Tag Archives: living with

Limited Capacity

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

Life with ME/CFS is all about limits. Physical. Mental. Emotional. It’s like living in a glass box that remains far too small, no matter how much you practice acceptance or positive thinking. And the torture of it is that since … Continue reading →

Posted in Occupying | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

IV Saline: Magic Juice

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

Back in March, I started an experiment with IV saline. Four months in, I have learned a lot about how and when the treatment helps me. IV saline has been used to treat orthostatic intolerance for many years*, and some … Continue reading →

Posted in Occupying | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

ME/CFS Mortality

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

Does ME/CFS kill? This critical question has received very little attention from researchers, but there is a way for you to help change that. The first paper on causes of death in ME/CFS was published in 2006 by Dr. Leonard … Continue reading →

Posted in Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Guest Post: Longtime Patient, New Advocate

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

I am very pleased to share this guest post from Darlene Prestwich in which she shares her experiences as a new(ish) advocate. I’ve been doing this so long, sometimes I forget what it was like to jump in the deep … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Guest Post: CFSAC Comments of Charmian Proskauer

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

Charmian delivered these comments at today’s CFS Advisory Committee meeting. She has kindly given me permission to publish them here in their entirety. My name is Charmian Proskauer, and I currently serve as President of the Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM … Continue reading →

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

On It or In It?

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

I’ve been spending a lot of time in bed, recently. This is unusual for me. Usually, I’m ON the bed but not IN the bed. I see a really big distinction. On a normal day, I’m out of bed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Occupying | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

IOM: Sum of the Whole Matter

Posted on May 10, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

The IOM panel on ME/CFS held its second (and likely final) public meeting on May 5, 2014. On display near the meeting room was this painting by Robert Van Vranken: Untitled (Everything at once, or one thing at a time?). … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Comment on FDA Draft Guidance

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

I submitted the following comments to FDA on its Draft Guidance to Industry on ME/CFS Drug Development. Please note that there is a 5,000 character limit on electronic comments submitted through regulations.gov, so I sent my comments in by mail. … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Infused

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

I’m beginning a new experiment: IV saline. Regular saline infusions have been used by many ME/CFS patients to cope with orthostatic intolerance for years, but I’ve never taken them regularly. Yesterday, I received the first of four weekly treatments. How … Continue reading →

Posted in Occupying | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

Viral

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Jennie Spotila

I had it all under control. After coming down with a virus (mild flu?) in January, I got the message and seriously scaled back my activity. Joe Landson, Denise Lopez-Majano, and Claudia Goodell all came through for me in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Occupying | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments