Kirstie Sivapalan
M.E. Life, politics and social angst Not much time and/or energy? Go straight to latest entry here. Each entry is usually no more than 2-3 mins to read. What is a mini-roll? Inspired by the UK "mini" Budget, I'm starting a series of "mini" blog posts about living with M.E. The difference will be that… Continue reading Mini-roll
It's about Time Dear M.E. Ally This blog post is for you, and it's about Time. Time as something finite, something precious and something unequally distributed amongst us, especially pwME. (The abbreviation pwME is a shorthand for people with M.E. used on socials which I will be using here). Settle in as it’s long and… Continue reading Dear M.E. Ally
Did you know in the UK that if you got sick and your doctor recommended a non-pharmaceutical therapy that made you worse there is currently NO mechanism to report to this? If they prescribe drugs that cause further sickness then we have the Yellow Card reporting system but if it's physical exercise or psychotherapy which… Continue reading Shake it UP
I don't have an invisible disabilty, I have a disability visibly ignored.You might, if you want, see it in my eyes if you look close enough; in my voice, with a keen ear. There's even, sometimes, a smell. Sickly sweet. But yes, there are no obvious signs - no chair nor stick, and likely a… Continue reading Undercurrent
(This is the third part of my M.E story. If you haven’t yet, I’d recommend you read parts one and two, here and here.) In the early part of 2010 I packed my bags and headed to Peru. I had decided to have one last adventure before hitting my forties and quickly found myself 3000… Continue reading ME and the Virus that had never really gone
(This is the second part of three of my story of M.E. If you haven’t yet, I’d recommend you read part one here) 2nd Edit: Oops. I managed to forget a very significant event in my life, or maybe block it out, due to my desire to finish this piece and rest. I've added it now.… Continue reading M.E and the virus that went away…for a while… (maybe)
"No poly. I feel like a bag of shit. Didn't surface until afternoon. Can hardly eat. Can hardly move my eyes." This was an entry in my diary, one of those five-year diaries mainly girls of my day would be gifted for Christmases or birthdays. In my case it was my 14th Christmas, an idea… Continue reading M.E & The Virus that never leaves
I am going through some old poems and revising a few, which is as much as I can muster right now mid-relapse. I wrote this one two years ago when I thought I was having a bad day. Perspective can be a wonderful thing and it can also be brutal as I look back today… Continue reading Ode to a Bad Day #2
New poem for ME Awareness Month 2021. I wanted to write something that reflects the frustration of being dismissed, ignored & gaslighted because we cannot be "good productive members" of a consumerist economy. Seems apt to post this on International Workers Day too. For more information on living with M.E or caring for someone with… Continue reading Defective
No poem or funny story for you. Just some thoughts and a plan... It's been a difficult week Less By Thursday the combination of the confirmation of that individual as leader of the Conservative Party, which supposedly makes him my PM, the way above average or even peak temperature that day and M.E symptoms were… Continue reading Only love
Writing and M.E. 