On May 12th, individuals around the globe will be celebrating International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. The May 12th date was chosen because it is Florence Nightingale’s birthday and she was believed to have suffered from ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), a chronic disabling multi-system illness that remains misunderstood, underfunded in research, and even trivialized by some today.
Bateman Horne Center is guided by a board of directors that is intimately connected to ME/CFS and FM. Many have sons, daughters or are themselves managing an illness that has taken much of their life away. Most of you know that our organization is named after Dr. B, but many don’t realize it is also named after her sister, Shauna Horne.
Living with ME/CFS or fibromyalgia, important, energy consuming events can be absolutely overwhelming and impossible. In September’s education meeting, Linda Milne - a longtime patient and community member of the Bateman Horne Center - shares her knowledge about...
Jen Brea’s movie, Unrest, is bringing attention to the struggles that people with ME/CFS face. This award-winning film is available on Netflix, Amazon, and your local PBS station, and if you haven’t seen it yet, block out some time to take a look. Jen turns an...
One morning three years ago, I woke up early determined to do something “that normal, healthy” people do. I donned a t-shirt and sweats, went to the gym, and jogged on the treadmill for 20 minutes. No big deal, right? Think again. The aftermath of my 20 minute stay in...
It’s a hard to be a sick mom. For most mothers, a few days of illness may mean a back-up of laundry and a night or two of frozen pizza or cold cereal for dinner. For those of us moms that are chronically ill, it’s a whole other ball game. Certainly we have to adapt, get creative, and employ as many mom hacks as we can (i.e. Amazon prime, grocery pick up, self-serve kid snacks, and yes, we still have an above average number of cereal dinners). Beyond the physical demands and limitations, however, are the mental and emotional obstacles that we face. The mom guilt is present enough when you are healthy; it can be even more crushing when you are not.
Written by Brooklyn Ingram, a young person with ME/CFS, this blog post describes her refusal to be defined by a disease. Read more of her blog Future Dead Person here. We live in a culture that demands clearly defined roles for every individual. I see these roles in...
Written by a patient who participated in a BHC research study to validate a new protocol used to assess orthostatic intolerance. Here she shares what she unexpectedly learned from her NASA 10-Minute Lean Test at BHC To be perfectly honest, when I decided to...
BHC has converted their questions into a simple online questionnaire The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Advisory Committee (CFSAC) provides advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Assistant Secretary for Health on issues...
Three years ago, Megan Hastings began most mornings with a quick run and some meditation. Today, the effects of her illness make running impossible, but she finds she can meditate to bring comfort and peace. The practice helps her to reduce stress, increase...
On May 12th, individuals around the globe will be celebrating International ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Awareness Day and 2017 marks the 25th anniversary. The May 12th date was chosen because it is Florence Nightingale's birthday and she was believed to have suffered from...
Still reeling from her diagnosis, Nicole shares how three surprises took her down a path that led her to help, hope and BHC. Nicole Paolucci Rabanal is a wife, mother, friend and physical therapists from Steamboat Springs CO. Upon returning to health she looks forward...
Lucinda Bateman, MD, is a renowned clinician, researcher, and educator. Her Johns Hopkins University Medical School training instilled an approach to care that she has employed throughout her career – the patient comes first and the unknown or unexplained does not equate to a lack of proper and compassionate care. Since starting her own practice in 2000, she has served on six boards or committees, been the principal investigator for 45 studies, authored/coauthored 40 journal articles, served as adjunct instructor and adjunct assistant professor in the University of Utah Departments of Preventative Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Anesthesiology, and lectured around the world.