Author Archives: Jennie Spotila

Deal With It

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

The CFS Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting on June 13-14th. This is the text of the public comment I offered at the previous meeting on October 25, 2011.   I ask the voting members of this committee: do … Continue reading →

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Significance of AT

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Now that my exercise tests are finished and I have the results, it’s time to figure out what to do about it. I’m relying on the work of Staci Stevens, Chris Snell and others at the Pacific Fatigue Lab who … Continue reading →

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And the Envelope, Please

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

My exercise test results are in. The numbers were, quite frankly, shocking. Two numbers – VO2max and anaerobic threshold – provide the evidence that I have significant metabolic dysfunction, and I’ll try to explain what they mean. Check out my … Continue reading →

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Be Aware

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Today is ME/CFS Awareness Day. Why May 12th? It is the birthday of Florence Nightingale, who became bedridden with an illness resembling ME/CFS after the Crimean War. From 1860 to her death in 1910, Nightingale continued to work for the … Continue reading →

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Small Claims

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

In April, the FDA sent a warning letter to Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum regarding claims made on his website. Dr. Teitelbaum is well-known in the CFS world for several reasons. His book, From Fatigued to Fantastic, is the top-selling book in … Continue reading →

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Recoverin’

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Three weeks ago, I had my exercise stress tests. A friend had cautioned me that it could take three weeks to recover, and I think she was right although I did sabotage myself a little bit, as I’ll explain. I … Continue reading →

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While We Wait

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Still waiting for exercise test results. Still waiting for recovery from exercise tests. Still waiting for the brain power to research and write some in depth blog posts I’ve been planning. But life doesn’t give us many breaks, so cue … Continue reading →

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Stressin’ and Testin’

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Exercise testing for CFS is like professional boxing: you know you’ll get the crap beaten out of you, but you volunteer for it anyway. The difference is that in boxing, you get paid. In CFS exercise testing, you just hope … Continue reading →

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Some Life in Me Yet

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

  Being housebound changes a person. These four walls have become the boundaries of my whole world. I rely on books and the internet to remind me that there is more to life than this. My imagination can escape, even … Continue reading →

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Tips for a CFS Vacation

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

My husband and I were fortunate enough to take a vacation to New Orleans last month, and I am still recovering. But I did want to share what I learned (or re-learned) on this trip about traveling with CFS. I … Continue reading →

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