Meryl’s case story in her words

I had experienced health problems most of my life but had always managed to work full time. I became ill with a respiratory tract infection which I couldn’t shake off and caused a range of other health problems. I went off work ill in October 2021 and tried twice to go back to work, although these were unsuccessful because I had tried to go back too soon, and my symptoms got worse. My employer eventually sent me to Vitality360, through their insurance company.

When I first spoke to Jessica at Vitality360 in May 2022, I had a persistent cough and no energy at all, as well as a number of other symptoms that included headaches, brain fog, and problems with my speech and swallowing. I was struggling to keep on top of things like the housework and only cooking light meals that were easy to cook. I couldn’t do the things I loved to do like gardening and could only walk for 15 minutes with a stick. I felt guilty and frustrated about being off from a job that I loved doing. By this time, I had been diagnosed with ME/CFS by my GP who referred me to a local CFS Clinic for group sessions which would start in the summer.

My meetings with Jessica over the next few months helped me develop a routine which helped me to relax more and getter a better night’s sleep, increased my walking and encouraged me to find ways of doing the things I enjoy in a manageable way – for example potting up a hanging basket instead of digging the garden! Jessica helped me realise that music was important to me to help me switch off so I found I could use these for relaxation breaks. We also talked about work and how to do that in a way that would make it more likely to succeed, and how to start feeling more like my ‘work self’.

When I was ready to discuss this in more detail, I met with the Vitality360 Career and Employment Consultant. We talked about my job and what were the parts of it that I might find difficult because of my health. Amanda met with my line manager and agreed a written return to work plan which included a gradual increase in hours and adjustments, including slowly returning to customer-facing work, taking a short break between customers and having more time with them and a quiet space to talk to them in – Amanda made it clear that these were likely to only be needed temporarily until I had adjusted to being back at work and continued to improve, and that they should be reviewed with Occupational Health.

By this stage I was ready to return to work and we agreed a start date with my manager. I was anxious and excited, but Jessica and Amanda supported me through this. However, the week before I was due to start, both me and my husband tested positive for Covid. This completely knocked me back and I felt right back at square one again. I was very unsure what to do for the best – I had been so keen and ready to go back to work but wasn’t sure whether this would be the right thing to do until I had overcome this setback. After taking a step back and looking at my choices with Jessica and Amanda, I decided I wanted to prioritise my health. With a heavy heart I decided that my best course of action was to take retirement slightly earlier than I had planned and left work in November 2022.

When I finished the programme, my feedback was that they had given me the tools to manage my daily activity and to recognise that I wasn’t alone in what I was feeling. I felt as though I could accept and live with it but that there was still hope that I could improve. However, I still felt in very poor health and was living with symptoms that stopped me doing as much as I used to. The setback to my health was out of my control despite how fantastic Jessica and Amanda had been.

I’m writing this just over a year later and feeling so much better than I have in a long time. Once I had decided to leave work, I had the time and space to really put me first and could see more clearly how to put in place the advice Vitality360 had given me. For me, exercise was imperative to my recovery. I started to time my walks and build them up gradually and enrolled on a ‘Your Health Your Way’ course. After four years, I no longer use a walking stick, I pace myself everyday and have learnt to live a good life, just in a different way.

Jessica and Amanda were so kind and supportive throughout and I cannot praise highly enough the help, support and advice I was given. They were amazing and understanding and helped me during a really difficult time, I cannot thank them enough.

Thank you so much Vitality 360 for giving me my life back.