Back to the beginning ..

It has been kindly suggested that I write about my background, so the next few posts will be a brief overview of the past 5 years.

I thought my life before M.E/CFS was a productive and fulfilled life. Looking back I see that I was burning the candle at both ends, and it proved detrimental to my health. I loved exercising and would wake half an hour early and go to bed 20 minutes later to do toning exercises. I would spend half an hour jogging on the days I didn't have to go to meetings after work. I would park the car further than I needed to be to walk the rest of the distance, and go for walks in the evenings around the beautiful hilly countryside with my mum. Weekend's were for church socials and parties and I loved to dance, my cousins, sister and I would be the first on the dance floor and the last to leave.
I worked 9-5 in a job I loved. I was a support worker for the mentally ill and I found satisfaction in being able to assist those who struggled doing the shopping, cleaning,  getting to appointments, going out for fun, and being there as a shoulder to cry on.
I was very active in my church and had responsibilities that would see me at midweek and Sunday meetings, making phone calls, typing minutes and other administrative work throughout the week.
Every night I would be out at church meetings or socially and not retiring to my bed till nearly midnight.

I loved my life, but around January 2007 my body started to give me warning signals. I became very tired and had to come home from work on one occasion for no other reason than I just needed to sleep and rest, which was very unusual for me. One Monday night in early February of that same year I wrote in my journal "I feel I'm getting ill, I hope not, I'm too busy to be ill."
The next day I set off in my car ready for work, but I never made it.