Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

When Zoe Power took six months off work after a bout of flu she never expected to not return to work.

“I got the flu and it never went away,” she recalls.

“I was always extremely tired so I took time off thinking I would get better but six months came and went and I was no better than I was before so I decided to give up work.”

At the time she was managing a team in the research department at a university in Oxford, a role she had been in for about ten years.

After blood tests revealed ‘nothing sinister’ Zoe undertook her own research as to what could be wrong and discovered that her symptoms pointed to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

“It feels like a flu without the head cold so aches and pains and extremely tired,” reveals Zoe.

“Some days it can be hard to get out of bed, whereas other days I just get the aches in the background and can get on and do things.”

The disorder impacts people in different ways and people find what works for them might not work for others.

“I find moderate exercise helps and I have a dog who I take out for walks but I know for some people just walking from the bed to the sofa can be challenge,” explains Zoe.

“I also do yoga every day, and practice mindfulness it just helps me to keep in the present.”

After her diagnosis a few years ago Zoe and her husband moved from Oxford to Seaford.

“We have both always wanted to live by the sea,” she smiles.

“So we did a crazy tour of the UK to find somewhere. We loved Cornwall and Devon but couldn’t find the job opportunities

we were after.

“We also looked at Brighton as that was where the jobs were but it was expensive and we felt as if we had done our city dwelling.”

After falling in love with the coast between Seaford and Eastbourne, they packed up and moved down.

Although not currently working full time Zoe loves photography, and has had a camera since the age of