(I can say that I think Dr. Cheney's clinic is significantly different from the FFC clinics, as Dr. Teitelbaum is a bit of a kooky nut, IMO. No offense to any Teitelbaum fans/patients.) Ok, on to Dr. Cheney. He's actually been into the research/treatment of a group of fatiguing illnesses for a really long time. He was present in Nevada in the 80's and worked closely with Dr. Peterson during the M.E. outbreak in Lake Tahoe. Since that time, he has begun to focus more on general patients with fatigue...Over the years, he has continued to research/treat fatigued patients. His clinic caters to patients who are experiencing fatigue, which can be caused by a wide range of illnesses/disorders. So I think he is a good man, a good researcher and a good doctor over all.He makes no promises of a cure, but some patients have seen some improvement by going to him. Have you seen the website for his clinic? If not, Google "Dr. Paul Cheney Clinic", and you will find the link. Here is a quote from the website:
While most patients feel we have helped them, some are not helped, or only marginally helped. What we do best is help patients better understand their illness, empower them, help them adapt to it and prevent missteps and blunders that worsen it.
It's also very, very expensive to be honest. Between the expense of travelling to the clinic and staying at a hotel (he recommends staying about 3 days or so), and the actual costs of the appointment, for some people it's impossible. The first visit lasts approximately all day - so if you have little stamina, it could possibly send you into a flare. (The good news is that they do have places you can lay down in the clinic.) They recommend you go back about twice a year, so the expenses will accumulate - and of course, most insurance doesn't cover much of the visit (Medicare and Medicaid pay nothing, as do most private insurance companies). So, take all of it into account. A lot of the patients that have gone there are very happy they went - if nothing else they felt vindicated that they aren't crazy. Maybe your current doctor would be willing to do some of the tests that he lists on his clinic's website...that way at least you would have some of the same info.I don't know, I can't tell you what to do, and Dr. Cheney has helped some fatigue patients. Just try to weigh the pros and cons. If you have the money, and are up for a trip, go for it! But if you're barely getting by, then the cost itself might prevent you from even considering it. He doesn't claim to be able to cure anybody though, he's just willing to try to use some of the info he's gathered over the years to help people with severe fatigue.I'm really not sure if this has helped you, but I hope in some way it has. At least you can gather information and try to make as informed a decision as possible.
