There may be one pattern underneath many diagnoses.

Inside the guide

Many of us have collected diagnoses that each name a piece of what we feel. This guide is a place to start looking at the whole picture.

• The labels that can miss it. 16 diagnoses this pattern can sit beneath, including fibromyalgia, migraine, POTS, and long COVID.
• The symptoms worth counting. Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s 13 symptom clusters, with space to count your own, and what your numbers mean.
• Why it’s rarely one thing. The signals that point toward tick-borne illness, post-COVID, or a water-damaged building, and how exposures add up.
• The tests that look for it. The VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity) screen, blood markers, genetics, brain imaging, and dust tests for your home, simplest first.
• The treatment roadmap. The 12-step Shoemaker Protocol, and why the order matters.
• Finding the right care. Where to find a certified practitioner, three questions to ask, and tips that save time, money, and heartache.
• Beyond the labs. Places to begin with your body, your environment, your relationships, and your sense of self.
• Your first step. Where to take the free VCS screen from home, on a computer, when you’re ready.
• Something to hand a doctor who asks. Where every number comes from, plus a glossary in plain language.