This is just going to be a quick post because I want to take part in the #May12BlogBomb for the International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia awareness day. I’ve already written another post for an awareness raising blog chain called #ThisIsME. And if you’ve read it you’ll have learned that I’ve learned to be happy despite this condition, that I believe that I’m already living my dream. But a future without ME/CFS would brighten that dream considerably!
Because I cope really well with this illness, it can be really difficult for someone looking in to see the extent of its impact so by describing my future without ME/CFS I hope you’ll get a clearer idea that even though I’m an expert at overcoming it, it really does have an impact!
I believe I’d still want to coach chronic illness sufferers to move towards happier, healthier more fulfilling lives. I’d still want to live in this beautiful relaxed mountain village in Spain. The difference would be that I would go out on long hikes in the mountain. I would go mountain biking again; skiing and snowboarding again. I would have a proper social life and go out dancing on a regular basis. I wouldn’t have to avoid social events that involve food for fear of not being able to find something that would be free of all my food intolerances. I would travel more. I would attend family events (I’ve had to miss two family weddings recently because of this condition). I’d be able to go and stay with all the friends I have scattered in many different countries without worries about the burden of them having to take all my health needs into consideration. I’d travel again to exciting and exotic places. All these are things that I did before this illness and look forward to doing again when I am well. And what I really look forward to the most is the ability to be spontaneous; to not have to consider everything in terms of balancing my energy expenditure.
Although there is still no cure I choose to believe that I will get well again. I’m very optimistic about all the recent scientific discoveries that are expanding our understand of ME/CFS, but it is a complex illness, in fact its very likely to be a complex variety of illnesses and I think that it will take a while for science to unravel all those complexities. However, I have great faith in nature. I believe the human body is an incredible thing and I believe that if I give my body the best possible chance to heal itself, one day it just might overcome this illness! I’m optimistic because it did before, so I believe it can do so again, but also, without a cure, this belief is my only hope!
Usually I wouldn’t dwell on what I’m missing out on but to raise awareness of this illness I would like you to see that even though I choose to make the most of the life that I have, without ME/CFS I’d have a whole lot more to make the most of!
A small favour: I’d be very grateful if you could rate this post using the stars below the related posts. Thank you x