RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Winter 2004 

CFIDS News
Keeping you up to date on recent events across the nation and around the world

Medical education news
The CFS health care provider education project, a collaborative effort of The CFIDS Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unveiled a new exhibit at the American Public Health Conference. The display reminds health care professionals that they can "help the person behind the symptoms" and offers information about CFS and continuing education opportunities. The exhibit also traveled to the American College of Nurse Practitioners annual meeting and will be used at national conferences over the next year. Also on tap for 2004 is a DVD presentation of the CFS continuing education seminar, which will be handed out for free at future conferences.

The CFS continuing education seminar was recently presented to nurse practitioners in Arkansas and physician assistant students in New Jersey. Other events are being scheduled around the country, as are "Grand Rounds" education sessions at some of the nation’s leading medical and public health schools.

Feedback from both patients and health care professionals was central to the redesign of a print advertisement promoting the CFS provider education project. The ad will be placed in medical and health care journals including the Journal of Family Practice and New England Journal of Medicine.

To view images of the new display and the promotional ad, visit the Association’s Web site at www.cfids.org/about/provider-ed.asp.

Japanese to study CFIDS
A consortium of Japanese university researchers, drug makers, food companies and a government agency have joined forces to better understand the nature of fatigue and CFIDS.

Top Japanese CFIDS research experts are central participants in the consortium. The group’s goals are to find biomarkers for fatigue, develop foods and drugs to combat the symptom and find ways of preventing overwork. According to the Japan Times, the project’s initial phase, scheduled to conclude in September 2005, will focus on developing fatigue assessment tools and biomarkers.

Skloot wins book award
Author Floyd Skloot won the 2003 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfic-tion for his collection of CFIDS-inspired essays, In the Shadow of Memory (Uni-versity of Nebraska Press).

Nearly two decades ago, CFIDS seized sudden control over Skloot’s body and mind. Although he had a knowledgeable and understanding physician, treatment failed to restore his health. It took years to craft a new life from what was left of the old one. He began writing to make sense of the painful, isolating experience of being chronically ill.

Reviews of In the Shadow of Memory and more about Skloot’s other publications can be found at http://home.earthlink.net/~skloot/.

Hillenbrand continues to make an impact

Laura Hillenbrand, author of Seabiscuit, An American Legend, was selected as one of Vogue magazine’s Heroines of 2003. Her story is featured in the December issue. HIllenbrand was also honored by Glamour magazine in its December issue, as one of its 12 Women of the Year.

Iraqi schoolchildren will receive free copies of Seabiscuit, thanks to Hillenbrand and Lt. Col. Sherman McGrew, an army reservist in Iraq. McGrew wrote to Hillenbrand of the positive impact her book made on him and a group of schoolgirls he met while delivering medical aid. Hillenbrand, touched by McGrew’s story, is purchasing 500 copies of the Arabic translation of Seabiscuit for the students.