A messy bed. Title reads: Imagine... a day in the life of M.E. Have you ever wondered what chronically ill people do all day?

Imagine… A Day in The Life of ME

It might surprise you how often people with chronic illness are asked what they do with all the free time they have at home. I think many healthy people have no idea how difficult it is to deal with unrelenting symptoms on a daily basis. I hope to shed some light on this by sharing with you what a day in the life of Severe ME is like. This post was originally written as a first person account of my…

Read MoreImagine… A Day in The Life of ME
Feet in a bath tub, water moving. Title reads Shakes and Tremors with ME/CFS. Myalgic Encephalomyeitis causes visible body tremors.

Shaking And Trembling With ME/CFS

One of the most frustrating and debilitating symptoms of ME/CFS is the shaking and trembling after minimal exertion. Something that healthy people might get after a strenuous exercise. I was lying in the bath relaxing last night when I felt the shakes coming on. This is what I get for walking just a few steps to the bathroom and getting undressed. I started feeling a bit of the internal tremors at that point, I imagined it might come to the…

Read MoreShaking And Trembling With ME/CFS

Life is like a twisting roller-coaster ride

It’s easy to get caught up in all the negatives that happen in life. Things don’t go your way, you fall ill, you lose people or your job, you feel sick, there are just so many things that can bring us down, but this is just part of life. The minute we stop expecting life to be a fairytale and accept reality, that’s the moment we open ourselves up to the truth and the freedom that comes with it. It’s…

Read MoreLife is like a twisting roller-coaster ride

Update: current ME/CFS flare is slowing me down

It’s hard to deal with these unexpected flares or relapses that seem to come out of the blue. You end up asking yourself a million questions. What did I do wrong? Did I eat the wrong thing? What did I do yesterday or the day before to cause this much pain? Why am I so weak today, did I overdo it this week? Was the TV too loud? Did I miss the signs and push too hard? Did I get…

Read MoreUpdate: current ME/CFS flare is slowing me down
ME CFS Flares, How to cope BLOG

ME/CFS flares: what do they feel like and how to cope

People with ME all suffer at varying degrees, we cannot compare our flares to somebody else’s. What one considers an ME/CFS flare another considers just another regular day with ME. What one person with ME considers a normal day, might be somebody else’s idea of torture. Once thing they all have in common is that everybody’s battle is devastating. We learn to acknowledge and respect everybody’s pain and everybody’s victories, because despite not fully understanding each other’s experiences, we can…

Read MoreME/CFS flares: what do they feel like and how to cope
Man holding his head in his hands. Title Reads, Where to get help when you feel like giving up. Helplines & Prayer Partners available 24/7 Worldwide.

Do You Feel Like Giving Up? Where To Get Help When You Can’t Cope

In the chronic illness community, I have found some of the strongest people you will ever come across. They are warriors who fight many battles daily, often against their own bodies or minds, just to get through each day. As much as there is hope and strength, there is also a lot of neglect and isolation. It is natural in these lonely and scary times to feel like giving up. I often come across people who are losing all hope,…

Read MoreDo You Feel Like Giving Up? Where To Get Help When You Can’t Cope
Healthcare professionals pulling a patient's bed along the corridor

Why I Avoid Emergency Services And My Top Tips For Coping At Home

I often see people with ME/CFS writing about how they have spent hours in the emergency room only to be completely disappointed, misunderstood or even disbelieved. They go to the emergency room because they are feeling so weak and exhausted that they don’t know where else to go or what to do, they’re scared because they feel so utterly ill. I understand the fear that leads you to that conclusion, it’s scary to lose control of your body, but it’s…

Read MoreWhy I Avoid Emergency Services And My Top Tips For Coping At Home
Char is pointing to her shirt which shows an empty battery with the words "low spoon warning" on it. Title reads: Histamine issues have caused the M.E. to flare up. personal update.

My Histamine Issues Have Caused An ME/CFS Flare

​It’s been a while since I wrote a personal update. I have recently been extremely drained and weak, so haven’t been very social or active online. My primary focus this month was on my itching. I wanted to try get it under control as it was really getting me down, much more than ​the M.E. does. I ​have been in tears and so very frustrated. The scratching ​has been utterly exhausting and to top it off, I caused myself a…

Read MoreMy Histamine Issues Have Caused An ME/CFS Flare
Char's legs covered in blankets. Title reads: How I'm tackling the MEcfs flares. Personal Update.

How I’m Tackling The ME/CFS Flares

I had been doing so well for so long that I had almost forgotten how bad these flares can get. It can be discouraging when you are reminded so unexpectedly of the horrible passenger you carry with you always. This ME/CFS might be managed or worked around for a time, but it does come back to show itself from time to time, makes sure you remember it’s still there and just how strong it is. ​This is especially evident when…

Read MoreHow I’m Tackling The ME/CFS Flares
A collage of 4 meals, title reads: How carbs make my MEcfs symptoms worse. Personal update

How Carbs Make My ME/CFS Worse

Carbs really make my ME/CFS symptoms worse! I have spent so much time on the sofa and in my bed again this week. One would think I’d no longer be surprised by this, but I continue to shake my head every time it happens. It’s the carbohydrate effect. This current flare is most likely due to the fact that I’m out of ketosis again since trying to deal with my allergies/histamine disorder. I assume I’m no longer fat adapted because,…

Read MoreHow Carbs Make My ME/CFS Worse