A woman who suffered
chronic fatigue syndrome
was sacked from her job - but
went on to win £150,000 on
TV's Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire.
Marie Chesterfield, 33, of
Hassocks, was watched by
millions of viewers on Tuesday
as she scooped the prize.
For the former carer and husband
Michael it was the first half
of a double dose of great fortune.
Soon after the filming last
November, the couple discovered
they were expecting their
first child. The baby is due in
August.
This week, taking stock of how
much life has changed, Marie
spoke of her three-year battle
with the debilitating illness ME,
her recovery from it and
acknowledged "she was one of
the lucky ones."
Marie was diagnosed with ME
in 2005 after a cold led to a chest
infection which then worsened,
turning into pleurisy.
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She went from being fit and
involved in activities including a
flying club at Shoreham airport,
to falling seriously ill, being
unable to work and eventually
being bedridden. Marie said: "I
was getting worse with my
breathing and couldn't walk up
and down stairs.
"My doctor made the connection
between my exhaustion and
the fact I was completely bedridden.
She realised the pleurisy
wasn't the only problem.
"I was losing the ability to concentrate
on anything and was
sensitive to light and noise."
She was also in a lot of pain
with fibromyalgia, a symptom of
ME, which Marie described as
"like having the flu but a lot
worse".
Her doctor diagnosed her with
CFS - a critical moment according
to Marie, because she said
complete rest was key to recovery
and trying to carry on as
normal, without knowing what
was wrong with you and without
a proper diagnosis, was the worst
thing for a sufferer.
Marie was bedridden for six
months but said she was helped
greatly by the prescription of
amitryptiline as medication for
the pain and to ease her sleeping.
She said: "My recovery was
down to prompt diagnosis and
the fact that I had no choice but
to obey the doctor's advice and
did nothing but rest.
"Some people aren't diagnosed
for years. The worst thing
you can do is try to carry on and
lead a normal life."
Gradually Marie's condition
improved and going on Who
Wants To Be A Millionaire? -
something she could not possibly
have done while ill with ME -
was testament to her recovery.
Her success on the show, she
said, has also been a great boost.
"The amount of stress and
financial worry we had before
has completely gone," she said.
"Not worrying about money
means I can sleep better."
One of the things she enjoyed
a lot in the past was being part of
a pub quiz team, but she added:
"We only had a couple of wins."
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