Harnessing the Wind: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and My Son

In a conversation with Anthony's
homebound teacher, we discussed the nuances of maneuvering a sailboat. She explained how she didn't understand the
technological workings of the boat, but she could just "feel" what she needed
to do in order to control the boat.Â

My mind made an immediate
connection to educating a child with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As with a sailboat, many books and articles
can be read. You can understand the
technical terms without knowing how you'll respond should a crisis arise. You can't see the wind, you have to feel it
and respond to what you feel. Once a
crisis does arise, will you freeze up or will you automatically respond. If you respond to your instinct and feelings,
more than likely, you will avoid capsizing and ride the waves created by the
wind and currents. You keep your eye on
the horizon, waiting for the wind to bring you safely back to land.

My son and I have traveled on
this journey with his Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in this same way. We have kept our God-given instinct as our
guide. We sometimes take "water in the
boat", but we continue to bail (sometimes frantically) the water back into the
sea from which it came. We have hope as
we watch the horizon. We have dreams of
setting our feet on firm land. No matter
what, we are committed to traveling this journey together. We are determined to complete our course.

In Harnessing the Wind, we
share the physical battles Anthony faced.Â
We share the struggles we faced with physicians, family, educators,
friends and insurance companies. We
share these things so others realize that they're not being singled out. We share these things hoping to spare others
the "stormy seas" we had to struggle through.Â
We want to encourage you to continue.Â
We also want professionals, friends and family to understand that you
can either become waves to block our passage or harbors for us to replenish our
strength.Â

The final part of the book
add