ME/CFS/FM Support Association Qld Inc.

View WIN TV Darling Downs news report May 2010 on YouTube

View our Fibromyalgia Awareness Commercial on YouTube

Next Support Meeting:

Tuesday June 11, 2013
See the Support page

Fundraising Initiative:

Nadine Neumann will donate to the Association $10 from each sale of her book Wobbles - An Olympic Story which is sold through the Association. Click here for details.

Research Activity:

A Griffith University research project on Persistent Pain is seeking participation from women, aged 25-55, who have suffered from persistent muscular-skeletal pain (for example, fibromyalgia, back pain and arthritis) for at least 6 months. Participants are asked to complete an online survey. Click here for a PDF with details.

Deakin University School Of Psychology is conducting a study into the diagnosis of CFS and FM, and is seeking participation by sufferers.
Click here for a PDF with more details.

A "CFS/ME Study" conducted by USQ and Bond University is seeking participation by volunteers in the Darling Downs area.
See this page for more information.

Geoffrey Hallman, a PhD candidate, is seeking participants in Phase III of his research project into ME/CFS and related conditions.
See this page for details.

Terminology:

ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is a term which originated in the UK, and is also used in Canada. Recently, some authorities have started using the name Myalgic Encephalopathy because the original name related to a theory held by its creators as to the cause of the condition.

CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a term which originated in the USA. This term unfortunately focuses on a single symptom of the illness. In recent years, the term CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) has come into use by some patients and physicians in the USA.

The expression ME/CFS is now used by concerned organisations to combine and internationalise the above terms.

FM (Fibromyalgia) is now also referred to as FMS (Fibromyalgia Syndrome).

Office location:
St Vincents Hospital,
Entrance 2, Gnd Flr,
Scott Street, Toowoomba 4350
Queensland, Australia
Postal address: see "Contact Us" page

Patron:
Ian Macfarlane MP
Toowoomba Qld 4350
Federal Member for Groom

The ME/CFS/FM Support Association Qld Inc. (formerly known as the ME/CFS/FM Support Association Toowoomba Inc.) offers a warm welcome to all persons with an interest in ME/CFS/FM. Our organisation provides friendship, encouragement and support for one another, whilst disseminating information re Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

Since inception, the outreach of our organisation has extended not only to Toowoomba and surrounding districts, but also to various other locations in Queensland and beyond, in response to requests made for help and information. There is also interchange with other ME/CFS and FM Support Societies in New Zealand, South Africa, U.K., Canada, and U.S.A; as well as those within Australia.

Although situated on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, 120km west of Brisbane, in July 2004 the Department of Queensland Health asked us to become the peak body for all sufferers of ME/CFS/FM throughout Queensland.

In 2004, thanks to the generosity of the Sisters of Charity Outreach Centre, in conjunction with St. Vincent's Hospital, our association was given space in the Outreach Centre, a 3-bedroom house opposite the Hospital, in which we established an office and drop-in centre.

In 2012 the Outreach Centre was sold, but St Vincents administration generously provided the Association with a room in the Hospital - see "Office Location" above..

The office hours are 11am - 3pm Tuesday to Thursday. The current office is not large enough to be used officially as a drop-in centre, but if the room is too busy to allow chatting with a caller, we could possibly chat elsewhere in the Hospital.