May is the international awareness month for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), or ME/CFS. ME/CFS is a devastating multi-system disease that causes dysfunction of the neurological, immune, endocrine, and energy metabolism systems and leaves 25% of those affected homebound or bedbound. This year, for the first time, a New Hampshire Governor has formally proclaimed May 12 to be ME/CFS Awareness Day in our state.

Pre-pandemic projections of ME/CFS prevalence in New Hampshire estimated that as many as 10,400 Granite Staters have the disease. However, because ME/CFS most often develops after infections, experts expect 10-12% of COVID-19 patients to develop ME/CFS, drastically increasing its prevalence.

Because of stigma, lack of attention by the government and medical communities, and decades of abysmal federal research funding, people with ME/CFS struggle to access appropriate medical care and rarely recover. Medical schools seldom address ME/CFS in their curricula, and many patients go undiagnosed. Tragically, this results in loss of hope and higher rates of suicide within the ME/CFS community.

During this ME/CFS Awareness Month of 2022, I ask my fellow Granite Staters, especially those who work in healthcare, to take the time to learn about this life-altering disease. I was a busy, physically active college student until 2016, when I contracted an infection that led to the development of ME/CFS. This illness has taken away much of what I love, including my hikes in New Hampshire’s mountains.

You can learn more about ME/CFS at www.meaction.net and mecfscliniciancoalition.org.