Introducing WAMES trustee & social media volunteer: Michelle Penny

Hello, my name is Michelle.

My life!

I was diagnosed with ME at the age of 10, although it is thought I may have had the condition for about 2 years before that. I have now had diagnosed ME for approaching 28 years.

I started off mild to moderately affected but after a course of graded exercise my health worsened and I became severely/very severely affected and I have been totally housebound since 1999. I have become worse over the years and have been around 95% confined to my bed for the past 12/14 years.

I started volunteering with WAMES back in 2001.  I have had different roles within WAMES over this time but have always needed considerable help and support to carry out those roles.

I started as the children’s officer even though I couldn’t and still can’t speak to anybody over the telephone. I used to do all my contact via email as it was easy for me do as much or as little as I could cope with.  Sometimes this was only less than 5 minutes at a time. As I said I have always needed considerable support.

The support I need has increased over the years but I still like to do my bit. I have had help from many people over the years, including and especially from Dr Nigel Speight who was my saviour, and it is nice to pay that help back if I can.

Over the past few years my health has deteriorated more and I can do even less than the 5 minutes at a time than I was able to do on occasions.  I have developed an interest in computer aided graphics (totally self taught) so I design and draw with my computer a lot of the WAMES graphics you see now.

I also help my mum (who is also a volunteer with WAMES) with computer problems! She is not very good at all with a computer. As she says herself ‘she is very trying’! She has been my support and my go between with the professionals throughout my illness, no matter how hard that gets at times!

ME is such a misunderstood condition and I look forward to the day when people with ME no longer have to undergo the degrading treatment that they do at present.

Read other volunteers’ stories

Mia

Jan

Sharon

Tony