01/05/2026
May marks M.E Awareness Month đ
M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is a serious neurological condition. It is not âjust tirednessâ, it is not burnout, and it is not something that can be pushed through - I know, I tried!
It affects multiple systems in the body including the nervous system, immune system, and energy production. It is life-altering, at its worst life-threatening.
I live with M.E and it has been progressive.
This illness has taken away my independence, routine, and certainty. Even basic daily tasks like washing my hair come at a major cost, and overexertion both mentally and physically can make symptoms significantly worse.
There is no simple fix, and rest alone does not resolve it.
Awareness matters. Understanding matters. Research and recognition matter.
So, this month, I am speaking openly to help make that clear and to try and help explain what living with M.E actually means.
This is what M.E has done to my lifeâŚ
I used to live in constant motion. Days packed full, hands busy, a mind always creating - working 14, 16, 18 hours a day with no off switch.
For almost 14 years I built The Vegan Cakery from ground up, pouring myself into something I loved and adored - something that felt like me.
For the biggest number of years I took no wage, donating to animal charities and sanctuaries instead as that was my driving force.
Travelling the country week after week to events, starting and running very successful Afternoon Teas across England and Wales. No off switch, just full throttle all the time.
Now, my world is measured very differently.
Around 80% of my life currently is spent in bed. Not by choice, but because my body leaves no alternative. Most of the time being in bed is too painful, but itâs the lesser of two evils.
Energy is severely limited, unpredictable, and every small task has a physical and mental cost, most often a huge cost.
Leaving the house isnât something I take for granted anymore. Itâs something I save, something I have no option other than to save, for medical appointments and for moments that have to matter.
This is the reality of M.E.
Messages can go unanswered for days, sometimes longer. Not because I donât care, but because I donât always have the capacity to respond.
Plans are made and then cancelled far more often than theyâre kept. Time moves differently nowâŚ
âŚand yet, there is still so much that remains too!
My husband Marc, Mr Cakery, who stands beside me through all of this - my rock. Selfless, steady, and endlessly loving.
Carrying what I cannot. Holding me up on the days I cannot stand. Reminding me, quietly and consistently, that I am still me.
My family, who support me, steady me and never let me feel alone in this.
Friends who havenât given up on me. Even when I disappear, even when I canât show up, even when Iâm not the person I once was.
My life, once loud with movement and pace, now softened into a quieter space.
Where strength is measured in what I endure, and showing up looks different than before.
In silence, in stillness, Iâve learned to see, a different kind of resilience in me.
Not the life I planned, not the path I knew, but still a life, still meaning, still true.
This illness, M.E, is invisible to many - but its impact is not.
If you know someone with M.E, please understand that what you see is only a small part of what they are managing.
M.E is real, it is serious and it changes lives.
To those living with itâŚyou are not alone đ
