just watched a programme about michael crawford and he had to stop performing for 7 years as he had M.E. he went to new zealand to recover.
I think they said he'd just been at the peak of fitness in Barnum for three and a half years and was a few days into a new show when he took ill.
If only there could be more "known" people speaking about debilitating conditions.
sandra.
Hello Sandra,
You're so right , the more that speak out it will help people to understand and help eliminate some of the stigma that can be associated with this invisible illness.
I remember reading that about Michael Crawford having M.E & possibly one of the gentlemen from the opera group G4. There are a few people who are reported to have Fibro who are in the public eye, Jo Guest, Susan Flannery, Sinead O'connor , Paula Abdul (rumoured) and more recently mentioned was Morgan Freeman.
I wonder if any will ever write any biographies that will be published and whether any will speak openly about Fibro. I believe Morgan Freeman has discussed it in an interview recently.
Let's hope so 
Emma
I agree. I get fed up of the attitude of some people who think we invent these conditions because actually we are either lazy or unable to cope with 'real' life, or are somehow just inferior people! huh! A lot of people wouldn't be able to cope with the real lives of fibro sufferers ... The pain, other symptoms, the disbelief, the being misunderstood and overlooked. It would be helpful if more high profile people spoke out about it. The problem, of course, is that if they have this kind of condition, they are unlikely to speak about it because they are so ill they have disappeared from the limelight anyway! Catch 22!
Have a good day everyone.
xx
I agree with you about that part of your post about inventing these conditions. I often feel to be made guilty especially when an Aunt of mine talks to me and says ... it doesn't matter how exhausted I am I carry on ... well lucky for her she can carry on !!!!
They are in the dark as they o not tuelly know the impact of these conditions on our daily lives, our careers and professions of not to mention our aspirations. I have lost ten years of my working life and know what it feels like not to be able
to drive a car, see very well, walk without a mobility aid and be able to run, jog dance, etc, It is their loss not mine if they are not encouraging Do not let them take away your joy and that of all of us.
Unfortunately people see these famous people especially in the case of Morgan freeman and think well he can still act so can't these others get to the shops , work etc, its a double edged sword we are damned it we can damned if we can't...... 
VGx
I agree - it makes it look as though will power and determination alone can get you through.
I agree. i know i saw a story somewhere about a well known author who had to sleep in a van inbetween signings of her book, I will try and find out and let you know... xxx
Fm/cfs affects people in different ways and we all deal with it differently.... Just like any condition... A colleague recently died of breast cancer but she managed to work till very near the end , another colleague in a different department had the same cancer and she completely fell apart....however, she survived...
I know some people think I'm swinging the lead, I look well, work full time and go on holidays but.... I have to pace my activities and keep a strict wake/sleep routine. I use a SAD lamp for 40 mins in the dark mornings, avoid caffeine after midday. I do my housework in short bursts and just don't over do anything. I have medical acupuncture and massage from the osteopath twice a month, this really helps me. I can't really go out in the evenings as it sets me back for the next day. I was supposed to be working today but as I have been ultra tired and achy this week I have taken a day off and will potter about today.
I let others have their opinion and take it on the chin now
Happy Sunday to all x
That's extraordinary, normally one hears when a celebrity is ill, but I think people are worried about naming their diseases when they are in the ME Fibro range because so many people think they are nutters.
I am wondering how he got better ??
I am wondering how he got better ??
I think that to admit he had ME is a big thing on its own , after all i know from my own experiences i have had to 'justify' my illness many times, and still do considering ESA assessments and DLA . Thank-you Michael for standing up as a celebrity figure who also suffered this terrible condition.
Kira x
I am trying to remember the name of this author that LouiseAll referred to in her post.... could be wrong here but I think it may have been the famous yachtswoman, Claire someone, who later turned her hand to writing novels , thrillers, thick tomes that were quite gripping. She had ME and I know she did speak of it quite openly at the time. Oh bother, the name will occur to me eventually......
CLARE FRANCIS 
As far as I am aware, Clare Francis still has ME. She has totally turned her life around - eliminated cows milk and sugar from her diet, and now eats VERY healthily. She also changed her career to a writer so that she could work when she wanted/able to. Pacing. She still writes, I believe.
It says on Clare Francis' website that 'For the past twenty years she has been committed to the charity Action for ME, of which she is President, a trustee and member of the Council of Management. She herself has had ME (also known as Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) for many years'.
Thanks for this information , Lindz. I forget now when it was that I read about Clare Francis having ME , it must have been some years ago, but I can remember thinking how fragile she looked, not at all robust. My interest stemmed I think from the fact that my mother had ME/CFS and was quite poorly for some years.
I give thanks to to Michael For being truthful and showing the world this is a real Illness Oonly I would like to hear his whole story , how he copes day to day . I am sure he is not cured just stable and has taken a long time learning how to live to keep it at bay. My guess he doesnt come home from work and has to cook clean look after the children cut the lawn . I am sure if all we had to do was work we too would be much better. I have just cleaned the kitchen tops hung the washing out now I am fit for nothing have to rest and hopefully will be ok for a bbq at my daughters later xx enjoy the sunshine folks ..
Hi I believe Martine MaCutchen had it and I think there are a couple of other 'Celebrities' who have suffered from this over the years too..
Surely there is enough of us to bring it to public attention, even some of the doctors are not Aware of the suffering we have to put up with, i visited a doctor at one of my hospital appointments with a rheumatoligist and he actually said to me that i probably no more about the condition than he does!!! there are so many symptons that are associated with this condition, and we tend to put everything down to this condition that we probably don't go to the doctor when we should i have recently been diagnosed with siogrens syndrome because i have a very dry & sore mouth i suffer from mouth ulsers & no salvia in my mouth i have problems swallowing and have been told my muscles in my throat are in need of excercising. I cant swallow my food, i feel my mouth shuts and i cant swallow which causes me problems when i breathe. I would like to know if any one else suffers from this. This problem is due to muscle control which is part of Fibromyalgia.
.
It the same with my dad one of my stepmothers co worker's has fibo, she had to take 3 months out then went back to work on light dutys now my dad seems to think I should be able to jump up after 20 years of not being able to function and throw myself into a job full time, he has no clue this lady may not be as bad as me or is able to cope better than me, but my dad has no sympathy for me he's even stopped visiting, granted it was only once a year as I live in Yorkshire and he lives in Norfolk, well all my girls have left home mabye he doesn't feel the need to any more, my stepmother works in a young offenders institution she's a teacher. I know its not exactly on topic but if our own familys won't take us seriously what hope do we have of convincing the outside world as I call it. Very-Grumpy is right though people see celebrates with our illness and its well if so and so can act why can't you walk to the shop, get a job and work all the hour's God sends, they don't realise different people react differently to the same illness, where as one person maybe able to work afull week another only part time, the so called powers that be only see the most active person it was the same straight after the Olympics suddenly we could all run and play basketball and such, it sucks how people walk around with blinkers on they only see what they whant to see. Sorry about the rant but I had another run in with my father he who knows all been to uni umpteen times BA's with honours and other degrees coming out of every oraffic so thinks because he and my older brother can do it I HAVE to do it to he's a right ass sometimes. Sorry for ranting, I've wrenched my shoulder turning over in bed again, went to sleep with a styye in my right eye woke up with conjunctivitis and feel like I've been run over by a bus, and I have to go through my middle daughters things to find some clothes she wants, her friend is coming over to England for a few days so she's asked him to pick them up for her, which means I have a deadline on how long I can take in finding them, all her clothes are in vacume bags and they ain't light, they are all big bags and all full to the top, she could probably set up her own clothes store with the amount she's got half of them have never been worn they still have the labels on, might just say bog it and make oh do it, I found most of them yesterday which is probably the reason why I ended up wrenching my shoulder. Well I'm gonna stop now I think I've assaulted you ears metaphorically enough for one day sorry about going off topic but once I start I always seem to go off on a tangent my mum used to call it, well biggest gentle huggs for all and thankyou for letteing me assault your metaphoricall ears. Sithy feeling verry sorry for her self boo hoo
The most famous author who is open about having M.E. is Laura Hillenbrand She tells her story in this article.
Dreading Doctors Visit!
New gp reduced me to tears
Should I give him the boot?
A fortnight of Hell
Help me to understand
