Then she got pregnant.

And while her husband was incredibly supportive, Kim was so ill she could barely get out of bed.

“I was terrified because I couldn’t care for myself, let alone a baby.”

The first two years of her son’s life, she was mostly bedbound. Her husband took care of everything.

Every mom who’s been through this knows that specific kind of heartbreak. The guilt. The grief. The fear that you’re missing your baby’s life.

Kim lived with that for two years.

The Question Every Mom with CFS Asks

“Can I heal if I have kids?”

Kim heard this question over and over in the CFS community. People asking:

Can I heal if I have to work?
Can I heal if I’m going through a divorce?
Can I heal if I’m taking care of young children?

The answer is yes.

But Kim’s journey shows it’s not just about healing from CFS. It’s about learning to be a different kind of mom. A more present mom. A more patient mom.

A mom who knows how to check in with herself instead of bulldozing through everything.

The Turning Point: Brain Rewiring Changes Everything

In 2021, Kim discovered brain rewiring and nervous system regulation.

For the first time, someone explained what was actually happening in her body.

This wasn’t about pushing harder. It wasn’t about more supplements or stricter diets.

It was about understanding her nervous system’s role in all of this.

Slowly, she began to improve.

She could take care of her child more. She started doing small activities again. Going to the park. Light exercise.

But recovery wasn’t linear.

There were adjustment periods. Especially with subsequent pregnancies and life changes.

But she kept going. She kept learning to respond differently to setbacks.

And gradually, her capacity expanded.

What Recovery Looks Like Now

Today, Kim’s life looks completely different.

As a mom:

Homeschools her three children
Takes them to parks and outings independently
Handles 2-hour trips with the kids
Wakes up at 7 AM (used to be bedbound until 9 AM or later)
Manages the chaos of motherhood with patience

Physically:

Rock climbing regularly
Skiing (back to the mountains she loved)
Regular exercise without fear
Can handle physical demands of caring for three kids

Emotionally:

Learning to hold complex emotions (you can be frustrated with your kids AND love them)
Practicing gratitude daily
Managing her natural high energy without it overwhelming her nervous system
Checking in with herself: “What do I need today?”

But here’s what makes Kim’s story so important for other moms:

She still has adjustment periods (APs).

Even now, every couple weeks, she’ll get hit with a headache, nausea, throwing up. She’ll be in bed for a day or two.

And her brain will try to tell her: “You’re a fraud. You did a recovery interview and you’re still getting symptoms.”

But she knows better now. She swats those thoughts away.

The “Moving Target” of Recovery

Kim describes something really important about the end stage of recovery:

“The finish line just keeps moving. It’s a moving target.”

She thought she was at the end of her journey. Then she’d have another AP and wonder, “Will these ever go away?”

But she’s learned this is completely normal.

Miguel (founder of CFS Recovery) talks about this: as you recover, you unlock more life. And that means your nervous system is still recalibrating.

The APs aren’t a sign you’re going backward. They’re a sign you’re getting more life.

For Kim, this meant:

Learning to respond calmly when symptoms hit
Not panicking when a headache comes
Trusting the process even when it feels like a setback
Understanding these are just old pathways her nervous system is unlearning

And between the APs? Life is drastically different.

She’s not living in constant adjustment period anymore. She’s living fully, and occasionally her nervous system glitches.

That’s a completely different reality than being bedbound.

What Kim Learned That Changed Everything

1. Check In, Don’t Bulldoze

Kim’s old pattern was to bulldoze through everything.

Finish the Pacific Crest Trail or fail. 20 miles a day, no matter what. Mission-focused. Goal-oriented.

That served her on the trail. But it destroyed her body.

Now she asks herself multiple times a day: “What do I need today?”

Have I had water?
Did I nourish myself?
Do I need a break?
What fills my cup?

And here’s the thing that gave her permission: Any mom would need breaks.

She used to worry: “Is this CFS or do I just need a mental break from the kids?”

The answer? It doesn’t matter. You’re allowed to take breaks. You’re allowed to check in with yourself.

That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.

2. Both Things Can Be True

Kim used to see emotions in black and white.

Happy = good. Angry = bad. Frustrated = bad.

She only had one emotion: happy and excited.

But life is more complex than that.

Through recovery, she learned the power of the word “and”:

I can be frustrated with my kids AND love them deeply
I can be tired AND grateful for my life
I can have symptoms AND be recovered

Both things can be true at the same time.

This shift changed how she parented. She could be frustrated by her son’s behavior without feeling like she was a bad mom.

3. Excitement Needs Reining In Too

This one surprised Kim.

She’d always been the fun, outgoing, excited person. That was part of her identity.

But she noticed her nervous system would pendulum swing. High excitement could trigger symptoms.

So she learned to dial it down. Not eliminate joy, but bring the excitement to a more manageable level.

“I take that excitement and shrink it, shrink it, shrink it. Stay calm, cool, collected.”

It felt weird at first. Like she was squashing part of her personality.

But what she discovered was beautiful: when she wasn’t in that constant energetic state, she could actually hear her friends. Connect with them. Notice other people in the room.

She could be present instead of performing.

4. Trust That You’ll Get There

Looking back at the Pacific Crest Trail, Kim sees it differently now.

She was so focused on finishing. 20 miles a day or she’d fail. Markers. Goals. Mission.

She watched an older couple on the trail who just had their rhythm. They logged their miles and enjoyed the journey.

Kim was rushing through, missing the experience.

Now she applies that lesson to recovery:

Trust that you’ll get there. If you don’t make it to some imaginary finish line today, that’s okay. It doesn’t define you.

Enjoy the process. That’s where life is happening.

The Questions She Still Navigates

Kim is honest about where she’s at:

“I feel like I’m at the end of my journey… but I’m still getting APs every couple weeks.”

She wonders:

Is this just how it is now?
When do I stop doing “recovery stuff” and just live?
Am I checking in with myself too much?

And here’s what her coach Krista told her (and what every mom in late-stage recovery needs to hear):

This is completely normal.

You’re not broken. You’re not doing it wrong.

Your nervous system is still unlearning old pathways. Those APs mean you’re getting more life.

And checking in with yourself? That’s not “recovery stuff.” That’s life skills. That’s being a healthy human who knows how to take care of herself.

For Moms Wondering If Recovery Is Possible

Kim’s message to other moms is clear:

Yes, you can heal with kids.

It’s not just possible. It can actually make you a better mom.

“My journey has not only healed me but also taught me how to be a better mom, with more patience and understanding.”

You learn to:

Be present instead of bulldozing
Hold complex emotions
Check in with yourself
Model self-care for your children
Find balance instead of pushing to extremes

Kim recently “graduated” from CFS Recovery Academy after being in the program for years.

At first it threw her into a little loop: “Oh my gosh, I’m on my own.”

But then she got through an AP without running to a call for help. And she realized:

She had all the tools she needed.

She didn’t need more information. She needed to implement what she already knew.

What Life Looks Like Today

Kim homeschools three kids. She rock climbs. She skis. She takes her children on outings independently.

She’s not where she thought she would be. She thought she’d be back to that Pacific Crest Trail version of herself.

But she’s living a fuller, more connected life than before CFS.

She’s more patient. More present. More aware of what she needs.

She’s learned that scheduling things that fill her with joy isn’t selfish. It’s necessary.

She’s learned that being frustrated and loving your kids can happen at the same time.

She’s learned that excitement is beautiful, but it’s okay to dial it down and actually connect with people.

And yes, she still gets APs every couple weeks.

But between those APs? She’s living. Really living.

Not just surviving. Not just pushing through.

Living.

The Final Wisdom from the Trail

If Kim could go back and hike the Pacific Crest Trail again, she’d do it completely differently.

She wouldn’t be so focused on finishing. She wouldn’t have those strict markers and goals.

She’d enjoy the journey. Trust that she’d get there. Let go of the identity piece.

The same applies to recovery:

It’s not about hitting some perfect finish line where you never have symptoms again.

It’s about expanding your capacity. Learning to respond differently. Getting more life.

And trusting that you’ll get there, even if the finish line keeps moving.

Because that moving target? That’s just life expanding.

And that’s what you wanted all along.

Your Next Step

Kim’s story shows that recovery is absolutely possible for moms. Even when you’re caring for young children. Even when you feel like you’re missing their childhood. Even when the guilt feels crushing.

Apply for CFS Recovery

We’ve helped hundreds of moms recover from CFS and get back to being the present, patient parent they want to be.

Here’s what you get:

Personalized recovery plan that works around your kids’ schedules
Coaching calls at times that work for moms (not just during school hours)
A community of other parents who understand
Tools to respond differently to symptoms while caring for your children
Support from coaches who’ve been through this journey themselves

This isn’t about being a perfect parent. It’s about being a present one.

Visit cfsrecovery.com/apply and book a free call. We’ll show you exactly how this works for moms.

Not ready yet? Download the free Recovery Science Blueprint to understand what’s happening in your nervous system and how recovery works.

Drop a comment below: Are you a mom dealing with CFS? What part of Kim’s story resonates most with you?

Always remember that you are a thriver and you are just one mind shift away from living life with thriving health.

About Kim Sorensen:

Kim is a 40-year-old mom of three who went from completing the Pacific Crest Trail to being bedbound and unable to care for her infant son. After discovering brain rewiring in 2021, she gradually recovered her capacity and now homeschools her three children, rock climbs, skis, and lives a full, connected life. Kim’s journey shows that recovery is possible even while parenting young children, and that the journey can actually teach you how to be a more present, patient mom. She continues to navigate occasional adjustment periods while living at about 60% capacity and climbing.

About the Author:

Miguel Bautista is the founder of CFS Recovery and a fully recovered CFS survivor. After four and a half years severely ill (often bedridden, unable to remember his own address), Miguel achieved full recovery using nervous system regulation and neuroplasticity techniques. He now helps thousands worldwide recover from CFS, Long COVID, and fibromyalgia through the science-backed CFS Recovery System.

Image Alt Text Suggestions:

“Mom Kim Sorensen playing with three children after recovering from bedbound CFS”
“Woman who hiked Pacific Crest Trail then became bedbound with chronic fatigue syndrome”
“Kim rock climbing after recovering from severe CFS as a stay-at-home mom”
“Mother homeschooling children after CFS recovery from bedbound state”
“Kim skiing at mountain resort after recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome”

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This blog post tells Kim’s powerful recovery story with a specific focus on the unique challenges and fears moms face when dealing with CFS. The narrative validates the terror of not being able to care for your children while providing hope through Kim’s journey from bedbound to homeschooling three kids, rock climbing, and living fully again.

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