Independent - ME is a nasty, insidious disease... it thieves from every element of your life

Long piece (from last year but republished)

"Myalgic encephalomyelitis sufferer Anne Brennan writes about her long, painful, frustrating battle with the disease that has stolen her once full and vibrant life

Five years ago, I was flying high: I was a partner in my Dublin law firm, a zealous skier, an untalented tag-rugby player. I taught yoga in the evenings and at weekends, never missed a party.

Then, overnight, everything became a struggle."

"When I read accounts of high-achieving go-getter types who, like me, had burnt out, I felt they were singing my song. My doctor told me there is no such thing as burnout. I saw a documentary on Netflix by a man with auto-immune illness, who had juiced himself better. I bought a juicer..............The truth was that juicing was taking all my energy. All I did was chop and sleep."

"My doctor showed me a website for people with perfectionism.
"You are the problem," was the clear message. "If you change, you will get better.""

"Every week it seems someone has a nugget of helpful advice: "If you go for a walk, it will brighten your mood"; "have you tried a bit of yoga?"; "they say mindfulness is very good, are you doing any mindfulness?". For a time, my family took a great liking to jogging. "I read about this fellow that got better by jogging," my brother would say, "why don't you go for a jog?"

"I am not tired. I am sick."

"Tom Kindlon, Assistant Chairman of the Irish ME/CFS Association, says it can be extremely difficult for Irish patients to get diagnosed. He himself first suffered the condition when he was 16, but was not diagnosed until he was 21."

https://www.independent.ie/life/hea...e-with-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-35684337.html

 

Generally a very good article, except for this statement from New Zealand Doctor Rosamund Vallings:

"Swimming, walking, yoga, tai chi and cycling are all suitable activities which can be monitored and increased very slowly."

The above has most definitely not been my experience. Believe me, I've tried.

 

I "GET" it

 

"That Bressie fellow has a lot to answer for."

Does she mean who I think she means?