Myalgic Encephalomyelitis ebook ch 1-3

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)

This is an excerpt from an ebook I have been working on for sometime. This covers just the first 3 chapters.

Author: Patrick Bayer copyright 2018


Chapter 1


What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis?



Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) was formerly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia is a cousin. It (M.E.) is also considered an autoimmune disease. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is a complex disease process and in my opinion, is the most complex disease because of the many layers and possibilities. Added to that is the myriad of ignorance that exists in the general public and by the medical system. Victims are accused of a wide variety of things from being lazy to crazy. These are views that come from an archaic system of belief. And no, I am not stupid, lazy or delusional (yes, these were all said to me by ignorant people).


One disease many Ideas
There have been many theories of the etiology of M.E. and from my perspective, these are shots in the dark, for instance years ago there was the Epstein Barr viral theory which is vastly outdated. It is now known that there are a multitude of viral agents that can cause M.E. with the most recent being retroviruses. In my case cytomegalovirus (CMV) was a major problem. But viruses are just a few of the pathogens that can cause M.E.


The viral theory is short sighted. It can be safely said that pathogenic involvement is the most likely source of M.E. with toxins, nutrient shortages, endocrine and stress being other culprits. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that trauma and stress have been triggers as well as immune health, genetics and toxicity.


Typically, one thing affects another much like a domino effect in which one of the above may begin which triggers the others. In my situation, I can see five distinct levels of M.E. The most recent and devastating was the parasite infection I contracted which resulted in major bedridden fatigue and excessive adrenal exhaustion. It was after stage five that I began a major assault in treatments and research.

Through my journey not only have I done extensive research but saw my share of physicians, healers, acupuncturists and the like. I was injected, tested and examined multiple times. I spent thousands of hours combing through medical journal articles, talking to researchers, reading other’s stories and trying mountains of supplements, drugs and alternative treatments. I also have had the fortunate experience of talking to my M.E. friends who have shared their experiences which has broadened my perspective and help build a more complete matrix of understanding.


I read every guru book and performed a multitude of treatments including many I performed on myself including ozone therapy. Treatments are too numerous to list here but can be accessed here:


M.E. has history
The term M.E. is an evolution, a modern-day name for a set of symptoms that was mired in confusion before. The medical community had no clear definitions and labeled them with different names, for instance, it might be labeled as depression, anxiety, fatigue etc.

M.E. is not about being tired
M.E. is not about being tired, it is about being drained. Finding energy to do simple tasks can be overwhelming. For those who do not understand this disease, it is like waking up with the flu every day.


M.E. shares similarity
M.E. is considered an autoimmune disease but shares many attributes with other diseases such as Autism, Gulf War Syndrome, metabolic disorders, immune disorders and psychiatric disorders and many others.
Autistic children have impaired methylation, neurological traits similar to M.E., gut dysregulation and others. Most of these diseases share commonalities.


What M.E. is not
I sat in disbelief in the psychiatrist's office at what she had spoken to me. The doctor suggested I enter long term psychiatric sessions to ‘solve’ my problem, she believed that I had a delusional psychiatric problem.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is not a hypochondriac disease (aka somatoform) or a desperate attempt to garner sympathy. It is a validated and studied disease that has many clear symptoms.



Simon Wessely
Dr. Wessely is a leading psychiatrist in the U.K. who released a report indicating that the only valid treatments for M.E. is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), essentially, he thinks M.E. is a psychiatric condition. Dr. Wessely bases this on the outdated belief (somatoform) that the mind is the central control mechanism and that all disease originates from the mind.

The Lancet published his journal article suggesting the M.E. patients have psychiatric problems and the only way to ‘fix’ them is through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. What Dr. Wessely fails to understand is that M.E. is not a singular disease but a multi organ system that interacts with each other. In other words, it is not strictly somatoform (mind affecting body) but primarily the body affects the mind.

One example of the body affecting the mind is cytokine involvement. Cytokines are powerful immune factors that are produced under immune attack (viral, bacterial, parasite). Release of these affect the brain. The American Journal of Psychiatry published a journal article entitled Cytokines and the brain: implications for clinical psychiatry. In which they stated this about cytokine involvement in the brain:

“Growing evidence suggests that, in addition to providing communication between immune cells, specific cytokines play a role in signaling the brain to produce neurochemical, neuroendocrine, neuroimmune, and behavioral changes. This signaling may be part of a generalized, comprehensive mechanism to mobilize resources in the face of physical and/or psychological stress and to maintain homeostasis (metabolic balance) “



Breaking Studies on Psychoneuroimmunology
Psychoneuroimmunology is a big word (Psyche = mind Neuro = nervous system Immunology = immune system). According to Wikipedia it is the study of the interaction between psychological processes and the nervous and immune systems of the human body. A good example of this would be the effects of stress which triggers the mind (stress makes us cuckoo), then the immune system goes haywire.

The following link (article) outlines the latest research in psychoneuroimmunology in which the brain-body and the body-brain connection exists.



The research points to a circuit linking the immune system and brain; it connects illness, stress, mood and thought in a whole new way.


Patients Deny Benefits of CBT
The following statement from the Journal of Clinical Pathology states this about M.E. patients who engaged in CBT

“A common treatment programme advocated for CFS, whatever its origins, consists of pacing, cognitive‐behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET). The UK government has spent huge sums of money (£8.2 million) on setting up clinics, manned by psychiatrists and located in psychiatric hospitals, to which patients with CFS are commonly referred. Such an approach has been vehemently opposed by patients and carers. Studies among the “25% group”, whose members have severe disabling myalgic encephalomyelitis, which leaves them housebound or bedbound, found that more than 90% of its members were dissatisfied with CBT and GET” (1)

The article continues to talk about the role of viral activity in M.E. which has been clearly proven in studies, they say:

“Enteroviruses are well known causes of acute respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, with tropism for the central nervous system, muscle, and heart. Initial reports of chronic enteroviral infections causing debilitating symptoms in patients with CFS were met with skepticism, and largely forgotten for the past decade … Recent evidence not only confirmed the earlier studies but also clarified the pathological role of viral RNA through antiviral treatment.”


CBT is potentially harmful
CBT is not only ineffective but potentially harmful according to a study done by researchers. [2]


M.E. patient dies as a result of misdiagnosis
This is a story about a patient who was misdiagnosed by a physician who treated her M.E. as a psychiatric condition. She was suffering with a viral condition not a psychiatric condition.




There are better treatments than CBT
There is no question that CBT can help the M.E. patient in terms of cooling the brain/adrenal reactions. Knowing limitations can help the patient stop the adrenal cascade. Awareness of stressors helps as well, but this is the only modality offered by most Western Medicine which is not enough. The following chapters should help outline a more comprehensive approach that should offer more light on M.E., it is a blend of common sense merged with different perspectives than currently offered along with ‘alternative’ modalities and scientific research.


Levels of M.E. (Functional to Bedridden)
Sufferers range from somewhat functional to bedridden. All complain of neurological impairment such as brain fog, cognitive difficulties, memory loss, depression, anxiety and even psychosis. Muscles hurt, joints hurt and there is poor energy production.


Phases of M.E.
Many patients will state that there were times of improvement and regression. For myself, I saw evidence in my teens of components of this and saw 4 more phases I went through. Sometimes the cycles may occur within the week, day or hour.


Drugs are not the answer according to the CDC and others
Dr. Majid Ali who treats M.E. patients agrees with the CDC that prescription drugs should be avoided unless critically necessary. Of course, there are exceptions and you should not stop taking medications unless you speak to your doctor.

There have been some studies that indicate cortisone may be helpful for adrenal conditions and benzodiazepines have been shown to slow the anxiety that is a chronic part for some patients. Beyond that there is not much help for M.E. patients. Antiviral drugs are expensive and hit or miss. Natural medicines may offer better answers.



What the CDC has to say
The Centers for Disease Control recognizes that M.E. is a real disease and has outline the criteria for it, you can find the information either in the link or in the appendix. below. Following their guidelines, I suggest you find the link for the PDF of “CFS Toolkit” which is a comprehensive guide for doctors who treat M.E. LInk to document in this eBook (laslkdjf link)



What is CFIDS
CFIDS stands for Chronic Fatigue Immune Deficiency Syndrome, which is CFS (M.E.) that has immunodeficiency attached to it. They are not only fatigued by are prone to getting multiple infections at various times.


Conclusion
✣ M.E. could be caused by a single problem such as viral activity, endocrine dysfunction or other metabolic issues, or perhaps an environmental problem, high stress or nutrient deficiencies or a combination of these.


✣ M.E. is difficult to define and quantify. By that I mean, there is no single test that can define M.E. Doctors typically do not understand this disease and have no real treatments to offer except general blood screening to rule out obvious issues such as endocrine problems. The doctors who claim knowledge generally have only part of the picture and miss key elements that may be necessary for you to recover. Secondly doctors are busy people and cannot know everything although the general perception says otherwise.


✢M.E. is usually comprised of a number of factors such as a traumatic event, stress, environmental factors, pathogens, poor diet and other lifestyle changes.


✢ M.E. is a complex puzzle with many interrelationships. Western medicine has limited scope and generally focuses on a single system rather than looking at the body as a whole. Chinese medicine on the other hand looks at the complex relationships that exist in organ systems. This is the case with M.E. An example of this would be stress. Western thought is that stress is an emotional event and you should avoid it. A more complete explanation would be that stress can be from an emotional cause but also can be caused by physiological- sources such as an infection.

Furthermore, stress reactions release powerful hormones including cortisol. Cortisol is a powerful drug that the body releases that has detrimental effects from long term exposure. Cortisol wastes precious magnesium which is vital for a number of factors including muscle, cardiovascular, immune, nervous system and metabolic processes. So, stress reduces magnesium which causes cardiovascular problems which leads to other problems. These are domino effects. This is just one example.

Additional reading

NORD – National Organization for Rare Disorders

New York Times Article: Chronic Fatigue No Longer Seen as 'Yuppie Flu'

M.E. is more than just tiredness, the truth about CFS

Read more case histories here


References

CDC toolkit
https://www.cdc.gov/me-cfs/index.html

Canadian document CFS/M.E.
http://sacfs.asn.au/download/consensus_overview_me_cfs.pdf

(1) Myalgic encephalomyelitis: a review with emphasis on key findings in biomedical research ( J Clin Pathol. 2007 May; 60(5); 466-471

(2). Twisk FN, Maes M. A review on cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) in myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) / chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): CBT/GET is not only ineffective and not evidence-based, but also potentially harmful for many patients with ME/CFS. Neuro. Endocrinol. Lett.2009;30(3):284–299. [PubMed]





Chapter 2



Doctors

(The blind men and the elephant)




When the blind men had each felt a part of the elephant, the king went to each of them and said to each: 'Well, blind man, have you seen the elephant? Tell me, what sort of thing is an elephant?' The story of the blind men and an elephant is a parable of how imperfect subjective experiences can be perceived as truth. (perspectives) M.E. is the elephant and the doctors are the blind men which offer opinions about your situation.


The disease is bad enough but the whole process is complicated by the medical system. Western Medicine has very distinctive thoughts versus other modalities of treatment and as a victim, you must understand what you should expect. There is a distinct psychological factor that exists in these disease states that creates expectations and vulnerabilities. In the West, we expect that certain people are experts thus providing an answer that we cannot provide ourselves and this is true for the doctor/patient relationship.

My M.E. friend would complain to me about the stress of seeing doctors. I related to that story countless times. I do not visit doctors that often but our attitude is that we can learn something from this.

Western medicine typically sees disease as a single problem and a single remedy. They teach a trained system, that is not to teach the doctor how to think but rather to react - identify the symptom, give a remedy. Unfortunately, it is a business. Its job is not necessarily to make you well but rather to process as many patients as possible - churning. Western medicine is limited in its ability to heal. Western Medicine is a system of managed care and this means manage the disease, not healing. Western medicine is influenced heavily by pharmaceutical interests. Pharmaceutical interests are more interested in designing and marketing products like any other business. Pharmaceuticals don’t tell the whole truth.



M.E. is a multifaceted syndrome which means it can appear to be many things to doctors: rheumatism, psychological, stress, endocrine and others.



Western thought promotes the idea that sickness is clinical. By that statement, I mean that they fail to understand that the person is not just body but body, mind, emotions and spirit. In Eastern thought, it is well recognized that all systems are tied to one another and when one becomes dominant then the rest of the system follows. Research in the West is now confirming this truth.


Doctors typically have standard patterns of thought which means that their thinking might not line up with yours or a standard of treatment that is acceptable to M.E. patients. This can confuse the patient and create more stress.


This may all seem negative and forgive me for that, however I have found sympathetic doctors who really are trying their best.


Types of Doctors
The 3 types of doctors I encountered:

1/ The Arrogant. These are the people who are never wrong and not only not admit it but point the finger at you when their treatments fail. They are always right even when they are wrong. They are narcissistic. They tend to see all disease only from their perspective and if another is presented then it is quickly discarded. In general terms they are expensive, obnoxious and not worth the time.
My action: Leave as fast as you can unless there is good proof of their competency.

2/ The Salesman. These are the people who see an opportunity to sell you something. They generally do not know what they are talking about but of course try to sell you the idea that they can do it.
My action: I fact check them and reconsider their abilities.

3/ The Helpers. These are people who admit they might be able to help, look at the facts, listen to you. They may not know everything but they are compassionate, understanding and actually will listen to you.
My action: See what they have to say and work with them. Have reasonable expectations.



Know your limitations, that is what it is going to cost and what some of the objectives, doctors should outline a plan in terms of treatments and expectations.



There are specialized resources
There are specific guidelines (reports) that have been written by specialists that your doctor can reference. For instance, they can reference the CDC Toolkit and the Canadian document which I have outlined in this ebook.



What to expect from Western Medicine
1. Blood screening including immune panels, endocrine studies, liver studies and the like.
2. Rule out other diseases
3. Provide a referral pipeline
4. Order other tests


Blood screening includes:
••CBC with differential
••Total protein
••Glucose
••C-reactive protein
••Phosphorus
••Electrolytes
••Alkaline phosphatase
••Creatinine
••Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
••Albumin
••ANA and rheumatoid factor
••Globulin
••Calcium
••Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or
aspartate transaminase serum level (AST)
••Thyroid function tests (TSH and Free T4)
••Urinalysis

Start here with the doctors and see if anything is picked up.



The CDC Toolkit states the following:

“Illnesses that may resemble CFS. It is important for persons with symptoms of CFS to consult a physician. CFS symptoms resemble those of many treatable medical and psychiatric conditions. These include sleep disorders, depression, alcohol/substance abuse, diabetes, hypothyroidism, mononucleosis (mono), lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic hepatitis and various malignancies. Lab tests, medical history, and exams can help identify specific diseases.
If identified conditions are adequately treated and CFS symptoms continue, the patient could be considered to have CFS. This should not prevent continued medical monitoring of the patient.
CFS and other illnesses: People with CFS also are more likely to have obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, irritable bowel disease, non-melancholic depression, fibromyalgia, chemical-sensitivity disorder; these conditions should be evaluated if the patient appears symptomatic. It is important for persons with CFS to continue to see their healthcare provider and report changes in symptoms. Sometimes a person diagnosed with CFS may have other symptoms which could be resolved with treatment.”



The Canadian Consensus Document on M.E. states this to the doctor:

“Exclusions: Exclude active disease processes that explain most of the major symptoms of fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain, and cognitive dysfunction. It is essential to exclude certain diseases, which would be tragic to miss:
Addison’s disease, Cushing’s Syndrome, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, iron deficiency, other treatable forms of anemia, iron overload syndrome, diabetes mellitus, and cancer. It is also essential to exclude treatable sleep disorders such as upper airway resistance syndrome and obstructive or central sleep apnea; rheumatological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, polymyositis and polymyalgia rheumatica; immune disorders such as AIDS; neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinsonism, myasthenia gravis and B12 deficiency; infectious diseases such as:
tuberculosis, chronic hepatitis, Lyme disease, etc.; primary psychiatric disorders and substance abuse. Exclusion of other diagnoses, which cannot be reasonably excluded by the patient’s history and physical examination, is achieved by laboratory testing and imaging. If a potentially confounding medical condition is under control, then the diagnosis of M.E./CFS can be entertained if patients meet the criteria otherwise.”



Modalities
A modality is a type of treatment and even within Western Medicine, there can be a wide variety of approaches. Because the doctor offers a treatment, remember it may not be the optimal for you. Do your homework and consider the costs in terms of financial, emotional and others before embarking.


Doctors and the Medical Boards
There is a standard method of treatment for many diseases and doctors have to work within these guidelines. What does this mean? It means that your doctor may not be willing to give “unproven” treatments.


EBM (Evidence Based Medicine)
This is a term being thrown around lately. The purpose of the statement is to say that only treatments that have been proven by evidence is valid, therefore everything else is a hoax. I have argued with these people a few times and there is always a problem. First if someone is in need of medical care and there is not an answer within the confines of EBM then what is one to do? Secondly, the editors of both JAMA and The Lancet both commented that they believe many articles are fraudulent. 1


Researchers
Researchers research, that is what they love to do, it is what they do best. Researchers are the unsung heroes of medicine, I have learned more from them than any doctor.


They say it takes 50 years for the information from researchers to funnel down to the practicing doctors. For instance, the idea of trans fats was discussed in the 1950’s as being dangerous, it wasn’t until 2000 that this began disseminating in the media. The same holds true for gasrtic ulcers which was regarded as being anxiety disorder until they realized that h pylori is the likely cause.


Sadly, the medical societies are locked in intellectual debates because of egos rather than the welfare of people. Doctors are controlled by medical boards which provide the guidelines of treatment even when they are errant.


What you can do
Find a physician that is compassionate and has some basic understanding of M.E., these doctors are gold mines. Present either the CDC ToolKit or the Canadian Consensus Document to the practitioner. Have reasonable expectations.


Tests you can ask for
If your results come back negative on basic screening then ask for pathogen studies, advanced immunology studies, referrals to an endocrinologist etc.

Prescription Drugs can make you fatigued
I knew a man who had fatigue and he went from place to place to get help. He finally ended up at Mayo Clinic and spent a fair amount of money, only to find out that a prescription was the culprit.

Read about the drugs that can cause fatigue here.

Conclusion
Doctors can be hit or miss. Doctors know a lot but they cannot know everything. Expectations have to be reasonable, use them for what they know.

Resources
Canadian Consensus Document on M.E.
http://www.cfids-cab.org/MESA/me_overview.pdf
References

1/ reference to fraudelent studies





Chapter 3


Family, Friends and Society

(The 3 Friends of Job)



I would bet you don’t know anyone named Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite but I bet you know people like them. They come from the book of Job, an Old Testament book which tells the story of a good man named Job and his plight of suffering. Job is stricken down with disease, the plot thickens with his three friends who look for an answer for his suffering. Ultimately, they accuse Job for the problems. I had Job’s friends in my life and I am sure you do to.


A major factor in M.E. has to do with American society and the thought that all problems can be put into nice little containers. Gurus write books, doctors write simple prescriptions all with simple intent as though they have the major answers for complex problems. Not so with M.E., it is more complex than that. I sadly remember the many arguments I had with friends, family and physicians about my state and how this impacted my emotional health. They failed to understand the impact of disease on my life, I still scratch my head on this one.


The Blame Game
The stubbornness of most people creates a block for M.E. sufferers in that American society likes things in neat packages. My friend Shawn made a profound statement that most people will negate my circumstances as a means of protecting their psyche. That by denying your problem then it reduces the threat that it can happen to them. Humans do not like vulnerability.

People’s response typically is the blame game. I heard it from many people including a therapist. Rather than a proper response, something like I am sorry, is there anything I can help you with, they do a 180 and push the blame onto you. These statements do not hold up in terms of medical understanding and simply show the lack of emotional and spiritual health of the finger pointers. I have learned that I have no need of these people.

Are narcissists stealing your lunch?
Narcissists are people who overwhelmingly love themselves. This is not normal love but a selfish love. I grew up in Narcissistville, I was surrounded by them. Narcissists are selfish, they are emotional vampires, they steal from you. They steal your self-esteem, your accomplishments and everything else they can get their hands on. Narcissist serve no purpose in your life, they are liabilities, not assets.



Goodbye Gurus
I met the gurus, read their jargon, thought about it for a while and even tested it, then I regurgitated it. Many gurus are narcissistic, gurus are marketers, they are proud of their insights but only from their vantage point. I read this review on Amazon about a guru and her lack of insight which says a lot:



Caroline Myss doesn't just imply that illness is our fault, she wrote this whole book to tell us so. By downplaying or ignoring the social, economic, genetic, and environmental determinants of health, she turns what should be a hopeful message of empowerment into a club of guilt and blame.
Of course, our own behavior and attitudes play a large role in health. And yes, illness does bring some advantages that some people cling to. But people have good reasons for adopting the behaviors and attitudes they do. We adopted those behaviors before we knew better, because they seemed necessary at the time. And we maintain them because our lives are setup to maintain them.
Change is hard, especially if you don't believe you can do it, or that your life is not worth the effort. People need hope, support, and belief in themselves if they are to change. So when people need to change, to improve their health or their lives, you don't want to start by making them feel bad about themselves. That's why this book, far from helping people heal, is likely to add another layer of suffering to their lives.


The Anti-Supporters
This is the group of people I steer clear of. They are the people who not only refuse support but actually create antagonism, hostility and criticism. They create anti support which you do not need. The key to any organization, business or a person’s success is to gather as many assets as possible and to discard the liabilities, you enough battles on your hands. “He who is not for me is against me” (Matthew 12:30)




What you suffer is real and it is not in your head or a lack of courage or any other pop psychology reasoning. There is a biological reason for your illness and it is as simple as that. The Centers of Disease Control and the medical system has recognized M.E. as a real disease in spite of popular thinking. Of course, awareness is a big part of that, since it takes decades for the general culture to understand things. I am certain that many other mysterious diseases suffered the same fate years ago such as Multiple Sclerosis and others.


What you can do
Listen to yourself, believe yourself and wash away the doubts that others have cast on you. Understand that you will have strong emotional responses, which won't help you by the way. Anger, resentment, guilt, depression and anxiety are all common emotional attributes to this.


Find support groups both live and online. Seek appropriate medical care starting with initial blood screening and a physical exam. Try to find significant times in which you started with this condition (I found this quite helpful and helped me understand better). Read and study the appropriate material to educate yourself. Learn to avoid emotional stressors and people who criticize you for your disease, or at least how to buffer them. Talk to people who care. Eat right and sleep right.


Finding psychological support

Having a support system is vital for health and it is important to make attempts to find that system. It is important to find the right people who understand limitations and the multiple challenges of M.E.

15 minutes a day
15 minutes per day, this is how I accomplish things. Gone are the episodes of doing projects that were non-stop, I adapted to that by doing things in spurts of 15-minute blocks. Work on this eBook by 15-minute blocks of time, clean in 15-minute blocks etc. Over a course of time, these 15 minutes add up.




Part II


What is the Problem?


I have learned that in order to solve a problem, you must know what the problem is.

The best advice I received about M.E. was from a wise doctor in Texas who said that M.E. (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is Chronic Infection and Chronic Toxins which lead to Chronic Stress. I have followed this model and reaped the rewards. Her thesis is that infections are at the root of the problem in most cases and this activation creates a weakening of the detoxification system which then allows the cycle to continue.


Dr. Horowitz
Dr. Horwitz is doctor who understands the whole picture. He recognizes that chronic infections cause damage to the body and this results in a whole cascade of problems. Here is part of the interview:


“Dr. Horowitz: MSIDS stands for Multiple Systemic Infectious Diseases Syndrome. Chronically ill, complex patients, no matter which diagnosis they have, often have simultaneous multiple bacterial, parasitic, viral, and fungal causes of their illnesses. These people also have associated immune dysfunction, large environmental toxin loads, hormonal disorders, mitochondrial dysfunction, allergies, functional metabolic abnormalities, sleep problems, and underlying psychological disorders.

My 16 point MSIDS model can be applied to these individuals with complex chronic medical disorders, and help solve the mystery of their illness, providing treatment options that have not been available before. My goal in presenting the MSIDS map is to offer a broad-based solution for Lyme and co-infections that provides a bridge for the two competing groups (IDSA and ILADS) so that they can come together and help all of these patients. Overall, my MSIDS model presents a solid plan to address the rapidly expanding Lyme crisis and reduce the burden of chronic disease in this country and the world.”



Part II will cover systems that are affected by M.E. and explore some of the causes and provides some possible solutions.



The Argument


Pasteur and Beauchamp argued with each other. Was sickness a result of germs (Pasteur) or due to the terrain (or condition) of the body? My belief is that both were right which will be explored in this book.


Many Facets, Many Outcomes
As I have ventured through the research about M.E., there are a multitude of possibilities, rather than trying to make it a single cause, single solution issue.

There are a number of factors that are at play as shown in the diagram below. Each category can have multiple subsets to each factor. For instance, pathogens can range from parasitic to viral, toxins may represent specific toxins you are exposed to every day. No two pathogens (or toxins) are alike and your response can be different than others, this is a very important point. Every person is unique, what works for one person will not always work for another.


What Causes Bio Individuality
Bio Individuality is a newer concept in medicine and it is the idea that no two people are alike, each responds differently. For example, a food may react quite differently between two people. Genetics should be considered and others such as gut bacteria, nutrient status and psychological factors first and then the others like gut bacteria, viruses, nutrients psychological factors and diet.



Priorities*
I have done a multitude of experiments, I am guessing over 1,000. Here are the things I focus on:
1/ Balance the system, which includes stopping inflammation (psychological and biological), getting the proper nutrition to rebuild the body. Observing my situation and making adjustments.

2/ Elimination of pathogens

3/ Addressing the toxins issue.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are considered experimental. Consult your physician before starting any treatment protocol.