Dr. Cheney is not at all ill from his heart transplant, only takes one anti-rejection pill a day, and is the star pupil of the Duke heart transplant people and has had his medical practice going fulyl forward for the last 4-5 years.
He only sees patients three days a week now, although before the XMRV news last fall, he often saw established patients on Thurs.
From having the heart transplant, he learned that the best treatment for his patients was to cure major organs of the body e.g.brain, gut, before trying to wrestle the causitive agent. So that is what he's currently doing along with helping us to feel the best we can as science goes forward to findinga treatment/cure for this retrovirus.
Yes, he is expensive, but he spends at least 3 or more hours with an established patient, and for new patients does not hand out a CFS diagnosis without thoroughly talking with and examing the patient.
I've had CFS for nearly 28 years, have been seeing him for 20 and feel the best now that I've ever felt.
BTW, in his first year at med school at Emory, he finished up his Ph d from Duke. Atomic physics. A very smart fellow who never hesitates to change his mind as to what is or is not helping
patients. To me that signifies both intelligence and courage, since his goal is to help us, not to protect his ego.