hello, my name is louise poole. •i'm fifteen years old •when i was 11 i ...

•HELLO, MY NAME IS LOUISE POOLE.
•I’M FIFTEEN YEARS OLD
•WHEN I WAS 11 I CONTRACTED MENINGITIS.
•AS A RESULT I HAVE AN ONGOING BRAIN INJURY.
•WHEN I GET TIRED MY BRAIN SHUTS DOWN.
• THIS MEANS THAT I STRUGGLE WITH FATIGUE.
•I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE
REALISED THAT THE MORE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE
EASIER LIVING WITH FATIGUE IS.

•FATIGUE AFFECTS SEVERAL ASPECTS OF EVERYDAY
LIFE AND TO ME MEANS:
•GETTING VERY TIRED AFTER PHYSICAL EXERCISE.
•NEEDING MORE EFFORT TO DO PHYSICAL OR MENTAL
ACTIVITIES.
•DEVELOPING A HEADACHE AND FEELING EXHAUSTED
AFTER A SHORT TIME OF CONCENTRATION.
•BEING UNABLE TO TAKE IN ANYMORE INFORMATION
AND FEELING BLANK.
•SPEECH BECOMING SLURRED.
•VISION BECOMING BLURRED.
•GETTING MORE IRRITABLE.

•THESE PROBLEMS AFFECT ASPECTS OF EVERYDAY
LIFE.
•BUT BECAUSE THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF A
PROBLEM PEOPLE DON’T REALISE.
•THEY THINK THAT YOUR LAZY, NOT PAYING ATTENTION,
EASILY DISTRACTED OR DISRUPTIVE.
•I CAN BE IN A LESSON STRUGGLING TO FOCUS AND
STAY AWAKE BECASE IT’S THE FOURTH LESSON AND MY
FATIGUE HAS SET IN.
•THE SAME LESSON, BUT A FEW HOURS EARLIER WOULD
SEE ME ALERT, ABLE TO CONCENTRATE AND BE
INVOLVED.
•I CAN BE A DIFFERENT PERSON DEPENDING ON WHAT
TIME OF DAY IT IS.

•WHICH MEANS I STRUGGLE TO COPE WITH A FULL
SCHOOL DAY.
•SCHOOL IS THE PLACE WHERE FATIGUE IS MOST
EVIDENT BECAUSE IT REQUIRES SO MUCH
CONCENTRATION.
•HOWEVER PEOPLE SEEM TO FORGET OR NOT REALISE
THE SEVERITY MY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF GOOD
RESULTS IN EXAMS.
•THIS CAN BE VERY FRUSTRATING BOTH IN AND OUT OF
SCHOOL WHEN PEOPLE DON’T SEE THAT IT IS THE
RESULT OF CONSTANT HARD WORK AND REVISION.

•IN TIME FAMILY CAN ADAPT TO THE SITUATION.
•I’M VERY LUCKY IN THAT MINE ARE VERY
UNDERSTANDING.
•BUT IT CAN BE DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY IN THE
BEGINNING, IF THE PERSON WITH FATIGUE DOESN’T
REALLY UNDERSTAND.
•INITIALLY THERE WAS A SENSE OF RELIEF BECAUSE
THE WORST HADN’T HAPPENED.
•I PASSED THE MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION TESTS
AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE OUT OF THE WOODS.
•IT WAS ONLY WHEN I STARTED TO TRY TO GO TO
SCHOOL AND ACT NORMAL THAT WE REALISED THAT
THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG.

•AFTER OVER THREE YEARS MY PARENTS DON’T NEED
TO THINK ABOUT IT, THEY JUST FACTOR IN FATIGUE
WHEN THEY PLAN A DAY OUT.
•MY YOUNGER SISTER IS THE ONE WHO SEES ME AT MY
WORST BECAUSE WE ARE AT SCHOOL TOGETHER.
•SHE CAN SEE THE SIGNS ALMOST BEFORE ME AND
KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM.
•SHE IS ONLY TWELEVE BUT HAS HAD TO GROW UP A
LOT IN FOUR YEARS LIKE ME.
•IT’S DIFFICULT BECAUSE I FEEL RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW
MUCH LIFE AT HOME HAS CHANGED. ESPECIALLY FOR
MY LITTLE SISTER.
•ALSO WHEN THINGS HAVE TO JUST STOP, LIKE A DAY
OUT, BECAUSE I’M TIRED, I FEEL BAD AND HELPLESS.

•FRIENDSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT TO ANY TEENAGER.
•DOING THINGS WITH FRIENDS CAN BE A WELCOME
BREAK FROM SCHOOL WORK.
•THIS APPLIES EVEN MORE TO A TEENAGER WITH
FATIGUE.
•MY FRIENDS ARE AMAZING THEY STILL INVITE ME TO
PARTIES AND THINGS EVEN THOUGH I’VE NOT BEEN
ABLE TO GO SO MANY TIMES BEFORE.
•SLEEPOVERS IN PARTICULAR ARE DIFFICULT.
•THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH EVERYTHING WITH ME.
•I HAVE THINGS IN PLACE TO COPE WITH BOTH FATIGUE
AND MY BRAIN INJURY.
•I HAVE QUIRKS THAT MAKE SENSE TO ME AND MAKE ME
FEEL SAFE.

•IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE THAN FRIENDS,
IT NEEDS MORE UNDERSTANDING AND ALLOWANCES TO
BE MADE.
•THESE CAN CONFUSE PEOPLE AND MY FRIENDS ASK
QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM.
•IF SOMEONE ISN’T COMFORTABLE WITH TALKING ABOUT
FATIGUE IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT THOUGH.
•IT TOOK ME TWO YEARS TO UNDERSTAND AND FEEL
COMFORTABLE WITH TALKING ABOUT IT.
•MY FRIENDS PERCERVERED AND NOW OUR
RELATIONSHIPS MEAN A LOT MORE.
•HOWEVER THE FUTURE IS A CONSTANT WORRY
BECAUSE I DON’T KNOW THE KIND OF PEOPLE I WILL
MEET.
•I STRUGGLE TO PUT TRUST IN NEW PEOPLE.

•I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT AND EXPRESS MY
EMOTIONS WHICH IS DIFFICULT FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
•BEING DIFFERENT FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT CAN BE
HARD TO COPE WITH.
•FORGETTING TO DO THINGS IS ANNOYING FOR OTHER
PEOPLE AND FRUSTRATING FOR ME.

•TO BE THE PERSON AT THE CENTRE WITH FATIGUE IT IS
DIFFICULT BECAUSE THE DIRECT AFFECTS MAKE YOU
FEEL USELESS.
•NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP AROUND THE HOUSE OR DO
THE SAME THINGS AS EVERYONE ELSE CAN GET YOU
DOWN.
•NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH A
FRIEND YOU’VE KNOWN SINCE YOU WERE THREE, OR
WITH YOUR OWN MOTHER IS HORRIBLE.
•I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ASSESSING OR REALISING RISK
WHICH IS TERRIFYING. I MIGHT MAKE A REALLY BAD
DECISION AND HURT MYSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE.

•SOMETHING I HAVE REALISED MORE RECENTLY IS HOW
IT AFFECTS OTHER PEOPLE.
•IT IS IN THESE SITUATIONS WHEN YOU REALISE HOW
SEVERE THE PROBLEM IS.
•TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE WORRIED FACES IS
SOMETHING I WILL NEVER GET USED TO.
•I’M LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH GOOD SUPPORT FROM
THOSE AROUND ME BUT SOMTIMES FEEL LIKE I CAN’T
DISAPPOINT THEM BECAUSE THEIR EFFORT WILL BE IN
VEIN.
•PEOPLE CAN FIND MY STUBBORNESS AT SCHOOL
INFURIATING BUT I DON’T WANT TO LET FATIGUE OR
BRAIN INJURY RUIN THINGS.

•WE HAVE TO TAKE CALCULATED RISKS SO THAT I CAN
DO NORMAL THINGS AND FEEL LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
•IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR THOSE CLOSE TO ME TO
WRAP ME UP IN COTTON WOOL.
•I’M GLAD THAT THEY DON’T BECAUSE I’M STILL LOUISE.
•EVERYDAY IS A CHOICE. THERE IS A COST TO GOING TO
SCHOOL AND I HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER IT IS WORTH
IT.

•IN THE SAME WAY ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
HAVE TO BE SACRIFICED SOMETIMES.
•TAEKWONDO IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HELPED ME SO
MUCH. SOME NIGHTS I HAVE TO CHOOSE:
•IF I’M TIRED DO I MISS IT SO THAT I CAN GO TO SCHOOL
THE NEXT DAY, OR DO I GO BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL
BETTER AND APART OF SOMETHING EVEN IF ONLY FOR
AN HOUR.

•THE MAIN THING FOR YOU TO REMEMBER IS THAT
TEENAGERS WITH FATIGUE ON THE WHOLE TRY THEIR
BEST.
•BUT IT IS REALLY FRUSTRATING, DIFFICULT AND SCARY.
•OUR LIVES ARE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.
•I OFTEN FEEL LIKE I LOST MY INNOCENCE WHEN I GOT
ILL BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN THROUGH.
•EVERY DECISION I MAKE INVOLVES FATIGUE OR BRAIN
INJURY FROM WHAT TO DO AFTER GCSEs TO WHETHER I
GO TO MY FRIENDS BIRTHDAY PARTY.

•SOMEONE WITH FATIGUE HAS PROBABLY BEEN
THROUGH A LOT.
•SOMETIMES IT IS NOT OBVIOUS AND THE PERSON CAN
LOOK PERFECTLY FINE.
•FOR EXAMPLE IF I TOLD YOU THAT ABOUT THREE AND A
HALF YEARS AGO I LOOKED LIKE THIS:

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING