Update

I can’t exactly justify not posting for over two months, and I hope to start getting into better blogging habits now that I am set in a fairly consistent routine! I thought I would get back into the swing of things with a bit of an update. 

Well first things first, I’ve missed blogging. Having my own place to talk freely was something I hugely enjoyed and not something I had intended to give up! During the summer I have made incredible progress in terms of my M.E. and I am so immensely proud of myself for how far I have come. For the first time in around 3/4 years (I’ve actually begun to lost count) I am back at school pretty much full time! I know for most people returning to school would perhaps be a bit of an anticlimax; a punishment for my hard work instead of a reward, but for me it is the opposite! I love learning, and I am so excited to finally have a chance to reach my full potential academically, without my health holding me back! 

The improvements in my health have changed my life dramatically, and I could not be happier about it. I am able to actually go out and see my friends without my body punishing me for it, and for a long time I never thought that would happen for me. I feel like things are finally falling into place for me after years of very hard work and I only wish my amazing brother was here to see it. I can honestly say without any doubt that I could never have made this progress without Ben cheering me on, his support was uplifting and he believed in me when I no longer believed in myself. It breaks my heart knowing that he isn’t here to feel the joy of seeing me back on my feet, but I promise you Ben, I couldn’t have done this without you.

 

Me and the most supportive boy in my life.

Other than being back at school, I also went to Belfast! Me, my mum, dad and younger sister Olivia had an amazing weekend seeing the sights and spending some time together. There is something truly bizarre about being on a plane for less than an hour, but I’d take that over a long flight any day of the week! We did the bus tour and I now think I’ll do the Glasgow one too, definitely a worthwhile day out! 

    
   
Some pictures from our weekend in Ireland, featuring some very rude men ruining the titanic photo!

Now obviously if I told you everything I have done in over two months I would be here forever, so I thought I would focus on the things that mean the most to me; my progress and my family. 

Hopefully you’ll hear from me more regularly from now on, I definitely have missed posting! 

M.E. and M.E. Awareness

I am very passionate about this subject and I am very glad I have allowed myself this platform to spread awareness. M.E. / CFS is a debilitating illness that affects hundreds of thousands of people in the U.K. alone. I was diagnosed with M.E. in February 2013 and the impact this illness has had on my life is catastrophic.

At 16 years of age I should be attending school on a pretty much daily basis, but because of my health problems I have been unable to attend school regularly for around 3 years. This has negatively impacted my qualifications as I obviously cannot maintain the standards needed to succeed in multiple subjects without attending school. This is something that has affected my confidence hugely, and is a major worry for me as I approach the time to be applying for university. 

Like many other people suffering from this illness, I have been forced to spend a lot of time seperated from my peers. I believe this isolation would have a detrimental effect on even the strongest persons mental health. When people are made aware of this illness they often think of only the physical symptoms, but I believe it is a lot more than that. Take a second and think about how you would cope being ripped away from your normal life, suddenly unable to complete many of the simplest tasks. It’s bound to have a huge affect on your mood, right? 

I don’t want to be too serious on this blog but I feel this is a subject that much be addressed. I am very aware of the controversy around this illness which I find ridiculous. The affect on my life alone, never mind the thousands of other people, is proof that this illness is REAL. Remember to be sensitive when addressing this subject, just because you many not think someone “looks” unwell, does not mean they aren’t struggling. 

 There is very little awareness for this illness and I personally would like to change that. There is also no cure, and I believe the more people that are aware of the problem, the harder it can be to ignore. For more information on physical symptoms please click the links below and become aware of the of affects of this destructive illness. 

http://www.ayme.org.uk

http://www.actionforme.org.uk

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/about/what-is-mecfs/