• Coeliac-Cupcake - Me And ME

    Hi, my names is Natascha-Rose.

    I was constantly ill with viruses and in and out of my last years in school - meaning that I missed a lot of time and failed my GCSE'S. Slightly disappointed I went into college and studied NVQ for childcare and some of my GCSE's. Despite missing a lot of it, I managed to pass. I always put my best in when attending college and put it down to having a low immune system.

    Once I left college I found my perfect job as a nursery nurse. I started working slowly and built up to 45 or so hours a week. I loved it!! And then... it all changed... At 19 I was diagnosed with Glandular fever and was knocked for six. I was off work initially for 6 weeks. I'd go to bed tired, wake up shattered and couldn’t seem to pull myself from the slump i'd gotten into. On top of it the flu like symptoms were horrid.

    Yet still, I pulled myself back together and went back into work as and when I could (The days I couldn’t were spent at home in bed either sleeping or too tired to move), only to be sent home again a few hours lately, most of the time in tears because I was so tired and drained. In the end, I attempted to go to work one morning and ended up in hospital. After hours of tests (and horrid needles!) they concluded that I had a major virus.

    A visit to the doctor at a later date ended with a diagnosis of ME/CFS. A week after that and a chat with my employer ended with me having to leave my job for my own well being.

    Like many other sufferers of ME/CFS whose stories I’ve read, they were not able to sit at home doing nothing on the 'good days'. I busied myself with anything I could muster up the energy to do. I probably did myself no justice and If I had known that 2 years later I would be pretty much house bound and any attempt leaving the house would have to be in a wheelchair, I would probably have done it differently.

    I would love to talk to ANYONE! after being a sufferer for years, its madness that i've only just found Foggy Friends!! Although, obviously I am so glad I have!!

    xx