Share a story – Hazel

Hi

I’m Hazel and I’ve had quite severe M.E. since 2004. Judging by my friends with M.E I got it later on in life as I got ill soon after my 30th birthday. Most of my friends with M.E have had it since childhood.

I’ve always considered myself disabled though as I’m partially deaf. I never let this hold me back or get in the way. I also had surgery on my head which led to a few extra complications. There’s a few things I cannot do for medical reasons such as bungee jump – phew! However I could parachute jump which I did when I was 17 in aid of Mencap.

Why am I telling you this? I want to explain that I adopted this approach to living life with M.E. I can hear you groaning already…no I haven’t walked Snowdon whilst ill or parachuted etc. I am fully aware that there can be huge consequences to over doing things and that can be even after the simplest of tasks. I used to get breathless just putting my socks on. What I mean is be brave and push your boundaries every so often, don’t over-do it though. Keep it simple. Bear in mind you may not always be successful but don’t let this deter you. For you may succeed. If we don’t test our limitations/boundaries every so often we won’t know if we’ve progressed or not. Recovery from M.E is possible as is recovering some of the skills/abilities that we have lost due to this wretched illness but be warned progress can be slow very slow. For example, I can now apply moisturiser to my chest and arms without pain and breathlessness – woohoo, go me! It may seem trivial to some people but progress is still progress no matter how small. May you find courage to push your boundaries/limits so you can potentially know and find improvements in your health. Don’t be reckless though, take baby steps.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have quite severe M.E but any progress is good progress.  Here’s hoping you all have your own small wins. Sending love and hugs to you all xx