Over a decade ago, my once fit, healthy, hard working, bubbly Mum was diagnosed with ME. She was just on the verge of finishing her BA honours degree and worked in a Nursery setting where she was highly valued by parents, children and staff, she was the life and soul of the party. She had to take time off work to care for my Grandad (her Dad) who was sadly dying of leukaemia. After the loss off her father she suddenly became ill with a virus that was beginning to close her throat up, she was hours away from dying. After days of being pumped with antibiotics she was able to leave the hopsital. This is when the horrible disease ME began to attack her body, brain and immune system. After months of feeling extremely ill, fatigued, being sick, bones aching.. My mum continued to work and try to ignore what was happening with her body.. after all it's not a illness that people can see so who would believe how she felt? (It's sad to see people still have this narrow minded view on ME) After eventually getting a diagnosis my mums health deteriated. She is no longer able to walk, she now has to use a wheelchair to get about (which is very rare due to feeling ill and fatigued). She is bed bound and now has the help of a hoist and carers to cater for her needs. Other complications have also arised over the years such as fibromyalgia amongst others. Her muscles have wasted away and she now has limited use in her arms. People who don't know much about this horrible disease tend to not want to understand it, unless you personally have to live it, or are a family member who see's what somebody you care about has to go through daily. The pain, the upset, their life stripped from them in such a cruel way. Surviving off medication that only just takes the edge off the tortures pain.
My Mum, like thousands of others need a cure, they need more research to be funded so one day in the future there is something out there that can help to give these people their quality of life back.