After almost twelve years of ME/CFS I thought I could handle anything. I know my body better, I know the illness better and I am able to do so much more by managing my symptoms. I can even advise others on what I know and where I was once unable to share my experiences, I find it easier to do so these days. This blog was the first step and now I have even started to write about my experiences with ME on Bubblews [EDIT: 30th April 2014 I no longer write for Bubblews so all posts have no been moved to this blog]. I started off with an introductory piece on the illness called 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis' which was a first for me as I had never actually tried to explain it in writing before. I followed that with a post about my ME story called Life as an ME Sufferer but I think my drive kind of fizzled out at the end there and I was forced to make a half-baked attempt at being positive.
But yesterday I wrote Have You Been Cruel to an Ill Person? which was my most difficult post so far. I wrote about the cruelty we face as people who suffer from an invisible illness. I know it is important for us to write about the ugly reality of illness, but it is not easy. I would love to only write about all the wonderful things in my life, and don't get me wrong, there are plenty of parts of my life that I am so grateful for. I write about them too, from the horror movies that I like to watch, to local places and attractions that I love to visit when I am able to get out. But the truth is that people who suffer from invisible illnesses, who are afflicted with these awful chronic illnesses are so misunderstood and I can't help but feel that the more we get our stories out there, the more we can lift the veil and show our side of things.
