Martine McCutcheon forced to use wheelchair in ME battle

Sitting down with ITV’s Loose Women, Martine McCutcheon bravely opened up about her battle with ME - otherwise known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Describing the condition and its symptoms, she told them: "You're pushed to your limits too much.

"You feel like you're really hungover, like you've been beaten up by Mike Tyson. I was getting lots of infections and my immune system was down.”

Martine went on to explain how she coped with her ME battle, explaining that she even spent time in a wheelchair: "I’ve just had to pace myself and realise what matters.

“At one point for about a week I was in a wheelchair. I didn't trust myself."

However, while the former EastEnders star has been incredibly brave with her battle, she has found herself feeling very low at times.

She even recalled how she asked her husband, Jack McManus, to move on and find someone else, as she was worried that her debilitating illness was becoming too much of a burden.

Martine said: "I did say to him at one point, 'If you want to go on and meet someone else, go.

“I don't want you to lose out because of me.”

Jack, unsurprisingly, was unprepared to leave the love of his life.

She continued: "He was like, 'Don't be stupid, we'll get through this together'.

"When we got married everything went wrong for us... brush yourself down, this is going to end."

Thankfully, Martine has found that the symptoms of her condition became less severe when she fell pregnant with her and Jack’s little boy, Rafferty.

She said: "It was like a reset. I still had to manage it. I can live a normal life now. I can commit to things.

“Most of all, I'm healthy for my son. My marriage is good again."

We’re so pleased to hear that!

WHAT IS ME / CFS?

According to The ME Association, Martine is not alone; some 250,000 people in Britain are affected by this illness.

They explain: “All types of people at all ages are affected. Severe and debilitating fatigue, painful muscles and joints, disordered sleep, gastric disturbances, poor memory and concentration are commonplace.

“In many cases, onset is linked to a viral infection. Other triggers may include an operation or an accident, although some people experience a slow, insidious onset.”

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF ME / CFS?

The symptoms of ME / CFS vary from person to person, although they can include:

IS THERE A CURE FOR ME / CFS?

There is currently no accepted cure and no universally effective treatment; however an early diagnosis, as well as adequate rest, does bring about significant improvement.