Lowestoft Community Church

I was first diagnosed with ME, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in 2001. Since then I have suffered with severe tiredness, joint and muscle pain, dizziness, constant headaches and an inability to concentrate on a daily basis. Despite my efforts to continue living a normal life this has been impossible, when I was first diagnosed I was studying at university and was forced to reduce my studying to part time as I physically could not manage any more.

In January 2008 the condition deteriorated and I became too ill to work. Small everyday activities such as walking up the stairs, getting dressed or preparing a meal would cause severe dizziness that would only go away after resting for several hours. Over the following months things became even worse, I developed severe IBS and was unable to do much more than lie on the sofa day after day.

I became very lonely as I was unable to hold conversations for more than a few minutes without it impacting on my health. Following what someone was saying was hard enough, let alone working out a reply, this made it very hard to spend time with my friends. I also lost my job due to the length of time I had been unwell. It was as if everything that had previously defined me as a person had been stripped away and there was nothing I or anyone else could do about it. I would often wake up in the morning in tears due to the pain I was in. Life was so hard I could not focus more than an hour or two ahead as I could not tell how ill I would be feeling later on that day and I would end up getting upset about the things I wanted to do but was unable to.

Doctors were unable to offer any cure and could only supply me with tablets to try and ease the symptoms, which only had a limited effect. I was also being treated by a specialist Occupational Therapist who would give advice on how to try and live within the confines of the illness, but despite all efforts I kept getting worse. The only thing that kept me going in those days was my faith in Jesus and the hope that one day he would heal me of this condition.

I refused to accept that I had nothing to look forward to in life except illness and for many months I took advantage of every opportunity I could to get prayer from other people in church and the elders at their monthly healing clinic. After all the gospels are filled with stories of Jesus healing people, why not me?

In October 2008 at a church gathering I was approached by a member of LCC who had a message for me that God didn’t want me to suffer anymore and He wanted to heal me. As we were praying I felt a sensation of electricity which started in my hands and worked its way throughout my body. Within a couple of hours I had so much energy I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was so excited, I had been healed!

The next morning I woke up and went for a 6 mile walk – just because I could. Over the last 2 months I have had no symptoms of ME; I have stopped taking the many tablets I was on and have been getting stronger and more able each week. I have been discharged from the ME specialist and I am able to go out when I want to now, not when the illness dictates I can. When I do go out I often cycle or walk instead of going by car. God has given me a future and the freedom to do anything I choose to do.