Mirror online news post, by Mark Smith & Jamie Bullen, 26 April 2018: Bedbound woman’s heartbreak after illness ‘ruins’ relationship with daughter ‘who only knows her as sick mum’
Carol Davis said her ME has “destroyed my life” after leaving her bedridden for more than 10 years and sometimes incapable of walking and talking
A mum left bedridden for more than a decade has revealed how her illness has “ruined” her relationship with her daughter.
Carol Davis, 54, once enjoyed an active life filled with travelling, parties and regular shopping trips until she was struck down with myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as ME.
The former nursery manager claims the condition has “destroyed” her life, leaving her unable to leave her house and suffering from chronic fatigue bouts so severe she is unable to walk or talk, Wales Online reports.
She also told how the illness had a devastating impact on her 24-year-old daughter, who she says has only ever known her as her ‘sick mum’.
Carol, from Cardiff, said: “It has destroyed my life.
“My bed is like my office. I cannot cook for myself, change my bed, or do my own washing. My partner does everything for me.
“I have packets of jellies and bananas by the side of my bed as I’m too afraid to get out of bed.
“I have not been outside my house since last summer.
“I used to love shopping in Cardiff city centre but I don’t think I’ve been there for 15 years.”
Carol said she experienced her first ME symptoms following the birth of her daughter in 1995.
“I contracted a virus in the hospital and I was in there for a few weeks.
“After that I slept a lot of the time and the doctors thought I was experiencing postnatal depression.
“I kept going back to my GP as nothing was changing. I was tested for everything, including loads of different viruses, and they came to the conclusion that I had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
“But there are differences between ME and CFS.”
Carol is promoting the organisation Invest in ME which is running the campaign #haveacuppaforme to raise funds for ME research
