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kacheston.bsky.social
Researching “the greatest medical scandal of the 21st century”. Infection-Associated Chronic Illness, activism, stigma, medical humanities. Postdoctoral fellow in Sociology.
49 posts 860 followers 235 following
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@bmj.com's dangerous & inconsistent approach to #ME + long Covid resembles psych propaganda more than balanced reporting (notwithstanding the "Opinion" header), especially in relation to Professor Paul Garner's long covid "journey", as described in my 2021 post valerieeliotsmith.com/2021/02/01/p...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

The BMJ has now published my rapid response to Miller et al's Opinion piece. www.bmj.com/content/389/...

submitted 3 days ago • 14 comments

‚What did harm my mental wellbeing (…) were the beliefs that others held about me and my illness: that I could get better, if only I reframed my own thoughts, or did more exercise, or exercised in a different way, or stopped focusing on my symptoms.‘ #LongCovid #ME

submitted 3 days ago • 2 comments

I've submitted a rapid response to this BMJ Opinion piece - speaking from my dual experience as both researcher and 'recovered ME/CFS patient' (not a term I'd choose to employ).

submitted 3 days ago • 11 comments

@thetimes.com: Scientists call for research hubs to solve mystery of ME. The article discusses the importance of government investment in ME research and features Action for ME Chief Executive, Sonya. You can read the full article (paywalled) here 👇 www.thetimes.com/article/cc88...

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

In the latest of our new practice research series, Alec Finlay explores the issue of belief in contested chronic illness through poetic subversion of NHS fatigue questionnaires. thepolyphony.org/2025/04/24/p...

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

I've just signed this open letter in support of an ambitious proposal that would transform the ME/CFS research landscape. The case of ME/CFS evidences, I believe, how health research can fail - illuminating the (all-too-human) barriers to curiosity-driven research, & how story can override science.

submitted 26 days ago • 1 comment

A deeply moving post by an anon contributor to the #ThereforME campaign: 'I will never forget stumbling out of that appointment feeling manipulated, humiliated and traumatised [...] It has left scars; I avoid the NHS as far as humanly possible and struggle to trust clinicians.'

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

🚀 Delighted to announce the publication of our new #MedHums101 brochure: ‘What is Medical Humanities?’ We hope it sparks your imagination, inspires your curiosity & encourages you to engage in our vibrant interdisciplinary field! tinyurl.com/what-is-med-...

submitted 49 days ago • 2 comments

Sharing 2 new actions by the Independent Advisory Group on the Cochrane review on exercise & #ME/CFS: Comment submitted on the Cochrane review: hbprojecttalk.wordpress.com/2025/03/13/i... Submission to the Cochrane Library Editorial Board: hbprojecttalk.wordpress.com/2025/03/13/i... ...

submitted 67 days ago • 7 comments

Are there any sociological studies of the figure of Paddington Bear in contemporary British culture?! One example, from this weekend in Newbury: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 76 days ago • 2 comments

It was a privilege to present, with my dad, to the Psychological Sciences Research Group at UWE. The presentation was a personal reflection on our family's experience of ME and the harm that dogmatic beliefs about the condition can cause. uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/13780...

submitted 80 days ago • 1 comment

Writing a piece about long Covid five years on for the Observer. Looking for LC patients currently experiencing symptoms to talk about their story, particularly nurses/doctors 📧 [email protected] #journorequest #longcovid @longcovidsupport.bsky.social @longcovidadvoc.bsky.social

submitted 103 days ago • 10 comments

The Independent Advisory Group Cochrane established to 'embed a patient-focused contemporary perspective' into its update of the 2019 review of 'Exercise therapy for CFS' has published an Open Letter: hbprojecttalk.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/i... Hilda's excellent blog post explains the context.

submitted 115 days ago • 0 comments

Thousands demand withdrawal of review article recommending exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome @dalmeet.bsky.social reports

submitted 116 days ago • 4 comments

Sharing a brief message: Many of you will have seen Cochrane’s recent communication about the review on ME/CFS and exercise. We regret their decision to reject our advice, and are discussing next steps. On behalf of the Independent Advisory Group

submitted 152 days ago • 3 comments

📢🎉We are THRILLED to announce the appointment of three new Honorary Fellows to the Institute of Medical Humanities - @dawnw.bsky.social, Chimwemwe Phiri and @kacheston.bsky.social! Find out more about our new Fellows here: mailchi.mp/5fe83a04520c...

submitted 178 days ago • 0 comments

An excellent thread on the 'militant ME patients' trope.

submitted 210 days ago • 1 comment

This story is one of the most disturbing I've ever covered. It's about how the views of a deeply weird ideological sect affected science, medicine and the media, with devastating impacts on patients. Please read and pass on. This horror has to stop. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

submitted 213 days ago • 49 comments