Kirkby woman aiming to raise awareness of fibromyalgia disease

Care assistant Jacqueline Appleby suffers from fibromyalgia, a long-term condition which means she is in constant pain and suffers extreme tiredness.

The 40-year-old has been living with the illness for three years, but she was only diagnosed six months ago.

She said: “My own doctor does recognise it, but if there is a younger doctor they don’t seem to know about it. We are just trying to raise awareness for others.

“It’s not a very nice thing to live with. There is constant tiredness, forgetfulness and pain.

“I’m a care assistant so I have to do a lot of moving and handling. A few weeks after being there I’m finding that I’m not well again.

“If I’m on a 12-hour shift it absolutely takes it out of me.

“It makes you slur your speech because in the middle of a conversation you forget what you’re talking about.

“People in shopping centres look at you as if you’re an alcoholic.”

The pair have set up a page on Facebook called Fans of Fibromyalgia and they have also written to Ashfield MP Gloria De Piero and the Health Secretary.

Said Carole: “I started the campaign. Jackie was telling me about it and I started looking into it and everything has gone from there. We just want more recognition f