Leukaemia Link?

The more-than-excellent NICE GUIDELINES BLOGSPOT which is always picking up information for those affected by M.E., today points us in the direction of a U.S. news item.


I haven't any spare energy to sit up typing to discuss this today, but needed to mention this.


Apparently in the U.S.A., a warning is being sent to the national blood banks advising against taking blood from those with "Chronic Fatigue" as it is still vaguely called over there.*

This is because a new study (so many unrelated studies with no joined-up thinking or focus, aaaaaaaargh!) has suggested a link between Chronic Fatigue and certain kinds of leukaemia.


My thinking's a bit woolly this morning. Before I go lie down in a spinning, burning vortex, though: What does this mean? Is it actually proven? Will we read next week that it isn't a valid study and it's all back to being in our heads? Will those with M.E. always be the last to be informed?

Rant over. Judge for yourself by clicking on the link above and taking a look at Dr Speedy's blog today, which includes a link to the US TV report.

Stay strong but also be gentle with yourself. 

*The terms 'chronic fatigue'/'chronic fatigue syndrome' etc are vague and unhelpful in defining this disease. They concentrate only on one of many symptoms, which is then frequently misunderstood as normal 'tiredness'.

It's like calling cancer 'liability to pain and not feeling A1 syndrome'. Nobody would allow that, and rightly so!

Research points very strongly to the fact that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) is a more accurate name for the disease, which is not just some collection or 'syndrome' of self-reported symptoms. The name M.E. refers to the disease's widespread inflammation and multisystemic neuropathology.

CFS is a dismissive, unhelpful umbrella term which discourages further research and encourages devastating misunderstanding of a disease which cripples thousands and has lead to death on more than one occasion through such ignorance. M.E., on the other hand, refers clearly and correctly to the proven underlying pathophysiology of the disease.