There is a scene in a season 5 episode of \u201980s sitcom The Golden Girls<\/i> where one of the main characters, Dorothy, who has been battling profound tiredness, confronts the doctor who had failed to diagnose her.<\/p>\n
After months of searching for answers, she tells him she finally knows what is wrong with her.<\/p>\n
Launching into a blistering monologue, she holds him to account for ignoring her symptoms and making her doubt herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came to you sick and scared and you dismissed me,\u201d she says, looking him straight in the eye. \u201cYou told me I wasn\u2019t sick; you told me I was just getting old.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I really am sick. I have chronic fatigue syndrome. That is a real illness.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a moment that will likely resonate with many of those who suffer from the complex and debilitating condition.<\/p>\n
Commonly referred to as ME\/CFS, myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome is a life-changing disease that affects about 444,000 Canadians.<\/p>\n
Classified as a neurological disease in the World Health Organization\u2019s International Classification of Diseases, the long-term chronic condition affects the nervous and immune system, affects more women than men, and children and adults of all ages.<\/p>\n
The debilitating condition is characterized by an overwhelming lassitude, extreme tiredness that can see patients confined to their bed for hours on end or housebound for an indefinite period.<\/p>\n
Other symptoms include (but are not limited to) cognitive challenges referred to as brain fog, which can manifest as word-finding difficulties, memory difficulties, and attention and concentration deficits; migraines; light and sound sensitivity; gastrointestinal issues; orthostatic intolerance; thermostatic instability; and sensitivity to chemicals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There is a scene in a season 5 episode of \u201980s sitcom The Golden Girls where one of the main characters, Dorothy, who has been…<\/p>\n