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Welcome to Phoenix Rising!
Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
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I Miss Movement as an OutletI should try the mental movement thing more, for some reason I'm resistant to doing it. Maybe the energetic cost of concentrating, dunno... -
I Miss Movement as an OutletI love Tai chi! It was taught free at a park across the street when I was newly ill. Went to one class and that was all I could do. Amazing you...
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Medical updateOh Emma Just the reading and registering this. Made me cry. So much love to you you sweet soul 💗💛💗 Love and appreciate you so much! and... -
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Medical updateAwww, Andy. Very helpful ideas and You make some good points. Yes, something is up with my larynx. If I try to talk, much mucous forms over it...
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This post is not tagged as humor, however dark. It is intended to be a serious discussion of how people deal with ignorance and uncertainty. The title is taken from inscriptions added to make blank areas of old maps somewhat less naked.
Those dragons would naturally explain an absence of...
At this time of crisis I want to make it clear I do not support some extreme criticisms of the CDC. Should the shocking charges against one administrator be proved in court, which remains to be decided, I think all reasonable people will agree she violated CDC policy in several serious ways...
Hierarchiology, the study of hierarchies, is essential to modern science, in which hierarchies play a dominant role. Let me discuss a few fundamental principles of this subject.
First, the purpose of any hierarchy is to separate authority from responsibility. This, for example, allows...
This is a departure from my recent biological posts and a temporary return to topical economic issues. Two things have prompted this: 1) news of further problems with European debt; 2) a recent announcement by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The news of a downgrade in...
Public health officials live a life of short-term excitements, bouncing from one crisis of confidence to another, constantly reassuring the public that everything will be under control so long as doctors and patients follow instructions, and the public keeps funding flowing. Historical...
All is going well with the baby and he/she is kicking away madly. My husband felt the kicks for the first time on the weekend and we both had a tear in our eye. Whatever route this ME/CFS takes this baby will be very much wanted and loved.
I have been to see the gynecologist and he thinks...
So far, I've covered several stages in the life cycle of a retrovirus infecting mammals. Transmission via body fluids, blood, saliva, semen in horizontal transmission, milk in vertical transmission are typical. This could apply to a beta or gamma retrovirus. As it happens, both groups are...
A good marital relationship might be crucial for long life following heart surgery
Heart surgery is a major procedure, and not every person lives very long afterward. However, one factor that could improve life expectancy after heart surgery is a good marital relationship. Married people...
While I started out to write a topical piece on current controversies, biomedical or economic, I decided others were doing a more than adequate job of venting hot air without me. Instead, one fallacy which consumes a great deal of scientific effort stands out as in need of explanation. It is...
This is hardly a unique event. For perspective on the current controversy over retroviruses in ME/CFS, which continues to generate more heat than light, I want to describe research on human breast cancer in relation to mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV). You can find surveys of the possible role...
One Hundred and First Reason to Stay in Your Room
by Franz Wright
I was just coming from a visit to my doctor. Not the medical one this time, though they both work for the same company. One of those inimitably dark April days in Boston, the cold returned, though not in a big way: gray...
I woke up yesterday morning and felt pretty good. I had a shower which normally saps my energy, but I actually felt good. I felt so good actually, with no ME/CFS symptoms at all. I can't remember the last time I didn't have brain fog, but it must be years.
I felt so normal, I had to ring my...
I was flipping through a magazine and saw a little ad for Sonia Kashuk's nail polish, and one of her latest colors is called Fatigued. At first, I thought she was making fun of us. I'm being overly sensitive, but since the entire world has made fun of us for like thirty years, it's kind of...
"The ruling class has the schools and press under its thumb. This enables it to sway the emotions of the masses."
Albert Einstein, letter to Sigmund Freud, July 30, 1932
An unexpected surprise in the last two weeks. My brain fog has lifted to the level that I can now read and take in information. The boost of energy has meant that I have been able to get out of the house more and of course that also meant that I have overdone it and crashed for the last three...
Medical History for Doug 1997-2010
Summary:
From 1997-2007 had an unknown illness. I had a diagnosis in 6/2007 and started treatment for CFS, CPN and EBV. I stopped treatment in 9/2010 when 100% well.
I started this letter in 2005, added to in 2/06 and 5/07. This was prepared for...
Audiences and an Activism Abyss
A logical progression from When PR means Public Relations part 1 would now involve a principled discussion of the target audience(s) that M.E/CFS representation needs to address, however given the current media position of M.E/CFS a purely principled...
Just in case anyone is confused by this perspective, I want to emphasize that a virus is unlikely to have mental processes of any kind. We don't normally even call things living if they can be crystallized and stored like salt. My approach is a literary device to help us view the problem from...
What kind of virus should we expect to cause chronic infectious diseases? Will it resemble the virus that causes measles? If not, how will it differ? Perhaps we can get a better idea by viewing things from the perspective of a virus.
While we often believe pathogens are out to kill us, the...
Autumn Day
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Lord, it is time. The summer was too long.
Lay down thy shadow over the sundials,
and on the meadows let the winds blow strong.
Bid the last fruit to ripen on the vine;
allow them still two friendly southern days
to bring them to perfection and to...