From the 9th to 15th of May, at the risk of being locked up, I will be wearing pyjamas, indoors and outdoors, rain or shine, to the pub, to the shops and wherever else I may go!
This is in aid of ME awareness week. The current mainline treatments for ME are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (usually used to treat anxiety and mental disorders), Graded Exercise Therapy (increasing daily activity levels) and anti-depressants. At best these treatments are confusing to the patient and at worst, damaging their health and prolonging illness. Our government puts £0.00 into biomedical research for this illness.
Links have been found between ME and viruses, the nervous system, lymphatic system, endocrine system and (I believe most importantly) mitochondrial function. But without financial backing, research cannot be carried out and this life-destroying illness will continue to go untreated and believed by many to be a psychological/none-illness.
But there is hope!....ME Research UK is a national charity funding much needed biomedical research into the illness. I hope this will be my first of many fund raising events to raise money for this excellent charity. Any amount large or small would be much appreciated!
Heartfelt thanks from myself and many of my friends who are too ill to contemplate even a small event such as this.
Annalisa
Photographs to follow :)
