About the author
I am a 24-year old Finnish journalist and medical writer. I got sick with CFS/ME in 2000, at the age of 15/16 (I had an acute onset on the 28th of August, but I originally had two strange viral infections earlier in the year, when I was still 15). At 16 I was also kicked from home and had to support myself by freelance journalist work.
I worked as a tech journalist six years and had two of my own columns ("Windows and PC tips" and "Expert answers"). I even wrote a few articles for a decoration magazine, but medicine was always my "first love." Living with a progressive illness made it all the more concrete, as I knew the doctors could not figure out how to treat me, so I had to do it myself. At first I was under the same impression as many, that there are no effective treatments, but the more I read the better I understood it wasn't so.
My approach has worked quite well so far. The medications I have selected for myself (which my doctor has luckily agreed to prescribe me) along with a supplement regime have made me about 70% better. I have been in a bad shape, bordering on dementia and hardly being able to walk - of course many people are much, much worse, including some friends of mine, but I have no doubt that even they can be treated.
I am far from cured and I don't know if I will ever be, but I do strive to get better all the time. My doctor has successfully applied some of my ideas to other patients as well. I have many friends with CFS/ME (and some with fibromyalgia) and I am constantly trying to "crack the puzzle" to make them better too.
I also maintain the only Finnish website about CFS/ME, which was launched in 2006, filling a big void as there were no sources about this illness in this country at the time. Two years later, the situation remains the same. Doctors do not know this illness, the public insurer does not acknowledge it - and I am still the only source of information. It is depressing and frustrating, but instead of wailing I do what I can to make it better. The situation with fibromyalgia is a bit better, but still many doctors refuse to diagnose it and consider it as a psychosomatic condition.
Reviving the Broken Marionette was originally written in Finnish in 2006-2007. It started out as a brochure for the aforementioned website, but grew into a full-length book, which was warmly welcomed by patients and some open-minded doctors, like my own. It soon became obvious that an English version was needed and that fibromyalgia treatments should have more focus than in the original book.
It is definitely not easy to write a book when you are sick. There's no way I could have done it without the medication. I had written four novels before this project, but that was years ago, when I was only mildly ill. The actual work wasn't even the worst part, but the stress that overwhelmed me at times - I can't do something half-heartedly, if I do it, I live and breathe it and have dreams of it when I sleep. I even had to move house only a month before the book was to be finished, certainly a very bad idea for someone who is ill. The stress really wrecked havoc on my body, but the good news is that I did not really relapse.
As to my personal life, I live in Helsinki, Finland with my long-time boyfriend (who probably thinks I should spend more time with him in the evenings instead of going through scientific papers). Besides my passion for medicine I also enjoy reading, writing fiction and poetry, indoor gardening, painting, cooking, digital art and photography. I hope to write a scifi novel in the near future. If I wasn't sick, I I would be travelling the world with my camera, or perhaps serving fancy vegan cupcakes in a cozy corner café.
I live quite a different life from most people, but I am happy, and at my happiest when I can help other people. Despite this illness and some other awful stuff that has happened in my life, I feel like I've been very lucky in many respects. The only regret in my life is not resting more when I initially got sick, but I don't blame myself for it too much, as I was so young and had never even heard of this illness.
My personal website is located at http://www.fiikus.net. It also features a CFS/ME site that I set up in 2002, which includes a page with reviews of the treatments I have personally tried, and some articles I've written about CFS/ME sufferers. There are also some other medical articles not directly related to CFS/ME or fibromyalgia. And yes, you can see my art and photography there as well.
In July 2008 I started working for the online magazine Suite101. Many of my articles will be related to CFS/ME/FM. So far I've posted Topical Painkillers, Natural Painkillers for Topical Use, CFS/ME and Adrenal Problems, NMDA Antagonists, CFS/ME and FM, Causes of Chronic Fatigue and there are many more to come. An RSS feed is available.