Latest news with #ShannonDunkley
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Gloucestershire chronic pain sufferers making new connections
A club which supports people living chronic conditions has created a community network in partnership with a therapy Connect meets several times a month in Gloucestershire to help people who have conditions such as pain is pain that persists or keeps coming back for longer than three French, one of the members of the group, said: "When you talk to somebody and you get the same look back - they get it, which is hugely important." Shannon Dunkley was born with scoliosis, which is curvature of the spine, and also suffers from fibromyalgia."It means a lot to us to help others as well, just to let them they're not on their own - we understand," she said. She added some people think she "looks fine" so would find it hard to understand her pain."They can sympathise but they could never understand," she club, which meets in Lydney, Cinderford and Coleford, was set up to connect people who can understand each other's conditions. Former primary school teacher Emma Richards, from Gloucester, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) 20 years she was at university she went blind in one eye, and four years later she began to feel tingling sensations and suffer the pain which led to her diagnosis and a premature retirement from added she has been able to volunteer, including singing with babies at her local library and tutoring for friends."I'm just trying to give back just so it keeps my hand in, it was tough to give up [my] identity," she said. 'Source of strength' Ms Richards said having oxygen therapy at Charcot Therapy Centre in Gloucester has helped her symptoms."I've been going about nine months now, I really enjoy going to the centre. It's not just therapy - it's a community," she centre, named after neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot for his discovery of MS, was set up 40 years ago by a group of Rachael Evans said: "It became an acorn of hope which has grown over the years into a lifeline which is a source of strength and a true community."She said the people that go to therapy "become family".Jade Barnes, Charcot Therapy Centre manager, said the oxygen therapy can help with "brain fog, mobility and fatigue".
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Forest of Dean support groups help those with chronic pain
Three women suffering from chronic pain and fatigue have spoken about the daily struggles they face after starting a group to help Panait, 51, Louise French, 45, and Shannon Dunkley, 29, from Gloucestershire, all suffer from debilitating chronic pain conditions including fibromyalgia and women described a lack of support services, adding that often medicines they were prescribed only seemed to make things worse. NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been contacted for comment. Both Karen and Shannon were prescribed anti-depressants to try and ease their pain, but both said these had not solved their problems."We weren't depressed. We're getting depressed because we're in pain," said Karen, who set up the first support group in Lydney to provide better "empathy and understanding"."It can be soul destroying. It's scary because you're just trying to live a normal life. "And especially for all three of us as mums, you're trying to do the best you can for your kids," she being prescribed many different anti-depressants, Shannon said they never helped, instead leaving her feeling "zombified". Louise was initially diagnosed with hypermobility as a teenager, and her symptoms began to worsen about 12 years was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a condition that involves chronic pain and fatigue, as well as other conditions including arthritis and diabetes."For years, I just wasn't the person that I was before. I don't think I'll ever be that person again," said Louise."One of the big things is the fact that I'm a different mum."All three of my children have been my carers. When I can't get out of bed, they've cooked. They helped me get dressed when I can't move."It's not just us that it impacts. It's the people that we live around and the people that are closest to us that are impacted because their lives aren't their lives anymore, because they have to constantly make sure that we're all right," she a lack of services available to support people living with chronic pain conditions, the three women decided to take matters into their own set up chronic pain groups across the Forest of Dean, offering people struggling with these issues a "safe space" to come and chat and support each other. With the help of social prescriber - which links people to a wide range of community groups and services - Karen set up the first support group in 15 months later, there are also support groups in Coleford and Cinderford."You feel understood. There's empathy, understanding, and there's even friendship in the groups," said Karen."One thing we find in particular with the younger members of the group is some of the girls started suffering when they were at school. "They feel very isolated because they'd come out of school and not been able to work. But they've met other young people with the same problems as them and they're now being supported within their own peer groups," she added. The groups have the support of other health practices in the area and have recently had GPs attending the three women are eager to help set up more support groups across the Forest and Gloucestershire, with interest from Chepstow, Ross-on-Wye and Stroud."It was nice to know that I was not alone, that I had someone," said Shannon, who runs the Coleford group with Karen."It just makes so much of a difference. It connects everyone, and the more people we can reach, the better," she added.
