Beth Dobbin speaks out about severe ME illness

Former Team GB sprinter Beth Dobbin says she spends more than 22 hours a day in bed after being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME, and has left her home only five times this year. She has chosen to speak publicly about the illness to raise awareness, despite saying the interview itself could worsen her symptoms. Dobbin, 32, represented Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics. She now says she gets out of bed only to eat and use the bathroom, and that even routine activities can leave her feeling worse for days or longer. She described losing her independence, health, ability to work and ability to exercise. Her account of the illness began with back-to-back COVID-19 and glandular fever infections in the winter of 2021-22. Dobbin says her health deteriorated as she continued competing, with a painful throat and disrupted sleep at the World Championships, dizziness at the Commonwealth Games and a loss of feeling in her legs before a false start at the European Championships. After the competitions, she rested for six weeks and then tried to return to training, but managed only three weeks. She says doctors referred her to several specialists because her symptoms...