ME can wreck lives (From Messenger Newspapers)

ME can wreck lives

8:50am Thursday 18th March 2010 in News

The extent to which ME (myalgic encephalopathy), or chronic fatigue syndrome, can wreck lives was highlighted by a court case in January.

Mother Bridget Gilderdale, of Stonegate, East Sussex, was found not guilty of the attempted murder of her severely ill daughter, Lynn, who had ME.

Mrs Gilderdale had previously admitted aiding and abetting the suicide of her 31-year-old daughter, who had begged her mother to 'end her pain'.

Miss Gilderdale was found dead at their home of a morphine overdose on December 4, 2008. She had battled with ME for 17 years.

She had become paralysed and could not swallow.

Mrs Gilderdale was given a 12-month conditional discharge.

ME is a disabling and lengthy illness even in its mildest form and is characterised by extreme fatigue after light physical or mental activity, and also by periods of relapse and remission.

As well as severe fatigue, common symptoms are muscle/joint pain, extreme headaches, disturbed sleep, swollen glands, impaired temperature control, digestive and allergy problems, anxiety and depression.

Eighty per cent of ME sufferers have to give up work/study, ninety per cent have mobility problems and 25 per cent become house/bed bound for years, if not life.