Living with a Spouse who has ME/CFS – webinar series

The Bateman Horne Center (BHC) hosts free Education Meetings for those impacted by ME/CFS and FM on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6pm Mountain /7pm Central via livestream on both YouTube and Facebook.


Living with a Spouse Who has ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia  |  March 1 & April 5  |  Discussion Panels
Chronic illness and marriage is a complicated combination. It’s rare to see or hear a healthy spouse’s perspective on their partner’s disease because it is a topic that can be very difficult – as much for the one speaking as for the one hearing it.
With an estimated divorce rate as high as 75% among couples where one has a chronic illness, it is an important topic for discussion and understanding. In each session, the panel will openly and honestly talk about the challenges, hardships, positives, and lessons learned from their perspective as a spouse and care-partner.
Even if you are not married, there are sure to be some take-aways and lessons learned that you can apply to any meaningful relationship in your life.

Living with a Spouse Who has ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
Wed., March 1 – Part 1: Husbands Whose Wives are Ill
Wed., April 5 – Part 2: Wives Whose Husbands are Ill

6pm Mountain/8pm Eastern

Learn More HERE

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10 thoughts on “Living with a Spouse who has ME/CFS – webinar series”

  1. I am so glad this topic is being brought to the forefront.
    It’s so important.
    As a sick person I can see how the spouse suffers and society clearly recognizes the caregiver.
    As an inflicted spouse I feel society doesn’t give credit or acknowledge the energy and sacrifices a sick spouse exerts bc to the healthy spouse or observer the sick spouses effort might not even be noticed. Both sides struggle but I believe it can work w good direction and counseling/ facilitation of these type sessions. Thank you!!

  2. I too am thrilled to see this topic discussed — our partners/caretakers have a difficult role and often very little support for it.
    I have to say though that I’m so disappointed to see the language used to describe the two parts: one day is for husbands whose wives are ill, and the other for wives whose husbands are Ill. I wish the organizers would be more inclusive with their language: I am a woman with ME/CFS, married to another woman. And lots of sick people are partnered but not married. It would be great if the organizers could be aware of this and use the terms “women whose partners are ill” or “men whose partners are ill” instead.

    1. You make an excellent point and we absolutely take it to heart. Thank you for pointing this out! The leadership of BHC strives to be fully inclusive and accepting and never meant to exclude those partnered and not married, or those married to a partner of the same sex.

      1. So, can you change the title of the webinar series per the request made by anonymous? I’m not sure what “take it to heart” means in terms of addressing her concern. The title of the webinars really do have a heteronormative slant. It was the first thing I thought when I read the announcement.

      2. Hi Leigh,
        Nice to see your response. Given that you now see the exclusion in your language, would you consider changing it? As it is, I don’t know which session I should recommend my partner attend…or why it is even gendered.
        Any reason why you wouldn’t have a session for all genders and sexual orientations? Maybe you’ve structure it a certain way this time and it’s too late to change but something to consider for next time. If too late for this time, which session is appropriate for a woman supporting a woman?
        Thanks for hosting this, it looks like it could be quite helpful.

        1. I understand the issue concerning same gender marriage and Intruely hope that is fixed sooner than later. My Wife and I haven’t spoke for a week because the disease is crushing me after ten years. I’m so thankful this is being addressed I’d just about given up on our marriage or partnership. My brother is gay and I have to keep away from him because all he talks about is discrimination. I hate that my parents are deceased but I thank God I don’t have to listen to him every Thanksgiving and Christmas ! Let’s be grateful these wonderful people are trying to help us at all…….

  3. Any chance a recorded version of these will be available after the meetings for those unable to view them live?

    1. I missed Wednesday nights presentation. I tried the live stream but there was no audio. Was I on the wrong video and will this presentation make it to YouTube in the future with audio?
      Thank you

  4. Thanks to everyone for their comments and interest. BHC seeks to be fully inclusive and make our information as widely available as possible… While we do not have access to directly change the language in this post, we have spoken with one of the wonderful volunteers at #MEAction and asked that the language be updated. On our own site it now is titled “Living With a Partner Who Has ME CFS – Part 1: When Your Wife is Ill and Part 2: When Your Husband is Ill”
    We also apologize for the audio issues on the March 1 broadcast. We have cleaned up the audio and now have a clean version of the recording available here:
    https://batemanhornecenter.org/partner-who-has-mecfs-or-fm/
    Part 2 will air live on April 5. We hope we have resolved any sound issues with the live feed on both Facebook and YouTube.
    Whether you are married, living in a committed romantic relationship, or have anyone in your life – family, friend, etc – that serves as your care partner, we are sure that these sessions will be of great value to them. We are so thankful to all of our panelists for their honesty, transparency, compassion and courage.

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