By David Tuller, DrPH. When I visited Melbourne in March of last year, I heard a lot about Dr Don Lewis, a local physician beloved by those with ME—or “chronic fatigue,” as Australian patients, scientists and clinicians routinely called the illness, to my dismay. At the time, Dr Lewis was transitioning out of […]
From #MEAction. School nurses, counselors, social workers or teachers in any U.S. state can now earn earn 3.25 Continuing Education credits (CNE) for completing a course on pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The course is titled, ““Why Can’t This Child Get to Class? Learn How ME/CFS Keeps Youth from Attending School.” The course features Dr, […]
By Jo Verrent in Unlimited. Unlimited, in its current form, has been recruiting for disabled trainees since 2013. What have we learnt about accessible recruitment? Jo Verrent, Senior Producer for Unlimited, gives us her top ten tips… Target where you advertise – find out where disabled people might be, and go […]
Click on ‘Read Post’ to see the video.
By Paul Costello in Stanford Medicine. She is an author of extraordinary success. Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit and Unbroken are literary phenomenons: Together, there are more than 13 million copies in print, and both have been made into blockbuster motion pictures. Seabiscuit, published in 2001, tells the story of a racehorse that captured America’s heart during the Great Depression. Unbroken, […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. It seemed ever so clear. The reduction in the number of small nerves in the skin and eyes of roughly forty percent or so of the people with fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) must bring the body – as opposed to the brain – into […]
By Ann Innes in The ME Association. I’m Ann Innes, consultant welfare rights adviser to the ME Association and formerly to Stockport ME Group. I run a private service to support people throughout the claims process, from benefit entitlement checks, application, preparing for the face-to-face assessment and attending as an advocate, all the […]
By John Pring in Disability News Service. More than half of passengers who describe themselves as having an impairment that limits their day-today activity find travelling by air difficult, according to a regulator’s annual report on access at the UK’s major airports. The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) annual report on disability access contains […]
By Isabelle Jani-Friend in The Guardian. I was recently on a packed Central line train into London. Luckily, I managed to take the last priority disabled seat. My osteoporosis and the fatigue I experience meant it would be hard for me to stand for the 40-minute journey to Oxford Circus. I felt a […]
By Jo Moss in A Journey Through The Fog. Living with a chronic illness like ME/CFS creates many challenges. Along with the multitude of symptoms, we also have to learn to adapt to the restrictions placed on our lives and to manage our limited energy levels. The term “pacing” crops up repeatedly […]
By David Tuller, DrPH People who know little or nothing about the illness or cluster of illnesses variously called myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, CFS/ME, and ME/CFS can’t seem to stop writing stupid and ill-informed stories about it. And Professor Michael Sharpe seems to blame “Americans”–rather than his own disastrous research–for his […]
By Melissa Cunningham in The Sydney Morning Herald. Anna Kerr often spends up to 22 hours a day in a darkened room unable to get out of bed. Following her first pregnancy, the Thornbury mother-of-two felt something was amiss. At first, it was a newfound reaction to wine and coffee, triggering nausea, weakness […]
By Asa Lovell in The Mighty. No one prepares you for the grief and feelings of inadequacy you get when you have chronic illnesses. They make such a huge impact on your life that they derail you, stop you from achieving the things you’re working for in the time you’d planned. You […]
By Mark Smith in Wales Online. Lola Brandrick, 13, from Swansea, is crippled by pain and is constantly exhausted. While all her school mates are out enjoying their summer holidays, poor Lola Brandrick can only dream of joining them. The 13-year-old is confined to her bed, constantly exhausted and crippled by widespread […]
By Naomi Whittingham. Welcome to my blog. The main purpose of this site is to bring together my existing work, but I also hope to add new writing from time to time. I have never blogged before and am looking forward to the freedom of writing as I wish, with full editorial control. (The downside is […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. Times are changing. The Stanford area with its bevy of researchers and doctors (Ron Davis, Robert Phair, Mark Davis, David Kaufman, Bela Chedda, Jose Montoya, Rahim Esfandyapour, Michael Zeineh, Fereshteh Jahanbani and others) seemed like “it” for ME/CFS. But look at Boston now! A new hub […]
By Sophie Cooklynne in The Mighty. Downstairs, my two-year-old son, Lucas, is playing. He’s a beautiful, clever and sweet little boy who lights up my entire world. Upstairs, I lie in a single bed, trapped in the shell of a body; bedridden permanently and suffering dozens of symptoms that mean that […]
By Jo Verrent in Unlimited. Unlimited, in its current form, has been recruiting for disabled trainees since 2013. What have we learnt about accessible recruitment? Jo Verrent, Senior Producer for Unlimited, gives us her top ten tips… Target where you advertise – find out where disabled people might be, and go out of your […]
By Jenny in Scope. Hi, my name is Jenny and I’m 24 years old. I’ve had Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E) for 5 years but have been experiencing chronic pain and fatigue caused by multiple health problems from the age of 16. One of my hobbies is writing my blog: This thing they called recovery. The […]
By Laurel Younis in The Mighty. OK, here it – the biggest and most important secret you will need to survive chronic illness. The key to surviving chronic illness is surviving it in any way you can. Now I know what you may be thinking, “Really? Is this seriously the advice you’re giving […]
By Erik Pedersen in Deadline. The 50-page complaint (read it here) was filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by defendants including Jamison Hill, Pilar Olave, Jill Edelstein and Bekah Dinnerstein. Referred to in the suit as “the Afflicted Four,” they claim they were “duped by Plaintiffs into participating in a salacious reality […]
By Georgina & Phoebe in Let’s Do It for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Even a live Second World War grenade couldn’t stop us! On Sunday the 28th of July we began our quest to conquer a 25 mile kayak to raise money for Invest In ME Research. This journey consisted of a very early start, […]
From the Life of Pippa Blog. Since I started blogging, there’s one question I’ve consistently been asked more than any other: how I found my flexible, work from home opportunities. If you don’t already know, I split my time between social media management and content creation in the charity sector, self-employment as […]
By Michael Buchanan Social affairs correspondent, BBC News. Benefit-assessment company Capita is going to court to try to reverse the “reputational damage” it says it suffered after a claimant died. Victoria Smith died months after her personal independence payments were stopped following a Capita assessment. The outsourcing company was ordered to pay £10,000 […]
By Jonny Foster in #MEAction. The love of my life battles ME/CFS. It’s a disease that my father has also struggled with since I was a boy, so it’s one I know well. I knew life wasn’t going to be simple when we met, but I dove in head-first anyway. I can’t say […]
by Louise Sargent in ME Support. Diagnosis There is no test or cure for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) but there are guidelines to help doctors diagnose and treat it. It can take a long time for the condition to be diagnosed, as other conditions that cause similar symptoms need to be ruled out first. Therefore, you […]
Principal Investigator Prof. Jarred Younger Institution University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA Start date June 2018 Background and aim Many of the characteristic symptoms of ME/CFS suggest that the immune system is activated in the brains of people with the illness, leading to the release of inflammatory chemicals. This neuroinflammation is known to […]
From the CoffeeSpoonie Blog. There are disabilities we think of as visible, and disabilities we think of as invisible. (Mental illness? Invisible. Quadriplegia? Visible. Autoimmune disease? Invisible. Blindness, with a cane and guide dog? Visible.) Neat little categories that we are expected to sort our disabilities into, to help others understand better when […]
From the Life Of Pippa Blog. Back in September 2013 when I moved to York for university, it’s safe to say my new friends and I fully made the most of life in the city and all it had to offer. As a non-disabled student at the time, there were no barriers holding […]
By #MEAction. In the past two weeks, The Guardian UK and Psychology Today US have published articles portraying the myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) community as an angry, misguided mob using social media to denigrate scientific research. Both articles focus on the criticism that Dr. Michael Sharpe, one of the key authors of the PACE trial and […]
By Juliana Philippa Kerrest in The Mighty. Something I greatly struggle with are the emotional ups and downs that come with dealing with a chronic illness. I have three chronic conditions that have affected me to varying degrees throughout my life: psychological, neurological, and autoimmune. Most of the time, I handle it relatively well; I […]
If you have been with us from the start then please congratulate yourself on your part in changing the landscape of research and future treatment of ME in UK and beyond! Also please accept our massive thanks for your ongoing support to help the charity Invest in ME Research achieve so much. If you are […]
By Lisa Alioto in Realistic Optimism. I have an invisible illness, meaning you cannot see it, but it’s oh, so present for me every minute of my life. I’m constantly exhausted, in pain, have a variety of cognitive deficits, vision loss, light, sound, and temperature sensitivities, a weakened immune system, and many, many […]
By Chloe Tear. Oh how I remember this time well! I actually graduated on Wednesday, but preparing for the whole thing only seems like yesterday. University was such an unknown step, even if it was a step I knew I wanted to take. My health at the time was far from ideal and […]
-------------------------------------------------------
The first Monday of each month at 11 am - The York ME Community Coffee Club at Bar Convent, 17 Blossom Street, York.
---------------------------------------------------------
The third Wednesday of each month - at 2 pm - The York ME Community Coffee Club at The Novotel, York.
--------------------------------------------------------
Weekly - Every Wed, 8 pm - 9 pm on Twitter, ME Awareness Hour using the #MEAwarenesshour hashtag.
Access Your Life is a site run by Felix and Lauren, with a little input from Fliss, the dog!
The site is full of great information that I feel will benefit many within The York ME Community and beyond.
To go to Access Your Life, click on the link below:
Would you like to help your local community ?
By current research, there are around 800 people in the York area suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). This might include the work colleagues you haven't seen in some time, or your friends and family, maybe one of the lads who hasn't turned up for five-a-side for a while.
There's information at the top of this site to explain how it affects people and ruins lives. These are your neighbours; would you like to help ? To read the rest of this request, click on the link below:
The social element of this site is via a Facebook Group called The York ME Community.
This is available to people in the York area looking for help, advice and support, whether those diagnosed, family or friends. We are a close knit group who discuss more than just ME, as we like to think that we are not defined by this illness. We discuss every day things, have a laugh, and try to meet via our Coffee Club if the beast that is ME allows us ! If you apply to join, please check your Facebook messages, as there are a couple of automated questions to be answered before being welcomed to the group.
Please don't apply to join if you are promoting your preferred remedy. I'm happy to mention your company within the group, but it's for individuals to choose what they wish to try in their battle to seek an improvement in their health.
Some companies and organisations offer discounts for disabled people and their carers – click on the link below to find out what you could save.
Carol Monaghan SNP spoke in Westminster Hall about the need for support and funds for ME Research. Many other MP's spoke passionately on the subject as it affects their constituents UK wide. Click on the link below to watch the full debate.
Anil's interview gives a great insight to the man and his ME mission !
Link to Anil van der Zee's Interview
Having read the above interview, I'd recommend a visit to David's Blog below:
After a pretty tough time, the guys riding as part of The Nomadic Knights group, made it to Everest Base Camp. I hope we can use this story to gain interest from media sources to help raise awareness for us all. It's the least the guys deserve for all their efforts.
19 May 2017.
“Very pleased to report that we reached Mt Qomolangma (Everest) Base Camp with the ME Awareness Flag at 1528hrs on Thursday 18th May. Three and a half hours after we had planned but time in Tibet can sometimes be very fluid. The base camp is located at 5200m, walking to the final destination was challenging in itself due to low oxygen levels.
Conditions at base camp were extremely windy (good for flag flying) with intermittent clouds with no particular destination in mind and the sun was not ideal for photos."
Debbie North, our TOG wheelchair walk designer uses an off-road mobility scooter, also called an all terrain hopper to access the countryside and wants to inspire other wheelchair users to do the same through her wheel friendly walks.
Wheelchair friendly walks are a selection of walks that the TOG team have carefully selected for families using pushchairs, wheelchairs or bicycles.
The Jen Brea ME film 'Unrest', about her story and struggle with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) was shown to a sellout audience at City Screen York on 1st November, prompting a second showing on 16 November. This film has won awards at The Sundance Film Festival and is a must see for all wishing and needing to know more about an illness affecting over 800 people in the York area alone.
Although still showing around the UK and worldwide, it's now also available on Amazon and iTunes and through the Unrest UK Store on DVD and Blu-Ray by clicking on this link: Unrest site to save having to undertake a journey to the cinema.,
Please spread the word through your GP, MP, Company HR Teams and any other people of influence you may know. Thank you.
One of the major questions raised is the blending of ME with CFS. This chart on the Hummingbirds site illustrates the many differences between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
For confidential and independent advice for everyone on welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer rights and much more.
Welcome to Broken Puppet Theatre Company.
We are a small team of creative professionals who live with chronic illness and invisible disabilities. We work with theatre, film and puppetry to support children, families, schools and communities who are learning to share their world with chronic illness and invisible disabilities too. Our aim is to provide creative expression and escapism wherever they are needed.
Helpfulpeeps is a platform that allows people in any given area to ask for and offer help to one another. Although this is a nationwide facility, by adding your street name, the system automatically drops a pin on that location and you only see posts from a 20 mile radius. You have the option to narrow or widen this radius. I hope this is a useful facility for members of our Community.
If you're given the time and space to talk things through, you can find a way through your problems.
Samaritans help you to explore your options so you can make decisions that are right for you.
Upon request, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service can carry out a home fire safety visit to your home, completely free of charge. This visit involves fire service staff coming to your home to give you advice on fire safety in the home, actions you can take to reduce the risk of fire, and discuss escape routes should fire occur.
If you don't aim to take up this offer, please at least check the batteries on your smoke alarms on a regular basis. If you want to read more, click on the link below:
FEATURED ARTICLE
By
Sally Duffin
Hello to all the members of York ME Community. I’m Sally, a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist at ‘Nutrition in York’ and Bill has asked me to share some nutritional therapy approaches for managing ME.
Many nutritional therapists – myself included – are trained in the Functional Medicine approach to healthcare which means we are less concerned with the name of a condition (ME, CFS etc.) and more interested in the underlying cause and contributing factors of the condition. (more…)
Last season was a great success with loads of local company teams involved, and this season promises to be even better. With the aim of spreading ME Awareness, as a bonus, we have also raised around £800.00 for Invest in ME Research, so why not join us ?
This is a call out to all York (and beyond) Businesses, Clubs and Venues to join us for next season and support your local ME Community.
To join in for next season, click on the tab at the top of the site for more information, or just to register your interest.
The aim of this group is to bring together everyone in York with a need for a little help in getting out and about in our beautiful city.
This includes those who use, or are thinking about using any type of mobility aid, from a simple walking stick, to a wheelchair or mobility scooter. This is where we can share advice, ideas and support on all things mobility, including any ideas that might help us around the house, or out and about.
It will also be where we can raise concerns of accessibility issues in York, and maybe create a strong enough voice to effect the changes needed to help us be a full part in what’s going on and live a fuller life.
We can share names of accessible shops, cafes and venues, as well as those that need to improve if they want to get our custom.
If you know of someone who might like to be a part of this group, please let them know, and let’s all join in with ideas, suggestions and support to those who might need it.
Let’s make York a better place for all of us.
To read the ME Research Summary 2019 by ME Action covering the last ten years, click on the link below:
There is a great need for the training of those with a Duty of Care to those with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). For those in Healthcare, Education or Business with this Duty of Care, this E-Learning Course is the one for you.
To learn more, click on the link below:
AccessAble in York provides information on Shopmobility, Talking Signs, Dial & Ride, York Wheels and accessible Hotels, Restaurants, Public Toilets and a whole lot more in our city. To find out more before setting off for York, click on the link below:
The York Inset Scooter Club is based in York (UK) and has a membership of around 250.
They are a thriving, active club and look to support local charities when they can. They have an annual Mods and Rockers charity ride out, and for 2019 supported The York ME Community.
They headed off from The York Eye (Clifford’s Tower) on Sun 28 Apr on a run out to the coast, set off by the Mayor of York and the York Normandy Veterans.
All money raised will be used to raise the profile of ME in York through posters being produced and put up in local business premises, clubs, schools, GP Surgeries and venues.
Euan’s Guide is the disabled access review website used by disabled people to review, share and discover accessible places to visit. The charity was founded in 2013 by Euan MacDonald, who is a powerchair user, and his sister Kiki. As Euan’s access requirements changed, both went in search of recommendations for accessible places to go, but a platform for this kind of information didn’t exist. Built as a friendly and honest alternative to hours of web searching and phone calls before visiting somewhere new, Euan’s Guide now has thousands of disabled access reviews and listings for places all over the UK and beyond.
To go to Euan's Website, click on the link below:
Our Coffee Club meets twice a month for a cuppa and a natter.
Dates and times will always be shown in our diary at the top left of this site.
The Coffee Club is open to anyone either with ME, or friends and family looking for support from people who understand.
Due to the nature of the illness, there will be times when numbers are low, but if you'd like to attend, either just turn up on the day, or email me at bill@York-ME-Community.org. If you're a member of our Facebook Group, you can of course say you'll be going via the notice in the Events area.
Help us raise money for The York ME Community to pass onto Invest in ME Research every time you shop online, and it doesn't cost you a penny !
By using the link below, when you shop online with a huge number of shops, they will pass a percentage of your purchase cost to our fund. THIS MONEY IS DONATED BY THE RETAILERS, NOT YOU !
Written Question to the Department of Health and Social Care on 22 May 2018 by Carol Monaghan SNP, answered by Caroline Dinenage Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
| Financial Year | £ |
| 2014-15 | 280,442 |
| 2015-16 | 295,626 |
| 2016-17 | 130,958 |
A TRUE STORY BY JESSICA TAYLOR-BEARMAN
Book Description: From a darkened world, bound by four walls, a young woman called Jessica tells the tale of her battle against the M.E Monster. The severest form of a neuro immune disease called Myalgic Encephalomyelitis went to war with her at just 15 years old. From beneath her dark glasses, Jessica glimpses a world far different from the one she remembers as a teenage school girl. This true story follows her path as she ends up living in hospital for years with tubes keeping her alive.
This harrowing story follows the highs and lows of the disease and being hospitalised, captured through her voice activated technology diary called `Bug' that enables her to fulfil her dream of one day becoming an author.
It provides a raw, real-time honesty to the story that would be impossible to capture in hindsight.
To order the book through Jessica's site, click on the link below:
This book is also now available at York Library
An album of original songs and poetry composed and performed by people with M.E. from all over the world, was released to mark and support ME Awareness Day, 12 May 2018.
It was hoped that by releasing this album, it will help those with ME to know that they are not alone, and for others to understand the nature of this illness and give what support they can.
Please consider downloading the album, or even a couple of tracks to help raise awareness of ME, and much needed funds for research into this illness that affects so many, but is understood by so few who may be in positions to help. Proceeds to ME Research and Education. All further information and questions, please direct via the website below: The album can be downloaded now from:
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD !
I had a very productive meeting with Cllr Aspden and Cllr Runciman of City of York Council where they have stated they will back efforts to raise awareness of ME, understanding that much more is needed to increase understanding of this debilitating disorder, in York and across the UK.
The motion put before Council with regard to support in raising ME Awareness in York was passed unanimously !
The City of York Council followed through on their promise by lighting up the city walls and Clifford's Tower in blue over ME Awareness Week.
Are you a member of a York based Sports or Fitness Club ? Looking for a local cause to run or do an activity for ? The York ME Community are looking to be 'adopted' by anyone willing to maybe run for us and help raise our profile. There are around 800 people of all ages in the York area who would be so very grateful for your help.
We had a brilliant day at York Explore Library raising ME Awareness. Lots of interest in what we're doing from local health groups, charities, the council and most heart warmingly, from those dealing with ME themselves who now know we're here for them.
If you'd like to hear more about ME, get in touch.
Time For Unrest: Why Patients With ME Are Demanding Justice.
If you want the full story on ME and will read just one article about it this year, please make it this one,
Are you on Twitter? Learn more about ME every Wednesday, 8 pm - 9 pm (UK) using #MEAwarenesshour
Mike Harley is a very special guy who's running a marathon in each EU country to raise awareness and funds for Invest in ME Research. Please visit his site to learn more.
To go to the Government's Disability Benefits Advice Guide, click on the link below: