M.E/C.F.S. - Misunderstood

I want to remind you of the reason I have created this fun, upbeat, globetrotting campaign.

M.E. is a massively misunderstood, under-researched, increasingly common debilitating illness. I'm 'lucky' in that I 'only' have mild M.E. Fortunately, this means I am still able to work full time though with difficulty some days. 

My symptoms are:

Extreme tiredness
Muscle fatigue
Inability to control my temperature (extreme hot/extreme cold)
Brain fog
Memory issues
Inability to concentrate for more than 20 minutes at a time
Unrefreshing sleep/insomnia/erratic sleep 
Sensitivity to light (sunlight and indoor lighting)
Delicate immune system - swollen glands when I am run down
Flu-like symptoms
'dead legs'
Occasionally unable to feel arms and legs (when I am particularly wiped out)
Depression - probably because I am too tired or ill to do as many things as I would like.

There are probably a few more but .... I can't remember!

As all M.E. sufferers know, when I say extreme tiredness I don't mean slightly sleepy. Think of the most tired you have ever been in your whole life, times that by 2 and experience that 4 times a week....that's what I mean by extreme tiredness. I can feel this tired at any time of the day, not just at bed time or after a hard day. I reach the point where I can't function.

When I am feeling good I, stupidly, push myself and make the most of the extra energy I have. Feels great at the time - makes you feel alive! BUT....2 days later I am numb and wiped out...my battery is flat.

There are no medicines for M.E. or any effective treatments. I have had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Pacing Therapy; didn't really work for me. I'll talk about that more in a future blog.

To my M.E. suffering followers - I hope today is a good day for YOU.

Sally x

Damp..........pardon?!

This week there have been a number of tweets wondering why M.E. affected bodies seem to get worse during damp weather. I have a little story to tell...you can either take some of it on board or take it with a pinch of salt...up to you.

Sally went to see an Acupuncturist about a non-M.E. related health issue. On this particular day, it was very rainy and Sally complained that she felt dreadful and her M.E. was worse than usual. In her assessment the Acupuncturist asked if she could see Sally's tongue (strange....). So, much tongue sticking out lead to the Acupuncturist saying she was 'damp'. Excuse me???!!!!! (some kind of slimy mould on her tongue...yuck!)

The Acupuncturist explained that when it is damp outside the damp inside her body is aggravated and makes symptoms worse (see link below for more info).

Sally already has intolerances to some foods but the Acupuncturist advised an even more restricted diet excluding:
Caffeine (already sensitive/intolerant)
Peanuts
Avocado
Sugar
Citrus
Pork  (beloved bacon sandwiches....gone!!!!)
Wheat (already gluten intolerant)
Yeast
Bananas
Dairy (already intolerant)

So, Sally went away and stuck to this diet religiously for a few months as an experiment to see for herself if what she had been told could be plausible. Guess what?.......

Her M.E. improved....slightly......but improved none the less. When it rained she didn't feel like her body was imploding and the foggy brain didn't completely wipe her out. That was 2 years ago and she doesn't strictly follow the diet anymore and has reintroduced peanuts, stupidly has the occasional coffee, and indulges in some sugars. Nowadays, she notices her M.E. worsens when she has eaten pork or had a sugary drink.

Some people are wary about chinese medicine but I think there may be some truth in this 'damp' issue.

Just a thought....might help some people!

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/chinese/traditional-chinese-medicine-causes-of-illness4.htm

Foggy snogs,

love Foggy xxx

World Tour 2014-2015 is officially launched!

Hello!

Well.....let the fundraising begin.

Foggy has just had his launch event at the Southsea Coffee Company in Southsea, UK. He and Sally were able to enlighten people about the horrible-ness that is M.E. A lovely cake was made for the occasion and was delicious...went down a treat!

Foggy now has a few more destinations on his wall chart calendar. The lovely people who attended tonight have volunteered to take him to India, Spain, France, Vietnam and Italy. His calendar will have to be micro-managed but hopefully most of these places can be squeezed in over the next 12 months!

Foggy will no longer be abseiling from the Orbit in London due to a dates clash but will now be abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth some time next year instead - thanks Cerianne!

Here are the photos of tonight's launch!

ME Fundraiser - Day one!

My name is Foggy the Dog and I want to raise lots of money for the M.E. Association. 

The aim of this year long campaign is for me to travel one million miles (that's a LONG way!) and raise at least £10k for the ME Association.

My best friend Patch's favourite human Sally has M.E. and when she is really poorly he looks after her and does what he can to cheer her up i.e. lots of cuddles. I want to raise money to fund research into why so many people are getting M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - much easier to say!!) and see whether there is a way to manage or treat it successfully.

It's a social media campaign so you can follow me on Twitter (@MEFoggyDog) and Facebook (Me Foggy Dog). I will be writing a blog a couple of times a week to keep you updated on my exploits as I travel around the world, and I will post the blog entries on Twitter and Facebook.

How the campaign/fundraising will work 

My Twitter and Facebook followers around the globe can volunteer to 'Foggy- sit' and I will come and stay with you for a couple of days (via jiffy bag, stamp and plane). 

                                     (Me in my favourite place......the park!)

Take me somewhere interesting, weird or wonderful and take photos to be put on Twitter/Facebook. Hopefully lots of lovely people out there will like seeing what I am getting up to. Can you just make sure that I don't go walkies anywhere on my own and that I come back home in one piece.

Please support my campaign by donating money on my Just Giving page:

http://www.justgiving.com/MEFoggyDog

If you would like to 'Foggy-sit' simply contact Sally and she will arrange my travel. She's my P.A and is very good at her job! Either contact her via Twitter or Facebook or contact her via mefoggydog.org (contact Foggy button).

So far, in the next 2 months, I am heading for Malaysia, Portugal, USA x3, Australia and New Zealand. I think I am going to be a little bit tired and in need of lots of snuggles. I have the whole year to go globe trotting so I'm sure I can find time to come and visit anyone who wants me.

I'm off to chase some squirrels,

Bye for now xxxx