International CFS/ME Awareness Day

Today is International CFS/ME Awareness Day. Here are some simple things you can do to help educate the world about CFS, even if you can't leave your house:

• Participate in the CFIDS Association's Virtual Lobby Day. This helps to spread the word about CFS to your local media and your elected officials. I just finished all 3 of the actions listed, and it only took about 10 minutes (you can also choose to just do 1 or 2 of the actions). This really works! Last year, both our local town newspaper and our city newspaper published the letters I sent through the CAA's Action center. I also received responses from my Senators and Representative, as well as a thank you note from a local representative who has a family member with CFS. It works and it's easy - try it!
• Tell your friends and family about CFS. I plan to post a small note about Awareness Day on Facebook today. During the first few years after I was diagnosed, I e-mailed my family and friends to tell them more about CFS and how they could help. Several of my friends thanked me and said they wanted to know more. Here are some sources of information you can provide to others:
• About CFIDS by the CFIDS Association
• ME/CFS Facts by Phoenix Rising
• The CDC's information on CFS
• My own article, CFS: An Invisible Illness, published last fall on Lively Woman

You and your friends and family can also donate money to help fund badly-needed CFS research. I know the economy has people worried right now, but you could always do what we've done and just switch some of your charitable giving from other organizations to the CFIDS Association or another organization that supports CFS research (like the IACFS/ME, though their research fund link doesn't seem to be working at the moment).

You can also donate to CFS research without spending any extra money by using a shopping donation site or links like:

• iGive
• Good Shop
  
• CFIDS Association's Shop and Give links

You can even earn money for CFS research when you use a search engine:

• Good Search
• iSearchiGive

I've made iSearchiGive my homepage so that all of my searches earn money for the CFIDS Association.

Spread the word!