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Advanced options

Using MEMap Lighter Load to communicate and get support

A key goal of MEMap is to improve 'the conversation' about this complex difficult illness. It offers PWME both a shared format to define and share their experience with others, and some common talking points that ME recoverers suggest may be fruitful. The intention is not to try to replace a good supportive chat on the phone or a visit. It is to facilitate very focussed dialogues where people compare notes on what, exactly, they experience, and what does or might address anything they face. By sending all or bits of your Wellness and Reframe Maps and to others, they may hear your story, offer support, add helpful suggestions or gain benefits themselves from the experience and wisdom you conveyed. MEMap actively challenges any 2 people with ME to communicate and buddy each other to both build 2 maps each which fully 'describe' the easy wellness they seek and the stressors, load and depleting factors which get in the way of that.

To communicate via MEMap, both users should download either MEMap Lighter Load, MEMap Original or meMap 'Stress-Best' from the Google Play store - it is not necessary for users to choose the same version. Both then need to register for online services on the MEMap Original website Register page. For MEMap Lighter Load and meMap 'Stress-Best' users, ignore the sidebar on that page: you do not need to register to Configure Lighter Load.

Once you have registered and created a username and password, Frames are sent from the App's Reframe Map Outbox, and Bubbles sent from the Wellness Map Outbox (accessible from the top right menus in the App).

You can create items to send in both outboxes. Or copy 'Sender' Frames or 'Inbox' Bubbles sent to you by others into the outboxes, where you can react to, edit and reply to them. Or copy 'Your own' Frames or Bubbles to the outboxes. In the outboxes the normal edit options that exist for Bubbles or Frames include an added 'tag' option where you can add or modify a hashtag subject or question to an item (for example, 'Do you feel this?'). You can post all of your outbox or all of 'Your own' items to another App user by inputting your username and password and their username. When you post items a pin will be generated for the username you sent to. You will need to tell, text, email etc this pin to the recipient.

Download items sent to you by ensuring you are in the Wellness Map if the items are Bubbles, or the Reframe Map if the items are Frames. Select Download from the top right menu. You can either use a pin to download a specified set of items. Or check the box and use the username of a Sender to generate a list of the most recent items they sent you. Follow the instructions given to get Bubbles tagged and into Inbox, or Frames into a named screen dedicated to your Sender.

If your device has an email App installed, there is an alternative option to email items to anyone you wish (emailing yourself is a useful and recommended way of backing up information you have written in Bubbles or Frames that has become valuable to you). Emailed Bubbles and Frames will be set out in the email as written text. When creating a new Frame it is possible for it to be a 'Thoughts Box'. This is an opportunity to write any thoughts and notes to add context to the Frames you are sending.

Adding functionality from MEMap Original to MEMap Lighter Load

Once you have got going with Lighter Load some of the added functionality of Original may appeal to you. To simply switch over to MEMap Orignal, download that App. It will sit alongside Lighter Load in your device, with a different logo. To transfer your Bubbles and Frames to your new App, register for online services (described above) and send your Bubbles and Frames to yourself in 2 separate operations. Then simply download them in your new App - again in 2 separate operations. At this point the Bubbles will exist in your Bubbles Inbox, and the Frames will be exist as a set of Sender Frames, with as Sender name provided by you. 'Replace' options in the top right menu allow you to move these as a group so they become 'your own' Bubbles or Frames.

Sometimes it might be helpful to supplement your MEMap Lighter Load Reframe Map with one or more of the 30 categories from the Config Journey (eg at MEMap.me/practical) on the MEMap Original website. If you have registered for online services you can do this by opting in to any category you wish on that website, and inputting your thoughts. Click Save at the bottom of any page where you have opted in to a category. To send your new Frames to yourself, complete your user details here, click Send Frames and note the pin generated. Then download them in your Reframe Map, navigate to the title of Sender Frame page you create for them, and copy them across to 'your own' Frames.

It is also possible to manually add any category to your Reframe Map. Press NEW FRAME to create a Frame. Press NEXT. Then, where prompted to give an 'Optional heading for Frame', type the number of the category you want to add. Then press DONE. An empty Frame for your thoughts is now set up for you.