By Published on

Monday 2nd June 2025

A striking artwork titled 'Thé fatigue' from 2022, inspired by Gustav Klimt's style. The piece features a figure with eyes closed in an expression of exhaustion, surrounded by decorative floral motifs and circular patterns in muted greens, purples, and golds. The composition evokes Klimt's famous works but focuses on themes of chronic fatigue and tiredness. The weathered, textured background adds to the sense of weariness conveyed by the piece.
Art that understands chronic illness perfectly. Crystal Price

Festival, Tents and Chronic Illness: What Goes Up Must Come Down... With a Bloody Great Bump!

OK then, lovely people. Time for some honesty about festival life with FND. Because, let's face it - Instagram filters can't hide everything, can they?

I've had the best time at Bearded Theory! It was an absolute joy to make it to my first festival in a powered wheelchair with my bestival friends and husband, whom I love dearly. Celebrating V's birthday and making new friends along the way. They were all very patient with me even though I got names wrong, almost spoilt surprises, was clumsy or ran over their toes or bumped their heels with my wheels.

But here's the thing about chronic illness that people don't talk about too much; with the good times come the consequences. After all those wheely happy days my unwelcome friends - FND, chronic fatigue, Fibro, and migraine - have all flared up, leaving me feeling pretty shitty. I've spent the last week practically living in bed or on the sofa, with various cats for company (they always know when I'm poorly, don't they?).

Me lying in bed with bright red hair against a purple pillow, wearing a blue satin pyjama top with a floral pattern. I'm cuddling with Mykavark, a magnificent Maine Coon cat with long grey and white fur. My eyes are closed and I look exhausted, clearly recovering from a migraine and the effects of overdoing it at Bearded Theory festival. The cat is sprawled contentedly across my arm, providing the perfect furry therapy for a rough day with FND.
Post-festival crash: when your cat becomes essential medical equipment.

I have tried to get up and potter around, but my body SCREAMS NO and Paul says "ABSOLUTELY NOT, DARLING!". My Visible tracker hasn't been above 2 all week - which means I should just bloody well rest - but I'm frustrated and upset with this broken body of mine betraying me like this.

The usual shakes, twitches and tremors have been relentless at times, and my balance issues have got worse. The 'other' symptoms we rarely talk about... yeah, think my belly has been to Delhi and my appetite has abandoned me completely.

BUT I absolutely LOVED Bearded Theory! I had a plan (I thought) - I knew the bands I wanted to see, I slept in, and I rested lots and tried to manage my spoons. I lost them all and a few more marbles to boot, but I gained many bruises and memories. I loved every muddy minute, but my festival planning needs serious work.

For example (stupidly), I didn't realise how much driving the chair across the lumps and bumps of fields would hurt. And even though I had a new inflatable bed (and electric hook-up so my heated blanket came too), I didn't anticipate what impact that would have on my overall pain and fatigue levels. Crawling around the tent floor is neither dignified nor comfortable - definitely not my best look!

Today's Reality Check: I've reached rock bottom fatigue. I have no energy, and coupled with the Festival Blues, I've hit the deck hard. I'm feeling sorry for myself. I know Paul's struggling too, with his own health recovery and watching me like this.

But will we do it again? If you'd asked me a few days ago, I would have said no, it's not worth this. My festival days are over.

But YES, WE BLOODY WILL! I'm not giving up yet. I'm a right mess at the moment, but I need to be kind to myself, take time to recover, and get better prepared for Beautiful Days in August. Hopefully, my health will be in a better place by then anyway. I'll take on board everything I've learned this time and think properly about managing my symptoms during festivals and dealing with the consequences afterwards.

Right now, my world has stopped and everyone else is running around me. And that's hard to accept.

Hard Truths: More than anything, I'm not the same person I used to be. I can't do all the things I loved and still love. I have to depend on Paul so much, and that stresses me out massively. There's a fine line between carer and husband, and I don't want to lose the husband part of my brilliant man.

Do you ever get that fight-or-flight feeling? Want to run away (pardon the term - just being able to walk unaided would be ace!) and hide somewhere safe? But also hide from a world that keeps spinning while you're standing still? Want to protect the people you love from seeing you spiral?

Yeah, I've got issues. Therapy, CBT, is coming soon, and I'm starting to realise just how much I need it.

I'm really struggling to come to terms with not being the person it took me 50 years to actually quite like. I guess I'm grieving for her, and I'm back on that vicious circle of pain, fatigue and depression.

It's bollocks! I've lost my positive pants (probably still at the bottom of my rucksack or in a field at Catton Park), and I'm now wallowing in a pity party for one. Just me and whichever cat decides to supervise my moping.

Affirmations (that I'm trying to believe):

  • Recovery isn't linear - festival comedowns are normal
  • I am still the same person, just with different abilities
  • Asking for help doesn't make me a burden

As always, any advice and tips to help improve surviving, enjoying, and recovering from festivals would be gratefully received. Drop me a message on the website.

A full, happy review of Bearded Theory itself, rather than my health issues, is coming soon-ish, when I've recovered enough. Because it was absolutely awesome and we've loads of pics to share. That one won't contain all this doom and gloom, I promise!

Right, I'm off to find my positive pants and maybe things will get better,

Until next time, keep rolling on!

Sha x

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