I have to agree with the gentleman that we need to marshal our public and private resources to begin the process of overcoming this terrible disease. Of course I have been touched with this in my own family, as the gentleman had mentioned.
I want to thank the gentleman for his interest and for allowing me a gew minutes to align myself with the gentleman's interests in battling this terrible disease.
Representative Michael P. Forbes (R) - 1st Congressional District - NY
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I would like to recognize my other colleagues from Long Island: the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman), the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), who equally have been working on this issue. We will be taking this floor several days this week to talk in extended terms about the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is a serious illness and one that we as a nation need to deal with in a more aggressive manner.
The following speech was put into the Congressional Record but NOT read live on C-Span.
Representative Gary L. Ackerman (D) - 5th Congressional District - NY
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge Annual International Awareness Day for Chronic Fatigue Immunological and Neurological Diseases. These illnesses are among the fastest growing health concerns in our country and constitute a large and neglected area in medical research. Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) are illnesses which affect at least half a million American adults and children. It is imperative that increased funding for research for CFIDS and FMS be approved in a timely fashion.
CFIDS is a serious and complex illness that affects nearly every aspect of an individual's life. It is characterized by incapacitating fatigue, neurological problems,and numerous other symptoms. Approximately 1000 individuals in Suffolk County alone suffer from this disease. One of my constituents, named Anthony Wasneuski, was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 1990. Mr. Wasneuski was a furniture salesman in New York City. He was also an accomplished artist who received a scholarship from the Brooklyn Museum, Unfortunately, because of this illness he must now remain at home, and now has difficulty even signing his own name. Mr. Wasneuski's story represents a real life experience behind the cold numbers and statistics of this debilitating disease.
Fibromyalgia Syndrome is a chronic, widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is unknown. Research studies have indicated that approximately 2 percent of the general population are afflicted with FMS. The majority of FMS patients are female and symptoms may begin in young, school-aged children. Tragically, it takes approximately 3 years and costs thousands of dollars just to receive a diagnosis of the disease.
Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome and Fibromyalgia clearly affect people from all walks of life. As the 1998 appropriations process gets underway, we need to focus upon ways that we can provide more research funding for these debilitating conditions.
The following speech was put into The Congressional Record but NOT read live on C-Span.
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D) - 4th Congressional District - NY
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to thank my colleague, Mr. Forbes, for organizing this opportunity to speak out on Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS).
I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a little known but devastating disease: CFIDS. Once dismissed by doctors, this syndrome is now being taken seriously. Studies vary on how many people are affected by this disease but a conservative estimate is about 390,000 adult cases in The United States.
In the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, approximately 4,094 to 11,000 people have CFIDS.
CFIDS is truly a terrible disease. It ranges in severity from patients who are just able to maintain a job, and may have to give up other aspects of their lives, to those who are bedridden and unable to take care of themselves.
While CFIDS traditionally affects young women in the prime of their lives, a growing number of children appear to have CFIDS. The fact that this disease is striking young children is particularly disturbing. This disabling illness will have a disasterous effect on the economy by preventing young children from becoming income-earning, tax-paying citizens.
Get your own Free Home Page