I've been living with my little brother and his family for a while now.  It started that I would be helping them out as they are a young family just starting.  That and I needed a placefast.  

Things started great and then I became ill again.   Once I did find out what I had, I explained it to them the best that I could.  I offered websites and forums so they could get a feel for what was going on with me.  By this time, I didn't go many places with them for fear of feeling bad and ruining everyone's day.  This has taken a toll on them and produced strain in our relationship. 

On the other hand, they haven't taken any steps to understand what is going on with me.  All they see is me sleeping all the time or coming home from work and falling into my bed for the evening.  I  don't like to burden anyone, so I don't talk about it a whole lot.  Besides, when I do mention it, I'm told that I just need to get up and move around more - yeah, right.  My brother is a musician, and he took it upon himself to write a bluesy impromtu song about how I sleep all the time.  Though he was joking, I found that my feelings were injured.  Then there's the Virus syndrome:  "It's a virus, you should be over it in a few days."

My mother is the only one who seems to show any kind of sympathy, but even that took lots of explaining and showing her websites to back up what I was saying.  I'm not completely sure if she understands or just got tired of me saying I was tired.

Currently, I'm single.  I enjoy being single, however, if a man were to come along that I could stand to be with more than 20 mins (joking, really I do love men), then how do you start a relationship with CEBV. 

Do you say, "Hey, you're someone I'd like to get to know.  Let me take a nap first and then we'll work on that."

Or possibly, "I have CEBV.  We can't kiss.  I'll need to sleep often and I just don't think I feel good enough to go out tonight, but call me tomorrow."

How do you tell someone that by kissing them, you could possibly give them what feels like the flu for the next eight months?  "Oh, and by the way, mine is chronic and I may always feel like I have the flu for the rest of our lives together."

This is a very lonely disease on the whole.  You may look just fine, but your body is telling you something very different.  Chronic fatigue can hit at any moment.  Also, low grade fevers and achiness can chime in.  Yesterday, you were full of energy and hope - today, you are hurting and frustrated.