Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / M.E.
My ME/CFS story (short version!)
I came down with a flu-like virus, the worst I had ever had. I returned to work when I still felt ill. I went on holiday when I still felt ill. I did eventually recover but it came back and it kept coming back until eventually it stayed.
It has taken many years to understand the hidden aspects of this illness. Why sometimes feeling much better is a bad sign (as it means you have switched on adrenaline and will crash big time soon) and feeling more tired than usual is a good sign (you are not switching on adrenaline so are actually keeping within your bodies energy limits). I was "running on adrenaline" for many years in order to work part-time and care for my daugther. It made me anxious, depressed and irratable. I am now living on my savings and am constantly grateful that I can spend at least half my time within my energy limts.
I have experimented with whether to sleep during the day, what foods to eat, medicines to take, supplements, exercise, massage, oxygen therapy, the list of things I have explored to try to improve my quality of life goes on and on.
I still have problems coming to terms with this illness. How it effects all your relationships, your self-worth, how others see you, how it changes the person you thought you were. My daughter was ill from 5-6 years old and diagnosed with ME/CFS at 11. Life is tough for her and it is hard to watch.
I take pleasure in small things being able to sleep when I need to, a great series on TV, a drive in the countryside but getting my life back and seeing my daughter start hers is my greatest hope.
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