Willeke Van Eeckhoutte
Patient Contributor
Willeke Van Eeckhoutte is a writer and a voluntary disability awareness advocate living with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). She made Ireland her home in 2002.
- Living With Condition 16 Years
- Location Clonsilla, Ireland
Willeke's History with the Condition
After retiring from work, Willeke began writing about her life with invisible illnesses. She is a qualified library assistant and counselor.
Currently, Willeke studies online Advanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to quell her love for psychology. Unless hiding in books or under the duvet, you can find her writing in Starbucks.
Willeke says:
"Two-and-a-half years after I moved to Ireland, MS arrived on my doorstep as an unwelcome house guest, carrying a suitcase full of excruciating trigeminal neuralgia and unrelenting fatigue.
"Life turned into an uphill battle with symptoms like chronic neuropathic pain and other conditions such as atrial fibrillation (cardiac arrhythmia). I didn't want to retire - but I now realize it was the wisest decision I could have made concerning my health.
"While managing CVD and MS with my healthcare team can be somewhat trial-and-error, I nevertheless am more philosophical, optimistic, and in love with life."
The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.
