• 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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Search results

  1. Darla

    What outlets do we have to publish pieces of art or writing about this illness and theology or spirituality, or just any art about it?

    I published creative nonfiction (though not poetry) written from a Christian perspective in Breath & Shadow. I found a few places that will take poetry concerning illness: Bellevue Literary Review Bellevue Literary Review, founded in 2000, was created as a forum for creatively exploring a broad...
  2. Darla

    Who has ruled out Lyme disease and heavy metal toxicity?

    I've had Lyme testing and heavy metal testing via hair sample, both negative. I wouldn't be surprised if I had some sort of problem with black mold, but it's unclear to me how to test for or treat that.
  3. Darla

    What can low white blood cells indicate?

    I've had low white blood cells twice in my 12 years of being ill, but I don't know what it means.
  4. Darla

    Is there any consensus on which Vaccine is less of a risk for us?

    I received the J&J vaccine and had intense chills 10 hours later. Other than that I was fine. I have mild ME.
  5. Darla

    Useful books relating to ME- for patients, and others

    Thank you for sharing this, Pyrrhus: https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Category:Books If you're an MEpedia contributor, do you know how I can add a page for my book and link it to that list?
  6. Darla

    Useful books relating to ME- for patients, and others

    Lightening the Shadow: Diagnosing and Living with an Invisible Chronic Illness by Darla Nagel is a powerful yet practical memoir about a 19-year-old rebuilding her life after developing a disease that attacks her cognition and digestion, among other effects. Learn seven lessons to ease the...
  7. Darla

    Individuals with mild cfs

    After I took low-dose naltrexone (3 mg every night), my case went from moderate to mild in about a month. Brain fog was my worst symptom, and that's the symptom the treatment eliminated.
  8. New ME Memoir Available

    New ME Memoir Available

    I'm Darla, a nine-year ME patient who has released a memoir, Lightening the Shadow: Diagnosing and Living with an Invisible Chronic Illness. Short description: While a college student, her education turned into a crash course in investigating diagnoses and scaling back life plans after crushing...
    • Darla
    • Blog entry
    • 2 min read
    • Comments: 1
    • Category: User Blogs
  9. Darla

    Is ME/CFS a Rich Man’s Disease?

    Seems to me if the doctor really cared about caring for an ME patient and had room in his schedule to take on a new patient, there'd be no residency requirement or four-digit deposit for an appointment. There are other and more worthwhile ME specialists in CA, aren't there? I've never heard of...
  10. Darla

    What Remission Is Like: Being Scared of My Shadow

    Feeling better than I have in years but still burdened and afraid of my "shadow," the metaphor I've used to describe my ME/CFS: https://www.darlanagel.com/blog/what-remission-is-like-scared-of-my-shadow
    • Darla
    • Blog entry
    • 1 min read
    • Comments: 2
    • Category: User Blogs
  11. Darla

    Darla

    Health copyeditor and writing tutor living with ME and Raynaud's disease. Author of Lightening the Shadow: Diagnosing and Living with an Invisible Chronic Illness. Full blog and book info available at darlanagel.com.
    • Darla
    • Blog
    • Blog entries: 3
  12. Darla

    Four Inspirational Quotes (or, e-hugs)

    Though not a cure, a hug communicates encouragement, warmth, and caring. Since I can't give you all hugs, I'll try encouraging you through a short collection of quotes. "When you accept that you are chronically ill, the energy you used to exert fighting with yourself can be spent fighting for...
  13. Darla

    Lifestyle Management Resources

    This was helpful for me, and a free resource is hard to beat!