ME/CFS Awareness week

I made these in support of ME/CFS Awareness day May 12.
Please feel free to use them, friends! (one is banner size and one is profile pic size)
I want to share this because I have found lots of people looking for someone to talk to about this, and I am always open!

My story in a nutshell: In June 2006 I went surfing with my roommates in Huntington Beach. While I was in the water there was a voice yelling at me to get out of the water. I didn't know what it was but I paddled to shore. By the time I got there my arms and legs were so useless I completely collapsed and didn't move for half an hour. I was hit suddenly by a terrible mono-like virus, but the doctors could not diagnose me. I suffered severe infections and relapses over the following 9 months, which resulted in a tonsillectomy. Over the next 6 months I attempted to resume life as normal, but continued to relapse until the illness just never went away. I got through grad school "45 minutes at a time" as I tell my friends, but when I finished my MFA in 2010 I became so ill again I had to move home, and subsequently to my sister's house so I could find a way to recover. I began treatment with The Optimum Health Clinic (London) in August 2010 and have seen significant improvement since then, with a focus on creating an environment where the body heals itself. I am happy to say I have not had any kind of relapse since October 2011, though I still have stamina issues, cognitive exhaustion, and overall low tolerance for stress. Anyone who wants to talk to me about this, I am here for you!

Symptoms of CFS/ME can be triggered by infection, trauma, PTSD, car accidents, or be a slow gradual development.


Here is also a great article to share : Article on ME/CFS Myths

I could go on about this issue for days, probably write a whole book on my theories and experiences, but more than anything I just want ME/CFS to get the recognition and research it deserves. I've had a few doctors who have been very interested in perusing knowledge of this illness but have been convinced to look otherwise and release me as their patient.  This is a very very real neurological illness for me, and I really hope some day more programs are put into place that study ME/CFS like the neuro-immune illness it is, and not as a psychiatric disorder. Trust me, I even did the psychological treatment route, and all my psychologists labeled me as the most psychologically sound and balanced patient they had ever had. If depression comes into play, it is only because it is impossible for friends and family to grasp what this illness means and how to help, much less the government (yes I was denied disability benefits), so it can seem like a hopeless plight, but I have great friends and family who do try their very best and day by day, I've found a way to make my life happy and meaningful.


Thank you for sharing!