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Got Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

 

You are visiting Barbara Feick Gregory's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Site

   

Looking and finding answers about the epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 

Now that we've got it, what do we do about it?

Chronic fatigue syndrome was poorly named.

" 'Chronic fatigue syndrome'  has a real negative impact. The word 'chronic' is associated with chronic complainers, chronic whiners. And 'fatigue' is even worse.

"More profoundly, the name camouflaged the nature of the illness itself: the fatigue in 'chronic fatigue syndrome' was merely a symptom and, compared to the neurologic dysfunction resulting from the structural damage to the brain in the early phases of the disease, a sometimes unimportant one at that. Diseases, after all, are not primarily identified and defined by universal qualities they share with other diseases but rather for the qualities that distinguish them. If disease were named after symptoms, leukemia too might well be called 'chronic fatigue syndrome' and diabetes 'chronic thirst syndrome.' The government's choice of names was so inept, in fact, that many observers came to view it as a deliberate effort to defuse the potentially panic-inducing issue of the eruption of a life-altering infectious disease." 

from Osler's Web by Hillary Johnson, page 219

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is similar to AIDS. One's ability to fight off disease can be destroyed so it is not CFS that kills you but other infections.

"In both AIDS and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients, natural killer cells are almost completely disabled. One study of CFS patients found that their natural killer cells' functioning was decreased by 86 percent.... Of all the conditions in which natural killer cell activity has been studied, only AIDS patients have been found to have natural killer cells as disabled as those of CFS patients. "

http://www.chronicillnet.org/CFS/Ostrom/book_ToC.html

CFS is often misdiagnosed.

I found it curious that MS was often confused with CFS according to Osler's Web. But the victims were better off with the wrong diagnosis because victims of CFS often lost their jobs and couldn't get any benefits. 

CFS sufferers are often told they're not actually sick.

"One of the most puzzling aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome, to casual observers, was the contrast between how sufferers claimed to feel and how they looked" 

from Osler's Web by Hillary Johnson, page 365

CFS sufferers are treated poorly by the allopathic medical community and then highly criticized again for seeking help elsewhere. 

CFS affects a huge number of people. Let's see....I go to a regular doctor and he says I'm a mental case, I should quit whining, hands me a huge bill and tells me to come back a a couple of weeks...or...I go to an alternative medical practitioner who listens to me, advises me to build up my immune system, and gives me some hope.... Somehow, it is not a difficult decision who gets my money. But now there are a number of M.D.'s who have gotten it, and found out they couldn't cure themselves until they looked at alternative treatments. 

CFS is more common among women than men.

When you read the history of the disease, you realize that the medical bias against women is alive and well.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cfs/info.htm

CFS destroys lives.

"And if CFS is hard on adults, it's disastrous for children, because it often affects the brain, and children may lose key developmental milestones."

Tired all the time by Ronald L. Hoffman, M.D. - page 210

Suicide rate is high among sufferers. So is the divorce rate. It can make an invalid out of a once active individual. 

"I've never known a single person with full-blown CFS who has not considered taking their own life."

Mark Iverson, president of a CFS association

Two of these patients committed suicide, which is all too common among CFS patients. But three of Dr. Cheney's patients who died, like AIDS patients, succumbed to overwhelming infections that their damaged immune systems just couldn't fight off.

http://www.chronicillnet.org/CFS/Ostrom/book_ToC.html

CFS is misunderstood by the public.

Because it was treated as a joke when it was called "Yuppie Flu", many people still think of it that way.

"...no one in Atlanta understood the disease to be a crippling, life-destroying condition; it was simply 'chronic fatigue,' and as one agency scientist said with a shrug, 'Hell, I'm tired!"

from Osler's Web by Hillary Johnson, page 238

Many people think the CFS epidemic was not due to natural viruses or bacteria.

An excellent on-line book that you can download: "America's Biggest Cover-Up: 50 More Things Everyone Should Know About The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Epidemic And Its Link To AIDS"

http://www.chronicillnet.org/CFS/Ostrom/book_ToC.html

Note to Internet readers:

You may find the information presented on this site to be a bit overwhelming. When I had CFS, I was exhausted but I had enough energy to sit at the computer and go through library books. I found everything I could on CFS and put references to everything (no matter how strange) on this site. If anyone used anything and got well, I put it here. 

Whatever the exact cause, you have a depressed immune system and there is no known drug therapy that will cure you. [Although for some people, taking something to kill off an overgrowth of fungus/yeast in the body, while building up the natural immune system, may be a viable treatment.] Since most of our physicians mainly use drug therapies in their practices, they cannot help you. 

There are a few physicians and chiropractors out there who got CFS themselves and had to figure out their own cure. There are a few others who are also naturopaths or practice "alternative medicine". Any of these would make a good choice for your health care provider.

Treatment for CFS, however, tends to be expensive. Most of the physicians order lots of tests and treat with massive amounts of nutritional supplements and vitamins. Insurance does not cover much, if any, of the treatment. 

I used the information I gathered from my research to put together a special screening protocol for CFS using computerized electro dermal screening (CEDS). You've probably never heard of CEDS. When I found out there was a chiropractor just north of Columbus, Ohio who had a two year waiting list because he used this equipment, (I called and verified this fact) I knew there must be something very special about CEDS and I ended up buying my own equipment. 

Suffice it to say, I am a strong believer in CEDS because it is non-invasive, fast, inexpensive, and thorough - I am amazed every time I use it. But this is not self-serving since I don't screen people professionally. Ask at your area health food stores or send an email to several manufacturers of the equipment to find someone in your area with the equipment. 

For more information on CEDS, visit my other website.

 

 

 
DISCLAIMER: 
The information contained herein is intended for educational purposes only.

By using the information presented on this website, you agree to take FULL responsibility for yourself. Self-help requires intelligence, common sense, and the ability to take responsibility for your own actions. You have the right to be healthy! I encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research (or  in partnership with a qualified health care professional. )

 

If you suspect you have a disease or health related condition of any kind, please learn and research! Learn from more then one source! If you are unable to learn, or if you are unable to help yourself, you should contact qualified health care professional practicing natural and holistic therapies immediately. This information is for people who are ready to take full responsibility for their health. If you are not one of those, then this information is for informational purposes only. The results reported on this website may NOT occur in all individuals.

Visit  Computerized electro dermal screening to find out about bioenergetic screening.

Send mail to barb@barbfeick.com with questions or comments about this web site. Visit my other websites at http://barbfeick.com 
Last modified: May 17, 2008