Moderately ill and housebound with ME/CFS, now nearly back to normal with rest and pacing
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Moderate (mostly housebound)
- Ill before improving or writing
- 3 years
- Last post
- Jun 2026
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
I had ME/CFS for two years or so as an adolescent.
In context ↗ - At worst: Moderate
I would describe myself as moderate, I wasn't that bad the entire time I was ill, just at its worst.
In context ↗ - Now: Near normal
I have been able to live a normal life although energy management and fatigue has always been part of my life.
In context ↗ - Began after: nothing they could name
I don't know, I was a teenager, it was just bad luck.
- Says they never had: Anxiety & low mood
I managed to stay positive. The illness never really made me feel depressed.
Read from 29 of their posts and comments; links to the 8 this page draws on
Summary
Plover 27031 developed ME/CFS at 14 in about 2004 and was moderately ill for roughly three years, sleeping 15 hours a day and housebound at her worst. She improved gradually with rest and pacing rather than any treatment, went back to school with a brief relapse at 17, and has lived a normal life in full remission since, though she always paces her energy. She later developed IBD and MS.
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What they tried
What they credit
Their words about each treatment
- rest and pacing · Helped a lot
I told him being able to rest as often and long as I needed to was what I thought ultimately led to me being able to feel better.
In context ↗ - pushing myself to keep my world from getting smaller · Worse
I would occasionally push myself to not fall into the habit of my world getting smaller although I wouldn't really advise the latter because it normally wasn't worth it.
In context ↗ - antibiotics · Not said
Went to the doctor on Tuesday who diagnosed tonsillitis and gave me antibiotics.
In context ↗
Approaches: Pacing
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. Dates are when they posted. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | ME/CFS began at age 14; out of school, much time in bedAge 14-16, two years of my life, I lost to ME/CFS.In context ↗ | Moderate | |
| 2004-2007 | at worst slept 15 hours a day and could not leave the houseat my worst I was sleeping 15 hours a day and unable to leave the houseIn context ↗ | Moderate | |
| age 16 | gradually needed less sleep and could do moreJust over time I needed to sleep less and was able to do more things.In context ↗ | Mild | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| age 17 | mild relapse after returning to sixth formI had a mild relapse at 17 when I went back to sixth form, but it only lasted a month or so.In context ↗ | Mild | |
| age 17-18 | back to school, then university and a normal working lifeI'm 29 now. I've had nothing since I was 17. I live a completely normal life.In context ↗ | Recovered | Pacing and the energy envelope |
| 2026 | still in full remission, pacing energy; now has IBD and MS fatiguethe CFS/ME is in full remission for nearly twenty yearsIn context ↗ | Near normal |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Sleep problems
I slept 15-20 hours a day most days
In context ↗ - Brain fog
I mostly slept a lot and had a lot of brain fog
In context ↗ - Post-exertional malaise
I could occasionally go out with friends although I'd pay for it for a few days
In context ↗
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