I was delighted when Simon Lawrence invited me to become your Patron. Some of you will know that I have been representing the interests of CFS/ME patients in the House of Lords for several years. You may wonder how I became involved.

My husband and I have a small mixed farm in Worcestershire. I am a "hands on" person and regularly helped with the sheep dipping. In 1989 I accidentally got some dilute organophosphate sheep dip in my Wellington boot. I did not realise the implications of this, as I had not then appreciated that the dip is very toxic. About three weeks later I developed symptoms that are only too familiar to you all, so I won’t bore you with them. My GP was sympathetic to begin with but later, when all her tests proved negative, her attitude changed. Our ways parted. My new GP was much more understanding. The illness was not in my head but his drugs were not helping. He suggested I try complementary medicine. I was lucky. I found a very clever lady. Anna was sure I had been poisoned. I could not think what I had been poisoned by. Three years later we hit upon a likely cause – sheep dip! When we went back into my history this seemed to be confirmed. This is how my parliamentary activities in this field began. I soon found that I was not on my own. I was struck by the similarity between the symptoms of OP poisoning, ME/CFS and Gulf War Illnesses. I believe there may well be a number of causes, but the effects are very much the same. The responses of the medical and social services is also very much the same. I don’t need to expand on that either, for most, if not all of you will have encountered them.

I have been extremely fortunate in that I have found treatment that enables me to function more or less normally for most of the time. I want you all to be in my position. I know it can happen. Unfortunately, there are people who are reluctant to accept that they may be wrong in some of their opinions and actions. The higher you get, the harder it is to acknowledge that you may be mistaken!

My objective is to persuade the establishment that there must be change. Progress is exasperatingly slow, but I do feel that there is light beginning to appear at the end of the tunnel.

None of us can make these changes happen on our own. I depend enormously on the support, information and advice I receive from all of you, whether you suffer from ME/CFS, OP poisoning, GWI or fibromyalgia. If ever I feel faint hearted, I think of you all and am persuaded to carry on. The wonderful thing about all the support organisations is that we all realise that we need one another. I am only too happy to serve you.

Margaret Mar

We are extremely grateful to Margaret Mar for joining us in support of our group, as well as all M.E. sufferers.

I know that Dr Betty Dowsett (our medical advisor), feels exactly the same way when it comes to talking about us ‘working together’, and the fact that we; ‘need one another’. It is of great comfort to many of us that we have such distinguished Patron to aid us in our struggle.