Everyone everywhere seems to be completely stumped by the fact that I haven’t been cured since the last time I saw them. To be completely honest, it’s a phenomenon that gets old really fast, from my point of view. There’s also the crowd who hears about the current idea my doctor has had and becomes convinced that it will heal me. They get really rather upset when I don’t share the enthusiasm.
It’s true, some people with ME/CFS recover. However, many are sick for the rest of their lives. Nobody knows why yet. One of the top ME/CFS specialists in the world explains that the first 5 years of her patient’s illness typically illustrate the course it will take long term. So, for example, if a patient was sick for a year and then improved, they’ll likely stay improved with a possible short, occasional relapse. While I’ve had my ups and downs for the past 8 years, I’ve never had a period where I felt anything close to being ‘recovered’. So, with the best knowledge science can currently give us, I’m looking at a life long illness.
*sigh* Me too. Some days are less rough than others 🙂