'Marathon will be victory lap after ME diagnosis'

A woman who was unable to walk while struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome has said running the Manchester Marathon later will be a "victory lap" to celebrate how far she has come.

Kelsey Sheridan, 28, was diagnosed with the condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), in 2016.

She said while there was "no right way to manage" ME, she wanted to convey hope to others who were suffering.

The software engineer, from Middleton, Rochdale, described the 26.2 miles (42km) run on Sunday as a "kind of big 'in your face' to a lot of people".

"When I was undiagnosed there was no blood test that said anything was wrong with me," she said.

"A lot of people said, 'she's just lazy or skiving or not trying hard enough' or 'it's just pain, push through it' and I couldn't.

"No-one with chronic fatigue can. It doesn't work like that."

According to the NHS, myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a long-term condition that can affect different parts of the body with the most common symptom known to be extreme tiredness.

Ms Sheridan struggled with exhaustion and her symptoms continued to worsen until she eventually required a wheelchair.

She said there was not a simple explanation for her recovery, but she had been helped by her assistance dog Hamble, who was provided by Canine Partners in 2019.

"I was constantly in survival-mode and felt like I'd never be able to recover," she said.

"With Hamble's help, I was able to slowly rebuild my strength and mobility."

In early 2024, the 28-year-old went for her first run and she has not looked back.

"I've gotten better somehow. I have friends, a huge support group of fellow sufferers and they all want to know what I did," she said.

"All I can say is that I did what I could. I have B12 jabs and that kind of helped.

"There's no 'I tried this medication and it worked'. There's no answers and it's tough knowing there's still no answers out there for them."

She added that the Manchester Marathon marked "a significant milestone" in her journey.

"Having full mobility is something I really took for granted before I lost my ability to walk, and it's something that I make a conscious effort to celebrate even on the bad days."

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