On a Scale of 1 to 10 - ME/CFS Memoir

A Lived Experience

On a Scale of 1 to 10 is a memoir about living with ME/CFS, chronic illness, and the long journey from misdiagnosis to understanding. It offers a clear, honest account of what it means to navigate a life shaped by limited energy, medical dismissal, and quiet resilience.

This is a very real and personal account of my painful and often lonely journey suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also referred to as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

For over 7 of the 10 years I have been battling with this chronic illness, I didn’t even know what I was dealing with, and more concerning neither did the health professionals I sought help from.

The fact is that currently the understanding about this condition within traditional medicine is extremely limited, the expertise that does exist lies with specialists, usually developing their knowledge through their own lived experience. This book is therefor written from a patient’s perspective.

On a Scale of 1 to 10 by JM Georgesson — ME/CFS memoir

The reason for writing my story is two-fold. Firstly I grew ever more tired of verbally explaining my symptoms to the many medical professionals I sought help from, so I started a journal (the core or this book), which, as a happy bi-product, also helped to calm my mind and reduce the anxiety I felt at that time.

Second, and most important of all, is my desire to help fellow sufferers.

Hopefully my story, and progression from hoping, to believing and then knowing that I could recover, and the tactics I now employ will give others a much swifter route to recovery.

I have included links to what proved to be for me really useful support resources e.g. The Optimal Health Clinic, Raelan Agle’s YouTube channel and Toby Morrison’s CFS Health site.

Thankfully, I am now in a far better position, having finally identified what I am dealing with and using strategies to manage my symptom triggers and severity. I feel I am on the road to a full and lasting recovery.

The symptom collage is different for every sufferer and tends to evolve the longer you have suffered with the condition, making diagnosis difficult and usually a process of elimination. Generally the symptom set includes some or all of the following:

  • Flu-like symptoms

  • Brain fog and fuzziness

  • Feeling a little dizzy and off balance

  • Digestive issues

  • Severe fatigue and sense of energy depletion

  • Muscle and joint aches and pains

  • Poor sleep quality

  • Anxiety

Remember, you are not alone!

Blog Series

Key Themes

  • ME/CFS lived experience

  • Chronic illness and identity

  • Medical dismissal and misdiagnosis

  • Pacing and energy management

  • Emotional resilience and mental health

  • patient‑centred perspectives on healthcare

This Book is For

  • people living with ME/CFS

  • carers and family

  • healthcare professionals

  • readers of reflective memoirs

Why this book matters

  • the lack of understanding around ME/CFS

  • the importance of patient‑led narratives

  • how the memoir contributes to awareness and empathy

References & Resources

Buy On Amazon

Testimonials for On a Scale of 1 to 10

Inspiring and very moving

A powerful journey

“The journey of CFS is a brutal one but it also has the power to show new passions and make us stronger in other ways. Congrats on writing such a story! I am really pleased that my journey helped you and very honoured to have been mentioned.”

James Wythe - Health Living James

White woman in a green blouse stands in a kitchen with bowls of food

Truly Inspiring

“For anyone struggling with chronic fatigue or pain, or for their families, this is a must. A heart warming , honest and truly inspirational account of a journey of a man desperately looking for answers. Georgesson story is brutal at times and at others funny and uplifting, cleverly depicting the highs and lows of struggling with an unexplained illness.”

Fran Moore - Nutrition Francesca

“A very real, personal and honest account of the author's frustrating and often disheartening journey, through multiple misdiagnoses, to the final diagnosis of ME. With an easy, but thought-provoking writing style, lots of personal reflections and anecdotes, Georgesson never fails to inject laughter and feeling into his writing, even through doubt from friends and professionals, and repeated diagnostic dead ends. For anyone suffering from fatigue and unexplained symptoms (or anyone you know), definitely worth a read!”

Charlie Ord

An honest account of struggle, sprinkled with sadness and humour and self-discovery

“I laughed, I cried and now feel I understand the complexities of this cruel and lonely illness.
Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.”

E Finch

Prefer to try before you buy?

Then email me at jmgeorgesson@gmail.com or simply use the Contact Me page and I will send you a free pdf copy of the first 8 chapters.