Me and M.E.

I was always one of those slightly sickly people - never really feeling on top of the world, never managing to find enough energy to do the things I wanted to do.

At the tender age of 7, I was diagnosed with glandular fever for the first time. I can't really remember much about it that time around to be honest, but then it hit again when I was 15, building up to 'O' levels. This time I was really grotty - it just totally drained me of energy for months. I was off school for almost three months and it took me a great deal longer to feel anything like normal.

Never enough energy!

In fact from that point on, normal was a debatable term to use when it came to me and my health. Always susceptible to any virus around, and perpetually tired, I trundled through the rigours of a happy family life (with the help of a loving husband and supportive family!)

Anyway in the winter of 2007 I had six consecutive colds in 6 consecutive months, which completely knocked me off my feet. I started to develop a wide variety of pains and other symptoms including severe headaches, poor concentration, overwhelming fatigue and much more.

This persisted, becoming more limiting and severe until by the summer of 2009, I could just about manage to get up and sit around for a couple of hours before needing to go back to bed to sleep.

So, to cut a long story slightly shorter, I had M.E, otherwise formally known as myalgic encephalopathy or chronic fatigue syndrome. Now at this point, life was looking a little bleak, but I don't want to dwell anymore on this debilatating illness.

Here's the good news...

I now live a happy, healthy and generally pretty normal life and I want to help others to take control too.

If I can do it, then anyone can... whether you are affected with ME, depression, stress & anxiety, even cancer.