May 12, 2023 Is International ME/CFS Awareness Day

by Jody Smith This year marks 31 years since Thomas Hennessy, Jr. decided that May 12th would be our ME/CFS International Awareness Day. May 12th had been the birthday of army nurse and Red Cross founder Florence Nightingale. After the significant contributions she’d made to the world, she lived with a chronic illness for the last half century of her

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Dr. Suzanne Vernon: 25 Years of Trying to Crack the Case of ME/CFS

For over 25 years, Dr. Suzanne Vernon has been trying to crack the case of myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Image courtesy of Dr. Suzanne Vernon. by Bronc I first fell ill with terrible fatigue-like symptoms in the summer of 2010. Besides the bone-crushing fatigue, I felt fearful, confused, perplexed and demoralised by this mysterious illness that had reduced

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Picture of Dr. Carmen Scheibenbogen smiling outside.

Understanding Autoimmunity in ME/CFS

By Bronc and Eric Pyrrhus For many decades now, people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) across the world have had to deal with medical establishments wedded to inaccurate scientific dogma regarding their illness. Alongside this, there has been a disastrous lack of funding for biomedical research into the illness. Thankfully, there is a growing body of open-minded scientists

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A photo of a man in a face mask in a hospital bed.

Long COVID in Mexico: Isolation and Disbelief

Versión en español • Versão em português By Eric Pyrrhus César Medina climbed mountains, lifted weights, and was an avid cyclist. He had a good job. He had a partner. But everything changed in November 2020, thanks to an infection with the novel coronavirus. Today he lives confined to his bed, abandoned by his partner, unemployed, and wearing special compression

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Imaging of the brainstem showing differences between patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and controls.

Scientific Findings Distinguish Between Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Bronc People living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are definitely not “just a little tired.” But they are indeed tired of some things — such as dealing with medical ignorance, the very slow pace of research, and seemingly endless discussions over terminology and definitions. But in science, precise terminology and precise definitions are absolutely essential in order

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Picture of ornate Mexican masks.

Part 3: The Missing Voices Speak Up in Mexico

In the last of a three-part series, people with neuroimmune diseases in Mexico speak up about the wide-ranging consequences of the disease on their life. If you haven’t already read the first part of this series, click here. Versión en español • Versão em português By Eric Pyrrhus “There’s so many mysterious or surprising variables in chronic illness,” comments 35-year-old

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Woman sitting in a wheelchair on a busy sidewalk.

Part 1: Millions Missing in Mexico

In the first of a three-part series, people describe the challenges of living with neuroimmune diseases in Mexico. The science of these diseases is also discussed, and we try to understand why the latest science is not informing proper medical treatment. Versión en español • Versão em português By Eric Pyrrhus “On days when the symptoms are manageable, I walk

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Photos of Dr. Amy Proal

What It Is To Be Human: Holobionts and the Microbiology of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

By Bronc Dr. Amy Proal, of the PolyBio Research Foundation, is a microbiologist interested in the molecular mechanisms by which bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens dysregulate human gene expression, immunity and metabolism. She is especially interested in how dysfunction of the human microbiome and/or the human virome can contribute to chronic inflammatory disease processes. We sat down with Dr. Amy

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