Monday 21 March 2016

The Importance of Understanding ME

Do you understand M.E? Do you know what it's like to live with M.E? 

Since becoming unwell with M.E, finding a fellow sufferer to talk to about my illness became very important to me. I wanted to be able to talk to someone that got it, that really really understood it. 

I joined twitter, instagram and facebook in order to connect with fellow sufferers. I knew no one in "real life" with M.E but being in a virtual world with hundreds of others who knew exactly what I was going through, brought me great comfort. I was no longer alone in this. Chronic illness can be so isolating, no matter how many people you have around you. I was speaking to people that felt the same as I did, that experienced some of the same symptoms, they knew what this horrible disease was like to live with day in, day out. 

As much as people can try, unless they have M.E, they will not understand my struggles and my battles. I can talk to them, but they might not know what to say because they aren't living it. I firmly believe you have to experience something to understand it. So when people come along, with the same illness as you, similar age to you and are a really nice person, it's like a little miracle.

Recently a couple of my friends have been diagnosed/ going through the process of being diagnosed with M.E, and although I truly wish they weren't in the same boat as me, it's just so comforting to have people to talk to that are experiencing many of the same things as me.

One of my friends and I have met up a couple of times now and I realise that I feel like I don't ever want to leave her house, because I am in the presence of someone that totally understands me and I find that very rare to come by. She totally gets it when I say I can do this thing, but not that. Or, walking up and down the stairs is getting too much for me. She loved her job before she became too poorly to work, just like I did. We have a great deal in common.

We have a conversation, we don't just talk at each other, like it can often feel like with non sufferers, we connect, and I'm so thankful for that. 

I also feel like my newly diagnosed friends have given me a bit of a purpose. I feel like I can help these too young ladies. I want to help them. I have made hundreds of mistakes with dealing with M.E and I hope that I can pass some of my knowledge onto them now and hopefully stop them making some of the mistakes that I made. I want something positive to come out of my illness and if I can help these two, even in the tiniest way, then I would have achieved that. 

Having a person who I can discuss similar issues with is the best medicine for me right now. 

Take care and go and connect with someone,

Lots of love,

Rachel xxx

P.S My twitter is: @_Rachie_B and my Instagram is @_RachieB - Please feel free to follow me and chat to me!