- Know that it's not you. It takes a lot to adjust to your new, lessened ca=
pabilities, and
the adjustment is made more difficult by the expectations of you and those =
around you
who have been long accustomed to dealing with your "normal, healthy self".

- Patients often find an equilibrium point at which they can function. As i=
n combating
any chronic illness, a positive hopeful attitude is essential.

- Be prepared for a possible lack of acceptance from some from whom you mig=
ht
expect support. This may be a shock, but when you cannot regularly "go bowl=
ing" with
the gang, or you increasingly depend on being accommodated at home or on th=
e job,
and when you have a condition that your doctor may not certify or that othe=
r people
have already heard of as "that yuppie disease", then your emotional world w=
ill become
quite different.

- Find new sources of support. It will be important to create a new family-=
and-friends
support structure. This can be done through CFS support groups, electronic
networking, pen pals, and other means.

- You will need to take the time to create a new self image for yourself, t=
o know that
your new physical limitations do not limit you as a person, as a soul, no m=
atter what
other people are thinking. And take some advice from those who have travele=
d this
difficult road before you -- consider reading from books like those below:

"The Alchemy of Illness" by Kat Duff, 1993, Pantheon Book, New York.
$19

"Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Guide to
Self-Empowerment" by William Collinge, 1993, The Body Press/Perigee,
New York. $13.95

"Living With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" by Timothy Kenny, 1994,
Thunder's Mouth Press, New York. $12.95