LOCAL PEOPLE
Work gave me the strength to carry on When Felicity Kemp was diagnosed with ME her world fell apart. But instead of crumpling in the face of a debilitating illness she found a new focus and has now doubled the size of her business
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ELICITY Kemp was a typical ‘work hard play hard’ career girl. With a successful telemarketing business, a nice little house in Stamford and an active social life, everything was looking rosy for this bright, bubbly 26-year-old. However, on New Year’s Day 2012 she began to experience flu-like symptoms – fatigue and achiness – and that’s when everything changed. ‘Four months later I could still barely hold my head up,’ recalls Felicity, now 30. ‘I had to work lying down with my head propped up on a pillow. It took all my energy just to raise my hand to type something on my computer.’ With two companies to run – Talk Results, which provides flexible telemarketing services, and Talk Networking which connects local business people – Felicity had no choice but to carry on working. Eight months later she was finally given a diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalopathy, otherwise known as ME. The illness can cause severe fatigue, joint pain and nausea. There is no known cure for ME and no proven treatment. ‘It was a huge relief when I got the diagnosis because at least it meant I knew what I was dealing with,’ says Felicity. ‘But at the same time I found it very hard to accept that I couldn’t function the way I used to, and that this was an illness which might never go away. ‘Even walking up the stairs can be a huge effort and there are times when my body feels like it’s full of cement. I am in constant pain and doing even the smallest of things takes up a huge amount of energy.’ Gone are the days when Felicity was in the pub with her friends every night. Instead she now leads a quieter life but it’s one which has brought its own rewards. ‘I’ve had to re-evaluate my life and accept that I can’t do all the things I used to do,’ says Felicity. ‘The old me was a complete workaholic and I was intensely stressed. Now I’ve had to get better at prioritising. I’ve also learnt how to delegate which means that my business is actually now run a lot more efficiently than it was before I had ME. Because of that I’ve been able to double my workforce. ‘I’m very lucky in that I absolutely love what I do. I find it so rewarding helping other people grow their businesses with flexible and affordable telemarketing and by running a local business networking group. There have been times when I’ve felt like giving up, but I find what I do really inspiring and that’s what makes me get up in the morning and carry on.’ Another essential element in Felicity’s readjustment to life as a ME sufferer has been the support of her family, friends and fiancé. ‘My partner Asher has been my rock,’ says Felicity. ‘We got together only three days before I became ill so he has only really known me with this illness. It’s been a long hard slog with lots of tears and pain, but he has been with me every step of the way. I don’t know how I would have coped without him.’ In the midst of Felicity’s health problems she has also managed to lose five stone over the last two years. ‘I was told I needed to lose weight to qualify for specialist IVF treatment,’ explains Felicity. ‘My diet was appalling so I removed a lot of carbs and dairy and started a gentle exercise programme. As well as losing weight I found that my energy levels improved, too.’ Felicity and Asher are getting married in December, the IVF process is due to start next year and Felicity is continuing to grow her business. ‘ME has been life changing for me but in some ways it has changed things for the better,’ says Felicity. ‘I’ve reached an incredibly exciting time in my life and I can confidently say that I am now in control of my ME.’
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Coping withME Felicity shares her tips on how to live life with a painful energy-zapping illness ACCEPT YOUR CONDITION ‘This was a really important stage for me. Until you accept that you’re unable to function the way you did before ME it’s very hard to move on.’ ASK FOR HELP ‘It’s important to ask for help when you need it. Whether that’s from friends and family or by delegating some of your work commitments.’ ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES ‘Mindfulness and Shiatsu have made an enormous difference to how I function with ME. Mindfulness clears my head and Shiatsu recharges my batteries.’
STAMFORD LIVING OCTOBER 2015
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