More ME Nonsense from the TIMES

Please keep in mind, when you read this next BLOG, that this is what HEALTHY children look like, they sing in a choir, like doing sports and like going to school. This might sound very obvious, but if you read on, you will soon find out it isn't for a medical consultant and a nurse consultant, both working with CHILDREN, in the MAGICAL CBT KINGDOM for KIDDO's who write their own colum in the TIMES. Yes, the TIMES again. This time, on 14.9.07.

It is Saturday morning, and Mrs Young picks up yesterday’s Times, and with a cup of tea she sets herself down to have a NICE and quiet hour while Anna, het twelve year old is playing tennis, and Jane, her nine year old, is still in bed.
To her surprise there is an article by a doctor from London in the paper about ME. The article is called:
“What is chronic fatigue syndrome or ME?
Child health experts at Great Ormond Street Hospital talk about chronic fatigue syndrome, probably the most common medical reason for absence from school.”

It starts of all right by saying:
“The condition is typically triggered by a viral infection from which the young person does not recover in the usual way.”
But then things start to get a bit tricky. “only a few seem to be helped by allergy treatments.” Mrs Young, who is not a health care professional, but has two kids and common sense, starts to wonder, so is ME something like hayfever then? Mrs Young is particularly interested in this article, as her daughter Jane has not been her usual self lately. She takes a sip of her coffee and reads on.
“Those affected may be unable to go to school, lose contact with peers, and become generally less able to be involved in their usual activities.” And suddenly she has to think about her own daughter again. She had the flu or something and has been in bed ever since.

“When should I seek medical attention? It's a good idea to see your GP if the symptoms continue for more than three months.” But not to worry, even though Jane, who is almost ten, hasn’t been running around like a normal nine or ten year old, she has only been in bed for two months. So Mrs Young decides to wait another month, as that is what the doctor, a consultant by the way, says. And that she has missed school for two months, no problem, absence of less then three months, or any illness, less than three months, can’t be anything serious. At least, that is what this doctor says.

“What we do know is that looking for a cause is not useful.” At this moment her husband walks in, he is an engineer, and has just solved the problem with the washing machine. He sees the comment, and says, GOOD doctor, looking for a cause is not useful. Why do you read that CRAP, as Jeremy Clarkson recently said in the same paper? Well look, answers his wife, it is about our Jane.
“There isn't a cure for CFS/ME.” And Mrs Young thinks, yeah, I read that somewhere before when my auntie’s friend had ME.
“How successful is treatment? Most young people on a rehabilitation programme recover within 12 to 24 months.” Now Mr Young bursts out laughing. So are these doctors magicians or so??? First they say there is no cure, and then they say they cure them with a rehab programm. Who in his right frame of mind would believe these storytellers? What did you say dear, it is NICE? Oh, you mean, NICE, that so called independent Institute of Excellence, believes this?? And what is the medical word they use, something to do with evidence?? Yes, thank you dear, so this is what doctors call evidence based. So there is no cure but there is a cure. Can I read that article as well and show it to my boss, he needs to have a laugh, you know how difficult his life has been lately.
“What's the outlook? Most young sufferers who take active steps towards recovery in a planned and gradual way do return to a normal life.”
You see, says Mrs Young, there is NO cure, but in the MAGIC CBT KINGDOM for KIDDO’s they have a magic wand. But it will only work, and get you better, if you are not a lazy git. Sorry dear, I wasn’t talking about you.
So what do you think dear, shall we take Jane to the doctor and be sensible, or should we wait till she has been ill, and in bed for more than three months as this children's doctor says we should do? Isn't it so that, the sooner you do something about a problem, the easier it is to solve it?? Didn't that NICEY thingy say something like that, you know, the sooner you recognise ME the better the outcome???