CFS/ME has been known to medical science since the 1950’s when it was called myalgic encephalomyelitis. The term simply means that the brain and spinal cord are inflamed resulting in muscle pain. It affects about 0.5-1.0% of the population. Most commonly it affects women, but men and children can also be affected.
One of the most famous pioneers of nursing, Florence Nightingale, was said to suffer from a form of CFS/ME. Her birthday, May 12, is International CFS day (in addition to International Nurses Day). By 1896, she was bedridden from the disease, but continued with her efforts to plan hospitals from her bed.
The cause of CFS/ME is unknown, but it does seem to originate from an infection such as an enterovirus or herpes virus. Bacterial infections may also be a cause. It is often considered an autoimmune disease. This is perhaps because it causes dysfunction of the endocrine system, but there is no evidence to support an autoimmune origin.
Symptoms include muscle weakness and pain, headaches, swollen lymph glands, cognitive thinking problems (a brain fog), orthostatic hypotension, fever, palpitations, nausea and vertigo. These symptoms can be found with a variety of other diseases including HIV/AIDS, lupus, and celiac disease and it’s important for the health care practitioner to make a differential diagnosis.
The severity of these symptoms can range from mild to extremely severe. Some have died from CFS/ME, but most are affected more by the malaise that sets in. This malaise can recur with even small amounts of exertion and last for days and even months.
Medical journalist Maija Haavisto herself suffered from CFS/ME and her condition deteriorated to a point of severe cognitive problems and tremendous difficulty walking. She struggled perhaps even more with physicians who didn’t take her seriously and didn’t know how to help her.
She began to research information for a brochure for her Finnish website about CFS/ME and it grew into a manuscript which eventually became Reviving the Broken Marionette Treatments for CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia.
She met a physician who took an interest in her writings and agreed to treat her with some of the medications she had included in her findings. This proved to be very beneficial to her situation and she went on to publish her book.
In Reviving the Broken Marionette, Haavisto briefly describes the symptoms and various treatments for CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia and then delves deeply into various medical treatments (over 250 of them) and how they help or hinder CFS/ME. She spends an entire chapter on specific classifications of medications such as pain killers, antimicrobials, sleep aids and muscle relaxants, psychiatric drugs, hormones, and cardiac drugs.
At the end of each chapter is an annotated bibliography which proves tremendous research effort by Haavisto. She includes an extensive glossary and index to assist the reader in finding the information that may prove to be a key to successful treatment.
The medical community has long had a tendency to dismiss chronic fatigue disorders or to label them as psychosomatic. This is in part due to the fact that physicians often know little about these disorders.
Haavisto has provided a comprehensive and well researched tool to help patients, physicians and other health care practitioners understand more about CFS/ME and how to treat it effectively. It is a must read for health care providers.
Reviving the Broken Marionette Treatments for CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia
©2008 by Maija Haavisto Published by CFS-verko
ISBN 978-1-4092-0335-3
Kathy Quan - Kathy Quan RN BSN has been a home health/hospice nurse for over 30 years. She has authored five books and writes for several online ...
