In my last blog I mentioned Network Spinal Analysis (NSA). I wanted to share more as it’s been so transformative for me and I haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere – related to CFS or otherwise. Here I will explain a bit about how it works and why it’s been such an important piece of the puzzle… What … Continue reading How Network Spinal Analysis has helped me
Author: Rachel
I hope that by sharing my personal experience of recovering from ME/CFS, I can shed some light on a very poorly understood and complicated illness. I also wanted to share what I have learned, which I believe can be applied to anyone, whether you are chronically ill or doing just fine!
Whilst I want to keep it positive, it is important to me to be authentic. I don’t want to give the impression I’m some sort of zen master, gracefully navigating this illness with faith every day that things will work out. It has been, and still is, messy, frustrating and incredibly painful. It is also joyful, fascinating and I am so grateful for what it has taught me, as I learn to embrace what Jon Kabat-Zinn calls “the full catastrophe” of living.
An update…
It’s been a long time since I properly updated this blog and so many things have happened, I haven’t known where to start. There’s a lot I have no idea how to begin to explain. I’ve learned so much over the past few years and although there have been many times I’ve despaired or wanted … Continue reading An update…
I see bravery everywhere…
Some days it scales mountains, other days it takes one step outsideI’m sure bravery raws some days. And others it whispers, “I’m not ok”Sometimes it sounds like, “I was wrong” or “I’m sorry”, “I see your point of view”Some days bravery paints a daring masterpiece. Others it dares to make a single brush strokeYesterday it … Continue reading I see bravery everywhere…
ME/CFS Awareness Week- what can you do?
(Reposted from Instagram) I got ill around 4 years ago, though I had symptoms for 10+ years before that. The pandemic has shown everyone how hard it is to have our freedom taken away, yet this is an illness with so little awareness and research, you can feel invisible. There are so many who experience … Continue reading ME/CFS Awareness Week- what can you do?
A view of the pandemic from 2.5 years housebound
Before I begin, a little update on my health, as nearly a year has passed since my last post… 2019 was a bit of blur to me as I spent most of it very unwell, unable to go out, so that days, weeks and months merged. My health deteriorated further mid-year, after eating something bad, … Continue reading A view of the pandemic from 2.5 years housebound
What happens when you have a chronic illness with no cure
It's ME/CFS Awareness Week and I've written this post to try and describe what happens when you are diagnosed with the condition, because the total lack of awareness is one of the hardest things about living with it. I find it so hard to explain how it feels to have ME/CFS, because it really is … Continue reading What happens when you have a chronic illness with no cure
Letting go of positive thinking
The Guest HouseThis being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honourably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, … Continue reading Letting go of positive thinking
My experience of the Lightning Process
I wanted to share my experience of the Lightning Process, which is a controversial training programme that claims to have helped people recover from ME/CFS. It has a number of celebrity endorsements and overnight recovery stories. I know people who have recovered from it, people who found it made them worse, and people who found … Continue reading My experience of the Lightning Process
What happens when you push through…
Would you leave the house with your phone charged to just 20% battery? Rather than letting it freeze and die pretty quickly, wouldn’t you make sure it was charged to at least 80, maybe 90%? Having CFS means your battery just doesn’t get to 100, no matter how much you rest. And if you let … Continue reading What happens when you push through…
My journey so far
Welcome to my first ever blog post! How did I get here? It’s hard to know exactly when I started feeling not quite right, as it was so long ago. I do know that about half way through my first year at uni I had my first significant illness, of many to come! I caught … Continue reading My journey so far
Waking Up 