In the middle of August 1998, having landed a job in an industry I thought I would work in for the rest of my career, I was knocked for six by some ill-health.
Three weeks later, I was diagnosed with M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). At the end of January 1999, having paid very little attention to my body and my situation, I was walking through George Square in Glasgow when my legs stopped working. That was the start of almost 10 years bed-bound and wheelchair-bound with M.E.
I've been well for long time now but M.E. and Chronic Illness is something that I'm passionate about.
In March 2022, I was invited to be a guest on a panel for Action for M.E.'s Learn about M.E. Webinar for M.E./CFS and Social Care. I've been given permission to share the webinar by Action for M.E. and below is the information from their YouTube site with a link to the webinar.
This webinar was hosted on Thursday 17th March 2022. The session was hosted by Dr Nina Muirhead, who is a Specialty Doctor in Dermatology Surgery in the NHS. Nina became unwell with ME in 2016 and has used her experience to work in partnership to create a CPD module in M.E./CFS for GPs and allied health professionals. Our work on Learn about M.E. is now complemented by our Learn about M.E. podcast series. We hope to complement this webinar with a podcast for this series.
This illness is often misunderstood and not recognised. The physical symptoms of M.E. can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure and other chronic conditions. Other research shows that people with M.E. score lower overall on health-related quality of life tests than most other chronic conditions. (Hvidberg 2015)
Expected learning outcomes of the webinar:
To be aware of the characteristic symptoms of M.E./CFS and understand how this affects daily life.
To be able to identify and apply practical measures that will enhance planning and delivering care services and support.
To have an overview of potential adjustments needed in service delivery to avoid exacerbation of symptoms and sensitivities.
To be aware of the need for person-centred care and planning.
To understand the fluctuating nature of the illness and the impact of post-exertional malaise (PEM.)
To be able to signpost to self-management resources and support.
You can find more information about our work on our website:
Action for M.E. Homepage: https://www.actionforme.org.uk/
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