Great talents are rare

By Josette Lincourt:

I am so extremely glad that Michael Crawford has recovered from ME so that he can resume his career ('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, Mail on Sunday, 16 January 2011). He is one of the lucky ones. So many sufferers never recover.

What surprises me is that Michael attributes the ME to losing minerals and nutrients because of sweating under a "fat" suit. Usually, just by drinking adequately (water, Michael! water and juices perhaps!), minerals and nutrients are replaced. Could it have been more likely that his busy schedule created an exhaustion which led to a lowered immune system which opened the door to the "flu that doesn't go away"?

I am going into my 12th year with only about two hours of limited capacity on good days where extreme pain does not nail me to the sofa. If those two hours of capacity are used up in the morning because of some unescapable event, that's it! The day is over!

It would have been terribly sad if Michael had not recovered. Great talents are rare. Pace yourself, Michael, so that you can enjoy your family!

Josette Lincourt
Montreal
Canada