Hi, my name is Julie  and I have m.e./cfs.  Sharing my experiences with you whilst on my path to recovery will certainly help me and I hope that my thoughts will help you also as we travel this healing journey together. 

 

I am 53 years of age and prior to becoming ill I had a very busy life!  I am married with two sons and EIGHT grandchildren.  Until September 2008 I worked as a Primary School Teacher, went to the gym twice a week, often walked up mountains at the weekend and tried to be there for my ever expanding family.

 

In October 2008 I had a flu virus which meant I was off work for two weeks.  This was the beginning of nine months of one virus after another: sinusitis, conjunctivitis, ear infections, chest infections, allergies to medication and more.  During this time I would try to go to the gym and would have to come home.  I continued to work and became more and more run down and tired, I was a regular at my gp's surgery and was beginning to be made to feel a nuisance. 

 

I Struggled on until July 2009 when I became bed ridden with flu-like symtoms again (This time I was diagnosed with 'Swine Flu'), although not tested for it. Looking back I don't believe this was flu at all as I have experienced these symptoms many times since.  I tried to return to work in September, managed three days and was sent home. 

 

At this point my gp carried out full blood tests and discovered a very underactive thyroid.  With quite a high dose of Thyroxine I was expected to recover, but didn't.  After several blood tests and visits to consultants I was eventually diagnosed with m.e./c.f.s.

 

In some ways my diagnosis was a relief - my illness had a label!  I set out, with my 'achiever type' patterns and my perfectionist type attitude, to get well.  As I was to discover this approach was not going to work - something had to change.  My whole system had crashed and I had no choice but to change my approach and to slow down.

 

I am taking a holistic approach to my recovery and am trying to treat mind, body and soul.  I am attending to diet, nutrition and also psychological elements on my path to healing.  Although I believe that all m.e./c.f.s. sufferers are different and we all come to this illness with different backgrounds, I intend to share my ideas and experiences in all these areas with you on a regular basis when my brain fog allows!

 

I believe the mind to be a very powerful tool in healing the body.  We do not have to be resigned to this situation, but we can accept it 'for now', learn the lessons m.e. has come to teach us and set ourselves on the road to recovery.  We are in this together!

 

"Anyone can give up,

it's the easiest thing

in the world to do.

But to hold it together

when everyone else

would understand if

you fell apart, that's

true strength"

(Unknown)

 

Love and Warm Wishes

Julie x


*For all who read my blog, It would be amazing if you could forward my link  http://dld.bz/mBZq  to as many people as you know (twitter/facebook/your email list etc). You will then be doing your own bit for ME/CFS awareness and spreading the word to people who one day might just need it!* x