Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/M.E. Society

3 hours a day for 4 days - can't do full days any more - I like my subjects so it's a shame

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Nearing the end of my college year. So proud of myself that I've managed through the year, even if my attendance is abysmal. Last time I tried college, I'd completely stopped going in by now and had resigned myself to failing. I was hardly doing anything at all because I was so ill and exhausted from pushing myself too hard through the first few months. Very very proud of myself

Well done! What is your attendance? I seem to be doing okay (AAC) with a 65% attendance

This is really good too! Part time is a pain, particularly when there are so many around you doing full apparently effortlessly, but you'll get there and probably be a better person for it. How much longer do you have to go?

Any advice from people going back into education (more specifically uni), and any ideas how I can prepare for it? My basic plan is do things gradually, try and keep building myself up and get back into studying/ahead on the course a little bit between now and September but open to ideas. Need to talk to the uni about disability stuff too but no idea what I need tbh, and still don't have a diagnosis for most of what's going on other than CFS/depression/NMH

So so so proud of you! Is amazing, on so many levels. Almost there!

Any advice from people going back into education (more specifically uni), and any ideas how I can prepare for it? My basic plan is do things gradually, try and keep building myself up and get back into studying/ahead on the course a little bit between now and September but open to ideas. Need to talk to the uni about disability stuff too but no idea what I need tbh, and still don't have a diagnosis for most of what's going on other than CFS/depression/NMH

I have another year, only in Year 12 at the moment.

I'd try maybe reading over anything relevant to the course that you're going to study maybe make some notes, find out how you work well. Make an organisation system - folders,pens, etc organise your desk, just makes you feel more prepared


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Thank you It'll all be worth it so long as I get into uni

After only a year out of college, when I went back I think my main problems were with being around so many people again, getting up to alarms, and writing. I know you keep up with some extra-curricular type things, and content for TSR obviously, so that should be really helpful in it not being too much of a shock to the system. Could be worth seeing if there's any recommended reading you could do before you start, and using that to kind of ease yourself in a bit. The uni services are going to be really helpful to you though hopefully, and will be able to help you figure things out before you start, as you're starting, and through your time there. With college I asked to meet with them before I even applied back again and kept in contact with them. I'll be doing the same as uni as well. If I get the grades and everything, I'm going to ask for something of a meeting with them, even if over the internet or something, just to make myself known to them and everything

• Be kind to yourself, believe in yourself, and always put your health and wellness first (knowing that you will achieve things)
• Try to make it to as many lectures/classes as possible, even if you just sit there minimally working/engaging. Take a deep breath and note down the key points, then go over lecture slides/course materials in your own time when you can
• Try to forge some basic relationships with classmates to help you fill the blanks and overcome any gaps in your understanding, and do return the gesture where/when you can but be clear in your head from the outset that owing to your health situation you must focus on sustainable study activity, that’s the bottom line
• Take assignments on as soon as they come up, and pace yourself as you work through them. Use to do lists when you have a number of outstanding tasks but remember that these lists exist so that you can completely disconnect during ‘down time’ and come back to them when your body is ready. Worrying about/rushing the things we have to do won’t get them done any better, any sooner, indeed the reverse is often true and this sort of behaviour can of course spark a relapse
• Be prepared to cut back every aspect of your life other than health (first, always) and study
• Avoid anything liable to upset health e.g. staying up/out late, drinking, negative/hurtful people etc
• Make sure everyone who ought to know, does know, that you have delicate health and need plenty of rest e.g. cohabs, academic, and administrative staff

I'm really touched to see a sticky about this here, I really hadn't expected this. I'm also somewhat surprised that so many people suffer with it... But it's understandable that a lot of people are run down in the rat-race society we live in. Until a few weeks ago I'd never even heard of chronic fatigue. I haven't been diagnosed yet, my doctors are still trying to rule out other things. I've been in a lot of pain and discomfort lately though, hope to find some answers soon.

Thought I'd mention for the sake of others, if you hadn't already heard; Stanford University researchers recently identified potential bio-markers for chronic fatigue syndrome, meaning we might see a definitive test for it sometime in the future.

I have health conditions which cause chronic fatigue, but the symptoms I have are that of CFS. It's possible I have CFS but the fatigue is always related to my other conditions and I have accepted that fatigue is a part of my life so a CFS diagnosis wouldn't change my life.

i don't know if this is the right place to post this but i've had M.E for five years and have recently got a lot worse. i'm in year 13 at college and i'm having to use a wheelchair which has actually saved me so much energy but i'm still really struggling with fatigue and brain fog, especially in my psychology class! does anyone have any advice???

Wow, I wasn't expecting to see a thread for this on here!
I'm 23 and I was diagnosed with CFS/M.E at 13.

i don't know if this is the right place to post this but i've had M.E for five years and have recently got a lot worse. i'm in year 13 at college and i'm having to use a wheelchair which has actually saved me so much energy but i'm still really struggling with fatigue and brain fog, especially in my psychology class! does anyone have any advice???

You sound like a really nice friend. Wish mine were a bit more, they tend to make jokes I'm skiving and then get annoyed when I do well in exams and stuff saying I don't deserve it cos I haven't been at college as much despite me doing extra stuff at home. Least my boyfriend is fantastically supportive.

Realllly overdid it this Christmas! Here's hoping that I can still manage my uni timetable when I get back. I'd probably be okay if it wasn't all early mornings