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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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Blog entries by Michelle
There is a slogan that pops up in feminist discourse from time to time: sexism hurts men too. And while I don’t know that it’s an argument most men find so persuasive they then choose to abandon the patriarchy, I couldn’t help but think of the refrain while reading the discussion in the comments...
ME/CFS Awareness Day: "This is not a day to arouse your pity. Its to arouse your outrage, anxiety, and agitation."
The most depressing moment of my day is when I wake up. I turn over, look at the clock, and see that its 1:30 in the afternoon. Despite having been asleep for 12 or more hours...
I wish Simon Wessely was right. I wish this illness really was just psychologically perpetuated. I wish that the more I pushed myself Monday to make cookies and candies for friends and family this Christmas, the more that constant icky, flu-like feeling would have receded into the background and...
(Cross-posted at Behind the Surface)
Since my boyfriend, A., arrived a week and a half ago, I have awakened each morning to his succinct report of the most interesting news story of the day such as the latest creepy cop video on Reddit or the most recent Obama capitulation to the Republicans...
A year ago I tried examining the question of why ME/CFS patients have been so unable to advocate for themselves effectively, particularly in the arena of fundraising. Except I did not find my thoughts particularly enlightening, even as I have continued to feel there are good reasons to explain...
I woke up Tuesday with a sticky despondency I have not felt in a very long time. It was early -- that is, in Michelle-world, 1 pm -- as I had an appointment with my primary care provider to discuss the lower right abdominal pain I've been having for five years. Except I knew there was little...
The word fuck never crossed my lips until I got sick. Until I got vertigo, to be exact. I had just started my first grown-up (i.e. non academic) job (Public Relations) in June 2000. I even had my own cubicle and business cards. Then I woke up the day after Independence Day with everything...
Cross-posted at Behind the surface
Anne Shirley has been a kindred spirit ever since I first watched the Kevin Sullivan production of the classic book by L.M. Montgomery. The first time I heard her talk about "so much view for the imagination," I remember thinking, someone else thinks like...