I just posted above before reading your post. Thanks for enlightening folks here.
I had an intense case of CFS in the '70s that kept cycling, as I call it. Low grade fevers, horrible night sweats, extreme fatigue. My symptoms increased after my son was born in 1987, so I went to see Dr. Paul Cheney, an expert in the field. He told me to stop nursing as it was adding too much stress to my already beleaguered body. But I couldn't due to the fact I was simply too weak to get up & fix my son enough bottles. I could, however, lie in bed and nurse and so, I did.
Dr. Cheney was one of the physicians at Incline Village, Nevada who treated a number of patients who shared symptoms following a serious outbreak of flu in the '70s.
These patients all suffered from an infection similar to a herpes-type virus that produces mononucleosis.
What set the Incline Village patients apart from others, however, was the fact that they did not appear to get better after they recovered from the initial infection. In fact, they continued to have bone-weary fatigue, sleep disturbances, mood swings, lymphadenopathy, and intolerance to exercise. This series of symptoms was not characteristic of normal recovery from flu. As a consequence, Dr. Cheney coined the term “chronic fatigue syndrome” to describe this condition. An ensuing report described similarities between this condition and myalgia encephalitis, or ME, as it was called in England.*
..
Research ensued, along with heightened interest that was further fueled by a number of veterans returning from the Gulf War Campaign with a similar constellation of fatigue, and CFS- and FM-related symptoms called “Desert Storm Syndrome.”
...
CFS symptoms can fluctuate, vary in intensity and appear either suddenly or gradually. Many patients complain of “brain fog.” This is described as slow thinking, difficulty focusing, and forgetfulness."
* When living in England, I was grateful for number of people who knew what
myalgia encephalitis was and sympathize with me. One lady offered to do my grocery shopping!
If anyone ever again wants to tell me, as my stepfather did yrs ago, that this illness is just psychosomatic, I will bite them.
I truly hope post-CoVid patients do not have to go through years of symptoms as I have. There seems to be no cure for a messed up immune system.
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