Image of rose with the word "Sorry".

The Apologizers of the ME/CFS World

by Jody Smith I’m Canadian, so I hear a lot of good-natured jokes about how Canadians apologize all the time. It’s funny in part because … in part, it’s true. But you know who else apologizes a lot? Chronically ill people. And that ain’t so funny. Now some of us were probably like that before becoming ill. But what’s particularly

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Image of candles lit up on a snowy ledge.

Looking Ahead to a New Year With ME/CFS

by Jody Smith​ Hey, it’s the beginning of a new year. And 2020 has a nice fresh ring to it. This time of year are you thinking about the future? I’m not talking about New Year Resolutions. I ditched those years ago. Me, I have a hard time looking to the future. When it comes to scheduling and planning and

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Sunset behind tree.

On the Absence of Light and ME/CFS

by Jody Smith​ On my side of the world, change is brewing. Here in North America, the cold and dark brooding of winter looms and glowers. In some areas it has already hit, hard. Temperatures dropping, days shortening … for someone like me who lives with ME/CFS and seasonal affective disorder, this is a daunting time. I am staring down

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Person looking through blinds out a window.

Invisible Disabilities Week Is Oct. 13 – 19, 2019

by Jody Smith​ The ME/CFS community is all too familiar with the realities of invisible disabilities. As a matter of fact we are rife with them. For this reason, we’re happy to make some noise for Invisible Disabilities Week. If you have an invisible disability, you’re living with one or more physical, mental or neurological challenges that other people might

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Woman leaning head on the back of a chair.

Never Enough Hours in a Day With ME/CFS

by Jody Smith ​ There just aren’t enough hours in the day for the person with ME/CFS. At least, it’s been like this for me. It’s not that I’m so terribly busy. Indeed, I am not. Not like I used to be busy, before illness. The complicating factor and really, the only factor I have any control over, is the

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