An empty bed in a dark room, title reads: Poem, Severe M.E. is... What it's like living with severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

A Poem About Life With Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

​August 8 is Severe M.E. Awareness Day. A day to give a voice to the millions of people around the world who are living in isolation and torment due to the harsh effects of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. 25% of people with M.E. are housebound or bedridden. The most severe living in darkness and silence for years… decades even. Neglected, misunderstood, vulnerable and severely disabled, yet they carry on fighting, waiting, hoping. Moment by moment. One day their breakthrough will come. One…

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ME Warrior living with ME since the age of 18. Brittany Lachapelle shares her story. Photo of Brittany lying in hospital wearing a hospital gown.

ME Warrior Of The Week: Brittany, Living With M.E. Since She Was 18 Years Old

I’m Brittany. I have suffered with ME since September 2013. It started 2 weeks before my 19th birthday. I was a University student studying psychology and linguistics, working a part time job at a restaurant and had a booming social life. One morning I woke up and felt that something was very wrong, I blamed it on exhaustion and not taking care of myself… I thought it would go away in a day or two, 6 years later it’s still…

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ME warrior overcoming stigma and disbelief. Emma shares her story. Emma wearing a red Millions Missing shirt, with oxygen tube in her nose.

ME Warrior Of The Week: Emma, Overcoming Stigma And Disbelief

In this new series I will be sharing ​stories from our beautifully resilient ME community. These chronic illness warriors are not only battling crippling symptoms everyday as they adjust to life with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, but are also finding ways to continue dreaming, creating beauty and supporting each other, ​despite their ​debilitating illness. I hope their stories will help you better understand ​this life-altering condition, raise awareness and eliminate the stigma that still surrounds ME. Emma’s ME Story ​I started becoming…

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Title reads My chronic illness Story, How it all started and how you can help, by Chronically Hopeful, Picture of Char lying in bed under blankets, shes in an ME flare wearing sunglasses and headphones

My Chronic Illness Story: How I Became Housebound With Severe M.E.

​May is ME Awareness Month and once again I am participating in the ​virtual campaigns online to help raise awareness of this life-destroying illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Today I’m sharing my story. How did I become so terribly ill and housebound? When did it happen? And how long did I have to wait for a diagnosis? Here’s my ME story: I had a very busy and active life, teaching, going to church and Bible studies, tutoring and babysitting after hours…

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#MillionsMissing Personalised poster for ME awareness. How to get your own millions missing poster

Get Your Own Personalised Millions Missing Poster For ME Awareness Month

May is #MEAwarenessMonth and I thought, since many of us cannot go to the live #MillionsMissing events in person, I’d like to help my fellow people with ME (pwME) to raise awareness online by offering you personalised Millions Missing posters!  Personalised Millions Missing Posters! Here are a few examples of what they look like. Scroll down to find out how to get your own You are welcome to share these images online or print them out to display at events.…

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Title reads Health and fitness the week I fell ill with severe ME. Photo of Char and friends walking in a park wearing pink fluffy bunny ears and carrying green balloons. By Chronically Hopeful

Health And Fitness: A Week Before I Fell Ill With Severe Chronic Illness

​Ironically my life was super busy and active during the weeks and months ​before the onset of what lead to my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome diagnosis. There seems to be the general belief that we are tired or lazy or that we have some sort of unhealthy aversion or fear of exercise, but nothing could be further from the truth! As we move towards ME Awareness Month (May), ​I wanted to share some of my health and fitness memories from the…

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A girl sitting on her bed holding a cup of tea, resting her head on her knees. Title reads, I'm okay, seriously. How can I be physically disabled and not depressed? By Chronically hopeful

How Can I Be Physically Disabled And Not Depressed?

I’d like to speak about my own mental health. I feel like some people misunderstand my condition, so I wanted to address the matter directly. Yes, I have a severely debilitating illness. Yes, I practically live in bed. No, I cannot go out and I cannot have visitors coming over without paying for it​, but I am okay. Seriously. I do not suffer from depression or anxiety or feel upset, or anything like that, about being ill and housebound. But…

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In a dark room a hand is held up to block the light that is shining in. Title reads, Photophobia in ME and CFS. 20 Patients share their experience.

Photophobia: 6 Ways To Cope With Light Sensitivity

​Have you ever experienced that moment of intense pain in your eyes and head when you’ve opened the curtains on a bright and sunny day? Anybody who has experienced a migraine or even a hangover would likely understand what I’m talking about too. Although photophobia or light sensitivity ​might ​seem quite common among ​the general population, it can be quite debilitating when combined with a chronic illness like ME. Most people struggle with glare and direct sunlight in their eyes,…

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A pile of boxes stacked up next to a radiator. Title reads Moving to a new house, plus 12 tips to make moving easier

Moving To A New House – Plus 12 Ways To Make Moving Easier If You’re Chronically Ill

This summer was a season of great change for our family. After little more than a year in our flat, my dad had found us a lovely big house with a garden and we were packing again. Moving house can be quite stressful for the healthiest of people, so it can really be a nightmare for somebody with a severe chronic illness like ME. We actually loved our flat, it was enough for my sister and I, it ticked most…

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A collage of awareness pictures, Title reads: Where to find impactful M.E. awareness pictures

Where To Find ME Awareness Pictures

Have you been searching for graphics to easily share with friends and family what Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is really like? Would you like to share relevant and informative infographics about ME? Find pictures that will give visual impact and get the point across without wasting your energy and time explaining? I’m so excited to introduce ME Awareness Pictures to you today! ME Awareness Pictures is a community resource where we can collect and share ME awareness pictures from all over the…

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