me...

[tiggertan]

Hi all, does anyone out there have ME, know someone who does or have any opinions on it? I know many people believe it's a rubbish excuse for lazy people but a friend of maine has just been diagnosed with it and is scared that people will think she's taking the p1ss.
X.

[missrandom]

my cousin has it, but they are all a bit lazy. It is one of those illnesses that arent always believed, but after having extreme tiredness fromm anaemia, i understand how debilitating it can be. If I were her I wouldnt bother telling anyone I had it, then they cant take the mick.

[tiggertan]

Good point!

[mountainboo]

Um, Hi, I've been wondering if I have it. I'm always exhausted and slurr my words and forget things that I really shouldn't forget. Also at work today I fell alseep during break and was late back. Thats never happened to me before but I always feel like I've run a bloody marathon or something. I'm only 26 and do regular exercise, I have a job, which is hard work but surely I shouldnt feel the way I do constantly. I sleep properly but have to have a sleep in afternoon aswell as 9-12 hours a night. Can you tell me what your friend experiences?

[tiggertan]

Hi Mountainboo, symptoms have been for a few months. Tirednesss, exhaustion, aching body, woozy, forgetfull, feeling down quite a bit. A bit like the flu but without the head cold. She sometimes even finds walking up stairs leaves her legs sore. She's only 28 and reasonably healthy and fit.

[mountainboo]

OMG, thats exactly to the word the exact same symptoms I have. Whenever I walk up the stairs my legs feel very sore and ache. Strangely enough I seem to be able to do atleast an hour at the gym with no probs but I always need a sleep afterwards. I can really empathize with your friend. I think there's a stigma attached to having this illness, like you say, some people think it's lazyness, but if what I experience on a regular basis is anything to go by it's quite upseting and restrictive. I think my symptoms have definately increased within the last 6 months or so. I think todays little incident at work is a sign that it's time I go to the doc. My only problem being that up until a few months ago I visited the doc regularly as I am always suffering with something. I'm worried he won't take me seriously but I have on numerous occasions told him about the tiredness.

[lindapinda]

I just got this from an Esther Rantzen site,her daughter has suffered from ME http://www.nmec.org.uk/whatisme.html

[andy-hughes]

My wife has it - she was diagnosed four years ago after a bout of pneumonia which hospitalised her.

Diagnosis tends to be the final option when everything else has been assessed and disgarded.

For almost a year she was virtually bed-ridden. her speech was slurred, her memory shot to hell, she ached too much to move except (with help) to the bathroom.

Now, with regular physio, she manages her condition very well - but still has 'wipe-out' days, sometimes two or three together - about once a week.

It is a misunderstood condition, because the major symptom is 'tiredness' - and we all get tired. The fact is, ME sufferers endure a level of exhaustion unknown to anyone else, and it should be more understood, and researched, and understood than it is.

My sympathy for your friend - tell her to eat as well as she can, and get some phsio via her GP when she is up to it.

A lot of sudderers manage to get a quality of life back, but you have to learn to manage it, and listen to your body's messages concerning rest.

[andy-hughes]

'sufferers' even!