Works of fiction where characters have ME/CFS

If anyone in ‘Emma’ had ME I would have picked Mrs Churchill, though she is never met in person. She was considered a hypochondriac by the characters we do meet and judged much more negatively than Mr Woodhouse, but she presents with actual symptoms and her death suggests an underlying medical condition. Obviously Mrs Churchill is selfish and probably manipulative, but these qualities do not preclude an actual medical condition.

 

Yes, that’s all fair. I was trying to think of characters who were bed bound or lacking energy, but probably a fruitless exercise. As you say, one ends up with hypochondriacs.

 

This was the nineteenth century, though, even manipulative illness fabulators could suddenly succumb to something real, especially to serve an ill writer’s instinct for irony.

 

Caderousse's wife La Carconte in The Count of Monte Cristo, possibly. She is pale, thin and sickly, and spends most of her time in her room either stretched out in an armchair or leaning against her bed. (Leaning against?? That sounds painful - possibly a translation issue)

 

NOT MECFS (TB) but The Rack by A.E. Ellis is a masterpiece of chronic illness/suffering.

The Rack by AE Ellis review – a masterly map of suffering

https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2...y-ae-ellis-review-a-masterly-map-of-suffering

 

Here are a few books that have not yet been mentioned:

* Patient 002 by Floyd Skloot

Loosely inspired by the early Ampligen trials. I enjoyed reading it.
Review: https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9792091-6-1

* The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

Romantic comedy. Not usually a genre that I read but it was okay.
Review: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jean-meltzer/the-matzah-ball/


This book is not fiction, but it's so well written I thought I'd add it here:

* The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Author website: https://www.elisabethtovabailey.net/

 

ME Association
·
WIZARD NEWS! SALLY WINS BOOK BLOGGERS AWARD FOR THE FIRST OF HER 'TOBY' BOOKS

A children’s wild wizard book featuring a 12-year-old boy, who is a young carer looking after his mother who has M.E, has won the international Book Bloggers Novel of the Year Award for 2022.

It’s all the more remarkable because the author, Sally Doherty, first found a publisher for 'Toby and the Silver Blood Witches' but then had to go it alone when the publisher closed. Sally published the book herself 18 months ago.

https://meassociation.org.uk/2023/0...k-bloggers-award-for-first-of-her-toby-books/

 

https://www.s4me.info/threads/how-f...-cfs-before-you-became-ill.31503/#post-456388

Here are some notes I made about the series:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_E3mCX1evI

@19:31 - Jessica loses her memory due to ME.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_E3mCX1evI

@22:46 - Shows noise intolerance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grJN2FZJIJY

@1:21 - Robson "Yuppie flu"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grJN2FZJIJY

@12:38 - Arnie accuses Jessica of faking it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mh-ra39pMQY

- S20E11, Jessica is back.
https://youtu.be/NhIeSIvuu5s?t=330 - Dudley says Dennis has hysterical paraplegia and his mind needs changing.
https://youtu.be/NhIeSIvuu5s?t=1230 - All in the mind.

 

"Bird Hits Glass": Fictional book by Beate Triantafilidis where the main character has #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis

Description:
Working at a high-powered consultancy in London, Grace relishes having an outlet for her relentless ambition. When her young body collapses in invisible pains, she becomes desperate for answers - but the doctors can't find anything wrong.

As time stretches out and her body still confines her to bed, she relies on social media and visits from her adventurous boyfriend Matt and fiercely competitive best friend Jas to connect her to the outside world. But as persistent physical pains continue to engulf her, her relationships start to fray.

Feeling increasingly lonely, Grace becomes even more desperate to heal. When she discovers a chronically ill social media influencer, she's buoyed by hope that recovery is possible, while beginning to question her assumptions about relationships, love and what it means to live a full life.

15 reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61117733
12 reviews:

I haven't read it myself

 

I saw this post on Tumblr. Despite the tags that the poster uses my guess is that the character doesn't have ME/CFS. But other people have posted chronic illness characters in this thread so I thought I might also.
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The Strange Case of Starship Iris (@iriscasefiles) is the most wonderful podcast. I have so many good things to say about it. Severe chronic illness means I have limited energy, though.

So, particularly of interest to readers of my blog, I will just mention the podcast's sensitive portrayal of chronic illness (both physical and mental). This happens across the 2nd season and is extremely moving.

Thank you so much, Jessica Best + cast + production team! I didn't expect a podcast that delighted and charmed me so much would *also* make me feel seen as a chronically ill person with very limited mobility. Standing is A Lot.

#the strange case of starship iris#starship iris#Jessica best#chronic illness#myalgic encephalomyelitis#chronic fatigue syndrome#inflammatory bowel disease#me/cfs#ibd#disability#podcast recommendations#disability representation#Chronic illness representation

https://www.tumblr.com/thatchronicf...e-of-starship-iris-iriscasefiles?source=share

 

Just released:

The Final episode of M.E, Myself and I

Episode 6: Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYdzyyjJQfw

This is a low-budget dramatisation of the (fictional) life of a young person with ME

 

“Toby and the Wizards of Wildhaven”: Book for children aged 9-12 with character with ME
https://meassociation.org.uk/2023/12/when-sally-met-toby-expect-fireworks/

 

The author, who has ME/CFS, sent me the following link to highlight his new book where one of the main characters has ME/CFS and fibromyalgia.
I don't know anything more.
A few reviews are up on the link given in the tweet.

THE EMBLETON MURDERS After ten years of working at Embleton University, Professor Robbie Mustoe is ordered to take a sabbatical by senior management. Within days of his sabbatical starting, two of his trusted lecturing staff are suspended and eventually leave the university under a veil of secrecy. Months later, two staff members involved in the removal of his trusted colleagues from the university, die in separate incidents. Professor Mustoe suspects foul play and turns to his friend since school days, DCI Parrish. DCI Parrish had to take early retirement from the Metropolitan Police on health grounds. Diagnosed with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia, symptoms including chronic fatigue and pain prevented him doing his job properly. But it was brain fog; poor concentration, memory problems, difficulty speaking and counting, that ended his career. After talking with Robbie, Parrish begins researching the mysterious deaths. He feels the excitement of being involved in a case again. But is it a case? It is when a third member of the university goes missing. A DCI PARRISH Crime Thriller by Bear Lawrence Available exclusively on Amazon

Edited to add: I did try to add the Amazon link in the post here but it wouldn't load

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I4Rn2y_K1A

ME/CFS Alert, Episode 137: Interview with Canadian Author Nora Gold

ME/CFS Alert
17 Mar 2024
Nora Gold has turned her awesome talent as a writer to a fictional account of a woman afflicted with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Her book, “In Sickness and In Health,” is an engaging, exquisitely crafted story — one informed by Nora's own struggle with the disease. When you meet Nora in Llewellyn King’s interview, you will immediately find her compelling as a Canadian woman of great accomplishment in academe, and as a prize-winning writer who has been spared none of the suffering of ME. “For me, the high point of this interview is Nora reading from her book. It is powerful stuff,” King says.

 

Really enjoyed watching this conversation . Nora Gold is an interesting character; an academic and a writer.

She has had ME for 40 years and has written this novella about someone with ME. ( with another novella in the same book). She has spent spells in bed when most affected but also achieved a doctorate and published a few books. She has set up community projects relating to Judaism.

I could relate to the strategies she has used as an ME patient. She described how we often hide our illness from our friends.

Have exhausted my energy but can recommend watching this. Am thinking about whether to buy the book.

 

My daughter's debut novel launched in April and totally coincidentally the main character's mother has ME.

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit by Nadine Sander-Green is a coming of age novel set in an isolated northern Canadian community. The main character, Millicent, is a new and naive political reporter at a dying daily newspaper in Whitehorse, Yukon. Although the mother has a minor role in the novel Nadine took care to include vivid descriptions of life with severe ME and of how her mother's illness affected Millicent's childhood.

If you're interested (and able) to read it Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit: A Novel is available in paperback from independent book sellers, online including Amazon in Canada, US, UK, many countries in Europe, Australia, NZ and elsewhere. The ebook is available in Kobo & Kindle through Amazon or wherever you get your ebooks. The publisher hopes to release an audio version in the future but there's no timeline for this yet.

Lastly, if you do read the novel you might want keep in mind that it is a work of fiction - although the mother has ME she's not me!

 

This was sent to me by a family member. "King of Sloth" by Ana Huang. It's fluff but has a relevant passage (which I'll get to circuitously). For the avoidance of doubt, the title itself does not relate to ME/CFS, the relevant antagonist being described thusly —

The protagonist is named — and I kid you not — Sloane Kensington. (Oh behave!!)

Sloane's 9yo half sister has ME/CFS and Rhea is her nanny. This book has a better handle on the disease than many scientific papers and media articles —

 

Copied from New Zealand thread:

New novel by recognised NZ author, David Coventry, pwME, about his experience with ME.
https://teherengawakapress.co.nz/performance/

 

Merged thread

I started rewatching one of my favorite shows, House M.D., and saw this lovely scene in the first episode (starts at 1:23):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKqGxhNi1Uw

Spoiler: Transcript

[Cut to clinic and House is with a patient, a guy]

Guy: I’m tired a lot.

House: Any other reason you think you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Guy: It’s kinda the definition isn’t it?

House: It’s kinda the definition of getting older.

Guy: I had a couple headaches last month, mild fever, sometimes I can’t sleep, and I have trouble concentrating.

House: Apparently not while researching this stuff on the internet.

Guy: I was thinking it also might be fibromyalgia.

House: [Looks contemplative, and then serious] Excellent diagnosis [sarcastic]!

Guy: Is there anything for that?

House: [heavy sigh] Ya know, I think there just might be. [House goes out of the room, and to the dispensary.]

House: I need 36 Vicodin, and change for a dollar.

Nurse: (jumbled, I can’t tell)

[House gets his change and goes to a candy machine. He gets white candies out of the machine, and goes back to the counter. There he takes the Vicodin and slips them into his pocket, exchanging them for the candy.]

House: Exam room 2. [Places the bottle back on the counter.]

https://tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewtopic.php?t=33324