Abbey's new computer lifeline
Donation protected
My name is Abbey and I have ME/CFS. It’s a debilitating chronic illness that causes extreme fatigue, severe joint and muscle pain, brain fog, and a myriad of other assorted symptoms. I have had ME for two and a half years and am now almost housebound, unable to wash myself regularly, and reliant on others for all household tasks.
My computer is my lifeline in many ways, and it’s dying. I’ve done my best to keep it going but it’s just very old and very knackered. I need a new one and, because of how bad my health is and the fact that it’s still getting worse, my needs are far greater and, unfortunately, far more expensive than they ever have been before.
This is desperately important for me. I’ve said that my computer is my lifeline in a whole range of ways and this really is the case. For one thing, I live a long way from all of my friends, which means that I only get to see them when they are able to visit me – and most of them I never see at all. This means that social media and other online services are the only way I am able to keep in contact with people. Without my computer, I would be cut off from everybody, especially as I can’t type much on a phone.
It’s also an important source of entertainment for me. I love to read, but I can’t do it all day every day, and because I have to spend most of my days sitting or lying I have a lot of hours to fill. I also use my computer for learning, something else that is very important to me. I can’t concentrate on non-fiction books any more, but there are free online courses which make it much easier for me. I play games, too, sometimes. I do all this on my computer.
I do everything official and admin-ish that I possibly can on my computer, too. All my shopping, of course, and all my banking. Making appointments, communicating with professionals, finding information and filling in applications all get done on my computer. In addition to all these important things, I also write and create on my computer, play music on it, access my emails on it, get mental health support on it, read the news on it, and much much more. It is a huge proportion of my life. Without it, I would lose a lot of the things that make my existence bearable.
I used to have savings, but I have had to spend them on other things. I’m unable to work and my only income is a very small amount of government benefits. I’m keeping by what I can but it would take me far too long to be able to save the amount of money I need to buy a computer with all the features that I now need. And that is why I am asking for help here.
My computer is my lifeline in many ways, and it’s dying. I’ve done my best to keep it going but it’s just very old and very knackered. I need a new one and, because of how bad my health is and the fact that it’s still getting worse, my needs are far greater and, unfortunately, far more expensive than they ever have been before.
This is desperately important for me. I’ve said that my computer is my lifeline in a whole range of ways and this really is the case. For one thing, I live a long way from all of my friends, which means that I only get to see them when they are able to visit me – and most of them I never see at all. This means that social media and other online services are the only way I am able to keep in contact with people. Without my computer, I would be cut off from everybody, especially as I can’t type much on a phone.
It’s also an important source of entertainment for me. I love to read, but I can’t do it all day every day, and because I have to spend most of my days sitting or lying I have a lot of hours to fill. I also use my computer for learning, something else that is very important to me. I can’t concentrate on non-fiction books any more, but there are free online courses which make it much easier for me. I play games, too, sometimes. I do all this on my computer.
I do everything official and admin-ish that I possibly can on my computer, too. All my shopping, of course, and all my banking. Making appointments, communicating with professionals, finding information and filling in applications all get done on my computer. In addition to all these important things, I also write and create on my computer, play music on it, access my emails on it, get mental health support on it, read the news on it, and much much more. It is a huge proportion of my life. Without it, I would lose a lot of the things that make my existence bearable.
I used to have savings, but I have had to spend them on other things. I’m unable to work and my only income is a very small amount of government benefits. I’m keeping by what I can but it would take me far too long to be able to save the amount of money I need to buy a computer with all the features that I now need. And that is why I am asking for help here.
Organizer
Abbey Jane
Organizer
England
