Dear Dr. Emmanuel

This is an all out offensive on the NHS system with no holds barred. My first priority in 2025 is to have the Willow Tree practice accept that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and NOT Fibromyalgia. 

Extract from the pink diary Friday 26th April 2024
liberally edited and reformatted to make sense without  losing the sense of the entry

"Subjecting any muscle to 'exercise' causes it [very quickly] to seize up leading to immobilization and can be remedied only by total and immediate immobility and rest.  Recovery typically takes between half a minute and fifteen minutes. {*using scissors*}

Any attempt at repeating the 'exercise' ensures subsequent 'seizing up' over a shorter timespan and involves a longer period of rest/recovery and if the action is persisted in locomotion will become untenable and may require total rest overnight.

Any persistence over time will lead to an inability to use the muscle or muscles at all. The most common muscles to cause cause the most trouble are those most used and the effect is like a marathon runner would experience on hitting the wall.  I am told this condition is down to the muscles filling with lactic acid which in the case of the athlete dissipates over a short time as his muscles clear the lactic acid and replenish the muscle with oxygenated blood

For me the muscles most affected are  my buttocks, backs of my legs when climbing stairs or an incline is involved

The upper arms and shoulders if winding paddle windlasses, the lower limbs including the feet if standing. 

manipulation of fingers as per kneading dough, working ropes or squeezing things affects my hand and has been frequently been misdiagnosed and treated as carpel tunnel

see Apr29th for inspiration ...

I presented with "inability to fill lungs" as shown on the card and used the card as an aide memoir when I was face to face.  I was flabbergasted when her best offer was to provide me with a link to self refer for physiotherapy. I tried to provide background but she gave me to believe she was hemmed in by regulations or something which prevented her from widening the scope of the consultation. She admitted to knowing nothing about Chronic Fatigue and had obviously never heard of ME even when I said 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis'