The truth about ME: it's not rocket science. It's neuroscience, by Catherine Van dome, foreword by stand-up comedian Patrick Monahan, introduction by producer/director Stephen Pettinger, 239 pages, ISBN 978-1-7390920-8-5,
Bruges Group, 2024, £12.99.
This is the story of the actress, the osteopath and the Minister of Defence. No, not the 1963 Profumo affair. The scandal recounted here in this fascinating and moving book is that it took over a hundred years for ME - myalgic encephalomyelitis - to be diagnosed as a physical condition not a psychological one.
Cathy Vandome is a stand-up comedian and musical theatre entertainer, delivering gags and singing challenging songs in a way that can only be described as 'dynamic'. Cathy is a born performer, energetic, funny and engaging. She founded the Sparkle Theatre School for young people and ran it for ten years.
But then, aged 39, she suddenly collapsed off-stage, became bed-bound and nearly died of long-term severe ME and fibromyalgia.
In 2007, ME affected more than 250,000 people in the UK alone, and an estimated 15-30 million people worldwide. ME has historically been diagnosed under many different names, including Gulf War Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Yuppie Flu, neurasthenia and hysteria. It was a health condition that didn't exist and had no cure.
In 2016, after two long lost years, severely disabled and in chronic pain, searching for answers, she booked into The Perrin Clinic. Dr Raymond Perrin, neuroscientist and registered osteopath, explained that ME is precipitated by a structural abnormality of the spine and or cranium, in every single patient case on diagnosis.
This book is written as a 'thank you' to Dr Perrin, and to Cathy's MP, the Rt Hon Sir Ben Wallace, Minister of Defence 2019-2023, who writes, "I first met Miss Cathy Vandome in June 2017. At that time she was housebound owing to the severity of her ME symptoms. … I have always been impressed by Cathy's determination to recover. … Cathy introduced me to Dr Raymond Perrin who has been instrumental in her recovery process. Cathy is keen to see Dr Perrin's treatment included in the NICE guidelines as a recommended treatment for ME, so that other patients can be supported in this way. Cathy is an enthusiastic and relentless campaigner, despite her physical limitations. I wish her every success with her recovery and her mission to help others."
They campaigned with others in the ME community to support this community by changing ME from being misdiagnosed as a psychological condition, and by persuading the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE] to adopt Dr Perrin's aid to diagnosis and treatment. They wanted NHS doctors and ME specialists to be encouraged to adopt this aid to diagnosis, so that they can better diagnose ME patients in GP practices UK-wide. This could save the NHS thousands of pounds a year, and cut the waiting times for diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Perrin's article on his aid to diagnosis was published in the British Medical Journal, November 2017. It showed an 86% success rate in correctly diagnosing patients. It can be used to assess pre-ME patients, to detect possible early warning signs of ME, before the full-blown symptoms occur. This is a particularly useful tool for patients with a parent, or sibling on diagnosis, as the condition can be genetic.
This book is also a self-help guide and a support for the millions of children and adult ME patients globally, who are living with this chronic debilitating condition, many of whom are unsupported and not believed to be genuinely sick.
To find your nearest Perrin qualified practitioner, please visit The Perrin Technique website. There are registered Perrin Practitioners across the UK, and in many countries worldwide.
On 29 October 2021, ME was at last recognised as a physical and not a psychological condition. After 100 years of ME being misdiagnosed and mistreated, this proud day in 2021, was one of the biggest medical victories of our time.
Cathy concludes, "I found that a healthy whole food plant-based diet, with fish and eggs, provides the right nutrients and essential fats and vitamins which the body needs to function optimally. In order to recover, I had to learn a brand-new way of living by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the calm, rest and digest and healing mechanism) instead of the sympathetic nervous system (the excited, adrenalised, fight or flight mechanism). My recovery strategy is simple: Trust in the healing process. Believe in yourself. Forgive everybody everything. Be free and happy and do good always. Speak only your truth. Stand up for yourself. Make positive changes to your life and the lives of others in all you do. Help others always, as this brings the greatest rewards in life. Above all be the example you wish others to be."
Cathy can be contacted on www.catherinevandome.com or via social media platforms.
