Here are your stories:

This is your testament to what it really feels like to suffer this awful
illness, PNI.
We prefer that you 'own' your story if we publish it here
So that we can include your contact email .
But this is not essential as you can publish it anonymously - see below
I know that every story written and published here will help someone!

The reason for this ownership request is because the purpose of publishing theses stories is to provide a public record of our experience of PNI, in our own words, undiluted by 'journalistic stereotypes' and other agenda's. As we are often contacted by, academics, medical researchers and others to use our stories as empirical evidence, the stories are more valuable if they author is contactable so that their existence and that this is their story

If you do decide to download and read the stories, please do understand that some are long and may contain material that could be disturbing to some. I have had feedback that my own story was upsetting but also helpful - so before reading the stories please understand that in some cases the feelings and emotions written about could be raw and if you are suffering PNI, the stories could be distressing.

Therefore be reassured that I am now quite well and my daughter who's birth triggered my suffering PNI is now a lovely, well adjusted girl of 18 years who is happy and doing very well in her life and in education. She is now in just finished her A levels and will be starting college in September 2007 to study to be a chef. She is also a keen musician and plays bass guitar and keyboards.

We are looking for past and present sufferers of PNI/D who are willing to share their stories on this site to help others. It can be very helpful and reassuring to read others experiences when ill. It certainly was for me and for many women I have been in contact with over the years.

We hope also one day to compile theses stories and stories on the forum into a book, which will tell it how it really is ( if any publishers out there are interested please contact us!)

I know it is a lot to ask of someone to share often painful feelings and experiences and none of us who have done so, have done it easily. However we did it because if it helps one person, it would be worth doing.

We prefer that you 'own' your story if we publish it here and that we can include your contact email .

However if your do not want to or are not ready to 'go public' You can write the story anonymously changing all names and you can even post it to me without giving any contact details. If you wish to share your story, send it via e-mail in word or text format and I will do the rest. Or alternatively you can post your story anonymously on our forum here: http://veritee.proboards7.com

For my own story I have provided links to some word documents that were written by me and a lovely women called Cara Aitkin in the early 90's when I was just beginning to get over my illness. When reading them please understand they were began in 1991 and finished in 1994 and at the time my feelings and distress were still very raw. I felt it would be more helpful to others to publish these rather than a sanitized version I might write now that much of the pain has gone

Cara was a PND sufferer who set out to write a book about PND incorporating other women's stories. She wrote it and had to work very hard to have it published. Over the years I have amended and added to the files and have kept them as a testimonial for my daughter if and when she is ready to hear the story of her birth and my illness.