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"Why I Can’t Just Meet You for Dinner: The Reality of Post-Exertional Malaise"
Thoughtful blog post which tries to explain postexertional malaise & how those who suffer from it need to be very careful with which activities they do
He highlights how post-exertional malaise can lead a worsening of the condition which could be permanent.
#MEcfs #LongCovid
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“This is what people on the outside don’t understand. When they say “but you’re only working part-time,” they think that means you have all this free time. They don’t understand that the “free time” is actually recovery time. It’s not leisure.”
2/ “At first glance, [#CFS] symptoms mirror those of depression,leading to frequent misdiagnosis & inappropriate treatment.This confusion extends beyond simple categorization errors—it fundamentally affects patients’ treatment options,self-perception & access to appropriate care”
3/ Not convinced this is a characteristic part of ME/CFS:
“Reduced interest in previously enjoyed activities”
Many would love to do “previously enjoyed activities”. Though after they have been sick for a long time, they may look for pleasure in less energy-sapping activities.
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"Almost no ME/CFS patients return to work: "The help we have provided to patients through the welfare and healthcare systems has had little rehabilitative effect," says a researcher."
“They see [in the research data] that very few of the patients were well enough to work again, even nine years after diagnosis. These are disappointing results, but unfortunately not particularly surprising.”
#MEcfs #PwME
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“Many patient stories show that those who try to adapt to the labor market often experience relapse. Working life is largely not adapted for people with low and varying work capacity, says Trude Schei, assistant secretary general of the ME Association.”
2/ “A study involving over 3,000 participants – both patients & clinicians – found that these misdiagnoses (sometimes termed “in your head” by patients) were often associated with long term impacts on patients’ physical health & wellbeing and damaged trust in healthcare services”
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“Patients who reported that their autoimmune disease was misdiagnosed as psychosomatic or a mental health condition were more likely to experience higher levels of depression and anxiety, and lower mental wellbeing. (contd)”
“Worse, when we don’t ignore them, we blame them, telling them they are all free to rise from their beds & wheelchairs, to walk away from the city. Doctors tell them they can free themselves of the disease by changing their belief systems. (contd)”
#MyalgicEncephalomyelitis
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“(Contd) Make the effort, they say, and you will regain your health and previous lives.”