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Daily Mail (UK) - I'd rather have cancer than CFS

worldbackwards

Senior Member
Messages
2,051
Only had a flick through, but it's surprisingly not bad for the Mail. Says ME and FM are interchangeable, but you expect that kind of shoddy research from the tabloids.
 

charles shepherd

Senior Member
Messages
2,239
Only had a flick through, but it's surprisingly not bad for the Mail. Says ME and FM are interchangeable, but you expect that kind of shoddy research from the tabloids.

Reply

Yes, while FM and ME/CFS have symptoms in common there are also important differences - so they are not the same condition.

I'm afraid we were not given the opportunity to check the whole article and correct any errors before it went to press.
 

charles shepherd

Senior Member
Messages
2,239
I am so glad to see some recognition in the media! Lets show the Daily Mail in the comments that we are grateful for coverage of the physical devastation this diseases causes.

Yes, it would not do any harm to say something nice about the Daily Mail coverage - possibly included in a correction of anything that needs correcting (e.g. FM = ME/CFS). I haven't yet had time to read the whole item.
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
I'm sorry comments are focussing on the fibro/ME confusion instead of on how excellent the article is.
 

charles shepherd

Senior Member
Messages
2,239
Good article but I am worried that the headline will be used against us.

Yes, it's a good article.

My only criticism relates to the Stone Age diet.

This is not something I would recommend for people with ME/CFS, especially when cancer is involved as well.

People with this illness have more than enough restrictions placed on what they enjoy doing.

Unnecessary dietary restrictions should not be added to the list - unless there are really good reasons to do so (e.g. trying an exclusion diet to help with IBS type symptoms).
 

Min

Guest
Messages
1,387
Location
UK
I had a Dutch GP who said that fibromyalgia and M.E were considered the same illness in his country.

(Unfortunately he stupidly said that everyone with M.E. should 'take up sport', maybe his M.E. patients annoyed him do much he was trying to kill them off. I can only walk a few steps so didn't take his advice)
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
I had a Dutch GP who said that fibromyalgia and M.E were considered the same illness in his country.

There are some Australian "CFS" specialists (well ones in my state of Adelaide) who do believe thatt they are the same thing too. I had one CFS specialist here put me onto fibromyalgia drugs at a time I didnt even have it and wasnt getting any of that kind of pain. I told him but he just ignoredme and goes "we'll try this".

When I went back next appointment he goes "how's your all over pain now?" .. and Im like What?? I told you I dont get any of that any more and hadnt for a long time and you still insisted I went onto the FM drug and of cause it didnt do a thing. His response was just "you can come off of it now". This CFS specialist had also previously said FM and ME/CFS were the same thing.

This soo bugged me, I was needlessly put onto a drug for a symptom I didnt have (while the symptoms I did have were ignored) esp when I have MCS and can get some very bad drug reactions when trying drugs. I wont let myself be pushed into that kind of situation again.

So it bugs me when the media confuses ME and FM but I guess with the current state of affairs as horrific as they are, we cant expect too much.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Good article but I am worried that the headline will be used against us.

I personally like the headline..its exactly how I feel and Ive said that at times myself (and I how bad cancer is as Ive watched many family members die from it).

I think I have PTSD over how badly Ive been treated by the professionals from "some" doctors to my states government disabiliyt service. (I have nightmares where Im taken away by them and left to die somewhere from ME, due to not being believed how sick I are. Nightmares where Im dragged onto ambulances cause they are going to lock me away while crying and screaming they are going to kill me cause I are really sick).

If I had cancer, I do believe I'd be feeling less traumatised and wouldnt be feeling suicidal over how badly Ive been treated by those who were supposed to help.
............

I just read the whole article and cant at all see where it says FM and ME/CFS are the same thing?? (maybe they corrected the article???). I think its a great article.
 
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WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
MEA and Professor Jose Montoya from Stanford have been assisting in the preparation of this Daily Mail article:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...ople-unfairly-labelled-attention-seekers.html

NB: The Daily Mail is well known for its sometimes rather sensationalised coverage of health news/stories

Thanks so much for working for good press coverage and please pass on our thanks to Dr. Montoya and the reporter as well. It's such a relief to see more balanced coverage.
 

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
Good article but I am worried that the headline will be used against us.

The prospect of that headline is probably what sold the story to them. All we need now is to find a way to blame the PACE debacle on immigrants or single mothers, and a light intermission with some "adorable puppies" being rescued by a person with ME and we're away.

To be fair, the person in the article has both, so she'd know.

Yes, and as an individual comment on her own circumstances that's fine. But I really hope that this is not a line that the ME charities or anyone else tries to pursue further. "Our horrible illness is worse than your horrible illness" (out of the context of say functional scientific comparisons) is not good PR and really quite counter-productive.