Dakota15
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
4/14/25, TEDx Talk: "I Am One of the Millions Missing | Maggie Boxey"
"Do you know one of the millions missing? For those with disabling chronic illnesses, it can feel like they are invisible, watching their lives from a remote distance. In this emotional talk, author, educator and advocate Maggie Boxey shares what her life is like living with ME/CFS, and how she has found a community of people for whom "feeling better" might never be an option."
"I first got sick in July of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time I swore it was COVID - my symptoms were neurological, the headaches were excruciating, my skin was on fire with buzzing and severe itching. The fatigue and brain fog were like nothing that I had experienced before. All my labs were normal - my doctors assumed that I would eventually get better as long as I kept pushing and trying harder..."
"...you're probably familiar with Long COVID. It's a chronic disease that occurs after a COVID-19 infection where symptoms are present for three months or more. About half of those with Long COVID meet the diagnostic criteria for ME, so the amount of people with ME in the United States could be more like five to nine million."
"...the hallmark symptom of ME is called PEM or post-exertional malaise. People with ME call this a crash. This means our symptoms worsen after minimal physical or cognitive activity or even with sensory overload.."
"Do you know one of the millions missing? For those with disabling chronic illnesses, it can feel like they are invisible, watching their lives from a remote distance. In this emotional talk, author, educator and advocate Maggie Boxey shares what her life is like living with ME/CFS, and how she has found a community of people for whom "feeling better" might never be an option."
"I first got sick in July of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time I swore it was COVID - my symptoms were neurological, the headaches were excruciating, my skin was on fire with buzzing and severe itching. The fatigue and brain fog were like nothing that I had experienced before. All my labs were normal - my doctors assumed that I would eventually get better as long as I kept pushing and trying harder..."
"...you're probably familiar with Long COVID. It's a chronic disease that occurs after a COVID-19 infection where symptoms are present for three months or more. About half of those with Long COVID meet the diagnostic criteria for ME, so the amount of people with ME in the United States could be more like five to nine million."
"...the hallmark symptom of ME is called PEM or post-exertional malaise. People with ME call this a crash. This means our symptoms worsen after minimal physical or cognitive activity or even with sensory overload.."
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