‘ME/CFS is considered a chronic illness, but longitudinal studies suggest that 17-64% of adult PWCs improve, less than 10% fully recover. The improvement rate is even better for adolescents with ME/CFS. The current standard of therapy is to treat sleep and pain issues first, then address co-morbidities or other health issues. Dr. Bruce Campbell and I agree (TreatCFSFM.org) that it is best to assume the worst at first, and work toward improving. PWCs seem to do best when they accept the illness and adapt to it; pace their activities and take frequent rests; manage sleep and pain first; then address co-morbidities and other health issues. As physicist Steven Hawking once remarked, “However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. While there’s life, there is hope.”’
