Michael Crawford

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Michael Crawford (born 1942) is an accomplished British actor, comedian, and singer who has performed on radio, television, film, and stage, both in the UK and the US.

He has been showered with numerous accolades for his performances including the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Theatregoers Choice, and Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1988 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2014 for his charitable and philanthropic services.

In 2005, Michael came down with what he thought was the flu:

"I went into a kind of physical meltdown. I collapsed with what I thought was flu, but it turned out to be something much more difficult to diagnose.

"Teams of doctors were called in to try to find out why I was so completely exhausted, depleted and unable to return to work. I had brain and body scans, and virtually every test known to man before eventually discovering that I was suffering from the post-viral condition myalgic encephalopathy (ME).

"I remember Michael Winner, who'd had his own battle with serious ill health, calling me with words of encouragement. 'Oh, you'll get it back again, my dear!' he said, in his own inimitable way. And he was right, but it was a very slow road. Slower and longer than I could ever have imagined.

"In fact, for two years I was transformed by this baffling condition. I went from someone who had spent their entire career relishing the physical challenges of acting to someone who could hardly face climbing the stairs."

After six years of recuperating in New Zealand, he was able to return to the stage, albeit in smaller roles with shorter duration. He, also, continues his charitable work.

Articles

• Jan 16, 2011, 'Singing in a fat suit left me so ill I could hardly walk... now I'm back in the West End': Michael Crawford on his return to the stage Daily Mail.com
• Mar 12, 2013, 'Frank Spencer': New Zealand cured my crippling illness NZ Herald

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An alternate term that is sometimes used for myalgic encephalomyelitis, by people who believe the evidence for inflammation in ME is insufficient. This terminology reflects the belief that the "-itis" suffix implies inflammation.

myalgic encephalopathy An alternate term that is sometimes used for myalgic encephalomyelitis, by people who believe the evidence for inflammation in ME is insufficient. This terminology reflects the belief that the "-itis" suffix implies inflammation.

myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - A disease often marked by neurological symptoms, but fatigue is sometimes a symptom as well. Some diagnostic criteria distinguish it from chronic fatigue syndrome, while other diagnostic criteria consider it to be a synonym for chronic fatigue syndrome. A defining characteristic of ME is post-exertional malaise (PEM), or post-exertional neuroimmune exhaustion (PENE), which is a notable exacerbation of symptoms brought on by small exertions. PEM can last for days or weeks. Symptoms can include cognitive impairments, muscle pain (myalgia), trouble remaining upright (orthostatic intolerance), sleep abnormalities, and gastro-intestinal impairments, among others. An estimated 25% of those suffering from ME are housebound or bedbound. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies ME as a neurological disease.

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.