An Explanation of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Part 3)

3.) Immune, gastro-intestinal and genitourinary impairments.

Of all the symptoms categories, this is by far my lightest group, but I still meet the diagnostic criteria. Some with ME suffer from chronic or recurring flu-like symptoms including sore throat, inflammation of the sinuses, and enlarged or tender lymph nodes. My main symptom, which used to be more pronounced but is improving due to dietary changes and supplements, is nausea. In January and February, I was nauseous almost constantly, after every meal. Sensitivities to food, smells, and chemicals (this is a big culprit) is another symptom that I have from this category. The main reaction to chemicals (either using them or even smelling them) is headaches and a burning feeling behind my eyes, but it can also trigger nausea. For this reason, I only use baking soda for cleaning and am looking into some natural toilet bowl cleaners and multipurpose cleaners to purchase. I have also stopped wearing any kind of body spray, and try to avoid people wearing strong perfumes (no offense) or lots of hair spray. Please let me say at this point, these reactions might sound bad to you; I mean, everyone has to clean, right? and every girl loves body spray! But the reactions I have to chemicals are nothing like what some ME patients experience who also suffer from something called multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). If you are interested in reading a living biography of a young woman who has ME and MCS, I invite you to check out Polishing God's Monuments, written by her father, Pastor Jim Andrews. My dad and I both read this book several years ago before I even had mono, and Juli's story has been a beacon of encouragement to me during the course of my illness. Oh, and the genitourinary impairments? Not sure why this is a symptom of ME, but for some reason, we ME-ers feel the need to pee frequently, and this urge in the wee hours of the morning also doesn't help the insomnia bit I talked about previously.

The next post in this series will complete my explanation of the journal article.