Following the outline of the cause of CFIDS it is obvious that the following has to be addressed:

Provision of enough of the correct antioxidants and micro-nutrients to restore balance to the oxidising process.

Provide enough to repair the damaged cells and to restore the correct functioning of the immune system. I think that my most fascinating message from Dr Petrovic in the past fifteen months was the statement that he had, " Grappled with the problem of spreading the antioxidant evenly over the surface of the cells."

Attempt to deal with the inflammation that has caused the development of CFIDS. This has proved to be the stumbling point with a some patients, particularly in Australia.

The Search It will seem to many to be ridiculous talking about a cure when many thousands of the medical fraternity have been battling with the problem for years, and have hardly reached consensus on whether the condition exists. The big problem until now for Dr. Petrovic has been the fact that if there is doubt that the disease exists, how can it be said to be cured? This is especially so when the group administering the cure makes the assessment .

The Breakthrough came when the Newcastle team of medical researchers led by Professor Tim Roberts and Dr Hugh Dunstan announced that they had identified pathological metabolites which were produced by the disease. These could be used to identify that the patient had the condition, and prove that it was indeed a PHYSICAL not a mental condition. By the same token, if they could be used to show that a patient HAD the disease, absence of the markers would show that they didn’t have it. If they had been shown to have had it before, the lack of markers would show THAT THEY WERE CURED .

At this stage this is exactly what Dr Petrovic has done with three Australian patients.

Anecdotal evidence I have had the privilege of following the progress of some of Dr Petrovic’s patients from a bedridden state to the point where they say, " I feel great !", and start indulging in normal activities. This is a wonderful experience, but unfortunately from a scientific point of view there is doubt whether such a case would be accepted as a CURE. It’s rather like a cripple going to Lourdes and then throwing away the walking stick - the debate can go on forever.

Where are we now ? Dr Petrovic has now reached the point where he can have his cake and eat it too. He has MANY anecdotally cured patients, but now he has patients SHOWN to have been been cured by the Newcastle tests. My granddaughter was the first person EVER to be shown to NOT have the markers after previously being diagnosed as having CFIDS. A Sydney lady bears the distinction of being the FIRST person in the world to have HAD THE MARKERS before the treatment and to NOT HAVE HAD THEM after.

Recognition The battle continues to have the medical world recognise that the problem of CFIDS has been solved and to come to some arrangement whereby THOUSANDS can be cured, not single patients.

One idea that Dr Petrovic is considering is setting up his own laboratory in Johannesburg so that diagnosis can be made available locally to his many patients.

He and Professor Kilroe-Smith are convinced by the accumulation of data that ALL patients do indeed comply with the progress of the South African patients as far as the distinguishing features of CFIDS are concerned. What appears to be happening in Australia is that patients have chronic conditions which have to be dealt with separately. For instance my granddaughters condition was triggered by Ross River Fever. She still has it, as it is an incurable disease in its own right.

Alice in Wonderland ? As I write the material about the Petrovic Protocol I often think that I am crazy, and that I inhabit the Madhattter’s world. At least we are ONE day nearer to the time that the news finally leaks out. CFIDS is a physical disease, and it can be cured. How can we make the treatment one that ALL can afford ?

P.S. ** A major milestone was passed in London on the 17th of July in 1998. Sir Kenneth Calman, the British government’s Chief Medical Officer announced that ME was a REAL, serious and debilitating disease. He estimated that 25,000 patients under 18 years had it. Doctors are to be issued with guidelines stating the new finding and research committees are to be set up to spend 400,000 pounds a year that the Linbury Trust will provide ( A Sainsbury family trust )

20th July 1998