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Emma Emmerson: Why I'm raising awareness for my daughter

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Category: Case Studies

Published on Tuesday, 08 September 2020 12:31

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At the age of 18 my daughter Molly was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. For me, this wasn’t too much of a shock as we had fought for 4 years to get a diagnosis of some kind for the constant pain, she was in. For me this was the worst part fighting for a reason behind how she felt. It took so long that it really impacted her mental health and she started to think she was imagining it. So, in some ways it was a relief to get that diagnosis. 

Then the thought process starts - How will she cope with the constant pain? How will she deal with being so limited in her ability to exercise? How will this affect her career? One thing was certain this wasn’t going away but it wasn’t life limiting so we had a huge positive there to start from. 

In the last 12 months, Molly has been increasing her exercise little by little in the hope that one day she will be able to ride her horse or attend dance classes again. She chose to continue her accountancy studies which is difficult with the fog but she is fortunate that I have a practice so if she is struggling with the exhaustion, we can work around it. Socialising takes its toll on her and whilst she does go out with her friends you wouldn’t find her in a nightclub at 3am. 

As a parent I would happily take that pain for myself if I could but I can’t so all I can do is support her and help her find a lifestyle that allows her to enjoy her life as much as possible. 

During lockdown I managed to complete the couch to 5k app. It was tough at times which made me think how hard it is for people with the condition on a daily basis. I am not a runner but I wanted to do something to recognise the daily challenges people face. So, during September I am attempting to run 30 miles in 30 days. If you are thinking of doing some fundraising please give it a go every bit helps and more importantly shows people with this condition that they have our support.