"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here" is what Dante imagined would be written on the gates of hell, and now that saying has become quite famous. To me, that line from his epic poem "The Divine Comedy" highlights the fact that there is something powerful and life-giving about hope. Without it, what do you have?

When you're sick, you need HOPE.

Hope of recovery ... hope of finding your chronic fatigue cure ... hope of a good future ... hope of having any kind of a life!

As bleak as it got for her, Heather didn't lose sight of HOPE, though I confess that I did not know that as clearly at the time as I do now. Maybe I've grown a little since then.

To help you nurture hope in your heart, I've collected some stories. They're true stories of triumph. People who have succeeded despite chronic fatigue. If you know of other success stories, please let me know 'coz I'm sure there is a load of winners out there that I haven't met yet.

But first.. Does hope really help? Dr William Collinge, author of "Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Guide to Self-Empowerment, certainly thinks so:

"The ability to imagine yourself well affects you in many ways. On the physical level, the bio-chemistry of hope is very different from that of despair, and your immune responsiveness is affected by both. On the psychological level, a great deal of change in behavior is necessary to promote healing. Without belief in recovery, there is no incentive to sincerely follow through with such changes. And also, in those moments when you are in the pits, feeling your absolute worst, imagery can be a resource to get you through."

A few CFS success stories

Betting on Sea Biscuit - Author Laura Hillenbrand's success while suffering from CFS. This is in PDF format, so you can right click to download the story to your computer, or left click to view it as a normal website. And here's a chatty piece about Laura.

Kim Snyder is a CFS patient and a filmmaker. Her documentary, “I Remember Me” is a visual rendition of what it feel like to be struck down with CFS. It has won several film festival awards. At Kim's IRememberMe.com website, there is a CFS facts sheet.

A CFIDS patient's story: Becky R.

Michelle Anne Akers. The first female American soccer player, and author of several books including "Standing Fast" which chronicles her battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and her overcoming of incredible obstacles to win a gold medal.

Speedskater Amy Peterson was in the Olympics, despite her CFIDS

What Recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Means to Me: One Woman's Story

Living with CFS by Eleanor Ward, 15, from England. "There is no hanging around anymore. It took two years of illness for me to realise this: If I do nothing I'll have nothing, and even if I fail all my exams I will have conquered something a lot greater: my illness... One day my so-called friends will watch in amazement as I conquer more odds."

One man's recovery story. Frank Jenner has created over 25 pages of information on CFS "for those who have exhausted traditional medical channels". In alphabetical order, topics include: adrenal insufficiency, advice for getting well, allergies, candida, dust mites, mercury amalgam fillings, NutraSweet, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), supplements that helped him, thyroid. And there's more...

CFS Success Stories: Accounts of people who have coped and recovered

More CFS success stories. Meet Brigitte, Michelle and Dikla.

Hope: from a YPWC by Dianna Banks is a fine piece, full of information about many aspects of being a Young Person With CFIDS (thus the acronym YPWC).

CFIDS Buyers Club's Richard Carson Provides Inspiration. Himself a CFIDS sufferer, Rich has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for medical research into chronic fatigue. Especially through his Buyers Club, now known as ImmuneSupport.com, which is apparently the world's largest fybromyalgia/CFS site with over 3 million visitors each year. The site offers a wide range of vitamins and nutritional supplements, as well as the latest information on CFS treatments and coping methods.

 

Click here to learn more about... How Heather beat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
along with other helpful information about CFS / CFIDS / ME

Click here to download your FREE copy of... Beating CFS
This ebook can be read on any IBM-compatible computer. Sorry, Mac users.