I feel I am one of the fortunate ones

My parents both suffered from ME / CFS and I was diagnosed with ME / CFS and FIBROMYALGIA in April of 2012.

I was bedridden for about a year with the disease and have recovered enough to be able to perform some basic tasks such as changing clothes and brushing my teeth. Once a week I can sit at the kitchen sink and do some dishes.

It has been a long, dark journey, but I feel I am one of the fortunate ones. I have had tremendous support from my husband and my father, who battled this disease for about 6 years before being able to go back to work a few days per week. Having been thru it, he was able to help me with the emotional support I needed to survive. My mother also suffered from CFS as well as Fibromyalgia and RA. We lost her in 2007 which was very devastating for me and my family.

I feel blessed that I found a doctor that helped me to discover I had horrible food allergies. Once I eliminated the foods I was allergic to, I became some better. I have to be really careful about not getting overly tired or I have bad crashes for about two to three days and require complete bed rest for those days.

I sincerely believe that my illness started in 2005 when I contracted nine bad colds that year. After that the overwhelming exhaustion set in gradually until I had to leave my job and I became bedridden. I also experience debilitating vertigo several times per year. There is so much more that I have experienced with this disease, but I have a hard time typing for any length of time. I am really hopeful that, as ME / CFS gains more attention, one day we will have answers and will have an effective treatment so we may all return to normal lives.

Diana Winchester
USA