I'm glad you started this conversation. My fatique has affected my body, mind and worst of all my personality. I always take the easy way out for everything. I spend way to much money on eating out cuz I don't feel like cooking and cleaning, I can barely care for my baby, and I can't concentrate on school. Unfortunately, I do not have a supportive family. To make matters worse, I live with the ones that bring me down the most, my parents because I'd rather be with them than on the streets. My ilnness has debilitated me from contributing around the house. My parents are upset about that of course but they do not accept that my problem is an illness. They rather accuse me of having a major charactor flaw. A flaw that consists of laziness, selfishness, and ungratefulness. I do not wish to be these names I am being called. I want to succeed in my health career.. DS definitely helps me. I am thankful for all of you and I appreciate your support and advice.

I went to the Doctor yesterday and the Nurse, when I said I had CFS, said she wished they would find something for that, as she was really tired. The Nurse said that. My dad hasn't slept well for a few nights and said to me he thinks he has 'that Chronic Fatigue thing". My DOCTOR said that maybe my CFS was caused by my being up lately with a cough (unrelated), and being tired from that. I was stunned. This was yesterday. I have had CFS for 8 years, and she has been my doctor for 12 years. She has never offered any help for it, but this was a new low. I think it's the name, it sounds like it's an annoyance and not a life-altering illness. So frustrating and depressing.

Oh my gosh, I bet if you had of had the energy you would have smacked her one!!
That is so crazy, rude and ignorant!!
I can't believe that people can be so stupid and thoughtless!
I find myself holding my tongue when friends and family complain about being tired, I feel like screaming from the tops of my lungs that they have NO IDEA!! and that they should be grateful that that is their only problem.
I hold my tongue because I don't want people to stop telling me their problems but I would appreciate if they would put them into perspective before complaining about something as trivial as being 'a bit tired'.

Mostly I like the name because it is descriptive, but perhaps it would be better to call it Excessive Fatigue Syndrome, or Debilitating Fatigue Syndrome. Any other ideas?
If I had heard that from my regular doctor (as you described) on a bad day I would have said nothing, being too worn out to reply. But on a different kind of bad day I might have completely lost it and yelled at the doctor, told him in detail how stupid he is, yell about how if that was the problem I wouldn't have cfs, and give an education on it very loudly.

I reply to the "you look good to me" comments with something like, "thank you, I'm glad I don't look as bad as I feel." But you know if it's with the "liar" tone I just might get mad.

I talk to even medical profesionals as if they have never heard of cfs and have no idea what it is.

My daughter told me last week that her friend's mom who is a massage therapist sends her sympathies for me having cfs because it must be so hard.. Apparently she has a few clients with it. I was a little in shock that someone actually got it without explanation. We only met once, briefly, and she hasn't seen any of it from me.