Its Not All About ME

It's not as bad as I thought it would be! We're back after a little break with a walk and talk ep. We chat the stress, guilt and frustration of trying to maintain a schedule and keep appointments when you have a chronic illness. How do you adapt to the new normal and how on earth to you become cool with that? My old life - I wish I knew how to quit you. FANCY PICKING UP THE TAB FOR THE COFFEE? Support the show at https://ko-fi.com/inaam MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive. Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 29 The loneliness of the chronic illness experience As the world begins to explore getting back out into the world after months of isolation, we take a moment to think about those who will, once again, be left behind and missing. On a cheerier note, we have a bed of nails so all will be well. MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 28 – One Family, Four kids with ME feat Sean and Niamh Henneberry Some time ago, 14 year old Sean got in touch asking if he could come on the show and share his experience of having ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). As we were getting organized to have our chat he revealed that all four kids in his family have the chronic illness. In this, first of two special episodes, Sean and his sister Niamh share their struggles and hope for the future. Sign up to Sean’s Youtube page to get announcements about his stop motion animation at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC93CCTn640Kgv8CfGURybOA/about MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 27 – Older, Wiser, Kinder We are back from our “baby break” and ready to go. After a brief chat about life with ME and a new baby, we chat about our strong response and reaction to the recent tweet from Brianne Benness (@bennessb) that said “The distinction feels contrived, but my mental health really changed when I stopped asking "why am I so lazy" and started asking "why does my body need so much rest right now?" *apologies - does contain a little bit of swearing! MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 26 and then there were three This week we share our experience of the first ten days of first-time parenthood and explore our hopes and fears as a parent with ME\CFS. Please do get in touch with your experience, tips and support. All will be most gratefully received! MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 25 – feat. J E Barnard This week we are joined by writer and very-much all-round great person J.E. (Jayne) Barnard. Jayne shares her long term experience of ME and chats about how it affected the whole family and also how she realized she had to find her own questions, answers and treatment to be able to just get by. She takes us through her process of writing several (award winning) books while living with the full-time job of having ME and offers experience of how she dealt with expectation, responsibility, demand and adrenaline. The first books in her two series can be found on Amazon and are called When The Flood Falls (Falls Mysteries series) and Maddie Hatter and the Deadly Diamond (Maddie Hatter Adventure series). Jayne and her books can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=256291734780049&story_fbid=474069513002269 https://www.facebook.com/MaddieHatterAdventures/ @J_E_Barnard and @JayneBarnard1 on twitter MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 24 – feat. Ros Lemarchand The French Femme This week we are joined by Rosalynde Lemarchand aka The French Femme. Ros shares her experience of ME as well as several of her poems that were inspired by the illness. Find her and her creative output here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/My-A-Z-of-ME-1403270009902127/about/?ref=page_internal MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 23 – ME\CFS You Can Get Better – a walkthrough This week we return from a month off and share our experience of rigorously applying the guidance of Dr. David Smith’s ME\CFS You Can Get Better (http://www.me-cfs-treatment.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Get-Well-Guidelines-Revised-2012.pdf). We share our day plan and how we have found the experience so far. MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 22 – Chronic Illness and weight gain This week we explore the deeply personal subject of weight gain when suffering from an illness such as ME\CFS. We chat about the frustration of losing the ability to exercise and look at how our relationship with food can change when a tasty treat might now be a highlight of a day. We also hear from other folk who have ME and are dealing with an issue that can have major consequences on not only our physical but our mental and emotional wellbeing as well. Thanks to @katrianabrandt, @carolineranere, @mishka0808, @sleepyjen, @dis_praxiic and @mcfindoone for their contributions MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] Thanks all!!

Episode 21 – feat Antoinette and Anne, ME Support Northern Ireland This week we share a recent chat with Antoinette Christie (Founder and mother to a son with ME) and Anne Smyth (benefit support and person with ME) from ME Support Northern Ireland. Recorded during Awareness week 2019 they share their honest and frequently heart-breaking experience of the illness and tell us what their organization is doing and plans to do in the future to support those living with ME. Their new website is http://mesupportni.com/ MUSIC – Feeling sunny by Scott Holmes from Free Music Archive Contact us on the show at: @0allaboutme [email protected] its not all about me podcast on Facebook (closed group) Thanks all!!