Marion Michell told her own severe M.E. story on BBC Woman's Hour last Thursday (August 25). So far, it just hasn't been picked up by the social media. But the seven and a bit minutes it takes her to describe how an immensely restricted life has been given purpose and shape by crocheting and blog writing deserves a wider hearing.
In the programme's series of occasional clips on ‘Creativity and Illness', Marion – who has had the illness for 17 years – spoke without interruption about how she can crochet in her bed because “one can stitch on the crochet hook with everything else on the belly”.
Marion, who is mostly housebound nowadays and spends a lot of time lying down, says: “You see something growing. It gives you a sense of achievement, which is of immense importance when you can't work.”
Last year was dreadful for her but crafting her new blog, polishing a sentence a time before moving on to the next, was an alchemy that made her feel part of the wider world – giving her words both connection and meaning. She hoped she was turning “straw into gold”.
The programme is available to listen to for the next few days on the BBC iPlayer at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07pd4vk When you get there, click on the chapter heading beneath the main picture entitled Creativity and Illness: Marion's Story. The iPlayer will automatically start playing the item at 27:07. It continues until 34:11.
Or you can download a more durable Podcast of the whole programme at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007qlvb/episodes/downloads Look for the one headed Scummy Mummies, HRT, Ballerina Irina Kolesnikova and you'll have landed on a little bit of treasure!
MARION BLOGS HERE