Catherine Vandome and Dr Liz Evans spoke with Diane Rasmussen McAdie about their personal and professional experiences with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), a debilitating long-term health condition. ME is also sometimes referred to as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), although they are distinctly different illnesses.
Each year, the International ME/CFS Awareness Day, also known as World ME Day, takes place on 12 May. The UK’s ME Association is leading ME Awareness Week 2025 from 12-18 May, making this week the ideal time to broadcast this informative conversation on UK Column.
According to ME Research UK, the causes of ME are unknown. It summarises the main symptoms as follows:
- Intense fatigue and a feeling of being unwell (post-exertional malaise) that is not improved by rest, and can be worse after physical or mental effort;
- Pain in the muscles or joints;
- Problems in the stomach or intestine;
- Difficulty sleeping; and
- Memory or concentration problems (cognitive dysfunction).
ME and CFS have received growing attention in recent years due to observed overlaps in symptoms with so-called ‘Long Covid’. The Open Medicine Foundation, ME Research UK, and other organisations have been conducting extensive research on this potential link.
The UK Government published ‘My Full Reality: the Interim Delivery Plan on ME/CFS’ on 19 December 2024. It provided an update on the progress of this delivery plan in March 2025, in which it stated its intention to publish the final plan by the end of June 2025.
For those who are unsatisfied with allopathic medicine, this interview explores a treatment for ME called The Perrin Technique, which osteopath Dr Raymond Perrin developed in 1989. Catherine has stated that Dr Perrin saved her life, and she continues to visit him regularly in his Manchester clinic for treatments. Osteopaths trained in The Perrin Technique can be found internationally.
Dr Liz Evans has previously appeared on UK Column. She is a retired NHS doctor as well as the co-founder and CEO of UK Medical Freedom Alliance, which can also be found on X. Founded in October 2020, it is “the UK’s most recognised and respected organisation advocating for every individual’s right to Informed Consent, Bodily Autonomy and Medical Choice”. She now works in private practice. Dr Evans recovered from ME 25 years ago.
Catherine Vandome is a former actress and stand-up comedian whose career stopped when she became severely unwell with ME in 2014. An ambitious and courageous ambassador for ME, Blog Preston and Lancashire Post have also covered her story.
She now hosts The Catherine Vandome and ME Podcast.
She wrote her story in a book entitled The Truth about ME: It’s Not Rocket Science. It’s Neuroscience.
Now a trained counsellor, she has just launched a company called Medi-Talk, which offers meditation and talking therapy; sessions are available online. She can be reached by phone on 07549 604882 or by email at catherinevandomepodcast@gmail.com.
