Never-Ending What Ifs

Hello!

Devoted fans, Sally drives herself nuts by wondering if there is anything she did pre-M.E to trigger her illness. Maybe she shouldn't have got so stressed over a breakup or maybe she should have looked after herself better. I'm sure she's not alone in that way of thinking. I keep telling her it's nothing she did to herself but I'll let her explain that mindset in this blog.

Hi,

I'm sure I am not the only M.E sufferer on the planet who goes through phases of either blaming themselves or wondering if getting M.E was preventable.

We were having a tidy-up in our loft last week and I came across the record card that was filled in by the Health Visitor from when I was born up to the age of 5. Interestingly, it says that both my vision and hearing were stronger on the right-hand side. Since having M.E, it has been noticeable that my left eye

muscles are incredibly weak ,and the Labyrinthitis that triggered my M.E affected my left ear and subsequently, any migraines/balance issues start on my left side. I lean to the left which means all of my left-hand pockets are ripped due to catching on door handles! I also had chronic colic, vomiting and digestive problems for the first 18 months of my life (my Mum had a 'bad pregnancy too').  Which makes me wonder if M.E is something we are born with and is not acquired in later life. Because many of these health issues can be included under the umbrella of M.E. However, there are people who have M.E who didn't have health problems in their early years so there doesn't seem to be a pattern there.

It's little things like this that I try to fit into my M.E puzzle. If I hadn't been so stressed in my 20s due to relationship dramas, housing issues, studying for a degree etc, would M.E have started when I turned 30? Should I have taken better care of myself? Done regular yoga sessions, eliminated toxic relationships from my life and generally cared about myself a little bit more? I will never know. Therapists have told me not to stress about it because it's not helpful and will just make my M.E worse. Doesn't stop me from scratching the itch though!

Unfortunately, having M.E brings with it a lot of thinking time. When I am laying on my bed, unable to watch TV or read a book, all I am able to do is think, my thinking pattern literally goes around in circles!

I can't remember my teenage years and so can't think of what could have caused my childhood M.E. I was stressed about my options years that were looming and I have always been a worrier but there was no significant event that my parents can think of that could have been a trigger.

Unfortunately, M.E is a complicated fluctuating life-stealing condition that makes no sense. 

No sense at all.

Love 

Sally
(and Foggy OBVIOUSLY)
XXXX

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