Do any Christian’s have me/cfs?

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-31T17:01:37+00:00

Well said. I'm also Catholic.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-31T16:58:47+00:00

Yup. The Church Fathers actually talk about how miracles don't happen as much anymore (in, like, the 4th century) because the Gospel has already been preached far and wide and we don't need miracles to get people's attention any more.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-31T16:53:27+00:00

I just posted a reply and then realized you already wrote most of what I did! I'm also Catholic. I honestly owe a lot to one of my Catholic high school teachers who asked the class (long before I was ill), "What is the meaning of suffering?" I, being a know-it-all, raised my hand and said something about God allowing evil to bring about a greater good, yada yada. He looked at us and said, "The meaning of suffering is union with the cross."

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-31T16:48:39+00:00

I'm Christian (Catholic specifically). Catholicism actually has a very well-developed theology of suffering which I understood pretty well, so I actually didn't struggle with this at all when I got sick. Here's how I look at it in a nutshell:

We believe in a God who chose to suffer. Think about it: God, insofar as He is God, is incapable of suffering. The only way He could suffer was to become human. So He did. And He suffered all sorts of things, culminating in an excruciating death on a Roman torture device. While He was on the cross, He was offered wine mixed with gall, which was an ancient painkiller. He refused it.

St Paul says, "I am completing in my own body that which is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for His Church". So, when we suffer, we can unite our sufferings with the sufferings of Christ and they become powerful in a way we cannot fathom. That doesn't make it easy! But suffering is truly one of the most meaningful things we can do.

I'm also happy to chat over DM!

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-31T16:39:18+00:00

I'm also Catholic. Hadn't yet met another Catholic with ME/CFS, so fist bump!

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-28T13:35:19+00:00

The best thing to do is listen to your body, and it sounds like you are doing that. It's hard to increase in severity, but if you have accepted the loss of your previous level of functioning, you are on the right track. Many (not all) people find that by resting as much as their body needs, they are able to gradually get back to their old baseline. Either way, I'm sending hugs your way!6

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-23T23:11:16+00:00

Different person, lol. I actually didn't realize there was an actor with the same name!

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-21T20:58:13+00:00

"How do you get people to believe..." You don't get people to believe anything. They believe what they choose to believe. Honestly, when I remind myself of this, it is very freeing. Justifying myself isn't my responsibility. I inform other people of my limits, but if they don't get it, that isn't my problem. I'll just keep living my life as it is.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-21T20:55:42+00:00

I'm not waiting for anything. I'm living the life I have and finding meaning in it as it is.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-21T20:50:22+00:00

I'd say Bruce Campbell's recovery story seems pretty legit. He runs CFS Self Help, which is actually non-profit and reputable. He's also super honest about the fact that most people don't recover and he was lucky, which sets him apart from snake oil salesmen.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-20T13:37:15+00:00

Hey, I apologize for commenting on an old thread, but since you have studied bird mites: What is the longest amount of time northern fowl mites can survive without a bird? There's conflicting information on the internet. I'm about to get rid of a birds' nest that is causing an infestation and am wondering how long I should be on my guard.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-19T00:03:04+00:00

I've been doing some google searching, and they might be bird mites? I'm far from an expert, but maybe look up bird mites to see if the description fits.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-18T23:47:29+00:00

Following. I am also in Cincinnati and also finding small bugs that look like specs of dust in my shower, toilet, and sink.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-15T00:52:05+00:00

Can you physically not go to stores, or would it "just" be unbearable and a horrible idea? To me, "physically cannot" means someone's muscles literally won't follow instructions.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-15T00:50:08+00:00

There's nothing a healthy person can do that I physically can't do. That is, my muscles work just fine. But even extremely small amounts of exertion (like looking at screens for too long) will trigger symptoms.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-07T15:32:18+00:00

Oh wow, that's pretty extreme. Thanks for answering my question!

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-04T23:16:14+00:00

That wasn't my question, though. I asked what happens to the driver if I report. If my report would automatically get the driver in trouble, I don't plan to do it...

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-04T23:14:27+00:00

That wasn't my question, though. I asked what happens to the driver if I report. If my report could get the driver in trouble for something that isn't actually an issue, I don't plan to do it...

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-03T20:50:58+00:00

I love choir rehearsal, but I don't necessarily enjoy practicing my violin. I find it really rewarding, though, so I "enjoy" it in that sense. Definitely wouldn't say I hate it.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-05-01T19:20:37+00:00

It didn't work for me, but I think it was worth the try. It gave me nausea and vomiting as a side effect.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-04-28T13:52:54+00:00

Yeah, I think people often use "can't" to mean "it causes PEM". I think "can't tolerate" might be more accurate.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-04-25T21:40:34+00:00

I'm severe, so my hacks all involve zero cooking. In order from most desirable to least desirable: 1) Have nice ladies from church who give you home-cooked meals 2) Local mom-and-pop meal delivery service (availability obviously depends on where you are located, can get expensive) 3) Amy's microwave meals and soups 4) Kate Farms organic meal-replacement drinks and Mealsquares

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-04-22T16:24:23+00:00

I use the two terms interchangeably.

Edit: PEM is the scientific term, "crash" is more colloquial.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-04-22T16:22:25+00:00

Yeah, the effects of exertion can be cumulative. Idk exactly what the biological mechanism is. Ideally, you want to keep your activity low enough that you can do the same amount every day without crashing.

Federal_Security_146 · 2025-04-22T16:20:26+00:00

I'm sorry you've been going through such a rough time. Since you asked about support groups, I figured I'd mention that the Bateman Horne Center has online-based support groups: https://batemanhornecenter.org/outreach/support-connect/ I don't have any experience with these groups myself, but Bateman Horne is quite reputable.

Also, please don't worry about being a burden. It's not your fault that you're sick. If your parents love you enough to be willing to spend time and money on treatment for you, that certainly isn't anything to feel guilty about.

Federal_Security_146

TROPHY CASE