People who have recovered from M.E want you to know something...
I feel very strongly that my posts about M.E and C.F.S should start and continue with empowerment as I don't think there is another way. I have listened to many people with these illnesses and they are usually absolutely furious at so many things they have had to deal with, without the support they believe they should of had, I was one of those people too for a while. We can all be angry at our doctors, nurses, family etc...for not understanding, which is quite understandable. It may be for giving us the wrong advice, for making comments that hurt us, for giving us treatments that damage us. But what does all that anger do to our insides if we don't release it, it settles within and causes even more symptoms. The anger may very well be righteous and most definitely needs releasing, and it's always better to tell people how you feel. I will write a post about releasing anger in a creative way at some other point, but in the meantime. Some of our doctors, health professionals and others just actually don't know what to do, they struggle big time with many illnesses and especially autoimmune disorders, their tools are generally equipment, medication, referrals, machinery and surgical procedure. So when things are presented to them that don't respond to those tools I suppose they must feel they have failed us in some way. Is that actually true though? They are working with a system, that is true, and so are we, our own system, that is also true. In conditions like this where things can sometimes change so dramatically from one day to the next or even one minute to the next many people often don't know what to make of that. So what we get is their anger, frustration and impatience, projected at us. And that on top of our own challenges is about as useful as a chocolate teapot!
So why don't we make this a group effort...collective consciousness...
What has M.E got to teach us, doctors, other professionals, friends, family? What has M.E got to teach the world? I believe there are so many different types of M.E or C.F.S that it is not believable that it is all the same illness. M.E has come along to teach us many things about disease and one of the things I believe is... Dear doctors, you are going to have to stop relying on your instruments, tools, drugs because we are going to test the bejesus out of your reliance on these tools and your reasons for becoming a health professional. Where did all of Hippocrates teachings go? Did they get lost in the black sewage of greedy multi billion corporations, are we 'the patients' honestly the ones who have to answer that question...
What do we want from them? Personally what I wanted was understanding and compassion. That's it, just understanding and compassion, nothing more. I found that by far the best way to achieve that is to start with showing it to yourself. More about the challenges surrounding this in another post.
So lovely people here are some quotes I have collected from around the world from others who have recovered. I asked them all what they'd like to say that would be helpful to those who were still struggling with recovering from the M.E that some say you can't recover from...
Samantha from Melbourne says...
"Stay focused on your dreams and never give up on yourself, one day you will be better than you ever thought you would be."
Faith from Edinburgh says...
"Never, ever give up! I had this made into a block quote that sat on my dresser and whenever I was having a bad day it would help push me through. Now it reminds me of how far I've come."
Susan from London says...
"Surround yourself with like minded people, believe it's possible, live in the moment."
Morag from Scotland says...
"Enjoy the journey, every improvement is a step forward."
Jo from Lemington Spa says...
"Lying in bed day after day, I dreaded that this was going to be my life...I now live a FULL life, socialising, running. It happened for me and it can happen for you. Even though it may seem like an unimaginable dream right now...Please don't give up hope."
Anne-Marie from Woodsford says...
"Never despair, be kind to yourself and remember slow and steady gets results."
Sarah from Chester says...
"Only AMAZING people get M.E or C.F.S. Recovery is one amazing step at a time, until one day you wake up and realise recovery is possible because YOU have done IT!"
Lee from Christchurch in New Zealand says...
"People will often say to fight your illness and don't let it win. But when you are fighting it and you are not okay with the PRESENT MOMENT, then you are not at peace. You feel an inner discord, like you are not okay with a part of YOURSELF. Not the best ground for healing. When you gently accept how you are at this time and even love your conflict as that hurting part of yourself while you focus your energy on wellness, then healing can start to begin."
Marika from Southampton says...
"When you are in pain and all feels lost, find something in life that inspires you, there will be something I'm sure, but it can be well hidden. Consider this question...When else are you going to let yourself think of something wonderful? About being somewhere wonderful and doing something amazing other than now in this life NOW! And when better to have hope and slowly start planning a way for your dreams to come true, but NOW."
Hayley from Bath says...
For 13 years of my life I lived cocooned under the illness of M.E and I often asked myself why? Will I ever have a normal life again? I have been well now for seven years and my life is truly amazing. I am truly happy, healthy and full of love and joy! Always believe that your cocoon will open and you too can enjoy life as a beautiful butterfly."
Fleur from Victoria in Australia...
I suffered M.E and fibromyalgia for 17 years, trying every form of therapy only to get worst, until I became unable to even feed myself. I got told by a doctor he didn't think I had long to live. Luckily my family found a therapy called Mickel therapy which literally saved my life. It's been a few years of recovery but I can happily say that I am living my life again. I now own and run my own photography business, I go to the gym there times a week and can walk my dogs every day. Recovery is most definitely possible! Please never ever lose hope."
Kate from Crawley says...
"Housebound for 3 years I cured myself by making diet and life style changes."
Lorna Cameron from Scotland says...
M.E will strip you naked and pierce you to the bone. Through the grieving process you may keep trying to come to some sort of acceptance and might wonder what on earth it is you need to accept, as things can change so much from minute to minute. When you accept change then you release the need to control things and go with the flow. When you go with the flow you open yourself up to miraculous possibilities. Consider this on your darkest days...Listen to your body...What golden light is under that darkness? 'The belief' is the most powerful tool we have apart from LOVE. Believing you are well is what comes into fruition, just BELIEVE all IS well. When you have that blank canvas...paint your favourite colours...add your favourite scene...the aroma of your most memorable scent...a large dash of your favourite inspirational people...humour...a generous doze of your favourite music...the mouthwatering taste of your best ever meal. The fire in your belly? What passion ignites it? What do you need right now in this moment, not yesterday, not tomorrow.
Beautiful souls before you know it, those days, months, years and sometimes decades bed/house bound will somehow become the foundations of the castle where your wildest dreams were built. The universe will respond and synchronise with your frequency as your masterpiece is born...BELIEVE!
Sending much love X0X0
