A comedian from Midlothian who tried to take her own life three times due to her horrific chronic pain says her life has been saved after she sourced help from a Scottish charity.
Midlothian woman Adele Birkmyre struggled on her own for over 30 years as she blew her life savings desperate for a cure, the Daily Record reports.
The 47-year-old dealt with severe back pain from the age of 15, but put her pain to the side to build her life as a taxi driver in Edinburgh.
Adele enjoyed the fast-paced nature of her job until she was involved in a car crash where somebody else ran into the back of her taxi in 2011, which caused her chronic illness symptoms to worsen.
Adele said: “The pain became much worse. It felt like 1000 needles in my back. I kept working, but my back was deteriorating. Sitting still was the worst thing for it.
READ MORE - Edinburgh Morrisons Costa drive-thru knocked back over concern about traffic
"One day it was unbearable, I was in tears and knew that was it for my career.
“I tried to take my life three times. I’d simply had enough. That’s what chronic pain does to you."
Adele suffers from severe nerve damage in her back, legs and hips, as well as arthritis of the spine.
As she battled through the pain, Adele was offered another chance at happiness in 2019 after her children surprised her with a place on a comedy course.
Even though this exciting opportunity led to Adele performing in stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, she was still left sidelined with pain.
Adele continued: "Everything came to a head on one particular night.
"In an attempt to try and drag myself out of the big black hole I was in, I agreed to perform at a charity comedy night.
"But as soon as I got on stage, I couldn’t remember any of the jokes and my act fell apart.
"I couldn’t think straight due to excruciating pain, painkillers and sleep deprivation.
"I broke down in tears, in front of the audience, my family, my friends. I felt like I was having a mental breakdown in front of everyone I loved.
“I had been trying to keep everything to myself about how I was feeling and how I was struggling to cope with the pain.
"I never wanted to do stand-up again. It was the lowest point of my life. I was suicidal, at rock bottom.”
Following this, Adele made an appointment with her GP, and begged for some support as she was then referred to a drop-in centre.
She then received support from Scottish charity the Thistle Foundation that helps people living with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Although Adele still lives with chronic pain she says Thistle have helped her cope and has since been advocating for GPs to refer people to the charity sooner.
Adele added: "I’ve no doubt that Thistle saved my life and without their support I wouldn’t be here today.
"I’ve gone from thinking I had lost everything – my career, my role within my family, my confidence – to being in a happy marriage, spending quality time with my family and doing the things I love.
"My wife said she’s fallen in love with me all over again."
