Living with M.E.

• It's a dog's life (InterAction 83, Spring 2013)
  After years spent alone with severe M.E., a Canine Partners assistance dog changed Sue Sherlock’s life. She tells us all about it.
  
• Refuse to be beige (InterAction 83, Spring 2013)
  Ros Rimington-Hall celebrates her right to be crabby, demanding and a little bit delightful.
  
• Stepping outside your routine (InterAction 83, Spring 2013)
  Readers share their tips and advice for celebrating special occasions without sending their symptoms into overdrive.
  
• What not to say to people with M.E. (InterAction 82, Christmas 2012)
  Our post box quickly filled up when we asked you to send us the comments from family and friends that wind you up.
  
• Deck the halls (InterAction 82, Christmas 2012)
  As our article on hobbies shows, lots of you are keen crafters – so here are some simple, low-cost ideas for DIY decorations and festive gifts.
  
• Your hobbies and M.E. (InterAction 82, Christmas 2012)
  From painting to writing poetry, clay-modelling to cross-stich, readers often share their love of hobbies with us. Dr Jenny Watts asks how this helps them cope with the symptoms of M.E.
  
• When the cold winds blow (InterAction 82, Christmas 2012)
  John Andrew Denny faces the winter chill with poems that warm and inspire.
  
• The art of communication (InterAction 82, Christmas 2012)
  How can patients experiencing sensory difficulties communicate? Cathy Stillman-Lowe looks at this issue as part of our continuing series on severe M.E.
  
• Coping with personal care (InterAction 81, Autumn 2012)
  In the second of our series focusing on severe M.E., Cathy Stillman-Lowe looks at some practical aspects of personal care.
• Hitting the books (InterAction 81, Autumn 2012)
  From basic maths to birdwatching, studying from home means people with M.E. can learn at their own pace. Gillian McLeish takes a look.
  
• Real men get M.E. (InterAction 81, Autumn 2012)
  It’s true that M.E. affects more women than men – but what does that mean for men with the illness, asks Paul Tomkins.
  
• Seasonal eats (InterAction 81, Autumn 2012)
  Try these easy recipes for making the most of fruits and vegetables at their autumnal best.
  
• The bath (InterAction 81, Autumn 2012)
  After printing our short story competition winner, Lazy cow, in the last issue, we are pleased to present a second entry, this one by InterAction reader Sam Atkinson.
  
• A decade of support (InterAction 80, Summer 2012)
  Action for M.E.’s Support Line marks its 10th anniversary this year.
  
• Your M.E. reads (InterAction 80, Summer 2012)
  We asked people with M.E. about their favourite books, from self-help guides to uplifting true stories.
  
• Learning about survival (InterAction 80, Summer 2012)
  Coping with M.E. is no easy task. But Paul Shapira believes it equipped him with valuable tools when it came to facing cancer.
  
• The power of music (InterAction 80, Summer 2012)
  Is music therapeutic for people with M.E.? Dr Jenny Watts looks at recent research and hears from readers.
  
• Express yourself (InterAction 80, Summer 2012)
  In the first of our series focusing on severe M.E., Cathy Stillman-Lowe asks patients about coping with the huge emotional impact of the illness.
  
• Coping with loss (InterAction 79, Spring 2012)
  Losing a loved one, especially a carer, through bereavement is hard, with or without M.E. We look at sources of support.
• Sun, sand, sea and M.E. (InterAction 79, Spring 2012)
  Diane Shortland gets the lowdown on holidays in the UK and abroad, from choosing a destination to finding insurance.
• Stick it to me (InterAction 79, Spring 2012)
  Janet Beauman is chuffed to bits with her latest accessory – and it’s not a designer handbag.
• Paws for thought (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  Are pets beneficial to people with M.E.? Dr Jenny Watts looks at the evidence.
• On the piste (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  Alan and Fi Timms were determined to hit the slopes last winter, despite both having M.E. Here Alan recalls their ‘sit-ski’ trip of a lifetime.
• In the bleak midwinter (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  Having a chronic fluctuating illness can make you feel low at any time of year – but you are not alone. Here people with M.E. share their advice.
• Grandparenting and M.E. (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  There are 14 million grandparents in the UK. Tricia Harper speaks to some who have M.E. themselves or in their family.
• Dream a little dream (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  Samantha McInnes reads, writes and imagines her way through those bedbound times, accompanied by Joni Mitchell.
• Blogging the beautiful game (InterAction 78, Christmas 2011)
  Respected football writer and Liverpool fan Paul Tomkins tells us how M.E. put paid to his fitness but gave him new goals.
  
• You shop, they drop (InterAction 77, Autumn 2011)
  Readers saving energy and cash through online and mail order shopping.
• Would like to meet (InterAction 77, Autumn 2011)
  Maintaining a love life can be hard enough, even without M.E. Jane Bennett takes a look at the impact of the illness on relationships.
  
• Fresher's fare (InterAction 77, Autumn 2011)
  As universities and colleges welcome new and returning students, those with M.E. can find a wealth of information in our new online Student Hub.
  
• Life through a lens (InterAction 77, Autumn 2011)
  Taking pictures began as a hobby that Adrian Davies could fit around pacing – and his recovery. Now he runs his own photography business.
  
• Behind the wheel (InterAction 76, Summer 2011)
  Rebecca Murungu-Danya looks at informing the DVLA about your illness., applying for a Blue Badge and other issues related to driving with M.E.
  
• Make the most of your summer (InterAction 76, Summer 2011)
  Karen Cripps looks at days out for people with M.E.
  
• My M.E. friends (InterAction 75, Spring 2011)
  M.E. is a horrible illness but sometimes it puts us in touch with friends we might not otherwise have met. We asked readers to share their stories.
  
• Gardener's world (InterAction 75, Spring 2011)
  A green-fingered Clare Hanson-Khan shares her passion for gardening and the joy it brought her despite being housebound with M.E.
  
• A helping hand (InterAction 75, Spring 2011)
  Rebecca Murungu-Danya looks at equipment people with M.E. might find useful.
  
• One moment at a time (InterAction 74, Winter 2010)
  InterAction looks at coping with M.E. using mindfulness, a meditative approach that aims to help you make the most of living in the moment.
  
• Ready to roll (InterAction 74, Winter 2010)
  Realising that you need a wheelchair may seem like an overwhelming setback, but readers also tell us, “it can set you free.”
  
• Butcher, baker candlestick maker (InterAction 73, Autumn 2010)
  Clare Ogden compiles some of your stories telling us what you were doing when you became ill.
  
• Every little helps (InterAction 73, Autumn 2010)
  Here’s what some of you had to say about the small things that can make a big difference.
  
• Let's get physical (InterAction 73, Autumn 2010)
  We thought that we handled last year’s sex and M.E. article sensitively – but apparently we didn’t go far enough!
  
• Pretty and witty and bright (InterAction 72, Summer 2010)
  Helen Tunney tells us how she recovered from severe M.E. to launch her own online accessories company – and passes on some of her fashion know-how.
  
• Understanding severe M.E. (InterAction 72, Summer 2010)
  Catherine Saunders spent the last two years writing a personal guide to severe M.E. for family and friends.
  
• You are not alone (InterAction 72, Summer 2010)
  Here are yet more insightful and poignant responses to the special report on suicide we published in InterAction 70.
  
• This is M.E. (InterAction 71, Spring 2010)
  We asked you how you would describe your experience of M.E. in just 100 words, Members responses.
  
• Golden Girl (InterAction 70, Winter 2009)
  Despite disability, illness and personal hardship, Great Britain’s no.1 disabled badminton seed, Paula Robinson, talks to Leigh Fenton about how she’s learnt to feel proud.
  
• The X Factor (InterAction 70, Winter 2009)
  Back in August we asked readers “Have you ever thought that it would make all the difference to you and your M.E., if only someone offered ‘X’?” What would that X factor be? Herearesome of your answers.
  
• Special report on suicide (InterAction 70, Winter 2009)
  This month marks the first anniversary of the tragic death of Lynn Gilderdale. Lynn was only in her 30s when she died with the help of her mother, who had campaigned beside her on M.E. issues for many years.
  
• The fight in me (InterAction 69, Autumn 2009)
  “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog!” says Diane Shortland, volunteer coordinator for InterAction on CD.
  
• Living with long term M.E. (InterAction 69, Autumn 2009)
  In our recent survey, a good portion were diagnosed with M.E. over 10 years ago, showing that a significant proportion of our members are living with long-term M.E. What advice and coping strategies can they offer to others?
  
• Let's talk about sex (InterAction 69, Autumn 2009)
  “Sex and CFS /M.E.: why bother?” asks Dr Libby Nugent, CFS/ME Service, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, in this frank, down-to-earth article.
• I don`t have to prove I am ill (InterAction 69, Autumn 2009)
  Shannen Dabson was one of a number of speakers with M.E. who gave presentations at the ‘Medicine and me’ conference on M.E./CFS. What follows is an extract from Shannen’s account.
• Joy of pets (InterAction 67, Spring 2009)
  If William the guinea pig can bring extra cuddles to the life of a severely affected teenager, what do other people’s animals mean to them?
  
• Friends and lovers (InterAction 67, Spring 2009)
  Leigh Fenton describes the difficulties people experience and the tips they have for keeping love and friendship alive.
  
• You're the expert (InterAction 67, Spring 2009)
  An Expert Patient Programme (EPP) potentially offers people with chronic conditions a chance to be in charge of their own illnesses. InterAction speaks with members who have first-hand experience.

Older articles

Articles which were published in 2008 or earlier (listed below) may only appear in PDF format. Please be aware that this is an historical archive ie. information will become increasingly out-of-date as time goes on.

• Escape to the Country (InterAction 59, March 2007)
  Could moving from the city to the countryside improve your health? Action for M.E. member Karen Dowell talks to people with M.E. who have already upped sticks
• A rough guide to mobility scooters (InterAction 53, Autumn 2005)
  Simon McGrath talks through his experiences withmobility scooters.
  
• Coping strategies to help you through relapse (InterAction 43, Spring 2003)
  Sue Firth talks about getting through even the toughest of setbacks using thethree P's; planning, pacing... and patience.
  
• Wheelchairs of fortune (InterAction 42, Winter 2002)
  Theresa Coe explores some common concerns and barriers to accepting and feeling comfortable using of a wheelchair.