MAY AWARENESS 2025 - SO MANY SYMPTOMS

Bonjour, 

This is my second blog for May awareness 2025. It's focused on my second book of poetry about M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) entitled 'So many symptoms'. 

The first edition was published in 2017 and the second edition in 2023. I decided to publish a second edition as I was not happy with the first edition because of the cover and some of the contents. This is the front cover of the second edition and I have thanks to Sam Miller for the design. 

It continues the theme of living with chronic long term illness and specifically M.E. Many of my poems relate to the symptoms of M.E. and that's why I decided on the the focus and title of this book. 

The foreword was this time written by Stacy Hart 

Here is an extract of what she wrote 

On the pages ahead are poems about you and me ....us. We have never met and yet we share the shackled bonds of an illness called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. 

In her second book of poems, Ros Lemarchand once again engages and educates the reader with first hand experience of what it is like to live with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Through her relatable despair you can still detect hope, a longing for public acknowledgement of M.E. and what we all long for ... a cure. A strong inspirational woman, she has, despite poor health and many personal battles, continued to selflessly use what little energy she has to raise awareness and funds through her writing talent. 

There are 55 poems in my book and this is the first poem which gave me the title of my book 

So many symptoms

There are so many symptoms

that come along with M.E.

which make it extremely hard

to diagnose properly.

 

There are so many symptoms.

How do you know it`s M.E.?

With no one simple, clear test

it seems like a lottery.

 

There are so many symptoms

which are confused with M.E.

No wonder there is much doubt,

delay and anxiety.

 

There are so many symptoms,

that are difficult to see.

So doctor`s don`t believe us

and question our sanity.

There are so many symptoms

that come along with M.E.

A complete system breakdown

that affects the whole body.  

My friend Miranda Brewster who has severe M.E. kindly made a video about my book

My book is available in paperback and kindle versions on Amazon throughout many countries around the world. Here are two links to Amazon UK and Amazon USA 

I've set up a Just Giving Page for raising money for awareness in May 2025.  All proceeds from the sale of this book during May 2025 will be donated to the charity Invest in ME Research. 

I will also be sharing a few of the poems from this book during the second week of awareness month. 

Thanking you for your support. 

Au revoir 

The French Femme