Living with Invisible Illness, Mum and Me

In this episode, my mum and I have a conversation about living with invisible illness.I live with myalgic encephalitis, also known as ME or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and we talk openly about chronic fatigue, PEM, pain, and the day to day reality of managing an illness that isn’t always visible.My mum lives with diverticulitis and lower anterior resection syndrome (LARS) following major bowel surgery. We talk about the long term impact of that surgery, ongoing symptoms, and secondary conditions including osteoporosis and pernicious anaemia.We also talk about how research into long Covid has started to shift conversations around ME and chronic fatigue syndrome, and what it’s like to live with conditions that are still widely misunderstood.This isn’t an interview or medical advice. It’s two people comparing notes, being honest about limits, and talking about what life looks like when chronic illness is part of the picture. There are a few laughs along the way.At the end of the episode, I share a few things that have been keeping me company recently, and I’ve linked a couple of short Spotify playlists in the description: one with what I’m listening to in January, and one relaxation playlist. Ten tracks each, no overwhelm.