Category Archives: Commentary

Disaster Voyeurism

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

I believe in bearing witness. In many ways, that’s what Occupy CFS is about. Everyone suffers in this life, but bearing witness to another person’s suffering is a sacred act. To bear witness is to absorb the sufferer’s story, to … Continue reading →

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FITNET or Fairy Dust?

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

There has been much buzz in the CFS community over the latest CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) study claiming astounding recovery rates in CFS. This time, the study is called FITNET, a test of internet-based CBT for adolescents with CFS in … Continue reading →

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App for That

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Dr. Esther Crawley recently announced the availability of a new iPhone app for CFS patients: ActiveME. The app is designed to help patients monitor their activity levels with the goal of identifying “boom and bust” energy cycles. I decided to … Continue reading →

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The Holy Grail

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Many CFS patients are holding their breath awaiting the results of the multiple lab XMRV study, nicknamed the Lipkin study after its coordinator Dr. Ian Lipkin of the Center for Infection and Immunity. I am not one of them.  I … Continue reading →

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I Think I Can

Posted on February 27, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Today I am feeling like the Little Engine That Almost Can. I’ve been drafting a post about the Lipkin XMRV study, and my own views on whether it should be completed. After much work, and several thousand words, I’m out … Continue reading →

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Not Just Us

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pension Committee hearing on Pain in America (read a summary here  or watch the hearing here) made me realize something: it is not just the CFS community that has to struggle against psychogenic arguments … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Commentary | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Why Occupy

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

“I came because by being physically present at Occupy Wall Street, I could increase, however marginally, the likelihood that more people would look in my direction.” – Jason Fitzgerald If you paid any attention to the news in the last … Continue reading →

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