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Hi, I’m Alisha Whittam, and I live with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, a chronic illness that has profoundly shaped my journey. Here, I want to share a little more about who I am beyond the challenges I face every day.

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A mother and daughter smiling together at Anfield Stadium on the night of a Taylor Swift concert, capturing a joyful and unforgettable experience

Anfield from a Wheelchair: A Disabled Supporter’s Guide to Liverpool FC’s Accessibility

Anfield is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world, but how accessible is it for disabled supporters? As a lifelong LFC fan, I recently attended an event at Anfield in a wheelchair—here’s everything you need to know about their accessibility services, ticketing, and top tips for an inclusive experience! Read the full guide to make the most of your visit and ensure a smooth experience at this legendary stadium. ⚽💙 #AccessibleAnfield #YNWA #DisabilityInSport
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Collage image featuring assistive tools and gadgets including a shower stool, Philips Hue lights, jar opener, Stanley Cup, Ring doorbell, iPad, Biotène mouthwash, and Fullstar chopper, with text reading “My Amazon Favourites – ME/CFS Edition”.

My Chronic Illness Essentials: The Tools That Help Me Live Life with ME/CFS

Living with ME/CFS means every bit of energy counts. In this post, I’m sharing the Amazon finds that help me manage daily symptoms, conserve spoons, and stay as independent as possible—from smart tech to mobility aids and comfort tools that truly make life a little easier. Let me know if you’d like a more playful, SEO-rich, or community-style version too! 💛
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What ME/CFS Really Feels Like – And What Gets Me Through It

This blog shares my lived experience with ME/CFS flares—from symptoms like pain and cognitive fog to tools, medications, and routines that help me cope.
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Illustration of a dentist and magical tooth character with the words “Domiciliary Dental Care” – representing domiciliary dental care in Liverpool.

Finding Dignity in Dental Care: My Experience with Domiciliary Dentistry in Liverpool

Struggling to access a dentist due to chronic illness or disability? Learn how domiciliary dental care changed everything for me in Liverpool.
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Illustration of a smiling man holding a large blue National Disability Card against a pink background with text promoting the card as a discreet and effective way to communicate disability.

National Disability Card UK: A Lifeline for People with Disabilities

The National Disability Card is more than just ID—it’s a powerful tool for people with visible and invisible disabilities to access support, travel more freely, and live with greater confidence. From emergency contact features to priority access at venues like Disneyland Paris, this card helps ensure you're seen, understood, and supported without needing to explain your condition time and time again.
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Illustrated digital graphic of a woman in a wheelchair holding a passport and boarding pass, with speech bubbles that say, “Let’s Talk About Travelling with a Wheelchair.” The background is pink with a border featuring travel-related icons like passports, airplanes, cameras, and tickets. At the bottom, the website https://alishawhittam.com is displayed.

Travelling Abroad with a Wheelchair: A Comprehensive Guide for Smooth and Safe Journeys

Travelling abroad with a wheelchair comes with unique challenges, but with the right preparation, you can explore the world smoothly and safely. From choosing the right airline to protecting your wheelchair from damage, this guide covers everything you need to know to make your journey stress-free. ✈️ Discover essential travel tips, learn your rights as a disabled passenger, and find out what to do if your wheelchair is damaged in transit. With the right strategies, accessible travel can be enjoyable
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ME Matters: A Tragic Loss & the Urgent Need for Change

💔 Maeve Boothby-O’Neill’s tragic passing at just 27 highlights the urgent need for change in the care of ME patients. Despite multiple hospital admissions, Maeve was failed by a system that lacked the specialised care she desperately needed. Her story is not an isolated incident—it’s a wake-up call. This post explores the failures of our healthcare system, the stigma surrounding ME, and the urgent reforms needed to prevent more lives from being lost. Maeve’s death must not be in vain.
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The Ultimate Guide to Cable Management: Keep Your Home Pet-Safe & Clutter-Free

Struggling with messy cables? Learn how to organise your wires and prevent pets from chewing them with these simple and effective cable management solutions!
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Ketamine Therapy: A New Hope for Complex Chronic Conditions Like ME?

Could ketamine therapy offer new hope for people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and other chronic illnesses? We explore Dr Bryan Henry’s powerful personal story, the latest clinical research, and whether treatments like ketamine, stem cell therapy, and microdosing could shape the future of chronic illness care.
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What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

According to the NHS Website, Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term illness with a wide range of symptoms. The most common symptom is extreme tiredness

For more information please visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs/

People with ME/CFS have fatigue that is very different from just being tired. The fatigue of ME/CFS:

  • Can be severe.
  • Is not a result of unusually difficult activity.
  • Is not relieved by sleep or rest.
  • Was not a problem before becoming ill (not life-long)

Worsening of ME/CFS symptoms after physical or mental activity that would not have caused a problem before illness. This is known as post-exertional malaise (PEM).

Sleep problems.

Many but not all people with ME/CFS have other symptoms.

Pain is very common in people with ME/CFS. The type of pain, where it occurs, and how bad it is varies a lot. The pain people with ME/CFS feel is not caused by an injury. The most common types of pain in ME/CFS are:

  • Muscle pain and aches
  • Joint pain without swelling or redness
  • Headaches, either new or worsening

Some people with ME/CFS may also have:

  • Tender lymph nodes in the neck or armpits
  • A sore throat that happens often
  • Digestive issues, like irritable bowel syndrome
  • Chills and night sweats
  • Allergies and sensitivities to foods, odors, chemicals, light, or noise
  • Muscle weakness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Irregular heartbeat
Information is taken from The CDC Website https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/symptoms-diagnosis/symptoms

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis does not have a cure.

Find a Dr or Consultant who listens to you is the first step

It is a manageable condition and depending on the severity of your symptoms the more difficult this can become.

I advise learning to listen to your body and what it is telling you. If you feel tired rest and if you feel pain find a solution to reduce that pain, this could be through pain medication prescribed by your Dr.

I am not saying that finding a Dr who listens or listening to your body is going to be easy as this illness is incredibly complex for some and manageable for others.

Having a Dr who listens to you or reads about the latest drug that sufferers are recommending can take a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety from the sufferer.

It would be best for me to point you to the above question What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis? 

Most pages list the illness as ME/CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or sometimes even Systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID).

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