What feels like all but just a bad dream now, was a point in my life where I was unable to move what I regarded a young, fit and healthy body. From the outside I looked fine, but on the inside I could barely lift myself up. To even think about moving was an overwhelming process. I can’t even recall how I got into this position… months earlier I had just gotten married and was preparing for my first half marathon and then boom, just like that I was knocked down!

This is when ME/CFS aka Myalgic Encephalomyelitis /Chronic Fatigue Syndrome presented itself to me and I spent the next few years being tested with the biggest challenge I have had to face yet! Thankfully I have been able to come out on the other side of this debilitating illness. Unfortunately this reality is not always the case for a lot of ME/CFS sufferers.

Today is international ME awareness day, as a yearly ritual I like to get on board and help promote awareness on our intentional day (previous posts 2014, 2015 , 2016, 2017 ). It is believed that Florence Nightingale suffered from this illness back in 1857. In honour of Florence Nightingale aka “lady of the lamp”, her birthday 12th May has become International ME Awareness day.

There are millions of sufferers world wide that suffer from this illness, most are bed or house bound. Sufferers can struggle with this illness  for years, even decades. Hard to believe I know but it’s a fact!

ME/CFS is what I like to call an invisible illness, from the outside a sufferer can look fine, but on the inside you have no idea the struggle that they face on a daily basis.  There are still health professionals out there that believe this illness is all in the mind, crazy right!  More research needs to go into this illness, there are no specific tests for the illness, nor is there any specific medications to help. If more research and understanding were to be put into ME/CFS it could help peoples lives, but also help prevent people from getting this illness and help people with recovery from this illness.

If you would like more information about ME/CFS or would like to find out how you can help, check out the New Zealand ME/CFS website anzmes.org.nz or Australian ME/CFS website emerge.org.au.

Thanks for reading and supporting, happy ME awareness day beautiful people!

Lennae xxx