Basic Stuff
- Name: Remembrance
- Country: England, United Kingdom
- County: Greater Manchester
- City: Manchester
- Gender: Female
- Age: 66
- Education: Ph.D Degree
- Primary Illness: Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS)
- Diagnosis:
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
- Postural Orthostatic Tachcycardia Syndrome (POTS)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
- Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
- Year Illness Began: 1990
Functioning Interrupted
Former Level of Functionality: 100
(No symptoms at rest; no symptoms with exercise; normal overall activity level; able to work full-time without difficulty.)
Current Level of Functionality: 20
(Moderate to severe symptoms at rest. Unable to perform strenuous activity; overall activity 30%-50% of expected. Unable to leave house except rarely; confined to bed most of day; unable to concentrate for more than 1 hour a day.)
Work Interrupted
- Former Occupation: Research Scientist
- Job Responsibilities at Former Occupation:
Biological research. Report writing. Publishing. Teaching. Consultancy.
- Current Work Status: Retired
Other Interruptions
Certified Disabled: Yes
Finances:
- My parents or other family members have provided financial support
- This illness has severely impacted my ability to financially prepare for retirement
Work:
- I reduced my work hours
- I left my job or retired early
- I took on jobs with less responsibilities than I otherwise would have
Relationships:
- I decided not to have children (or have more children)
- I have been unable to or found it very difficult to date
- I believe this illness contributed significantly to a divorce or loss of an important relationship
Most Impactful Loss
The stigma around this poorly researched illness has left me humiliated, isolated and without support as well as fighting poverty for decades. I lost all that I worked for in my family life, my personal life, my career and the joy to be free to experience life beyond my solitary bedroom.
