83% of readers preferred the TAN background www.fms-help.com/010311.htm for the newsletter and 17% preferred WHITE www.fms-help.com/012811.htm I am attempting to accomodate the visual needs of people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Readers also requested less contrast because we are oversensitive to stimuli, especially when in pain, sleep-deprived, crashed from severe fatigue, or fibro-fogged. A list of topics will be at the TOP of each newsletter from now on, so you don't have to scroll down to see what's in each issue. If the type is too small, hit CTRL+ on your keyboard to make the words appear larger. About the lost newsletter, I am still trying to reconstruct it in bits and pieces, which will be included in this and future issues. Thank you, everyone, for your excellent suggestions. - Dominie dombush@bellsouth.net

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dom's Newsletter

February 2, 2011

A Christian-based newsletter about Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.) - sharing thoughts, research and experiences.

FIBRO STORY CFIDS STORY INSOMNIA STORY HELPFUL THINGS I USE PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Topics in this issue - scroll down to read:

1. READERS WRITE - 2. LATTE WITH LISA - COMPLETELY UNFILTERED - 3. EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE - 4. FIBROWHEEL CHART - 5. CHINESE HERBAL REMEDIES - 6. HANDLING A CRASH - 7. THE GHOST IN YOUR GENES (EPIGENETICS) - 8. CUCUMBERS FOR WEIGHT LOSS - 9. VITAMIN D CONTROVERSY - 10. READERS' PRAYER CORNER - 11. FMS, DEGENERATIVE DISK DISEASE, & PANCREAS MALFUNCTION - 12. JOB SUGGESTIONS FOR FIBROMITES - 13. MERCURY FILLINGS - 14. INVISIBLE, THE MOVIE (ABOUT CFS) - 15. CLOSING THOUGHTS

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1. READERS WRITE

"Thanks for your wonderful letters. I've taken information and used it, and have improved my condition."

"Keep on producing all this wonderful info, help and support."

"It was so refreshing to read your testimony www.fms-help.com/salvation.htm! I love when the Lord removes the scales from our eyes."

"Thanks sooooo much for your great newsletters!"

2. LATTE WITH LISA - COMPLETELY UNFILTERED

From a reader--

"Every believer fights his battles every day we have to be God's warriors to survive. Here is Lisa Copen's video clip: http://chronicillnesspaindevotionals.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/announcement-latte-with-lisa-completely-unfiltered/"

FROM DOM: Lisa Copen of Rest Ministries www.restministries.org decided to make a video of herself speaking to her readers on a "broken" day - not a day when she has it all together. She is chronically ill. I was very touched by her openness and honesty. I have often thought about making a short video of myself for my readers - one on a good day and one on a bad, FMS/CFIDS-sleep deprived day, but I didn't want to scare you with my crashed mode! However, Lisa's video is BEAUTIFUL. What a precious lady!

3. EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE

From a reader--

"Recently I came across this book "Eat Right for Your Type". It is all about certain diets for each blood type. Not everyone with fibro and CFS should avoid the same type of foods! Each blood type is different and very important when it comes to diet and avoiding pain and disease. Please look into this, I really think it will help a lot of people. You can google it and find a lot of info, but the book is great and gives specific foods for each blood type. I found this review:

A REVIEW - I read "Eat Right For Your Type" when it first came out a couple years ago, and I recommended the book to a friend of mine in her late forties that was suffering from fibromyalgia. My friend was a blood type O and thought she was eating healthy by eating lots of natural whole wheat bread, brewers yeast, alfalfa sprouts, yogurt, and drinking wheat grass juice, and eating no red meat. But she found her fibromyalgia kept getting worse, not better. She read the book and followed the blood type O Diet very closely. Six months later, my friend no longer suffered from fibromyalgia and was healthier than she had been in years. She is a therapist and she started recommending the book to patients of hers that had suffered from many illnesses, including diabeties, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and candida, and even cancer. She had them follow the diet and six months to a year later, the patients that adhered to the diet the closest had dramatic results, no longer needing medication, and healthier than they had been in years. I mentioned later to my friend that it sure would be nice if Dr. D'Adamo would come out with a cook book for all the blood types. He finally has, and it is dynamite! I too am a blood type O and I had a hard time cutting out wheat and corn because there are so many delicious products out there with these ingredients. I am in my early thirties and I have been 15-20 pounds overweight for a good part of my life and I have found that I am so much healthier and get leaner faster if I cut out wheat and corn products completely. But again, this was hard to do, because I couldn't find many "O-Type Friendly" recipes except a few from Dr. D'Adamo's first book Eat Right For Your Type. Now that Dr. D'Adamo has come out with this cookbook I am finding it easier and easier and more fun to stay on the blood type O Diet. The recipes are fantastic and quick and easy to make. I hope this book encourages everybody that is concerned for their health, and everybody that should be concerned for their health, and especially those that are at this time suffering from many debilitating diseases. Many people scoff at the blood type theory affecting our weight, metabolism, and general health, however, more and more studies are showing that this is the road to optimum health."

4. FIBROWHEEL CHART

FROM DOM: A male reader sent in a fibro symptoms chart that I put in the last newsletter - see Topic 9 at www.fms-help.com/012811.htm.

The FibroWheel's author says:

"This is a way for people to help communicate what is going on to their close friends and family. That takes off the pressure or guilt as you point out things they might normally do together but now find are a challenge, depending on the day."

Here is a response he received from a friend:

"My gosh. How are you functioning at all? It looks and reads like something out of a medical or a pharmaceutical ad in a magazine."

Here are some responses I received from readers:

"That is really a great explanation of my body and I would like to print it out to share with people who continually question me."

"That fibrowheel is one of the best ways to describe fibro that I have ever come across. Wow, it really tells it like it is."

FROM DOM: To print out the FibroWheel, go to www.fms-help.com/012811.htm, Topic 9, right-click on the FibroWheel. Then click "save image as" which will save it to your computer. Then print it out. I have already given a copy to a friend at church. Remember that this chart is not from a doc, but drawn up by a patient who was trying to find a way to explain his FMS/CFIDS symptoms to his friends, family and doctor.

5. CHINESE HERBAL REMEDIES

From a reader--

"I have found some Chinese Herbal remedies that have helped, also, has anyone else done research in this area? I could actually FEEL the herbs working in my body, and pain relief is nice to get."

FROM DOM: There has been very little about Chinese herbal remedies in my newsletters, although many years ago I did visit a Chinese herbalist in Denver who gave me some round black pills that were handmade. He said I had "too much wind in my body" which made my family laugh because I talk too much....ha. However, the pills did relieve the pain! I moved back to FL shortly after that and lost contact with the herbalist. My older uncle was an herb doctor in a village in China for most of his adult life, and his grandson also became an herb doctor.

6. HANDLING A CRASH

From a reader (describing what happened after a lovely night out with family)--

"It was a great [time] but I chose for it to be great through careful preparation and understanding the following day would be an extended crash. For those, I use a dark bedroom, a good book (if I can see clearly � when too tired it seems hard to see), and some quiet classical music. Throw in a hot bath and I am ready to meet the next day and see what it has for me."

7. THE GHOST IN YOUR GENES (EPIGENETICS)

From a reader--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toRIkRa1fYU - There are 5 parts to this video series. Snippet: "The discovery of epigenetics hidden influences upon the genes could affect every aspect of our lives. At the heart of this new field is a simple but contentious idea that genes have a 'memory'. That the lives of your grandparents the air they breathed, the food they ate, even the things they saw can directly affect you, decades later, despite your never experiencing these things yourself. And that what you do in your lifetime could in turn affect your grandchildren. The conventional view is that DNA carries all our heritable information and that nothing an individual does in their lifetime will be biologically passed to their children. To many scientists, epigenetics amounts to a heresy, calling into question the accepted view of the DNA sequence a cornerstone on which modern biology sits. Epigenetics adds a whole new layer to genes beyond the DNA. It proposes a control system of 'switches' that turn genes on or off and suggests that things people experience, like nutrition and stress, can control these switches and cause heritable effects in humans."

8. CUCUMBERS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

FROM DOM: Someone I know has lost 14 lbs. in the past 2 weeks taking 2 cinnamon capsules and eating a cucumber every day. This was recommended by his friend's doctor, and it worked for his friend, so he decided try it. So far so good. I found this info about cucumbers and weight loss at http://www.viruz.com/cucumber-and-weight-loss/ and http://webterrace.com/fat/diur.htm#cucumber. And a reader sent in the following info about cinnamon: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/11/23/cinnamons-medicinal-properties/, www.naturalnews.com/031133_cinnamon_diabetes.html#ixzz1CMeQ4uZo and www.naturalnews.com:80/031133_cinnamon_diabetes.html. For those of us with FMS/CFIDS, weight loss can be difficult, if not impossible, because of the meds we take and also being more sedentary. Be really careful with meds like Lyrica - they can cause tremendous weight gain - some readers have gained 50 to 70 lbs. on Lyrica. I think it affects something in the brain that controls our weight. Be sure that the benefits outweigh (no pun intended) the negative side effects.

9. VITAMIN D STUDY WAS WRONG

From a reader--

The Institute of Medicine report of vitamin D has inherent flaws--

http://www.gaia-health.com/articles301/000347-iom-vitamin-d-claim-gaping-flaw.shtml

http://www.altegen.com/food-nutrients/should-you-change-vitamin-d-intake-based-on-the-institute-of-medicines-report.html

http://www.terrytalksnutrition.com/newsletter/2011/01-21/ANH-USA.pdf

http://www.anh-usa.org/institute-of-medicine-report-on-vitamin-d-is-wrong-wrong-wrong/

10. READERS' PRAYER CORNER

Anonymous: "I'm concerned because I have walking pneumonia, and also, I believe I've been exposed to mold, as well - just a feeling. Too much respiratory and sinus stuff going on, and it's been chronic. I have pain in my chest. Severe insomnia, worse than usual."

Anonymous: "An acquaintance of mine, not someone who has fibro, just got a flu shot and had a bad reaction, fevers, chills. He's in his 'golden years,' so please pray the LORD will heal him quickly."

Anonymous: A reader is caring for two very ill and elderly parents who are in a nursing home. Pray for strength for her.

11. FMS, DEGENERATIVE DISK DISEASE, & PANCREAS MALFUNCTION

From a reader--

"Though not completely curing me, it�s made a huge difference. Otherwise, I think I�d be bedridden by now. See 'Fibromyalgia treated as degenerative disc disease by a chiropractor': http://hubpages.com/_3r3z6j6h0kore/hub/My-Fibromyalgia-Treated-as-Degenerative-Disc-Disease - Snippet: "In FMS patients, for some reason, the pancreas begins to malfunction. This leads to blood sugar imbalances, and then an inability to digest food properly. This results in protein deficiency and vitamin, mineral (especially MSM), and fatty acid deficiencies. This culminates in a weakened immune system that cannot protect the body from infestations of bacteria, over-growths of yeast, or settlement of toxic metals. (My tooth decay is a testament to that!) The muscles have a diminished healing ability. The spine then begins to degenerate and viral infections begin to take hold. Also, organs start to malfunction and there is nothing the body can do because it does not have the tools to fix itself."

FROM DOM: I have reported on Dr. Vickery in past newsletters www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm.

12. JOB SUGGESTIONS FOR FIBROMITES

FROM DOM: I asked Ms. Dee, a career advisor, if she had some job suggestions for fibromites, and this was her thoughtful reply:

1. It is best to have an employer who is understanding enough to allow their employee who is an FMS sufferer the flexibility of unexpected absences due to flare-ups. This implies also an occupation with responsibilities that can be put on hold without major ramifications.

2.  When we discover enough about ourselves we can choose a fitting job that employs abilities, decision-making processes and environments that will energize us. A job that is more energizing than draining in terms of our personality type would be a major asset to our motivation and productivity, even when not feeling very well. See my article http://hubpages.com/_3r3z6j6h0kore/hub/Career-Paths-to-Fit-Motivations. It includes links to even more information that may be helpful for understanding what type of job energizes our particular personality.

13. MERCURY FILLINGS

The smoking time bomb sitting next to your brain:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/28/scientists-urge-fda-to-stop-amalgam-use-in-children-pregnant-women-and-hypersensitive.aspx

14. INVISIBLE, THE MOVIE (ABOUT CFS)

Reported in the Reaching Out Newsletter--

By the Vermont CFIDS Association: "We are not just sick, we are invisible." http://www.invisiblethemovie.com/invisible_home.html

15. CLOSING THOUGHTS

FROM DOM: I've been feeling very well lately. (I keep a daily journal of my meds, the hours I sleep, and how I feel.) I've been managing stress as much as possible and using helpful things listed at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. I'm able to work at my job www.fms-help.com/students.htm that has perfect hours for someone with a sleep disorder: 2 p.m. - 9 p.m. Reducing stress is Tip #1 in my "100 Tips for Coping with Fibromylagia and Insomnia" at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm. We all know that is easier said than done.  For example, this week I became totally uncorked when we received an outrageously high bill in the mail. I am usually pretty cool about things, but for some reason, I got very upset, burst into tears and had to go to another room to calm down. Good grief! I know that's a very small stress compared to the big things in life like bereavement, divorce, abuse, and wayward children, but reducing and avoiding stress that we can control is very important to managing FMS/CFIDS. In fact, I consider stress my worst enemy and avoid it like the plague! Nothing brings me down faster. To keep my health up, I have had to say NO to many wonderful activities that I would love to take part in, in order to keep functioning for the necessities of life (read: working).

Well, my goal for my fellow fibromites this week is to try to find all the parts of the wonderful newsletter that got lost and try to reconstruct it (for the third time....sigh.)   I am thankful to be feeling soooo much better than I have in past years. To finally get this "monster" semi-managed has been a great, great blessing. I have been pain free for many years now, although I battle other aspects of this illness.

I developed FMS in 1982 www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm and CFIDS in 1987 www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm, and have had insomnia since age 16 www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm. (I will be 60 this year - that sure sounds old, but from behind my eyeballs I feel about 30 on good days, and about 90 on bad days - no, make that 95 - it all hinges on the quality of my sleep.)

My advice is to try to reduce stress as much as possible. It took me forever to learn to put myself first when I needed to. I really feel sympathetic with the younger women who have FMS/CFIDS and young children. It is very hard - even impossible - to manage without a LOT of help at home. I was very fortunate that during the years I was a full-time stepmom, my husband picked up the heavy end of the load at home. Many women do not have this kind of help and consideration. My husband has been unusually understanding of my condition, for which I am deeply grateful. However, he has suffered many losses as a result of my illness that I feel badly about - for example, I can't travel more than 30 miles due to my brain crashing from excessive visual stimuli (since working in a hurricane-damaged building in 2004-2005 www.fms-help.com/mold.htm). Nearly all of our family live out of town or out of state, so it is sad that I am unable to go see them, although I am happy that many do travel here to see me.

Well, I better sign off. It's getting late now, even for a night owl like me.

Dominie Bush

www.fms-help.com

dombush@bellsouth.net

100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia & Insomnia

My Fibromyalgia Story

My Chronic Fatigue Story

My Insomnia Story

What I Use

II Corinthians 1: 4 - "[God] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Visit Dominie's FMS/CFIDS Homepage at www.fms-help.com for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome sufferers and their families.

SEARCH Dominie�s FMS/CFIDS site and newsletters:

Custom Search

Dominie's Favorites: Alkalizing Drops Antioxidants Cold Sore Treatment Colloidal Silver DMSO DNA Protector & Immune Booster Essential Oils (Sponsor #905788) Immune Balancing Shake Nutritional Powder Omega 3's Oxygen Drops Protein Powder Shingles Treatment Stress Tablets Supplements (highly bioavailable) Questions? Write dombush@bellsouth.net

CHRONIC COLD SORES? Click on

DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE

REQUEST MY FREE NEWSLETTER

Get FREE business cards at Vistaprint! (Click here, then see "Free Products" at top left!)

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia / chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this website is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for thought. This information cannot take the place of professional medical advice. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician. No guarantees are made regarding any of the information in this website.