Description

I was in my early thirties when I fell ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis. It's extraordinary that one of my main pointers to recovery came in a leaflet from the ME Association, where it acknowledged that while there is no known medical cure, the patients who make the best recovery have paid attention to their diet

Since then, over thirty years ago, I got better relatively fast. However, the ME Association has become a far bigger concern, since it still insists there is no cure for the condition. It produces a quarterly magazine full of information, but still promises no way to get better.

I relate my own experiences, discussing how hard it has been to be with those who are unable to comprehend my long illness, which lasted between two and three years before I achieved wellness independently of the medical profession.

There were many months when I had no idea what my condition was, and I was confused. Even after diagnosis, I remained ill, getting worse until I could hardly walk. Then a gift arrived from an auntie. It was a bundle of books, some of which were about good nutrition.

Information from the ME Association fell into place. I devised a better diet, took care of myself, and began to recover. I struggled with the recovery process and kept on researching. I learned the value of vitamins and an important process related to repetitive eating.

I was able to return to activities such as swimming and horse riding, but most wonderful of all, I could care for my two small sons without needing help.

Lisette Skeet grew up in the village of Great Horkesley, near Colchesterin Essex. "I live in a quiet corner of Halstead, Essex now, and I love the scene at the front of my house where there is a green space and a duck pond surrounded by foliage. I can watch mallards, coots, magpies, pigeons, squirrels, and an occasional visiting muntjac deer." She is a counsellor, including grief counselling, and a dog behavioural therapist