75-year-old Daniel is retired from work as a financial advisor and was married to Eleanor for 33 years. Late last July, she died by suicide. (Names of the couple have been changed to assure the integrity of their privacy.)
Daniel gently talks about Eleanor. "She had myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) a serious illness that affects many body systems. She was diagnosed with the condition in 1991, before much was known about the disease. People with ME/CFS are not able to do their usual activities because of severe fatigue, generalized pain and sleep problems. Even with excellent treatment throughout the years, she got worse with age and had increased problems with thinking, concentrating and dizziness," Daniel explained.
"By the time she was fully disabled, she not only lost her health, but her work identity, many of her friends and self-esteem."
"The chronic illness put the brakes on her vibrant life that was marked by two careers, the first as a labor and delivery Registered Nurse and later as a flight attendant when she traveled the world. By the time she was fully disabled, in the early nineties, she not only lost her health, but her work identity, many of her friends and self-esteem."
