Hi!
My name is Mike Pettifer, I’m 35 years old and currently living in Nottinghamshire, UK.
I count myself lucky to say that I live a full life. That’s not to say that I have it all my own way: I still have to wash the dishes, take the bins out, and go to work on a Monday morning, but at least my body and mind allow me to do the things I want to do as well.
I play tennis a few times a week, socialise with friends and family when they have the patience to put up with me, and I go on the occasional holiday.
But it wasn’t always like that.
In 2014, after returning from travelling in Australia and then cycling the length of the UK on a charity ride, I started developing some strange symptoms.
My body felt inflamed, I was short of breath all the time, I couldn’t think clearly, and I was exhausted most of the time as I tried to stay on top of university work.
These symptoms got worse and worse as time went on – but despite having lots of scans, tests, and trips to see different doctors and specialists, no one could say what was wrong with me.
It wasn’t until 2016 when I finally got the shrug of the shoulders diagnosis of ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). At that point my doctors told there was nothing more that they could do for me – it was going to be up to me to manage my symptoms as best I could.
I couldn’t accept that.
This blog is about my long journey to recovery. I hope it’s of interest to someone out there, and perhaps maybe it’ll give somebody some hope that ME/CFS does not have to be a life sentence.
