Basic Stuff

  • Name: Jo-Anne
  • Country: England, United Kingdom
  • County: Kent
  • City: Maidstone
  • Gender: Female
  • Age: 53
  • Education: High School
  • Primary Illness: ME/CFS
  • Diagnosis:
    • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)
    • Fibromyalgia (FM)
    • Postural Orthostatic Tachcycardia Syndrome (POTS)
    • Irritable bowel syndrome
    • Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS)
    • Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
  • Year Illness Began: 1995

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: 40
(Moderate symptoms at rest. Moderate to severe symptoms with exercise or activity; overall activity level reduced to 50%-70% of expected. Not confined to house. Unable to perform strenuous duties; able to perform light duty or desk work 3-4 hours a day, but requires rest periods.)

Work Interrupted

  • Former Occupation: Registered General Nurse
  • Job Responsibilities at Former Occupation:

    Staff nurse in charge of 32 bed medical wards, as well as intensive care patients.

  • Years of Work Lost: 25
  • Current Work Status: Not working now (not on disability)

Income Interrupted

  • Yearly Income Before Becoming Ill:

    £5,000

  • Minimum Current Annual Income Loss:

    £11,808

  • Total Projected Economic Losses For Years Not Worked:

    £199,564

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

Most Impactful Loss

At the age of 25, I had everything to live for. I also had two young children to care for. I lost not only my quality of life and my dreams, but my children's lives were greatly impacted by my illness. So was my marriage. The career I had trained so long and so hard for was immediately over.


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