Some diseases get no respect.
Since its discovery in the mid-1980s, CFS has been a magnet for skepticism and ridicule. But in Washington, where respect is measured in greenbacks, the amount of money allocated for CFS research is anything but trivial. After all, with an estimated 314,000 potential voters suffering from symptoms of the disease, Congress had no choice but to toss tax dollars at the problem whether the ailment is all in their heads or not. Unfortunately for advocates of CFS research funding, CDC officials saw no need for Capitol Hill s expensive display of compassion. In fact, they apparently had no real interest in unraveling the mysteries of CFS at all.