During ME awareness week 10-16 May I will shave my hair, using my husbands beard trimmer at setting 3 or 4.  I will also donate my hair to a charity.  I need to do some research into that.

I challenge anyone to join me, or donate to this charity.

In the past I have entered running and triathlon events to raise money for various charities,  this time I am quite limited with what I can do. Many people with ME choose to shave their heads, to reduce the energy required for daily ablutions.

Personally, ME has affected me from 2001-2006 and then again from 2015 to date.  I was lucky enough to recover and get back to a normal life including working full-time and running, swimming, cycling and walking for pleasure and fitness.  I was appalled in 2015 to find that no progress had been made in ME research.  As my old GP had retired, I found that the local GP surgery had less understanding of the illness.

My day to day life currently is quite limited.  I can look after my personal care, but Andy has to do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry.....   I can help out now making some drinks, and some food prep. I can walk around 200 yds, but use a mobility scooter to go further.  I can't stand for more than minute.  I can however do lots of crafting, so I spend time knitting, crocheting and sewing.  my socialising is mainly having visitors when that is allowed.  I would love to run about and play games with my grandson, go on long walks, and long cycle rides.

There are around 250,000 people in the UK with ME, and now after Covid-19 there are many others with long covid, which has many overlapping symptoms.  We need to get much more research into these post viral illnesses.  Awareness and funds are the key.

The ME Association campaigns hard to get ME recognised as a severe neurological illness. Our helpline provides essential information and support to adults and children who have ME/CFS, and to their families and carers. We also fund biomedical research into the physical nature and causes of ME/CFS.