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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.

Day 3

Family Christmas

Family Christmas surrounded withe my family only to have the worst Christmas gift ever, COVID

Merry Christmas

Not a fan of November

Dream Car

Life with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is hard but with the help of a motorised wheelchair and a wav , I could have a chance of a new life.

Dental Service for Disabled people in Liverpool

Finding a dentist is tough enough with the pandemic but what happens if you are bedridden and unable to leave your home?

Specsavers at home

Did you know that you can arrange a home visit from Specsavers if you have mobility issues?

Nothing left

Living with a chronic illness is much harder than you could ever imagine so what keeps you fighting when it gets too much

Vet and ME

Vet and ME A visit to the vet ended with me adding another injury to my ever growing collection as well as my recommendations for dog foods our labrador loved.

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A Chaotic Christmas

We got a Puppy

What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

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/

What are the symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ?

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

What is the treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ?

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.

What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ?

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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