The Truth Is Out There!

The Truth Is Out There. The Truth About M.E./CFS/CFIDS.

But some powerful bum steers have hit the tarmac with a bigger bang, since last I wrote.


Did anybody else notice how soon after the news of Dr Myhill's exoneration of all misconduct charges by the General Medical Council, the pernicious nonsense peddled by Prof Simon Wessely hit the papers? Of course you did!


BBC News covers "victim" Wessely


Daily Mail covers "victim" Wessely


The Economist (where will this end???) covers "victim" Wessely


Top News US covers "victim" Wessely


Visit Bulgaria covers "victim" Wessely

Top News New Zealand covers "victim" Wessely 

Followed up by the slack journalism in the Times by Stephanie Marsh on Aug 6th 
Doctor's hate mail is sent by the people he tried to cure 

and the hackery of Rod Liddle on 31st July with his dismissively mocking
Shoot the medical messenger - see if that'll cure you

So that's pretty much worldwide coverage, then. Raising awareness of M.E.? Sadly, for all the wrong, mistaken reasons. How now to explain all this to friends, neighbours and strangers who have taken this new story on board over their cornflakes, I can't begin to know. 

Happily, most of them already know how little this is a state of mind, and those who knew me before I was ill, understand how the physical illness I fought for years finally took its worst toll, thriving on my opposition to lying down under its tyranny!

A few calculated words from a man who knows full well that time will prove him wrong, and has all the painful fight for M.E. research been swept away in a tide of headline-grabbing rhetoric and half-truths?

A drop of misinformation in already muddied waters. The ripples from this one have gone far indeed!

Amazing how, suddenly, all the decades of research on the physical causes and deeper understanding of this crushingly painful, debilitating neurological multi-systemic disease  (that definition's NOT coming from M.E. patients, but from scientists, researchers, doctors and the World Health Organisation who must also be insulted and mystified that Simon Wessely is now a self-proclaimed "leading expert in M.E.' ???) which rarely gets a mention in the media, has been outstripped by an outmoded and, franky, wholly incorrect analysis of the disease!



You know by now, I'm an optimist. My optimism hasn't been so sorely tried in the years since M.E. (not that woolly umbrella that lets the poison rain in, called "CFS") was diagnosed in my case. I was full of life, optimism, joy, hard work, fun, plans. I still am, ready for when M.E. ceases to pull the carpet unexpectedly from under me.

These articles have made me determined, after a period of sober reflection, that there is all the more need for those of us who can, to keep positive and do all we can to go on holding out for the day when the truth is known and the correct treatments and cures will finally come our way. Sadly for those like Sophie Mirza and Lynn Gilderdale, it will come too late.


The Truth is Out There. 

Not just on the X Files, either.

Professor Wessely knows it, and maybe that's why he has used what influence he has with the media and government to rekindle old ideas and theories about M.E. (experts have called it that, incidentally, not those of us who didn't know any name for the disease that snatched our lives and livelihoods away) that distract the eyes of the world from what is right under its nose, with horrifying sensationalism and sleight of hand.


The Truth is Out There.

We have to keep on believing that, and not letting playground bullies kick us when we are furthest down! Sticks and stones may hurt our bones (if not as much as M.E.!) but calling will not hurt us (when we've stopped weeping in disbelief at the lies levelled at derailing real scientific enquiry!)


Much has already been written to point out the glaring errors in these articles. I've been so thankful for them. We all have:


Actual BBC caller suffering from M.E. speaks the truth

Niceguidelines.blogspot.com - one of so many excellent posts 

Letter on MEA Website 


Letters responding to Rod Liddle's article in The Sunday Times


I have pushed myself to the maximun over the last few weeks. Doing a tiny part of what used to be my full-time vocation, now vountarily and with consequences that make me immobile and inarticuate now for ages afterwards. Receiving those visitors who can only get away to see me in the summer. Luckily they understand my limitations!


All in my head? I think we all know it isn't, whatever we read in the papers. Or hear from little green men.