My name is Ron. I\u2019m a professional cellist, conductor, and recording artist and I have ME\/CFS.<\/p>\n
In 1980, I had a bad episode of pneumonia which left me bed ridden and continuously fatigued long after the infection was gone. Night after night, I would awaken totally exhausted in a pool of sweat. My doctor could see the pneumonia was gone, but had no idea why I couldn\u2019t get my strength back. He recommend an acupuncturist who I started seeing twice a week to work on my energy and stamina. With his help, along with a very loving and devoted wife, I was able to start auditioning again and actually pulled it together to successfully get into a major orchestra.<\/p>\n
The schedule was extremely taxing and I was often fatigued but maintained with the help of lots of supplements for immunity and energy, a good diet, and a long nap every day. I was finally officially diagnosed with ME\/CFS in1998 just around the time I expanded into my work as a recording artist and conductor. I\u2019ve always been an overachiever and possess a very strong will and determination which has helped me get through even the worst of times with this illness. My mantra eventually became (addressing this disease)\u00a0\u201cyou\u2019re not going to stop me!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n I can\u2019t say I haven\u2019t suffered all these years and still do with the ongoing archetypal symptoms of insomnia, brain-fog, memory loss, swollen glands, sore throat, sinusitis, excessive fatigue and pain particularly abdominally. I\u2019ve taken just about every blood test there is, MRIs, CATs, sleep analysis studies and on and on and not surprisingly, the present medical establishment has never found anything. The doctors I continue to see still to this day show skepticism about how these intense, ongoing symptoms could be caused by this misunderstood thing called ME\/CFS.<\/p>\n I\u2019m truly what you would call a high functioning person with this condition and unlike so many of the wonderful people who have offered their testimonials here and have this disease in its most extreme manifestation, I\u2019ve gratefully been able to have a family with children and pursue a career as a musician, but not without much difficulty and challenge. After I reached retirement age a few years ago, I decided to move on from orchestral playing and conducting as well as a lot of recording but I still perform in a limited amount.<\/p>\n For me, there actually have been some blessings having this disease. It taught me to only do what I love, try to always simplify, and most importantly, I had the profound realization that I\u2019m not just this body. I\u2019m in my body but there\u2019s something immensely powerful and uplifting within me that I learned to access through an experience and knowledge taught by meditation. This practice has become my foundation to help me survive and thrive living with this horrible disease.<\/p>\n I know all of you wonderful CFS patients know what that feels like. For me it has always happened after I went through a stressful period emotionally or physically and\/or\u00a0over doing it<\/em><\/strong>. Over doing work\u2026..and even overdoing play. I came to the decision decades ago that I refused to stop living and enjoying my life living with this disease. Even if I pay the price now and then. I mean if they haven\u2019t figured it out yet what causes and cures this condition they\u2019ve named Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (it took me years just to be able to pronounce it correctly in public) I just personally refused to stop living waiting for an answer.<\/p>\n Until about a year ago.\u00a0The combination of a very stressful family problem and what the world situation had come to, that brought me to an absolute low mentally and physically. I wasn\u2019t sure if I could or wanted to continue on even though I\u2019ve always been a very positive and optimistic person. I really had reached the end of my road and all I could do was pray for\u00a0my<\/u>\u00a0answer.<\/p>\n I heard about a book that I found in the public library called Medical Medium by Anthony William. It personally helped me finally understand things about this condition that I never understood and a solution that was right for me. The information, wisdom and knowledge has been an effective treatment protocol for me and my condition is improving in time. Improving! Remarkable! I am no longer having major horrible episodes sometimes lasting weeks.<\/p>\n This is a mean disease and disproportionately attacks women\u2026\u2026particularly young women. When I read some of the testimonials from young females it breaks my heart. I\u2019ve been very lucky to have had a wonderful family and career (this photo was taken recently just before I performed at the Biltmore Estate.) Hey, I\u2019m almost 72 and I should be happy with all I\u2019ve done in my life living with this but it ain\u2019t enough! I want to feel even better. My very best wishes to all of you struggling with ME\/CFS and never give up in your journey to healing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Humans of ME\/CFS My name is Ron. I\u2019m a professional cellist, conductor, and recording artist and I have ME\/CFS. In 1980, I had a bad episode of pneumonia which left me bed ridden and continuously fatigued long after the infection was gone. Night after night, I would awaken totally exhausted in a pool of sweat. 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