The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, swept across the globe with an unparalleled speed and severity. As a researcher dedicated to understanding how viral infections lead to chronic illness, I knew this pandemic would have far-reaching...
Long COVID
Innovative Trials: Research and Clinical Insights on Long COVID Therapy
Innovative Trials: Research and Clinical Insights on Long COVID Therapy Candace Rond, Bateman Horne Center's Research Manager and Jennifer Bell Clinical Manager and Medical Provider The Research In the summer of 2022, the Bateman Horne Center (BHC) carried out an...
Reflections on the 2024 Mast Cell Masterminds Conference
Reflections on the 2024 Mast Cell Masterminds Conference By Melanie Hoppers, M.D. Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Mast Cell Masterminds Conference in Oregon with my Bateman Horne Center colleagues, Dr. Brayden Yellman and Jennifer Bell, FNP-C....
Living with Orthostatic Intolerance (OI)
Living with Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) by Melanie Hoppers, MD If you’ve ever felt like simple, everyday activities drain your energy, you’re not alone. Living with orthostatic intolerance (OI) can turn activities like standing in line, taking a shower, or even...
The Story Behind “Life with a Low Battery: Living with ME/CFS”
The Story Behind "Life with a Low Battery: Living with ME/CFS" I am thrilled to announce the release of our latest educational video, Life with a Low Battery: Living with ME/CFS. This video was created not just to educate, but to amplify the voices of those...
Honoring Our Illness Journey
Honoring Our Illness Journey Today I am going to talk about something important which is honoring our illness journeys. When we talk about honoring our illness journeys what does that mean? Honoring includes 2 things: 1) respect, and 2) esteem. I think these are two...
Slowly Dying
**Trigger Warning. This poem may be difficult to read for some individuals. Please take care. Here is a link to BHC's Crisis Resources page.** Slowly Dying I'm on earth, and I no longer feel like I'm living; instead, I'm slowly dying. It's like being in a...
How to Be a Demanding Diplomat as a Severe ME/CFS Caregiver
Galen Warden is the mother of an adult son with severe ME/CFS. Bateman Horne Center partnered with her to provide essential guidance on caring and advocating for individuals with ME/CFS. This blog post includes: Galen's video presentation Galen's presentation slides...
Long COVID Treatment Trial
This past summer, we completed an open-label, proof of concept trial using a combination of valacyclovir, the generic form of Valtrex, and celecoxib, the generic form of Celebrex to see if it improved symptoms in women sick with Long COVID. The combination of these...
Caregiver Guidance
Appendix 2: When someone you care about experiences a crash, it can be scary and leave you feeling helpless. This resource aims to equip you with knowledge and insights from caregiver-to-caregiver on ways to support and alleviate the suffering of the person experiencing the crash (referenced below as the patient).
Crash Care Kit Essentials
Chapter 11: While living with ME/CFS, it is vital to learn the art of preventing and minimizing PEM and a subsequent crash. While not in a crash state, familiarize yourself with resources that can assist you in conserving energy and apply these following concepts to your everyday life.
Brain Fog in ME/CFS and Long COVID
This week our paper about possible causes of brain fog in ME/CFS and Long COVID was published in Frontiers of Neuroscience. This study included a large group of ME/CFS patients, Long COVID patients, and matched healthy controls. We hypothesized that cognitive...