Verity Red's Diary: A Story of Surviving M.E.

Reading it from cover to cover in one sitting I was struck by how very much the author was on the outside looking in on all the usual day to day activities which she was unable to take part in. Anyone lucky enough to escape M E should stop themselves before they complain about the daily round of mundane tasks to be grateful that a trip to the dry cleaners doesn't take them a full day to recover from. They should also read this book to give them a real understanding of what it means day to day. It is rare to read a book that details the minutiae of living with an illness - most books are about the crises and dramas but this one gives you a real feeling of the unrelenting nature of coping with M E.

I should perhaps explain I have a personal interest in this book - the author is my sister-in-law who I have yet to meet - she is just not well enough to come along to family gatherings etc. I am now married to the "brother from Devon" described in the book who visits with his then wife and young son bringing the gift of kittens. I hope when we do eventually meet that it will be a less frenetic visit than the one described there. What I do know is that I will be meeting someone with a gentle but wicked sense of humour able to see the funny side in many of the grim aspects of her illness. I look forward to that day.