DOM'S FMS/CFIDS NEWSLETTER
www.fms-help.com
My husband took this picture of a sunrise, since I never see them! I presume it's the same as sunsets, except in the opposite direction....ha!!
MARCH 9, 2013
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Helpful Things Marriage Church Work Youtube Testimony
1. READERS WRITE
"You and others have had a higher calling, not one of your choice, but one of great value in the Kingdom, because out of your suffering and brokenness, healing oil from heaven has poured over so many beloved of God for encouragement and comfort as our Lord draws us to himself for the most important healing--a relationship to the creator God of the universe and all the promises of life in the Kingdom of God. And in the midst, you have found so many ways to help myriads of people cope day to day with their illness, and try to find dignity and a sense of humor in it all, not to mention practical helps and a forum for people to share their stories and bring a blessing as well."
2. HELP FOR IBS
Reader 1--
"re: www.fms-help.com/030213.htm - I had a very rough year with my IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and I found that the antibiotic xifaxin worked wonders for me. It has even cured IBS in some people. It stays in the bowel and does not go into other body systems so that is good. It is very expensive but I was lucky in that my insurance covers it or else I could not have taken it. I have learned that if I have a mild flare up I take my generic for bentyl and a phazyme capsule to settle the rumbles. If I take an aleve or skelaxin for my pain, I know I have to take more fiber capsules and a stool softener as these two meds will constipate me. I take a good probiotic daily which also helps. Prior to the xifaxin I had been tested for celiac and it was all negative. Each person is different, but for me the xifaxin was a miracle drug."
Reader 2--
"I've battled IBS for years, much milder than described. I came across a Dr. Dahlman, a chiropractor from Cincinnati whose name showed up on Pro Health's website re. IBS. I e-mailed him, and he suggested that IBS is primarily a food allergy issue. I discovered that I am allergic to dairy products and legumes. After ten years of suffering, eliminating these irritants from my diet made a huge difference. In addition, after trying a number or good quality probiotics, I have found that Dr. Mercola's Probiotic formula is excellent and my IBS symptoms are 90% gone! And the daily AM nausea is almost never an issue!"
Reader 3--
"I have found that eliminating dairy and other certain trigger foods helps my condition. However, I still have bouts that keep me homebound (UGH!). I have been taking the top-rated Florastor probiotic at the recommendation of my GI doctor for quite a while now and that is helpful."
Reader 4--
"I wonder if a gluten-free diet would help IBS? I’m trying to get into GF entirely, but it’s taking time! I do see improvement without the gluten."
3. NOISY HOSPITALS KEEP PATIENTS FROM SLEEPING
http://news.yahoo.com/noisy-hospitals-rx-quiet-patients-rest-212014903.html - Snippet: "Anyone who's had a hospital stay knows the beeping monitors, the pagers and phones, the hallway chatter, the roommate, even the squeaky laundry carts all make for a not-so-restful place to heal. Hospitals need a prescription for quiet, and new research suggests it may not be easy to tamp down all the noise for a good night's sleep. In fact, the wards with the sickest patients — the intensive care units — can be the loudest. "It's just maddening," says Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, sleep medicine chief at Massachusetts General Hospital. He pointed to one study that found the decibel level in ICUs reaches that of a shout about half the time. Patient satisfaction surveys are packed with complaints that the clamor makes it hard to sleep. Yet remarkably little is known about exactly how that affects patients' bodies — and which types of noises are the most disruptive to shut-eye. Until hospitals dampen more noise, Ellenbogen advises families to advocate for quiet: —If an IV alarm repeatedly sounds, "tell the nurse this has got to stop," he says. —Ask if it's OK to close the room door. —Request a fan in the room to be "white noise" that muffles the electronics. —Speak up if hallway conversations are too loud."
FROM DOM: A friend who was recently hospitalized for 5 days couldn't wait to get home to sleep! The noise level in hospitals is awful with nurses talking loudly in the hallways, continuous beeping of alarms and equipment, patients who keep their TV's turned up loud all night long. How do they expect anyone to heal when their sleep is constantly interrupted?! Modern medicine can lack basic commen sense!
4. CAN YOU WORK WHILE ON DISABILITY?
Question from a reader--
"I know your website www.fms-help.com/occupations.htm detail the types of jobs people with Fibro/CFS have, but I’d like to ask the readers if any of them working part-time while collecting disability have lost or had to fight for their disability payments. I live in PA and our system is in a bankrupt state and I was lucky to get the disability. In truth, there’s a high probability I would lose a job anyhow, but it’s also possible that given the right circumstance, I can work on a part-time basis. I’ve seen horror stories on the internet written by folks whom have said when they go to court to defend their disability payments the judge remarks “if you can work 15 – 20 hours in a highly skilled job, you can work 40 in a lower skilled job”. Or just “if you can consistently work 2 -3 days/week, you can work 5 days a week”. Just wondered if the readers had any experience with this. I know all of the laws regarding this. One woman turned in her “ticket to work” despite her doctor’s warning. I never saw the result because she didn’t post it after she lost her disability payments (which I cannot live on!). This was after 2.5 months of working full-time at the agency that got her the job as part of the disability benefits, and under her 9 month “trial period”. When you read bits and pieces from the internet, you never know what to believe. If you run out of things to post sometime, include this in."
FROM DOM: Good question. Write dombush@bellsouth.net if you have answers. For myself, I asked a disability attorney 7 years ago if I qualified for disability. He said if you can earn $600 per month, you ARE working. And because you ARE working, it proves you CAN work! YIKES! Who can live on $600/mo. in this society? I can't hold a full-time job because of health, but I'm thankful that I can teach piano. I would be up the proverbial creek without this skill. I can't drive long distances to work, so God has always provided a studio or place for me to teach that is near to my home.
5. GREEN SMOOTHIE GIRL
From a friend--
"We just went to a Green Smoothie Girl Class and she had some very serious immune disorders and has overcome them by nutrition. Her website is www.GreenSmoothieGirl.com - she has her story there." Also see http://greensmoothiegirl.com/2011/07/19/stacy-tells-us-what-happens-to-inflammation-and-fibromyalgia-when-you-eat-green/ - Mom of 4 kicks fibromyalgia symptoms using whole food smoothies.
6. CUT CANCER RISK BY SKIPPING MAMMOGRAMS?
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/02/3d-tomosynthesis-more-risky.aspx
7. TOO MUCH EXERCISE CAUSES FIBRO FLARE
From a reader--
"I have not had to contact you in a long time...I have not had a flare up in a long time...I am going on my 5th day with pain in my legs..rear and arms..I have been going to the gym for a month now and I increased my miles on the stationary bike by 2 more and that was all it took...I have been fighting the weight battle for years and have not been able to stick to anything and my Doctor has not been much help..I was told to start working out first and that is what I have been doing..My daughter and I joined the couch to 5k and I had to drop out after our second class cause I injured my knee...The knee is still causing problems but it all combined triggered the fibro flare up....this is the longest it has ever lasted...it takes a while for me to get to sleep but I eventually do....I am very leary about all the drugs out there and I do not do good with any meds..I end of having a bad reaction to almost everything... I was wondering what you took that helped you with the pain. Thank you."
FROM DOM: A list of everything I have found helpful (during 30+ years of experimentation is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. Fibro is a baffling illness. Even after a time of remission, too much stress (physical, mental or emotional) can do us in.
8. BRUSH TEETH WITH BAKING SODA
From a reader--
"I changed a couple years ago to brushing my teeth with baking soda only and it keeps my teeth very clean, according to my dentist! If I want a little more abrasion, I add a small amount of table salt."
FROM DOM: When I was a little girl growing up in an apartment building in Newark, NJ, I remember my dear, sweet dad brushing his teeth with baking soda. I always thought it was a cost-saving measure, but turns out it is good for you. (Meet my dad: www.fms-help.com/eulogy.htm.) I have many memories of that building, and looked for it with Google earth. But alas and alack! It has been torn down, and there is just an empty lot there now. Maybe it burned down? Time marches on.
9. ARE CYMBALTA & SAVELLA HELPFUL OR HARMFUL FOR FIBROMYALGIA?
From a reader--
http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/159420/cymbalta-fibromyalgia/ - Snippet: "Cymbalta (duloxetine) and Savella (milnacipran) were the second and third medications to receive FDA approval for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Both are serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). According to a new review published in The Cochrane Library, among FM patients taking either of the two drugs, 22% report substantial improvement while 21% had to quit taking them due to unpleasant side effects. Since almost equal numbers of people were helped as were harmed, this brings up the question of whether these medications are worth trying, especially considering their high cost."
10. THE ENCOURAGING WORD
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20
11. LOSS OF CONNECTION BETWEEN BRAIN & HANDS
From a reader--
"I came across your story www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm as I was looking for info on fibromyalgia. Thanks for sharing your experience. I thought I was losing my mind because I have that same thing, the loss of connection between my hands and my brain."
12. ARE DENTAL IMPLANTS A FLAWED CONCEPT?
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1747550
13. MTHFR DEFICIENCY IN FIBROMYALGIA
From a reader--
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KylT1Muvq8 - Video about MTHFR deficiency in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Dr. Smith, the man in the video, developed fibromyalgia at age 30 from stress. Stress reduces MTHFR in the body. MTHFR is an enzyme that works on the methylation path for vitamin B-12 and glutathione (which removes toxins and reduces oxidative stress).
14. BURNING SCALP - DANGEROUS!
From a reader--
"re: www.fms-help.com/030213.htm - Dominie, please get to the lady very quickly who has the burning scalp. What she is describing is Temporal Arteritis, and she could go blind if this is not caught in time. She has the exact same symptoms that my mother had -- horribly painful burning of the scalp and grape sized lumps on her head. The problems with reading that she is having could already be signs that she is losing her vision. She needs her SED count checked (blood), and if it is off, the doctor needs to get her to a proper surgeon who will do a test of her artery in her temple. They do a tiny cut in the artery to be able to get the results. This has to be fast. You can lose your vision very quickly from this disease. Temporal Arteritis is, of course, another immune system illness. This is NOT 'Arthritis.' It is "Arteritis' meaning 'arteries.' It is inflammation to the arteries in your head. Taking Prednisone can control the illness."
15. DO ROOT CANALS CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS?
http://greensmoothiegirl.com/2012/09/02/recovering-from-oral-surgery-part-3-of-3/
16. INFLAMMATION & LEAKY GUT SYNDROME
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/07/inflammation-triggers-disease-symptoms.aspx - Snippet: "Your gut is made of an incredibly large and intricate semi-permeable lining. The surface area of your gut can cover two tennis courts when stretched out flat. Its degree of permeability fluctuates in response to a variety of chemically mediated conditions. For example when your cortisol is elevated due to the stress of an argument or your thyroid hormone levels fluctuate due to burning the midnight oil your intestinal lining becomes more permeable in real time. Then you sit down to eat and partially undigested food, toxins, viruses, yeast, and bacteria have the opportunity to pass through the intestine and access the bloodstream, this is known as leaky gut syndrome, or LGS. When the intestinal lining is repeatedly damaged due to reoccurring leaky gut syndrome, damaged cells called microvilli become unable to do their job properly. They become unable to process and utilize the nutrients and enzymes that are vital to proper digestion. Eventually, digestion is impaired and absorption of nutrients is negatively affected. As more exposure occurs, your body initiates an attack on these foreign invaders. It responds with inflammation, allergic reactions, and other symptoms we relate to a variety of diseases."
FROM DOM: Besides reducing stress and avoiding allergic foods, here's a great way to reduce inflammation: www.i26forhealth.com/dominie.
17. SMELLY WASHER
FROM DOM: Low water washers (HE) get smelly from fungus. Keep the door open after washing and also don't use much HE detergent. Still, every few months, there is a musty odor. We tried a major brand washer cleaner and the perfume smell was horribly overpowering and lingered for many wash cycles after that. I just found Smelly Washer (all natural) at www.smellywasher.com. It's also sold locally at hardware and bed/bath type stores. We are going to try this. They also have a product for smelly towels. Low water is a great conservation idea, but also brings about other problems. Another recommendation is to use cold water when you can, but the final load each day should be HOT water.
18. TINNITUS IS A PHANTOM AUDITORY SENSATION
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21527325
FROM DOM: I've had tinnitus (ringing in the ears) for 20 years 24/7. It is a high-pitched (18 Hz) squeal made worse by exposure to loud noise or music and definitely by certain meds, such as aspirin, NSAIDS, and even hyaluronic acid, which is in some "joint formulas." www.audionotch.com has an interesting plan for overcoming tinnitus, but alas, my squeal is too high...audionotch works best at 13 Hz and lower they say.
19. SALT COULD BE CAUSING AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS
From a reader--
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/06/17214510-too-much-salt-may-trigger-autoimmune-diseases - Snippet: "Salt may play a previously unknown role in triggering autoimmune diseases such as MS or type 1 diabetes in individuals who are already genetically predisposed."
20. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ROOT CANAL TEETH ARE PULLED
http://greensmoothiegirl.com/2012/11/23/what-happened-when-my-root-canal-teeth-were-pulled/
http://greensmoothiegirl.com/2012/08/31/recovering-from-oral-surgery-part-2-of-3/
21. STREAMS IN THE DESERT
FROM DOM: "Streams in the Desert, Vol. 1" by Mrs. Charles Cowman is one of my favorite devotional books. It was given to me by a retired missionary during a very difficult time in my life. This book is especially comforting for anyone going through trials or suffering.
Dominie Bush
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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.
