| Product: |
Diana's Story - Deric Longden |
| Date: |
14/03/02 (127 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: funny, well written , excellent insight into M.E
Disadvantages: none
Wide Eyed and Legless was the title given to the film version of this book. I think that it would have been a great title to the book too.
The book was actually written in the late 1980's, but was about the 1970's and is a true story of the authour's wife's battle with M.E. M.E is a dibilitating illness of unknown course and there is no known cure. The illness affects sufferers in varying degrees, some are able to work while others are completely bed bound. Diana suffered from a very bad form of the illness, not many of us get as bad as she did, she and Deric are an inspiration to us all.
Diana fell ill in 1971 with a mystery illness that was later thought to be M.E. She was in constant pain and unable to get about without a wheelchair. the story details the battles with Drs and other health professionals.
I have M.E 30 years after Diana and I know how difficult it is to get the medical profession to take M.E seriously now, so i dread to think what it was like then.
Deric (the authour) is Diana's carer as well as trying to run his own lingerie business and look after his elderly mother who lived some way aways and write regular scripts for local radio.
Despite all the stress that must have been felt, what comes through most of all is the strength of Deric and Diana and there ability to find a funny side to many of the situations. I actually feel that I can relate to this too as I laugh at the stupidest of things and at myself too, otherwise I would sit and cry a lot of the time!
During the story you get to meet; Deric's mother, who is rather scatty and comes out with some cracking lines; The family cats; and Deric and Diana's children Nick and Sally.
I don't want to tell you too much about the story as it will spoil it, but it portrays the life of an M.E sufferer so well, the way they push themselves so hard and try not to let others see how much they are suffering,
how they do not want to give in to the illness and how so little is know about the illness and how to deal with it.
I actually used to work in the hospital where Diana was treated and find Deric's descrition of the building rather amusing and also very accurate;
"Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital is an enormous, purpose built Portakabin of a building with all the charm and character of an international airport. The revolutionary heating sysytem bakes patients and nurse alike at gas mark six on some days and forces them imto thermal vests on others, when only the patinets with temperatures in the high one hundred and twenties rest easy in their beds."
I first red this book before I was ill with M.E, when I had a copy from the library. I now have my own copy and thinking of Deric and Diana helps me get through some of the tough days. I think all health professionals should read this book, it paints a better picture of the illness than any M.E guide I have ever ead, and I have read a lot!
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