Tag Archives: suffering

CFSAC Testimony of Matthew Lazell-Fairman

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Jennie Spotila

Matthew Lazell-Fairman delivered these comments to the CFS Advisory Committee at its June 14, 2012 meeting. He has kindly given me permission to publish them here. To those responsible for health policy on ME/CFS, I need you to listen and … 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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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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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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