PETITION MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS TO DO A FEATURE ON ME/CFS

I was one of the lucky ones to get Social Security disability for CFS in 1999. Most individuals with this debilitating disease either never get approved or it takes 2 to 5 years. The disease has gone through many name changes CFIDS( Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome, CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Yuppie flu, and currenly ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Even though there were clusters reported during Medieval Times the disease is still misunderstood and underrepresented not only by the medical community but by the government entities that could help us when we're disabled. Enough is enough. Fairly recent research compared CFS to MS (muscular dystrophy) and found CFS to be symptomatically worse! In the 1990's there was a research study that describe 7 subsets of CFS that has been purged from the internet. It showed mild too extremely severe symptom rating. They should have given the medical community proof of post viral diseases - myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, MS, lupus, and others. For a community that supposed to do no harm they continually do so. There's underfunding and undercounting of patients. The US medical community continually states there's only 300,000 suffering from the debilitating disease when there are many many more. Anderson Cooper is an excellent reporter but he missed the ball on this and it needs to be fixed. Millions suffering from ME/CFS are praying post will bring light to the disease.

I live in Canada. We watch your program here too. Living with this disease since age 12, 52 years is a long time.

Please notice us. We are millions missing.

Emmy/CFS causes more pain and suffering and almost all diseases including cancer patients on chemotherapy, Parkinson’s disease,, age… CDC also stated in their report that the disease cost the US economy between $15 and $30 billion every year. Why? Because these two patients are too sick to work. Usually they’re too sick to get out of bed. And many struggle accomplishing only the simplest living chores, like eating a meal. It’s about time that a world class television show runner and expose on a disease that the United States government is not proud of it does not treat with respect: you can even hear it in the condescending name they gave our disease, chronic fatigue syndrome. How trivializing is that?

It is High Time we received more publicity and the understanding of the public. Long Covid follows M E very closely.

Part of the suffering comes from being dismissed by medical people and friends and family.

I am a fellow sufferer of ME/CFS and this disease needs attention to provide some answers for so many.

Supporting you!

I have lived with ME/CFS since 1995. It runs in my family. People think we are lazy instead of being sick. Please shed some light on this disease. The victims are so misunderstood. Thank you, Deborah Chapman, RN, BS, BSN, MSN

Absolutely, let's raise the level of public awareness for ME/CFS.

We are among the forgotten.

Please make the obvious connection to MECFS. These are both incredibly similar and researchers are already on top of finding similarities. I was extremely disappointed you didn't mention the overlap. Please interview the experts in this field! My wife has suffered 13 years from ME and you cover other neglected illnesses. Millions in this country have been diagnosed. Please correct this omission, it will mean everything to us.

I was outraged that you didn't mention the connection to Mecfs. You also did us a disservice years ago with your piece on disability fraud implying MECFS is fake. Please undo this damage with a piece validating the seriousness of this life destroying illness!! I was s former triathlete Now homebound, unable to work or exercise, etc. Please help instead of hurting. There are a gazillion experts you can interview, Ron Davis, Stanford. Anthony Kamaroff, Harvard.

My sister has CFS and it’s just not known widely how deblititing it can be

I am one of million who suffer from this disease and from neglect by the Medical community. Patients with ME/CFS are mainly consigned to trawling the Web for information, for regimens to try in the hope of finding even the slightest relief from this debilitating condition, and for relying on each other through support groups. It is the Medical sandal of the century.

Had ME since my first bout with EBV in 2007. Forced to retire in 2014. Symptoms continued to increase until I was home bound, then bed bound. HELP!

My 22 year old son has been suffering with ME/CFS for 6 years. He has missed most of high school and all of college as a “normal” student. He so desperately wants and deserves his life back. What if this were your son? PLEASE highlight this awful and debilitating disease.

I have been sick with ME/CFS for 21 years and don't even have a doctor to treat symptoms. Some doctors still don't believe it is a real disease. We have been ignored for too long. If 60 minutes would acknowledge ME/CFS it would be a tremendous help to legitimize our disease. Thanks for your help.

Support the momentum of increased, finally, research into ME/CFS.

I've been living with M.E. since 1977. I collapsed with mono at the age of 20 and never got well. I am one of millions worldwide whose struggles with this horrid illness have been either dismissed as psychological or completely ignored. It's shameful.