By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. The Spinal Series This is part three of a series examining spinal issues which may mimic chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fibromyalgia. The first two in the series involved two very ill ME/CFS patients who have recovered or are recovering following surgery to correct craniocervical instability. Could […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. Dr. Camille Birch has a PhD in biomedical engineering and hails from the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology at Huntsville, Alabama. Hudson Alpha, only 11 years old, is one of those new biotechnology efforts that’s using sophisticated bioinformatics to understand how our genes affect our health. Dr. […]
By Jennifer Brea. I just wanted to respond to a few comments and questions raised in response to recent posts in this series. If you aren’t a part of the ME community, be forewarned, much of the following will be hard to follow! The first set of questions all circle the same core question: do […]
By The University of Leeds, published in EurekAlert ! Scientists have identified a new internal regulator that helps control the body’s response to fight infection. The discovery could be a target for new drugs to tackle autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and scleroderma, where healthy tissues are attacked by the body’s own immune […]
From 9News. Aimee De Lurant’s battle with chronic fatigue syndrome often leaves her bed ridden, unable to concentrate or even move. The 25-year-old can’t work and has a limited social life as a result of the condition, which at its worst causes symptoms including excruciating pain and extreme exhaustion. “I can’t get out […]
By Michiel Tak in Science For ME. CCI/AAI has little in common with ME/CFS Three ME/CFS patients, Jeff, Jennifer, and Matt, have reported spectacular improvements of their ME/CFS symptoms following surgical interventions for craniocervical instability (CCI) and atlantoaxial instability (AAI). CCI refers to increased mobility and instability of the craniocervical junction, the transition between […]
From The Microbiology Society. Humans coexist with more than 100 trillion micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, archaea, viruses and protozoa that reside in multiple sites of the body, including the skin, lungs and reproductive tract. Those with the highest density and diversity are found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (the intestinal microbiota) and […]
From Mechanical Basis. An interview between Jeff and Mattie who has undergone a CCI Fusion operation in the hope of reversing ME. Mattie is a 47 year old web developer. He lives in a small town in the Netherlands with his wife, his 17 year old son, and their two golden retrievers. Mattie […]
From Syndrome A. Summary Two symptoms occur frequently in people with ME/CFS: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and low blood volume. What if these are not coincidental? Reading time: 4 minutes 27 seconds People with ME/CFS have less blood than we should. We have low blood volume. We also tend to have a condition […]
By David Tuller, DrPH On Wednesday, I sent the following to Dr Fiona Godlee, editorial director of BMJ. The topic, once again, was the ethically and methodologically challenged Lightning Process study, which was published two years ago in Archives of Disease in Childhood, a BMJ journal. My letter was prompted by the recent appearance […]
By Ryan Prior CNN. (CNN)Multiple times a day, every day, Ron Davis sits with his head bowed, waiting outside his son’s bedroom for a subtle signal that it’s all right to come in. He opens the door to the space where Whitney has spent most of the last decade. Whitney lies motionless […]
From #FindME. Do you trust your GP to give you the right diagnosis and treatment you need whenever you feel ill? Yes, most people do! But what if your GP fails to give an accurate diagnosis and worse, prescribes the wrong therapy? This is exactly what happened in the UK based on […]
By Cathie Anderson in The Tribune. Researchers at Stanford University and UC Irvine appear close to giving people with chronic fatigue syndrome something they have wanted for decades: a biological test that diagnoses their disease, according to a research paper published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Those who suffer from […]
By Gerwyn Morris, Michael Maes, Michael Berk and Basant K. Puri in Springer Link. Abstract. A model of the development and progression of chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis), the aetiology of which is currently unknown, is put forward, starting with a consideration of the post-infection role of damage-associated molecular patterns and the development of chronic inflammatory, oxidative and […]
By Amber Ella in Health Rising. This is Part I of a three-part series on using marijuana or cannabis as medicine for chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and/or fibromaylgia (FM). The first two parts by Amber focus on the science behind using Cannabis and how to get started on it. The last part by Cort focuses […]
From Stanford Medicine News Center. Stanford scientists devised a blood-based test that accurately identified people with chronic fatigue syndrome, a new study reports. People suffering from a debilitating and often discounted disease known as chronic fatigue syndrome may soon have something they’ve been seeking for decades: scientific proof of their ailment. Researchers […]
From BBC News. Isle of Man patients with the chronic illness ME will get the support they need, the health minister said. David Ashford MHK made the pledge after a petition calling for Tynwald to investigate the current provision attracted more than 1,500 signatures. The petition was set up by former teacher Craig Morris, […]
BY SIMON MCGRATH in ME/CFS Research Review. It is remarkable that four independent groups have now found that a factor in the blood can affect cell metabolism/mitochondria in ME/CFS and transfer the effect to healthy cells. Here is a summary of the provisional findings. Fluge & Mella. The first to find the effect were Dr […]
From Eureka Alert. When mitochondria become damaged, they avoid causing further problems by signaling cellular proteins to degrade them. In a paper publishing April 11, 2019, in the journal Developmental Cell, scientists in Norway report that they have discovered how the cells trigger this process, which is called mitophagy. In cells with broken mitochondria, […]
By Jennie Spotila in Occupy M.E. Last year, I fully endorsed Dr. David Tuller’s crowdfunding appeal in support of his investigative reporting on ME. This year, I am happy to endorse Tuller’s fundraising once again. The progress report that accompanies Dr. Tuller’s fundraising request (and also posted on Virology blog) details his research, writing and publications during the last year. […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. With its regular news updates, information on drugs and diseases, quizzes, conference overviews, and educational courses, Medscape, which just turned 20 years old, strives to be a kind of one-stop shop for medical professionals (and consumers). It appears to be succeeding. Producing dozens of news stories a day, […]
By Cort Johnson in Simmaron Research. In 2013, Michael VanElzakker produced one of the most intriguing hypotheses to date in ME/CFS. His Vagus Nerve Hypothesis proposed that an infection/inflammation near the vagus nerve was causing it to send an unending stream of messages to the brain, telling it to essentially shut the body […]
By Abby Pickus in DEPAUL Magazine. In 1980, a high school English teacher from Wisconsin named Pat Fero went on a trip to England. Healthy and in her 30s, she noticed something was very wrong toward the end of the trip. “We were in this beautiful countryside, and we went to climb a hill […]
By Jonathan R. Kelly in Frontiers in Pediatrics. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a chronic multisystem disease characterized by a variety of symptoms, and exhibits various features of an autoimmune-like disease. Subtypes are well recognized but to date are difficult to identify objectively. The disease may be triggered by infection […]
By David Tuller, DrPH. Update (later on March 4): Because Royal United Hospitals Bath suggested that I “redirect” my request for documents back to Bristol University, that’s what I did. Earlier today, I sent an e-mail to Bristol’s director of legal services. Here’s what I wrote: As you likely remember, I have […]
By David Tuller, DrPH. Boy, it’s hard to keep up with all the stupid studies coming out! But that’s no reason not to take a look at a couple of them. (In both cases, I’m just making a few comments. Much more could be said about each of these studies. You can read […]
From Syndrome A. To recap from the previous blog post “Part I: Blood Flow in Sepsis & ME/CFS”, ME/CFS looks like a lot like sepsis and sepsis is an inflammatory illness of blood vessels. The blood vessel problems in sepsis interfere with oxygen delivery to cells. The particular kind of blood flow problem that you find in […]
Q Asked by Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) on 14 Feb 2019. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research 221619 To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many grant applications have been made to the Medical Research Council for ME/CFS related research since 2010; how […]
From Science Daily. University of ManchesterSummary:Scientists have discovered a critical part of the body’s immune system with potentially major implications for the treatment of some of the most devastating diseases affecting humans. The study could translate into treatments for autoimmune diseases including Cancer, Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis and Crohn’s Disease within a few years. […]
From Floxie Hope. The symptoms of fluoroquinolone toxicity often mimic those of ME/CFS (Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome). Many people suffering from fluoroquinolone toxicity experience debilitating fatigue, and some are bed-bound and permanently disabled from this symptom, along with all the others that come along with fluoroquinolone toxicity. Both fluoroquinolone toxicity and ME/CFS […]
By Rachel Black in Bateman Horne Center. In our December 2018 education meeting, we were pleased to hear from Dr. Alan Light, a Professor of Anesthesiology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy at the University of Utah. He has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles, and has spent the last 10 years of his career focusing on the symptoms […]
By Cort Johnson in Health Rising. A Different Approach to Fibromyalgia “The effects of not getting good blood flow to your brain, joints and muscles?…. Fibromyalgia” – Vital Motion Erik Hiester D.O., is not your ordinary doctor. He’s an interesting blend of engineer and doctor. Hiester’s first love was biomedical engineering (B.S. and M.S.). Wanting […]
By Mark Guthridge, Monash University, in The Conversation. Around 200,000 people in Australia suffer from a debilitating illness often branded with the unfortunate name of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I say “unfortunate” because this implies patients are simply tired, run-down, burnt-out or overly stressed. But myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS as it is now more commonly called, […]
By Luis C Nacul et al in BMC Medicine. Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been used to name a range of chronic conditions characterized by extreme fatigue and other disabling symptoms. Attempts to estimate the burden of disease have been limited by selection bias, and by lack of […]
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Wed 19 June 2019 - at 2 pm - The York ME Community Coffee Club at The Longboat, Blossom St, York.
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Mon 1 July 2019 at 11 am - The York ME Community Coffee Club at Bar Convent, 17 Blossom Street, York.
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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.
STOP PRESS: FULL DEBATE TO BE HELD IN PARLIAMENT ON THURSDAY 24TH JANUARY 2019
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…)
The York Mobility Scooter Club has been set up as a Facebook Group with the idea of being somewhere for anyone in the York area to talk about all things mobility scooters. From those first steps of being so wary of taking that first step of admitting that you need help, to the best scooter for individual needs. All reviews are welcomed !
It will also be where we can talk about accessibility issues in York for scooters, and if this develops into a strong theme, I may open a separate group on that subject.
My aim is also ideally in time to meet up for some sort of wheeled rambles, and so suggestions of sensible routes would be welcomed.
I don't aim to set many rules, just that we all support each other and lend a help when we can. Please feel free to invite others who are aiming to get a scooter, or have one, for whatever reason, and let's see where this little adventure takes 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.
Last season was a great success with 15 teams involved, and this season is going brilliantly with the aim of spreading ME Awareness. As a bonus, we have also raised £725.00 for Invest in ME Research.
This is a call out to all York Businesses, Clubs and Venues to put it in your diaries for next season and support your local ME Community.
To join in for next season and help raise ME Awareness in your local area, have a look at the tab at the top of the site for more information.
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: