Chronic Fatigue Syndrome out-Scrooges Ebenezer. In the story "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge took away Bob Cratchit's Christmas celebration with his wife and children. Threatened to take away his livelihood. Left him shivering and alone on Christmas Eve while others spent it surrounded by friends and family.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome does all this to its many sufferers and more.
Not only are many of us unable to fully participate in a celebration of the holidays with those we love; not only are many of us disabled to the point of being unable to earn a living; not only are too many of us alone for the holidays ... but we are left weakened and possibly bed-bound, some without the energy to make a Seasons Greeting phone call... unable to have visitors ... unable to partake.
By the end of Ebenezer Scrooge's education by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Christmas Yet to Come, Ebenezer is a changed man. He asks forgiveness of the man he tried to rob. Gives Bob Cratchit a raise, joins him at his home, brings the Christmas goose, embraces Cratchit's family.
He becomes a champion of the disabled Tiny Tim and puts his heart and finances into finding a cure for the boy. All is forgiven. All is overcome. All is redeemed.
A great story, isn't it?
This is the metamorphosis we're all waiting for, from our Scrooge of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We with CFS have been waiting a long time, some of us for many decades, for our Scrooge to be transformed. Waiting for a return of a living wage, for a chance to be truly engaged again with the people we love. Waiting to be redeemed from this debilitation.
Instead, for many of us, our lives keep getting smaller. Our resources continue to shrink. The world outside that knew us and remembered us and cared about us, recedes into memory.
Despite our cognitive difficulties, we fully recognize that this is happening. But we refuse to believe that this is the end of the story for us.
So here is my Holiday Season's wish for my fellow members of the Resistance. May we all look forward to a better year, a year of health and restoration, and of increase in every area of life where we've been robbed.
We who are disabled, await the zealous champions for our cause to come forth.
I spent 15 years losing the battle against CFS. Two years ago, I found treatment that worked for me and now I am making a comeback.