The Why: The Historic ME/CFS Call To Arms

The Why: The Historic ME/CFS Call To Arms is a book by journalist and author Hillary J. Johnson about ME/CFS.

The Why: The Historic ME/CFS Call To Arms

Author	Hillary J Johnson
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	ME/CFS, Chronic fatigue syndrome,
Publication date	April 26, 2022
Media type	print
Pages	92
ISBN	978-0578398471, ‎0578398478
Preceded by	Osler's Web

Synopsis

If you have acquired Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (a.k.a. "chronic fatigue syndrome") in recent years, you may have wondered why the U.S. government has done so little to promote research or understanding of this life-destroying disease. If you are looking for answers, The Why was written for you.

Scientific bias, doctors behaving badly, and misappropriation of federal ME research dollars all have played a role in the controversy. In The Why, I unravel deception by the Centers for Disease Control during the first 25 years of the ME epidemic that have fueled all the above. Here are eight questions my book answers.

When did ME begin? What is the origin of the false name "chronic fatigue syndrome?" why are well-established biological abnormalities found in ME and published in the medical literature excluded from the government’s ME diagnostic criteria? why has CDC refused to establish a national reporting system for ME? Why has the federal government crushed rather than encouraged attempts to isolate a causative pathogen in ME? How did the specious but prolonged argument over whether ME is "real" or "not real" begin? Who has benefited from the CDC's longstanding policy of disregard for ME? Have any laws been broken?

The Why shows how disabled sufferers were left vulnerable to everything from quack therapies to hate speech to financial impoverishment. Understanding this history may provide ME patients an ability to go toe to toe with a federal health agency that continues to harm rather than help. Raise your ME I.Q. Break the cycle of abuse and end the spread of ME.
— from Amazon

Online presence

• The Why: The Historic ME/CFS Call To Arms - Amazon page
• Osler's Web - author website
• YouTube

See also

• Osler's Web
• Hillary Johnson
• Medical neglect and abuse
• Stigma and discrimination
• Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)

Learn more

• The Why: The Historic ME/CFS Call To Arms - Amazon

See myalgic encephalomyelitis.

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

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.

Bias in research is "a systematic deviation of an observation from the true clinical state". (Learn more: me-pedia.org)

bias Bias in research is "a systematic deviation of an observation from the true clinical state". (Learn more: me-pedia.org)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a U.S. government agency dedicated to epidemiology and public health. It operates under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a U.S. government agency dedicated to epidemiology and public health. It operates under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.