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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.

A Disney-style cartoon illustration of a dark-haired woman with blue eyes sitting on a bed, writing in a notebook. She is surrounded by a laptop, scattered notes, and a microphone. Two black Labradors, one with a red collar, sit beside her, while a camera records the scene.
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Vlogmas Day 1 : The one with the Cheeky Labrador Having a cheeky Labrador to help when opening parcels can backfire and as he knows that I can’t run after him he has lots of fun 🙈 Join us on our very first Vlogmas video The one with the Cheeky Labrador
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Skelton with his feet up and hands behind his head. The text reads “Not a Lazy Bones” “I have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis”

Book Recommendations for Chronic Illness/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Sufferers

I think it is only right for me to share with you my must-read book recommendations for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis sufferers. I have turned to these books many times since my diagnosis as it is incredibly scary to start feeling worse with an illness like Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. So any time that I started getting more pain or I felt worse than normal I have used these books to see if it could be additional Myalgic Encephalomyelitis symptoms.
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Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired

The Government has a plan

The Government has written a plan to improve the lives of people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis but is it too little too late? When I was first diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis in 2012 I was relatively lucky, now ok The appointment to see the ME Team in Liverpool was lost and then budget cuts happened so I didn't see someone as soon as I needed to
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Shopping the high street online for underwear

Online Lingerie Shopping

Where do you go Online Lingerie Shopping? Where do you go shopping for underwear when you are unable to make it into a shop? For me, it has to be Next or Marks and Spencer. Not only do you know the quality is going to be there if you are unhappy you can send it back without an issue.
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A woman with fair skin and dark hair pulled back, standing in a bathroom. Her face is visibly swollen, particularly her lips and cheeks, with redness on her skin. She has a concerned expression, and the text overlay reads, 'But they just kept getting bigger.
Black Labrador puppy looks inquisitively
A woman with light skin, dark hair pulled back, and a tired expression makes a slightly lopsided face, showing exhaustion. She is wearing a dark-colored top with a festive pattern. The background features a light-colored shower curtain with subtle animal illustrations. Overlaid text reads: 'Tonight I pushed myself by making a phone call.
Two black Labrador dogs wearing matching Christmas-themed pyjamas featuring festive golden retrievers and Santa hats, playfully moving around a cozy indoor setting
Two black Labradors sitting attentively on a bed, staring at a McDonald's meal with longing eyes. The image includes the text "We call this the Labrador TAX" along with a piggy bank graphic labeled "TAX.
A black and white close-up of a young black Labrador puppy named Archie, resting on a soft blanket while gently chewing a toy. The image features soft lighting and a cosy atmosphere. The text "Baby Archie" is elegantly written in a pastel purple cursive font in the top right corner.

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A playful YouTube thumbnail featuring a stylized illustration of a woman and her black Labrador sitting on a bed, with a basket of apples. The text reads "My Dog Loves Apples", surrounded by floating apples and a cute cartoon apple character.

My Dog loves apples - The uncut version

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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