Chris’s Story

I was diagnosed with ME in my late teens. After several years of dietary and lifestyle changes, I managed to find a pace that allowed me to participate in life to a level where most people did not know that I had it. Saying this I always felt under the weather. I knew that I had more to give mentally, physically and emotionally, If only I didn’t feel nauseous all the time. It was like having morning sickness that lasted all day, every day. The irony of it was that when I became pregnant, I felt increasingly better. This good health stayed for 1 -2 years after each pregnancy which made me more determined to find the cause of my problems.

To cut a long story short, Patient Advocates was recommended to me. I literally dragged myself into Felicity’s office, hoping that she could offer some form of help. The results have been amazing. Since starting on NP 3 years ago I have felt as fit and healthy as I did before having ME. No more morning sickness or any of the other host of hormonal problems that I had, for example anxieties, heavy bleeding and hot flushes to name a few. I sleep better, have enough energy to exercise for the first time since my teenage years, and still have enough energy left over to carry out a normal active life. Work and family included.

I have often wondered if I did not have ME at all, but only suffered from a severe lack of progesterone all along. My understanding is that progesterone kicks in during puberty and levelling out in the late teenage years. If this doesn’t happen then a whole host of problems can occur. I believe that ME is a legitimate condition brought on by a variety of factors that are different for each individual. I know what it is like to feel fine one minute then to go to complete exhaustion and collapse within a short space in time. Now I can feel just plain old tired – and this is great.

I would like to thank all the staff at Patient Advocates for providing a friendly, comfortable and supportive environment in which I can discuss my symptoms freely without being made to feel like a time-waster.

Chris