If I could do anything as a health activist...
- I would go to parliament and request a meeting with the health minister.
- I would find a way to make them (the government) understand what it's like to have ME
- I would explain what the world is missing by leaving us patients with ME behind and how much it costs them
- I would mention stigma and neglect. Many, many times.
- I would mention the abuse from the British Psychiatrists who have kept on saying that ME is not a real illness, that patients have "false illness beliefs" for nearly 30 years, preventing biomedical research from happening. i would make sure these psychiatrists lose their license to practise, the ability to publish and to loose their knighthood status. I would ensure they make a very heartfelt apology to the world.
- I would insist my government apologizes to patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis for neglect in funding research and keeping silent about the stigma.
- I would work with the media to produce a documentary about myalgic encephalomyelitis, and ensure it is well done and broadcasted widely.
- I would talk to HIV/AIDS activists and picked their brains on how they've done it. It was brilliant.
- I would recruit a celebrity to embrace our disease, for diseases represented by a celebrity get more funding for research.
- I would work with schools of medicine to ensure that proper myalgic encephalomyelitis curriculum be thought to medical students and I would make it mandatory that a ME patient attends the classes, so med students get an opportunity to ask questions and to ensure that the proper information is being shared.
- I would make sure that my government funds ME at the same rate (or better) as similar chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Equality means that the government funds similar diseases which have the same impact equally.
- I would ensure that each and every patient with ME gets proper health care, housing and home support. Free of charge.
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