The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E.

The Hummingbirds' Foundation for M.E. (HFME) is fighting for the recognition of M.E.,
and for patients to be accorded the same basic human rights as those with similar
disabling and potentially fatal neurological diseases such as M.S.

HFME books

Printed and digital books available from Amazon and Lulu:

 

Non-English language printed and digital books available from Amazon and Lulu:

 

Books available for free download in Word or PDF formats

 

Other sections and links:

Caring For The M.E. Patient by Jodi Bassett

This book provides essential information for anyone who knows, loves or provides care for someone with M.E. - sourced from the world's leading M.E. experts.

The book 'Caring For The M.E. Patient' by Jodi Bassett includes a Foreword by one of the world's leading M.E. experts, Dr Byron Hyde.

He writes:

"There is so much false information that is picked up and disseminated it is near impossible to hold one’s head above the water and sift through this morass of misinformation. Any attempt to seek the truth is always a major difficulty. Somehow, Jodi Bassett and Hummingbird have managed to plow through this field of weeds."

"This is a book that deserves being read, not only by patients and physicians with an interest in M.E. but the bureaucrats in the USA Centers for Disease Control who have done so much damage to the understanding of M.E.  I recommend her book to all and wish it every best success."

From the back cover:

For friends, family and partners: Your friend or family member may be just as ill and disabled as someone with M.S., yet have almost no appropriate social support at all. They may also be dealing with serious medical neglect or even overt abuse. This happens due to the deliberate, financially and politically motivated confusion between the distinct and measurable neurological disease M.E. and the vague fatigue-based wastebasket diagnosis of 'CFS'. These are two entirely different entities. Find out what is really going on and why.

Learning the facts is not time-consuming or complicated, and may improve both the patient's quality of life, and your relationship with them. You can help the person in your life that has M.E. Supporting your ill friend or family member more fully by being aware of the basic facts of M.E. could make all the difference in the world to them. This book shows you how.

For medical professionals: Patients with M.E. have some care needs which are common to a variety of other diseases, and others that are unique and with which hospital staff, doctors or carers may be wholly unfamiliar. If you are providing care for someone with M.E., you will find knowledge of some of the basic M.E. facts vital in order to avoid additional unnecessary suffering and disability.

Taking a small amount of time to learn the facts about the disease can make an enormous difference to the M.E. patient's quality of life and prognosis. It could even be life-saving. Providing appropriate care and support for the M.E. patient could make all the difference in the world to them. This book shows you how.


This book provides essential information for anyone who knows, loves or provides care for someone with M.E. - and also makes a very suitable primer on M.E. for the patient with M.E. or anyone that just wants to learn more about M.E. and why M.E. is not at all the same as 'CFS.'

The book is available in several different editions:

  • Paperback - $18.95 (USD)
  • Large-print paperback - $20.95
  • Hardcover - $22.95
  • eBook (ePub) - $7.95
  • eBook (PDF) - $5.95
  • eBook (Kindle) - $7.95

Click here to purchase this book in paperback, large print paperback or hardcover editions or as an eBook digital download from Lulu. 

Click here to purchase this book in a paperback edition or as a Kindle eBook download from Amazon

Click here to purchase the Kindle eBook digital download from Amazon.co.uk.


Click here to view the HFME 'Caring for the M.E. Patient' webpage.

What is M.E.? (booklet) by Jodi Bassett

'What is M.E.?' contains essential information on the neurological disease M.E. sourced from the world’s leading M.E. experts - in the form of a concise 70 page booklet.

The booklet includes a foreword by international M.E. expert Dr Byron Hyde.

This book clearly explains the facts of M.E., the problems faced by M.E. patients and why M.E. is not 'CFS.'

Note that this is a summarised 70 page booklet and not the full-length and more in-depth book 'Caring for the M.E. Patient.' This booklet does not contain the specific advice for carers or friends and family members of patients, nor the practical advice section and forms for patients included in the  'Caring for the M.E. Patient' book. The 'Caring for the M.E. Patient' book is highly recommended for carers, close friends and family memabers and M.E. patients.

This lower-priced and summarised booklet is designed for larger-scale distribution to friends, family, doctors, lawyers, journalists and others.

Click here to view or purchase the 70 page paperback edition of this book available in a printed format from Lulu for $9.95. 

Click on the 'preview' link on this Lulu page to view the contents list for this book.

Photo book: Super Cute, Vicious, Dreamy Cats by Jodi Bassett

This book contains a selection of oil paintings featuring cats by Australian artist and patient advocate Jodi Bassett.

Several self portraits and hummingbird egg paintings are also included.

This book also contains a small amount of information about the artist and about the neurological disease Myalgic Encephalomyelitis; with which the artist is currently severely afflicted.

This book is available from Lulu in a paperback edition for $11.95 or hardcover edition for $21.95 (USD). Digital copies of this book are also available from Lulu, and in the Amazon Kindle format. The price is $2.95 (USD) for the digital editions.

What is M.E.? by Jodi Bassett

This free 50 page e-book contains the following papers:

  • A one-page summary of the facts of M.E.
  • What is M.E.?: Summary
  • What is M.E.?: Extra Extended Version

Note that this free 'What is M.E.' e-book download contains different papers than the printed 'What is M.E.' booklet.

  • Click here to download a FREE copy of this e-book in Word format
  • Click here to download a FREE copy of this e-book in PDF format
  • Click here to download a FREE copy of this e-book in large-print PDF format

Practical tips for living with M.E.

All of the hints and tips for living with M.E. papers have been combined into one single download.

This free e-Book download includes:

Click on the links to download a copy of the all-in-one Tips document in a printer-friendly Word format, PDF format or as a large-print PDF

Free medication/medication budget chart download: Click here to download the chart in Word format (that you can fill in either digitally, or by printing it out and filling it in by hand).

The CBT and GET database by Jodi Bassett

This e-book is a comprehensive guide to the inappropriate use of CBT and GET on patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. It contains excerpts and links to literally hundreds of articles and research studies which expose the lack of scientific legitimacy (and the hidden financial and political motivations) underlying the unscientific and unethical use of these interventions. 

This database may be summarised by the following key points:

1.     Despite popular opinion, there is in fact no evidence whatsoever which exists to show that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis can be caused or perpetuated by psychiatric or behavioural problems; nor that therapies such as CBT or GET are appropriate, safe or useful in treating M.E. patients.

2.     The studies which support these theories and the use of these therapies have been conducted not on people with M.E. but instead on patients with an entirely unrelated health problem – the symptom of fatigue. People with the symptom of chronic fatigue (who merely qualify for a (mis)diagnosis of ‘CFS’) and those with M.E. do not represent the same patient group and cannot be studied interchangeably.

3.     All forms of GET, and the abusive form of CBT, must be banned for all M.E. patients. It is illogical and unethical that patients be routinely subjected to treatments which have virtually zero chance of providing any benefit and such a high risk of serious and long-term harm (or death). People with M.E. must also be given access to basic medical care, financial support and other appropriate services (including funding for legitimate M.E. research) on an equal level to what is available for those with comparable illnesses (eg. multiple sclerosis or Lupus).

Click on the links to view/print/save the full-length 170 page version of this text in Word or PDF format

Click on the links to view/print/save the condensed 40 page version of this text in Word or PDF format

Some tips on buying HFME books from Lulu!

1. Shipping

Lulu ships books worldwide and has printers all over the world. This means that although it is a US company, postage on books is generally far cheaper than you would usually pay to have books shipped to you from the US if you’re from a non-US country.

 

It is best to order hardcover and paperback books form Lulu in separate orders. Shipping costs may be much higher when hardcover and paperback books are included in the same order.

 

 

2. Hardcover and paperback editions

If you plan to buy a HFME book and then loan it out to lots of other people, a hardcover edition may be your best choice. Note that hardcover books may take much longer to arrive than paperback editions however – postage may even take up to 27 days in some countries.

 

 

3. Lulu discount coupons

Note that Lulu will often have 15% or 20% discount coupons available. To find out about these discounts either sign up for a Lulu account and for Lulu emails, or do an internet search for ‘Lulu discount coupons,’ before placing your order.

 

If you wish to make a bulk purchase of ten or more HFME books (of the same edition and title) from the Lulu website, please contact HFME via email or the Guestbook about the possibility of a further discount on your order.

 

 

4. Chemicals used in printing

As with all freshly printed materials, patients with M.E. (or other diseases causing chemical sensitivities) may wish to leave books from Lulu to ‘off-gas’ for a while before reading and handling them.