‘The exhaustion from CFS was like nothing I'd ever known’
NAME: SUSIE DAVIS
HORSE'S NAME: PENNY
HORSE's DETAILS: A 16.1HH, 14-YEAR-OLD WARMBLOOD MARE
I developed glandular fever at the age of 22 and it proved to be a trigger for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The next eight years, until I reached 30, were the most challenging. Initially I was in hospital, and I also needed several months off work. The exhaustion I experienced was like nothing I'd ever known. I would have to sleep frequently — Intervet, the company I worked for, gave me a room for napping — and on occasions I even fell asleep while on the phone.
I became pregnant with my daughter at 30 and my symptoms reduced for nine months. After she was born, though, the CFS returned, although it wasn't as debilitating as before. Now it is more periodic and comes in waves. People who know me will understand when I'm having an episode because I'll be withdrawn and quiet and won't ride as much as is usual for me. However, I've learned to manage my illness up to a point; for example, I stayhalf way through the day when possible to rejuvenate me for the rest of it.
