Chronically Glitched Podcast ( M.E / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome )

Martina

Chronically Glitched: A Digital Diary New Episodes every 2nd Sunday. A raw, working-class account of life with ME/CFS, no sugarcoating, no recovery fantasies, no safety net. This is the real version of chronic illness: the collapse, the grief, the complete destruction of identity, and the fight to build a life that still feels like yours. Honest but never cruel, darkly funny, emotional, human. A place where your feelings are seen, heard, and understood. Get in touch with us chronicallyglitched@gmail.com Website: https://sites.google.com/view/chronically-glitched-podcast/home

  1. 1d ago

    ME/CFS flare up, PEM or just how I feel now?

    Another short solo episode of Chronically Glitched, because I’m still feeling absolutely dreadful. Is it a flare-up? Is it PEM? At this point, I can’t even tell anymore. All I know is that I’m feeling incredibly poorly, and it’s not letting up. This week is another update on where I’m at, but I’ve also included something a little different. A raw recording I made while lying in bed, right in the thick of feeling so unwell. Just me, in that moment, trying to put into words what it’s like when the pain, exhaustion, overwhelming symptoms and sheer relentlessness of chronic illness become too much. And what it does to you emotionally when you’re so desperately poorly, day after day. It’s not an uplifting episode, but it’s an honest one. And sometimes that’s exactly what living with ME/CFS looks like.  We’d love to hear from you! I’ve now got a dedicated email address for Chronically Glitched: chronicallyglitched@gmail.com Whether you want to share your own experiences, tell me your story, ask a question, have a rant or simply say hello, please get in touch. You can also send me something you’d like me to read out on the podcast. Just let me know whether you’re happy for me to share your message, whether you’d prefer to remain anonymous, or whether you’d like your email to stay completely private. We’d genuinely love to hear from you. #ChronicallyGlitched #Episode25 #MECFS #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #PEM #PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #InvisibleIllness #ChronicIllnessAwareness #LivingWithME #SevereME #ChronicIllnessPodcast #DisabilityAwareness #MentalHealth #ChronicIllnessLife #RealLifeWithChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessCommunity #RawAndReal

  2. Oct 18

    Finding ME? Ended Up With Chronic F*CK Off Syndrome

    I had a lovely, positive episode planned this week about finding myself, believing in myself and trying to discover some peace, purpose and meaning in the life I have now. But ME had other plans. I’ve been stuck in a flare-up for the past couple of weeks, and my capacity for absolutely everything has been so low that I can’t even manage the handful of things that usually bring me enjoyment. Writing, gaming and being creative are some of the few things I still have that give me a sense of purpose. But what happens when you’re too poorly to do even those? Instead of the positive, reflective episode I’d planned, this week’s turned into a shorter, rather frustrated rant about being thoroughly fed up, having next to no capacity for anything, and the complicated reasons why even answering a simple question like “How are you?” can feel impossible. Sometimes living with ME isn’t about finding the positives, making progress or learning to accept your circumstances. Sometimes you’re just completely F*CKED off with the whole thing. And that’s where I am this week. #ChronicallyGlitched #MECFS #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessPodcast #ChronicIllnessLife #SevereME #PEM #PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicIllnessAwareness #InvisibleIllness #LivingWithME #ChronicIllnessReality #DisabilityAwareness #FindingMyself #FindingPurpose #MentalHealthAndChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessStruggles #LifeWithChronicIllness

  3. Oct 4

    The Cat, the Spider and the Caravan

    This week, Mum and I go right back to the beginning and talk about our very first jobs, both of which happened to be in Sheffield, and what our first experiences of working life were actually like. I tell Mum how the caravan holiday went, and about trying to juggle enjoying a change of four walls and some family time with Gary and Gabriel while being desperately exhausted and asleep for a lot of it. There were plans for fish and chips, exploring the site and making the most of being away… but ME had other ideas. We also talk about our sister cats and the fact that, despite living completely separate lives, they’ve somehow both turned out equally strange. Then there’s the spider incident. I walked through a web in the garden and, out of Gary, Gabriel and Red, it was Red who immediately sensed that something wasn’t quite right with me. Unfortunately, Red’s response to something being wrong is less concerned companion and more identify the threat and attack it. We also get into those repetitive words, phrases and bits of songs that can get stuck in your head — intrusive, persistent and seemingly impossible to switch off. And Mum asks what I actually do when I’m so poorly that I can’t face anything at all — no TV, no watching something, not even audio. That leads us into visualisation, imagination and dreaming, and the places your own mind can take you when the outside world is simply too much. Plus, as always, we finish with what we’ve been watching, listening to and recommending lately. #ChronicallyGlitched #MECFS #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicIllness #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #LivingWithME #InvisibleIllness #ChronicIllnessLife #Disability #DisabledLife #Spoonie #SpoonieLife #PEM #PostExertionalMalaise #ChronicFatigue #MEAwareness #ChronicIllnessPodcast #DisabilityPodcast #Podcast #UKPodcast #PodcastRecommendations #MotherAndDaughter #LifeWithChronicIllness #CaravanHoliday #Cats #CatStories #Dreaming #Visualisation #IntrusiveThoughts #Earworms

  4. Sep 19

    Before ME There Was Me, Gail, Madonna and Kylie

    Before ME There Was Me, Gail, Madonna and Kylie This week I’m joined by my lovely friend Gail, someone who’s known me through a lot of different versions of my life. We take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the things we used to get up to — our annual trips away, seeing Madonna, a very drunken Kylie concert that neither of us can remember quite as well as we probably should, ending up in a drag bar attempting karaoke when we could barely talk, never mind sing, and plenty of other memories from over the years. We also talk about our friendship, how life has changed as we’ve got older, and the huge difference ME has made to what I’m able to do and what our friendship looks like these days. There’s lots of laughing, reminiscing and probably a few stories we’d have been better off keeping to ourselves. A catch-up with an old friend, a look back at life before chronic illness changed everything, and another little piece of my Chronically Glitched life. #ChronicallyGlitched #MECFS #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicIllness #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #InvisibleIllness #LivingWithME #ChronicIllnessLife #Disability #DisabledLife #Spoonie #SpoonieLife #LifeWithChronicIllness #Podcast #PodcastUK #UKPodcast #ChronicIllnessPodcast #PersonalPodcast #DigitalDiary #Friendship #OldFriends #LifeBeforeME #LifeBeforeChronicIllness #Nostalgia #Memories #Madonna #KylieMinogue #ConcertMemories #GirlsTrips #FriendshipMemories

  5. Sep 6

    12 Days for the Crime of Leaving the House

    12 Days for the Crime of Leaving the House This episode, I’m talking about what happened when I dared to leave the house and try being a normal human being for two hours — and ended up sentenced to 12 days of PEM for my crimes. I talk about what those 12 days actually felt like, both physically and emotionally, and the point where I was just really bloody upset and grieving the life ME has taken away from me. There was also the small matter of my leg deciding it no longer wanted to behave like my leg, another blood-pressure drop, crawling upstairs, the stroke clinic getting involved and finally having a CT scan of my brain — which, thankfully, came back normal. I also had an appointment with the ME/CFS clinical psychologist to talk through how things have been and the impact the illness is having on me. I found out there’s around a year’s waiting list for one-to-one support, with group sessions likely to be available sooner. That led me to self-refer to NHS Talking Therapies, where I was genuinely surprised to see chronic fatigue syndrome specifically mentioned as a long-term health condition they may be able to support people with. NHS Talking Therapies – find your local service and self-refer:https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/find-nhs-talking-therapies-for-anxiety-and-depression/ There’s also talk of eConsults, Mum’s trip to the dentist, and the usual Mum & Me wandering off in whatever direction the conversation takes us. And, because I need some escapism from all of this, I share what’s been keeping me company lately — Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings, Big Finish’s The Eleventh Doctor Adventures: Hidden in Plain Sight, Mad Men, far too much Love Island USA, and disappearing into Ghost of Yōtei whenever my hands will let me.

  6. Aug 23

    Chronically Having A Chronic Week Off

    Im totally in PEM this week, broadcasting from bed! Just a very short hello to everyone just to let you all know, I am stuck in bed in full PEM and will be back in a couple of weeks as normal, thats if I don't crack first. Enjoy this short but bitter interlude and see you guys shortly. Chronically Glitched Podcast Living with M.E./CFS and chronic illness — the reality, the crashes, the dark humour, the frustrations, the small wins, and everything in between. This is the link to the Chronically Glitched website:https://sites.google.com/view/chronically-glitched-podcast/home #ChronicallyGlitched #MECFS #MEAwareness #ChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessAwareness #SevereME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #InvisibleIllness #InvisibleDisability #Disabled #DisabilityAwareness #ChronicPain #ChronicFatigue #PEM #PostExertionalMalaise #Spoonie #SpoonieLife #Housebound #Bedbound #Pacing #EnergyLimitingConditions #LivingWithME #LivingWithChronicIllness #ChronicIllnessPodcast #MEPodcast #HealthPodcast #DisabilityPodcast #Podcast #Podcaster #UKPodcast #PersonalPodcast #DigitalDiary #PatientVoice #LivedExperience #ChronicIllnessCommunity #MECommunity #MillionsMissing #NotJustTired #LongTermIllness #LifeWithChronicIllness

  7. Aug 9

    A Lot of Lestat: Wellness, Wobbles & Vampires

    This week, there’s actually something to celebrate! Chronically Glitched has been ranked number 7 on Feedspot’s list of the Best ME/CFS Podcasts. I’m absolutely chuffed to have made the list, so thank you to everyone who listens, follows, shares or has found their way to this little digital diary. Feedspot – Best ME/CFS Podcasts We also talk about my home wellness day – my attempt at creating my own little retreat without having to leave the house. We chat about what I got up to, what worked for me and some of the different therapies and techniques we’ve been looking into, including red light therapy, meditation and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). If you want to see some of the photos from my home wellness day, you can find them here: Facebook We also get into something a bit heavier this week: the mental and emotional side of living with ME/CFS. I talk about the grief I still feel for the life I had before becoming ill, the things I’ve lost and how difficult it can be to come to terms with a life that looks completely different from the one I expected. I’ve finally asked for some help with that and requested to speak again to a clinical psychologist specialising in ME. I talk about how much seeing a clinical psychologist through the ME service helped me in the past, and why I feel like I need that support again now. We also chat about CBT and some of the resources available online. The NHS has free self-help CBT information and exercises through Every Mind Matters, as well as information about accessing NHS Talking Therapies: NHS – Self-help CBT techniques:https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/ NHS – Talking Therapies:https://www.nhs.uk/tests-and-treatments/talking-therapies/ And, of course, we finish with our recommendations – including my latest obsession, Interview with the Vampire, and particularly the utterly brilliant, beautiful, terrifying and completely unhinged Vampire Lestat. In fact, I’m currently sat here in my Vampire Lestat T-shirt while writing up these episode notes, which probably tells you everything you need to know about how that obsession is going. Chronically Glitched: A Digital Diary is my honest account of living with ME/CFS and chronic illness – the good bits, the awful bits, the ridiculous bits and everything in between. Available on all good podcast platforms. #MECFS #ChronicIllness #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #ChronicallyGlitched

  8. Jul 26

    The Second Heatwave, Another Crash

    This week’s episode is a shorter one. The episodes in between my Mum & Me episodes will often be a bit shorter. It gives me a little more breathing room between the bigger recordings while still letting me check in with you all. After recording my last podcast, I crashed hard with post-exertional malaise (PEM), and I’ve spent the second heatwave stuck in that crash. It’s not that the hot weather makes my M.E. worse. It’s that being trapped indoors, feeling desperately ill while everyone else is out enjoying the sunshine, brings another kind of grief. In this episode, I talk about why accepting this illness is still something I struggle with. Before M.E., I was the complete opposite of the life I live now. I worked abroad, lived abroad and loved travelling. Losing that version of myself has been one of the hardest parts of this illness, and sometimes the things I miss most aren’t the big milestones—they’re simply being well enough to enjoy a beautiful summer’s day. A short, honest update from behind the scenes of living with severe M.E./CFS. #MECFS #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #ChronicFatigueSyndrome #SevereME #PostExertionalMalaise #PEM #ChronicIllness #Disability #InvisibleIllness #Spoonie #Housebound #ChronicIllnessAwareness #MELife #MECFSAwareness #ChronicallyGlitched #Podcast #HealthPodcast #ChronicIllnessPodcast

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Chronically Glitched: A Digital Diary New Episodes every 2nd Sunday. A raw, working-class account of life with ME/CFS, no sugarcoating, no recovery fantasies, no safety net. This is the real version of chronic illness: the collapse, the grief, the complete destruction of identity, and the fight to build a life that still feels like yours. Honest but never cruel, darkly funny, emotional, human. A place where your feelings are seen, heard, and understood. Get in touch with us chronicallyglitched@gmail.com Website: https://sites.google.com/view/chronically-glitched-podcast/home

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