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Zoe Norris Book - "Chronic Fatigue - A Mystery No More"

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Thinking about this further, and her coy remarks about her book, and the fact it was covered in a First Aid course I wonder if the secret was that she was overbreathing?

Just an idea - other people with CFS/M.E diagnosis have been around PR who DID have this syndrome and who recovered when treating it. Others of course have been told it is the cause of their M.E when it clearly doesn't have anything to do with M.E.

I sent myself for an appointment with a physiotherapist who dealt with breathing issues, mainly because my asthma had become so much worse and the doctor couldn't make sense of why - she spoke to me for a while before declaring that my breathing was extremely normal - I told her I meditated at times and how that slowed my breathing even further and she agreed that from her point of view there was absolutely no issue.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I am actually amazed that anyone would even contemplate buying her book. If I told everyone here that I had now cured ME/CFS on my own, and that you could be cured too, if only you would buy my book, what would you say?

Why would anyone believe that some unknown person could solve the mystery of ME/CFS on their own - by reading research articles - when those researchers who actually wrote the papers hasn't been able to? What a genius she must be! Perhaps someone will also cure cancer by sitting at home and reading PubMed.
 
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Aurator

Senior Member
Messages
625
From a very brief look, her approach seems glib, immature and opportunistic, with several shaky premises underpinning it, namely:
  • that she had the same illness as all other PWME
  • that the results other PWME get from the tests she had will necessarily be identical to her results
  • that the test results she feels were significant in her case were in fact significant in causing and/or perpetuating her illness
  • that the treatments she attributes her "cure" to are what effected her "cure"
I could go on, but I won't. I sense the Dunning-Kruger Effect in operation here, viz. the "metacognitive inability of the unskilled to recognize their ineptitude".
 

mermaid

Senior Member
Messages
714
Location
UK
My guess from a look at the last long post on her blog that this is something pretty straightforward like Vit B12 deficiency in there at least. In some respects if it is that, then yes, mainstream medicine can be woeful about picking this up for all kinds of people and it can have devastating effects.

But as THE cure for all of us on here.....without anything else. Sadly no.

I may be wrong though.
 

Mij

Messages
2,353
Here she lists the table of contents to her book. She states that she provides actual scans of her test results.

She wrote this:

"My belief is that because of the nature of these results and treatment there may be some who would not wish them to be released to the public or other patients."

http://zoenorrisrecovered.blogspot.ca/
 
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taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
while I was unwell and mostly housebound with what turned out to be a detectable and treatable illness for over 15 years.

What illness might that be? Anyone read the book?

Thinking about this further, and her coy remarks about her book, and the fact it was covered in a First Aid course I wonder if the secret was that she was overbreathing?

I guess we can take guesses right now.. what would that be which also first aid books could refer too???

Hypoglycemia.. no that would of been tested, its got to be something not commony tested..

How about low blood volume? That may be refered to in a first add book where someone has had a haemorrage and starts getting shock symptoms eg fatigue, confusion etc etc. Maybe she was simply a POTS patient who got cured by treatment of that? re her book title isnt even CFS, she refers to the illness as "chronic fatigue" so how much does she truely know about ME.

We all know there is no test we all can do and have it show abnormal so we all can get treated. She's another preying on the desperate. There will only be a small percent which have the same abnormality she had whatever it was.
 
Messages
36
The UK 3-day first aid courses that the Health and Safety Executive recognize cover the following. Possibly this is the syllabus Zoe followed. I guess stuff like eye injuries are not relevant to ME. What does that leave?


The role of the first aider
Managing an emergency
Health and safety (first aid) regulations
Communication and casualty care

Unconscious casualty
Low blood sugar
Asthma
Poisoning
Bleeding (minor and severe)
Resuscitation (adult CPR)
Bone, muscle and joint injuries
Seizures (adult)
Burns and scalds
Severe allergic reaction
Chest pains (including heart attack)
Shock
Choking (adult)
Spinal injuries
Eye injuries
Stroke
Fainting
Head injuries
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
Why can't she just tell what made her better and make her book more about her journey finding the information and how she uses this knowledge. I would think patients would still want to know how to follow her protocol.

There are just too many teasers she uses to promote this book and for me it raises red flags.

Barb
 
Messages
1,082
Location
UK
re her book title isnt even CFS, she refers to the illness as "chronic fatigue" so how much does she truely know about ME

Wow, she cured an illness called Chronic Fatigue! Good for her!

So why would people with ME buy her book? o_O :mad:

Edit: i take that back her book cover clearly states ME....
 
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Messages
1,082
Location
UK
I guess stuff like eye injuries are not relevant to ME. What does that leave?


The role of the first aider
Managing an emergency
Health and safety (first aid) regulations
Communication and casualty care

Unconscious casualty
Low blood sugar
Asthma
Poisoning
Bleeding (minor and severe)
Resuscitation (adult CPR)
Bone, muscle and joint injuries
Seizures (adult)
Burns and scalds
Severe allergic reaction
Chest pains (including heart attack)
Shock
Choking (adult)
Spinal injuries
Eye injuries
Stroke
Fainting
Head injuries

Shall we each pick one or two and follow the first aid protocol of treating it to see which one cures us? ;)

The first one who gets cured gets to rip everyone else off by only revealing which one is the cure after they hand over their cash :thumbsup:
 
Messages
36
I love a good puzzle. Here is a crossword I just did. I was so easy! Now I'm going to write a book and cure ME.

download.jpg
 

Revel

Senior Member
Messages
641
Just trawled through the mind boggling T's & C's regarding use of the website and purchase of the book (is Ms Norris aware that many of us suffer extreme cognitive impairment?).

It appears that, as long as the book is returned in good condition within 14 days, you will receive a full refund. You do have to email her first with the reason why you are dissatisfied, though. Anyone tempted yet :rolleyes:?

Apparently, Ms Norris finds it "heartbreaking" to see so many pwme suffering as we do when a cure is readily available. Still happy enough to make a fast buck out of us though. Shameful.
 
Messages
10,157
I think the first aid thing is likely related to tissue hypoxia or lack of oxygen to the tissues which is always covered in firsr aid courses. Sarah Myhill has mentioned hypoxia in relationship to mitochondrial dysfunction.

Many patients, particularly asthma patients, but also CFS patients, have a sensation that they are not getting enough oxygen to their tissues. Their response to this is to breathe more deeply. However blood cannot become more than 100% saturated with oxygen. All that happens is that more carbon dioxide is washed out of the blood. This makes oxygen cling more fiercely to haemoglobin in red blood cells and therefore oxygen delivery to the tissues is made worse! Paradoxically, to improve oxygen supply to the tissues you have to breathe less! Breathing less increases carbon dioxide levels and improves oxygen delivery.

Lowering carbon dioxide levels in the blood has other dire effects. It upsets the acidity of the blood and causes what is known in medical jargon as a respiratory alkalosis. This causes all sorts of awful symptoms such as panic attacks, pain, fatigue, feeling spaced out and dizzy, brain fag, brain fog and so on.

Read more here -- http://drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Hyperventilation

So the answer would be found in Dr Myhill's information.

I am actually quite sceptical of her claim to have had 'severe ME' for 15 years. From her linkedIn profile:

She was at University full-time from 2012 until the present.
She was in highschool from 2010 -2012

I was a learning mentor when I was in the Sixth Form for the younger pupils this required me to help and figure out ways to engage and support the students in understanding their subject. Also I was a member of my schools drama club and participated and helped direct the RSC (Royal Shakespeare company schools projects) production of Hamlet

She attended another school from 2005 – 2010

Activities and Societies: School Orchestra, leader of Violin section, member of the school choir, Violin currently Grade 4, school Prefect, school councillor, Form captain and school ambassador for open days

Other Interests

  • Girlguiding UK volunteer leader with Rainbows (5-7) and Senior section (14-26) where I plan and run weekly meetings,
  • Member of the University of Leicester modern dance society and been dancing since I have 3 years old and have helped to organise dance shows and events,
  • Play the Violin to Grade 4 standard,
  • Drama,-took part in and helped organise our schools contribution to the RSC (Royal Shakespeare company schools project) production of Hamlet.

This not the history of a person who has had severe ME for 15 years. I don't doubt that she was ill but to be able to do all those things and go to school full-time, it is impossible she had severe ME. She does describe herself as being bedbound but I just don't know where that fits in. I don't think she really understands ME and judging by her lack of transparency, I don't think I would every buy this book. I think reading up on these issues on Myhill's site would give you the same answers.

I promise if I ever get better that I will give out my remission information for FREE.
 

Aurator

Senior Member
Messages
625
I for one hope she turns her attentions to other difficulties within medicine,go zoe
She probably will, and will probably end up making similarly far-fetched claims in her inarticulate style about some "cure" she's found for a devastating illness.
You cynics
Based on the evidence so far, I think the word is sceptics, not cynics.
buy the book and release the secret.
Since you clearly have more faith that it can deliver on its promises than many of us do, I'd say you should be the one who buys it and releases "the secret". We shall wait with bated breath for our cure - or to learn of yet another way in which chronically sick people can waste £20 in a desperate search to get better.