STAT+: Learning to treat long COVID could help those struggling with chronic fatigue syndrome, too
People who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome say their symptoms have often been dismissed by a society that sees them as lazy or depressed.
CONCORD, N.H. — Veronica Dane had always been active, from playing soccer as a kid to working a demanding job as a critical care nurse. Until, one day, she just couldn’t do it anymore.
She started eliminating activities and duties, whittling away the things that had once brought joy and a steady income but were now, instead, bringing unbearable physical pain. Even at home, she had to wear noise-canceling headphones to muffle the sound of her kids playing downstairs.
It was mysterious and maddening, and doctors weren’t always helpful. Some dismissed her symptoms. “You’re just tired,” she remembered one telling her. Another said she was depressed. But that didn’t explain or alleviate her debilitating symptoms.
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