I have been much quieter online this May than I’d usually be. I had known over a year in advance it was going to be A Big Month with my cousin’s wedding falling just eight days before my one ‘thing’ (Blue Sunday) of the year. And so I knew to prioritise my precious health and do things like forgo the fundraising pack and any press releases/interviews with the charities, outsource the giveaway, and have help with the infographics. I have awarded myself a gold star for all of this!
But then at the end of April I ended up starting a couple of new medications unexpectedly. This is necessary, unavoidable medication. They have brought on an increase in memory issues, insomnia, word-finding struggles, delays or issues with processing information, visual disturbances, reduced concentration, and frankly struggling to think clearly. All things I’ve had for the past 13 years, just that bit more prominent.
The timing has been a bit unfortunate!
This increase in cognitive dysfunction has made posting very tricky and often simply impossible.
I haven’t been able to properly articulate my elation over the success of Blue Sunday 2024; it’s like it’s trapped inside my head and I can’t get it out onto paper. Behind the scenes, I have been ‘zoned out’ quite a lot of the time.
But I am elated! Absolutely so. We have raised money for over 18 different M.E. non-profits and charities, whose work covers biomedical research, student training, care and gift packages, educational and information resources, legislative change, among countless other things that aim to improve the lives of people with M.E. And we have done this whilst engaged people from outside of the M.E. Echo Chamber. Over £33,000 and counting!
I did not raise all of this money; we did. All of us. Together. I know that Blue Sunday was my creation and I will treasure that as perhaps my greatest achievement. But I think it’s accurate to say that it is now ours; it belongs to all of us. We raised this money together.
And as far as my current Health Stuff goes, I will readjust and find a new normal where I’m at, just as I have had to do countless times before. There may just be a few more typos and badly-worded sentences going forward…
'M.E. myself and I' by Anna Redshaw 