• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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Search results

  1. Cath

    Forever worrying I’ve let my children down

    Hi there, what I‘m hearing is a loving, caring Mum! A Mum who puts her family before herself! Your kids sound like typical teenagers... well actually they sound better than the average teenagers I know of. Be gentle with yourself. Your children are blessed to have you as their Mum.🧡💛🧡
  2. Cath

    In memory of Dr. Don Lewis

    I heard today that Dr Lewis passed away a few days ago. I cried when I heard the news.... He was such a wonderful man, always kind and considerate. His family released this notice... A few months ago I was talking with my current Dr about Dr Lewis and he said, "To us Drs he is a hero". He was...
  3. Cath

    CFS Discovery Clinic

    I heard today that Dr Lewis passed away a few days ago. I cried when I heard the news.... He was such a wonderful man, always kind and considerate. His family released this notice... A few months ago I was talking with my current Dr about Dr Lewis and he said, "To us Drs he is a hero". He was...
  4. Cath

    Fibromyalgia or ME/CFS?

    Hi @tthompsoniv, sorry to read you are finding the combination of CFS and FM difficult to bear. Take care, Cath
  5. Cath

    Theory about pem

    :) :) :)
  6. Cath

    Theory about pem

    Hi @carmadw, I’ve read your posts but can’t seem to get my head around them. My brain fog is intense at the moment. Hopefully someone else on the forum will be able to help you with this. Cheers, Cath
  7. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    7,000 signatures.
  8. Cath

    brian nicholson detained in psyschiatric unit with me cfs for 3 years

    Hi @bohemian, Unfortunately I don’t have any answers for you, just wanted you to know I was thinking of you. Cath
  9. Cath

    Help with Mold testing

    @Daffodil, sorry about quoting myself... my brain gets fuddled :) Yes dealing with mould was a long road but I now pass the VCS test and am doing much better than I was. Cheers, Cath
  10. Cath

    ME in Bulgaria

    Hi @Mike Harley, I looked at some of your links and just wanted to say a big “Thank You" for all the wonderful work you are doing. Cheers from Australia, Cath
  11. Cath

    Damn it I had improved a ton. Now I’m back, and everything makes me worse.

    "Oh sorry, can’t touch alchohol, it reacts badly with medication I’m on". Cheers, Cath
  12. Cath

    Help with Mold testing

    Hi @Daffodil, I see this is over a month old and no one has replied yet. There is a simple eye test which you can do online which is a good way to eliminate CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome). https://www.survivingmold.com/store1/online-screening-test CIRS is the diagnostic term...
  13. Cath

    The Canary: GMC throws 250,000 ME patients under the bus

    @Countrygirl, don’t give up, keep writing. When there is a recognised diagnostic test or some other scientific proof of our illness, we will be validated and your letters and advocacy will be written proof of their contempt and neglect. Cheers, Cath
  14. Cath

    Manual Wheelchairs with Power Assist

    Wow @nettle_tea, that’s fantastic that your insurance approved everything for you. Enjoy the museum! Cheers, Cath
  15. Cath

    #OMF ScienceWednesdays-CFSRC+SGTC team member Rahim Esfandyarpour, PhD

    Very encouraging, many thanks to Rahim for his dedication. Cheers, Cath
  16. Cath

    "AFFLICTED" causing harm. Act now.

    Good suggestion @ebethc. Anything we can do to have our voice heard is better than doing nothing. IMHO :)
  17. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    6,000 signatures Another quote from one of the participants of the "documentary"... "Bekah and I were totally devastated; we felt betrayed and defeated, misled, lied to, manipulated, and completely misrepresented. The editing was straight-up unethical and damaging, not to mention exhibiting...
  18. Cath

    "AFFLICTED" causing harm. Act now.

    The ‘Documentary’ series AFFLICTED on Netflix is causing a lot of harm. 7 chronically ill patients were sought out by DocShop and asked to participate in what they were assured would be a factual, scientifically based documentary on living with chronic illness. Included in the series is a...
  19. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    Another quote from one of the participants of the ‘documentary’. "Afflicted constructs a deceitful narrative that systematically ignores scientific evidence, takes statements out of context, manipulates timelines, omits important facts, and gives voice to non-specialists talking outside of...
  20. Cath

    Is rest the best way to recover from relapse

    Hi Scoobieworld, from reading your post it seems to me that the dogs require more energy than you have to spare at the moment. Would it be possible to adopt them out for a month or so to give your body the opportunity to regain some much needed energy? Even if you just kept one it might be...
  21. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    5,000 signatures The people who were in "Afflicted" have written this after seeing what the producers had done, "The most serious and central flaw of Afflicted is the way it frames our conditions — which impact millions of people around the world — as psychosomatic or psychiatric disorders."...
  22. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    @AlwaysTired, I just read your link. What they have done to those who took part in the "documentary " is an absolute disgrace. 4,000 have signed already, we need many more to sign. Please Sign Sign Sign
  23. Cath

    Petition to have Afflicted removed from Netflix

    I watched the whole series and it is so skewed towards everything being "all in the mind". I have signed the petition, however I think because it is a Netflix film we would need a lot more names on the petition for them to do anything about it. Sign sign sign
  24. Cath

    Feeling so much guilt as a mum :(

    @Jemima37, It might be easier at the moment to stay in bed and do calf flexes. Lying flat and keeping your leg on the bed, gently angle your foot up towards your body. I’m not sure if I’ve explained it properly? What this does is flex the calf muscle which then pumps the blood back towards your...
  25. Cath

    Feeling so much guilt as a mum :(

    @Jemima37, I just had to reply to your post... my daughter’s name is Jemima :) A few years back when I was in a similar situation as you are now, very ill, bed bound and suffering depression and panic attacks, someone said to me, "Be gentle with yourself". The next time you are beating...
  26. Cath

    First time in remission with ketogenic diet

    Oh boy thanks for letting me know leokitten. I’ll put a hold to my plans while I have a good look into it. Maybe see if my Dr knows much about it. Thanks so much for sharing your journey with us and for all the info you have given. It’s 1:30am here so I think I should get some sleep (well try...
  27. Cath

    First time in remission with ketogenic diet

    Thanks leokitten, I’ve decided to start the Keto diet sometime this week. After doing a bit of checking I could only find the Keto-MOJO in Australia for about $230. I will try and get to a chemist and see if I can buy a cheaper one. It is a lot of money to outlay if I can’t manage to stay with...