Tag Archives: exercise

Comparing Exercise Advice

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Jennie Spotila

Exercise is an issue for every CFS patient, and there is no shortage of advice on whether and how to do it. On January 14th, the CDC hosted a conference call as part of its Patient Centered Outreach and Communication … Continue reading →

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Speeding Things Up

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

In my previous post, I explained the definitions FDA used to determine that CFS is a serious or life-threatening condition. But the true significance of FDA’s decision is that it makes CFS treatments eligible for programs that speed up the … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Insufficient Data

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

One of the most frustrating aspects of coping with CFS is the lack of definitive data. A PubMed search for “chronic fatigue syndrome” yields 4,877 results (as of today), but as a patient on the front lines I have to … Continue reading →

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Puzzle Pieces

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Let’s play a game. Imagine you have a large puzzle that makes an Impressionist picture of a colorful cottage-style garden. You can put it together as long as you have the picture on the box. First you assemble the lower … Continue reading →

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This. Is. Why.

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

I’m on the verge of tearing my hair out, and I suspect I’m not the only one. The American Academy of Family Physicians published a review article about CFS (paywall) on Monday, accompanied by a patient information sheet. From the … Continue reading →

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Can’t Drive 95

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Almost as soon as I had decided to raise the limit on my heart rate monitor to 105 beats per minute, my physical therapy team smacked that idea down. They told me that one week with the monitor was not … Continue reading →

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Raising the Limit

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

I feel like I am getting close to baseline, the state I was in prior to the exercise testing. It’s taken almost seven weeks, and in that time I have left my house a total of seven times – 5 … 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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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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