{"id":8554,"date":"2021-05-11T00:20:14","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T04:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?p=8554"},"modified":"2021-05-11T00:20:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T04:20:14","slug":"meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/","title":{"rendered":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post &#8211; My MEcfs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8586\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-not-alone\/mm_cover_image\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image.png\" data-orig-size=\"1500,500\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"MM_Cover_Image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image-300x100.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image-1024x341.png\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8586\" src=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image.png\" alt=\"Red graphic with the words #MillionsMissing and You Are Not Alone, along with the #MEAction logo. Next to that is a drawing of five people joining hands. The middle figure is a white outline, indicating that some are missing.\" width=\"1500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image.png 1500w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/MM_Cover_Image-768x256.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #77287b;\"><b>dSavannah note:<\/b><\/span> Elke was asked to share her story for <a href=\"https:\/\/solvecfs.org\/advoweek21\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">MECFS Advocacy Day 2021<\/a> on Tuesday, April 20, urging elected officials to support funding and research of post-viral illnesses like MECFS and long COVID. The event was sponsored by <a href=\"https:\/\/solvecfs.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Solve ME<\/a>, along with other patient organizations, to amplify patient voices on Capitol Hill and put pressure on Congress to pass the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-bill\/9027?r=41&amp;s=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 Longhaulers Act<\/a> (H.R.9027).<\/p>\n<p>She graciously allowed me to share what she had written as part of this year&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/millionsmissing.meaction.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#MillionsMissing<\/a> advocacy.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>My name is Elke Martinez. I am 46 years old and I have a wonderful husband, Mike, two cats (Oliver and Lincoln) and two dogs (Madigan and Sawyer). We live in Colorado.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"8562\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/elke\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke.jpeg\" data-orig-size=\"500,611\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;2.2&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;iPhone 8&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1616056185&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;2.87&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"elke\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke-245x300.jpeg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke.jpeg\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-8562\" src=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke-245x300.jpeg\" alt=\"White woman with brown eyes and dark, short hair. She is wearing a blue t-shirt and a reddish winter hat. Her hand is on her head.\" width=\"245\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke-245x300.jpeg 245w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elke.jpeg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 245px) 100vw, 245px\" \/>When I first got sick in 2006, I was working as a specialty veterinary nurse in the internal medicine\/critical care department. I loved my job &#8211; it was my passion. After receiving my state license, I decided to pursue an internal medicine license.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, my illness progressed and I had to pause my education. Some doctors told me nothing was wrong, it was anxiety\/depression; many others dismissed me as having &#8220;some sort of chronic fatigue syndrome&#8221; and told me there was no treatment.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, I could no longer work in the hospital. I had to quit my job. My license lapsed.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2013, my illness has become my full-time job. Since doctors couldn&#8217;t find anything wrong with me, I had to become my own doctor and advocate. It took 13 years for me to finally find a doctor who believed me, and this was only after I noticed an abnormality on my MRI.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard the terms \u201clong hauler\u201d and \u201clong COVID\u201d. You may or may not have heard the comparison to \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/me-cfs\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">myalgic encephalomyelitis<\/a>\u201d or \u201cchronic fatigue syndrome\u201d often referred to as \u201cMECFS\u201d. Well, I am a \u201clong hauler\u201d and I have been since 2006. Something has hijacked my body and I suspect it has to do with my immune system and involves a virus.<\/p>\n<p>When I did this [advocacy] last year, COVID was just gaining traction in the states. I knew then what everyone else like myself knew. There was about to be a second pandemic. And here we are.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve had a cold or the flu; you get a headache, you get tired\/weak\/groggy, you can\u2019t think straight, your muscles and joints ache, and the only thing you can do is go to bed for the next 2-3 days and hibernate until it\u2019s over. Imagine being trapped in this space, not knowing why or if you\u2019ll ever escape. Because with MECFS and long COVID, there is often no recovery.<\/p>\n<p>My symptoms did progress and include vertigo and dizziness, blood pressure and heart rate problems and near fainting &#8211; this is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dysautonomiainternational.org\/page.php?ID=34\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dysautonomia<\/a>. I have difficulty concentrating, focusing, retaining information and near constant grogginess. This is a suspected immune problem called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaaai.org\/conditions-and-treatments\/related-conditions\/mcas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">mast cell activation<\/a>. I also have insomnia, digestive issues, chronic headaches, and chronic pain.<\/p>\n<p>For decades we have known that MECFS often follows a virus. When COVID hit, alarm bells started going off in our community because what we knew and feared was that at some point, patients would develop a neurological illness.<\/p>\n<p>We know that somewhere between 25-35% of post COVID patients develop long COVID. We are seeing this play out on a global scale. My neurological symptoms progressed and in 2013, I could no longer work full time. I was lucky enough to find part time work from home, but it was at a 75% pay cut. I am now 90% housebound &#8211; only leaving my home for doctor appointments and short errands.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had to exist without supportive doctors, without understanding from anyone, and without treatment. I have been disbelieved, gaslit, embarrassed and humiliated. I was never referred to a doctor specializing in MECFS because the majority of people have no idea there are MECFS physicians and researchers. It is they who have laid the groundwork being used to research long COVID.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #77287b;\"><b>And we need them; we need MORE of them.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p>I estimate I\u2019ve lost over $500,000 in income &#8211; which has cost the government tax dollars. I have no savings or retirement plan. I feel like a burden on my husband, and feel such incredible guilt at what we\u2019ve lost. We don\u2019t spend money to go on vacations. We don\u2019t spend money to socialize with others. We weren\u2019t able to have children. This is what I\u2019ve lost due to this illness and what we see happening all over the world.<\/p>\n<p>So much government spending could be saved if there were more research and patients could access treatment within months instead of years or decades.<\/p>\n<p>Last year I spoke about how COVID \u201cmight\u201d rapidly disable a large percentage of those affected. <span style=\"color: #77287b;\"><b>This is now a reality.<\/b><\/span> This funding is CRUCIAL. I ask you to PLEASE support research funding for post viral illnesses, including MECFS, as an urgent COVID-19 response and to help the millions of us that have been long haulers prior to COVID.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Thank you, Elke, for sharing your story, and for this impassioned plea.<\/p>\n<p>In her honor, and the honor of all other patients with MEcfs (like yours truly), tell your Congress members you want them to support the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/116th-congress\/house-bill\/9027?r=41&amp;s=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 Longhaulers Act<\/a> (H.R.9027) by <a href=\"https:\/\/solvecfs.secure.force.com\/actions\/kwac__takeaction?actionId=AR00132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">signing this letter<\/a> created by Solve ME.<\/p>\n<p>Elke also asks that you please donate to: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.solvecfs.org\/donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SolveMECFSInitiative<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omf.ngo\/ways-to-donate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Open Medicine Foundation<\/a>, research organizations looking for a biomarker and a cure; or <a href=\"https:\/\/act.meaction.net\/page\/13161\/donate\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> #MEActionNet<\/a>, an organization that focuses on advocacy and that is spearheading the #MillionsMissing campaign this week. Although they are not requesting donations, she recommends the <a href=\"https:\/\/mecfscliniciancoalition.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">US ME\/CFS Clinician Coalition<\/a>, as they have provided an amazing roadmap of diagnostics and treatment recommendations for non ME\/CFS practitioners as well as a great overview for ME\/CFS patients.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_8668\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8668\" data-attachment-id=\"8668\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/2021-timeline_wide_may11\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,512\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2021-Timeline_wide_May11\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The timeline of actions from &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/millionsmissing.meaction.net&quot;&gt;The #MEAction Network&lt;\/a&gt;. Today, Tuesday, 5\/11, is a day to &lt;a href=&quot;https:\/\/www.meaction.net\/act-events\/list\/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=268&quot;&gt;Attend Local Events&lt;\/a&gt;!&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11-300x150.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11.jpg\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8668\" src=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11.jpg\" alt=\"Banner with #MEAction logo in red that says #MillionsMissing 2021 Timeline: Awareness, Advocacy, Community, and Support. May 9th: Gather Allies is checked. May 10th: Share Your Art is checked. May 11th: Attend Local Events is circled. May 12th: #MillionsMissing! Live events throughout the day! Share on Social Media! May 13th: Attend Local Events! May 14th: Connect with Community.\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_wide_May11-768x384.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-8668\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The timeline of actions from <a href=\"https:\/\/millionsmissing.meaction.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The #MEAction Network<\/a>. <br \/>Today, Tuesday, 5\/11, is a day to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.meaction.net\/act-events\/list\/?tribe_eventcategory%5B0%5D=268\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Attend Local Events<\/a>!<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"color: #77287b;\"><b>PS: If you enjoyed or appreciated what you read, and aren\u2019t currently a subscriber, then please follow my blog!<\/b><\/span> Simply enter your email address in the box under \u201cFollow dSavannah Rambles\u201d that\u2019s on top of the right-hand column. (Or, if on mobile, scroll aaallll the way down to the bottom of the page and enter your email address in the subscribe box.)<\/p>\n<p>Your support keeps me going, even in tough times. Thank you for stopping by my blog. (As stated in the other blog posts I&#8217;ve published this week, if you see something wonky, please let me know so I can correct it!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>dSavannah note: Elke was asked to share her story for MECFS Advocacy Day 2021 on Tuesday, April 20, urging elected officials to support funding and research of post-viral illnesses like MECFS and long COVID. The event was sponsored by Solve &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8595,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[127,119,120,44,121,67,35,86,83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mecfsawareness","category-advocacy","category-chronicillness","category-community","category-disability","category-giving-to-others","category-illness","category-making-a-difference","category-shining-a-light"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"dSavannah note: Elke was asked to share her story for MECFS Advocacy Day 2021 on Tuesday, April 20, urging elected officials to support funding and research of post-viral illnesses like MECFS and long COVID. The event was sponsored by Solve &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"dSavannahRambles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"236\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"dSavannah\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"dSavannah\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"dSavannah\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049\"},\"headline\":\"#MEAwareness: Guest Post &#8211; My MEcfs\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\"},\"wordCount\":1111,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"#MEcfsAwareness\",\"advocacy\",\"chronicillness\",\"community\",\"disability\",\"giving to others\",\"illness\",\"making a difference\",\"shining a light\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\",\"name\":\"#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png\",\"width\":236,\"height\":150,\"caption\":\"Graphic that says #MEAction #MillionsMissing 2021 Timeline. May 11th: Attend Local Events is circled in red.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"#MEAwareness: Guest Post &#8211; My MEcfs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"dSavannahRambles\",\"description\":\"plays well with words\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049\",\"name\":\"dSavannah\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/dSR_skeleton_profile_rambles.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/dSR_skeleton_profile_rambles.jpg\",\"width\":400,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"dSavannah\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"description\":\"~ #disabled #spoonie fighting numerous, chronic, painful #InvisibleIllnesses ~ also #wife #feminist #ally #advocate #papyrophiliac #DogCatTurtleWrangler\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.dsavannah.com\/blog\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/author\/dsavannah\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles","og_description":"dSavannah note: Elke was asked to share her story for MECFS Advocacy Day 2021 on Tuesday, April 20, urging elected officials to support funding and research of post-viral illnesses like MECFS and long COVID. The event was sponsored by Solve &hellip; Continue reading &rarr;","og_url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/","og_site_name":"dSavannahRambles","article_published_time":"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00","og_image":[{"width":236,"height":150,"url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"dSavannah","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"dSavannah","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/"},"author":{"name":"dSavannah","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049"},"headline":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post &#8211; My MEcfs","datePublished":"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/"},"wordCount":1111,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","articleSection":["#MEcfsAwareness","advocacy","chronicillness","community","disability","giving to others","illness","making a difference","shining a light"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/","url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/","name":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post - My MEcfs - dSavannahRambles","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","datePublished":"2021-05-11T04:20:14+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","width":236,"height":150,"caption":"Graphic that says #MEAction #MillionsMissing 2021 Timeline. May 11th: Attend Local Events is circled in red."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/meawareness-guest-post-my-mecfs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"#MEAwareness: Guest Post &#8211; My MEcfs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/","name":"dSavannahRambles","description":"plays well with words","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/f84d36e99886981fab3a8a2ad4613049","name":"dSavannah","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/dSR_skeleton_profile_rambles.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/dSR_skeleton_profile_rambles.jpg","width":400,"height":400,"caption":"dSavannah"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"~ #disabled #spoonie fighting numerous, chronic, painful #InvisibleIllnesses ~ also #wife #feminist #ally #advocate #papyrophiliac #DogCatTurtleWrangler","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.dsavannah.com\/blog\/"],"url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/author\/dsavannah\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-Timeline_featured-image-May11.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Crn0-2dY","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8554"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8698,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8554\/revisions\/8698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dsavannah.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}