Brave Laura shows no signs of flagging - Selkirk Weekend Advertiser
News Desk
the brave 27-year-old would have the strength to carry out her platform
duties after she was diagnosed with the debilitating chronic fatigue
syndrome (ME), in ...
Brave Laura shows no signs of flagging
Provost Chalmers Stillie's daughter Laura is gearing up to buss the
burgh standard for the third year tomorrow (Friday), writes Sally
Gillespie.
"It's just such a great thing to do and it's a very unique experience."
Quote By : Laura Stillie
She told The Wee Paper this week: "I'm really looking forward to it. I
don't feel nervous, I'm just excited. It's just such a great thing to
do and it's a very unique experience."
But three years ago it was touch-and-go if the brave 27-year-old would
have the strength to carry out her platform duties after she was
diagnosed with the debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome (ME), in May
2003.
Laura explained: "We had a family discussion. My sister lives abroad
and it's not always possible for her to come home. Mum's really not up
for going on the platform, so it was decided I would do it."
And she did but she was exhausted for the rest of the day. "It was a
good challenge to take up - and it really helped me. Mum and Dad were
worried because they weren't sure how it was going to be. But they
thought it might be a positive challenge for me and it was - it
really gave me something to aim for. It was really beneficial because
it was a couple of months after I returned to work."
In the lead up to being diagnosed with ME, Laura had tonsillitis for
four years before having them removed.
She continued: "It helped considerably - no more sore throats - but
I gradually just became more and more tired, and I was getting
everything going - colds, flus. My immune system was deteriorating
and eventually I was diagnosed."
She was off work for 11 months, during which time her weight plummeted
to just eight stone.
However, she managed to return to work gradually at the Scottish Public
Pensions Agency in Tweedbank for four hours a week which coincided with
her second year bussing the burgh standard.
She said: "I had good days and bad days. Some days I would get up late,
and have a shower and I would need to go for a lie down again. Your
muscles ache quite a lot if you do anything at all. I would go for a
walk and two days later not be able to do anything."
But she says she's about 85 per cent back to normal and is now working
30 hours a week.
She said of tomorrow: "I hope everything goes smoothly. I'm just
looking forward to the day and hoping it will be nice and dry. It's
also really nice to go round the town with mum and dad and my boyfriend
Mark. They've all been brilliant"
The couple met when she was in the early stages of her disease. "Mark
lives across the road. He was building the path in my mum's garden and
met me at my worst. He took me to the cinema on our first date. I
yawned all the way there, yawned all through the film and yawned all
the way back. He thought he was really boring me!"
15 June 2006
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