DOM'S
NEWSLETTER
June 18,
2007
THERE ARE
24 TOPICS BELOW IN PURPLE. MY COMMENTS ARE IN
TEAL.
You will
find many good articles in this issue! Be sure to check out #12 (Abuse & FMS), #15 (Cost of Treating Fibro), #16
(Mousetrap Story) and #24 (Dom's Update - Good News
Finally). If you need more info on any topics in this
newsletter, use the
Google search box at the end of the online newsletter. Cute
as they were, I've left off the wiggly little pictures
that were in the last newsletter, since they were distracting to some
readers. I'll only use stationery pictures from now on. - Dominie dombush@bellsouth.net
1. READERS
WRITE
"You have
helped me with so many effects caused by fibromyalgia. I don't know what I'd do
if it weren't for your newsletters. You understand....
that means so much for someone who has no one to talk to regarding
this pain in the neck fibro."
"Thank you
for all the work you put on your web site www.fms-help.com for the benefit of
a big number of people."
[It's my pleasure to pass on info that may help others
with FMS/CFIDS/ME. I began my website and newsletters 11 years
ago.]
2. PROVIGIL
From a
reader--
"I took Provigil for awhile and my insurance
wouldn't cover it initially. I had to get my Dr. to go through the
procedure of requesting it for me individually. It took awhile, but the
insurance company did eventually agree to cover it. In the meantime the
Dr. gave me plenty of samples. I did find that after I had taken it for awhile
I felt like I was pushing myself beyond my limits. Same
old same old, like when I was healthy and was always on the go go go. I
had to stop taking it and get enough rest and then I didn't take it except when
I felt like I needed it, which was usually when I hadn't had enough restorative
sleep and then I was back on that cycle again. I found there is no
substitute for restorative sleep."
3.
TINNITUS
Anyone else
bothered by ringing in the ears (tinnitus)? I have had this for decades,
although it is not too bad anymore. However, other fibro sufferers could
use some pointers for this problem if you have found a remedy. I have to
avoid loud noises, such as loud music at church or public
events.
4.
WEATHER
From a
reader--
"I have Fibromyalgia and live in
Arizona and I feel horrible in the summers. I
tried to avoid going out in the heat at all costs. It seems like I do a little
bit better from October to March. I am in a Fibro group here and it seems
like we all do worse in the summer time. So, I would not suggest
packing up and moving here!"
5.
PREGNANCY
From a
reader--
"I have had 2 children while having
Fibromyalgia and felt about 25% better during both pregnancies.I felt about
50% better while I was breast feeding with both babies and as soon as I
stopped breast feeding I started feeling terrible again. I definitely
think that the endocrine system (hormones) is a big contributor to our
illness!! I definitely don't think it's the only contributor
though!"
6. MANUAL LYMPH
DRAINAGE
From a reader--
"The manual
lymph drainage that Im doing is from Dr Mark Shaw's site
www.beatfibroandfatigue.com and it is a
specific routine especially for CFS & Fibro
sufferers. He has researched it thoroughly after being a sufferer
himself. This always lends a bit of credibility to certain
treatments. If you check out his website you can read all about it and see
if it is relevant to your symtoms. To get the actual specific Manual Lymph
Drainage routine recommended I had to download his E
book. This is about $30 and he offers a full money
back guarantee if not entirely satisfied with results after so many
weeks. Although I have tried many so called cures over the
years I have become disillusioned, I thought it made a lot of sense
and was worth a try."
[Dr. Shaw's site at
www.beatfibroandfatigue.com is VERY
interesting about the autonomic nervous system, lymph system, anxiety, stress,
etc. and how all this plays into FMS/CFIDS.]
7. PARASITES &
CANDIDA
From a reader--
"You can be
healed by following the juicing and essential oil program that I followed.
All these things are curable. There is no mystery to healing.
You have to get to the root of the parasite and candida invasion.
The essential oils are amazing but are only 1/2 of the equation. The other
half is nutrition. The two together are an amazing healing
combination, done in the correct way. Juicing is the most
effective way to get nutrients since there is no digestion required. But a
great juicer is essential, not the ones that are advertised on TV. I also
juiced pineapples as the Lord led me so that I could get bromelain. I hope
that this helps you and others. If I can be healed, anyone
can."
8. NITRIC OXIDE THEORY OF UNEXPLAINED
ILLNESSES
Got these links from a reader about Dr.
Pall's theory of oxidation as the precursor for FMS / CFIDS / MCS. He also
examines protocols by Dr. Cheney, Dr. Teitelbaum, and Dr. Garth Nicholson in
light of his theory--
9. EXERCISE MAKES CFS
WORSE
"Post-exertional malaise is a phenomenon
where exercise in CFS patients produces an exacerbation of their entire spectrum
of symptoms, an exacerbation that the NO/ONOO- cycle model predicts is likely to
be due to up-regulation of NO/ONOO- cycle biochemistry. The view that excessive
exercise in CFS may up-regulate the basic causal mechanism is supported by some
of the pioneering observations of Dr. Melvin Ramsay. Ramsay observed that
CFS sufferers who continued to work longest before collapse had a much
poorer prognosis than those who were diagnosed early and underwent prolonged bed
rest."
[We are NOT lazy,
hypochondriacs or malingerers!!]
10.
HEALING FROM FMS/CFIDS
Been thinking....the
only people I hear from who have been "healed" of FMS/CFIDS or are
well-managed have done it with juicing, essential oils or other nutritional
protocols. Since 1996 I have spent a fortune on nutritional products of
every kind imaginable that are recommended for this. Some things help,
most things don't. More frustratingly, some things help for
a few months or years, then stop helping, so you have to look for something
else. The current list of things I use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. Also, see Topic 24 below for some exciting news
- I have been feeling great lately!!!
11. GETTING DISABILITY FOR FIBROMYALGIA
Also, see my page at
www.fms-help.com/disability.htm - I have not filed for disability, but many readers
have and these are their stories and tips for how to do this
successfully.
12.
ABUSE & FMS - RESPONSES
Thanks to
everyone who responded to my question www.fms-help.com/061207.htm about whether
fibromites have a greater history of abuse than the general population.
Here is one response that I think was very
insightful--
"The CDC’s beginning studies on genes and CFS
showed that one of the genes that is expressed differently in those with CFS is
a gene associated with how the body deals with stress of any
kind. I’m sure that with the prevalence of abuse in our society, some
of the stresses that CFS sufferers have had is from abuse of some kind.
However, the total stresses the body handles over the time period before
a person develops CFS is the important factor. These stresses can be
anything—whatever causes the body to have to adjust. Our daughter, who
has had CFS for 10 years beginning at age 18, used to run a fever any time we
took a vacation or trip. She “outgrew” that as she became accustomed to what had
to be done to prepare for such an event. I had CFS for over 10 years. I became
sick after childbirth and stressful years as a teacher who had
to do lots of overtime hours. As a child, we
moved every three years. (My father was in the ministry.)
I’m sure that and my allergies played a role in the total
stress I endured. I think it would be a mistake to focus on abuse
relating to CFS. It’s stress of any kind, and the genetic predisposition to how
the body handles that stress. It’s good to remember that stress is associated
with “good” events also. I do think people are different in how sensitive they
are in general to what happens in life. So personality may play a role in some
cases, but studies have shown that CFS and Fibro are not related to any
particular personality, race, socioi-economic factor, etc. Studies have shown
that definitely more women than men suffer. I think some of the factors
associated with CFS and FM are estrogen-related. Remember just the fact that we
have hormonal cycles and change so much during pregnancy and
the aftermath of childbirth makes a difference as to how much
the body has to adjust."
[Since 1996 I have
heard from thousands of people with FMS/CFIDS/ME all over the world. They
have different lifestyles, cultures, diets, etc. yet all manifest identical
symptoms! I sure hope some medical scientist will figure this out some
day. If we knew the cause, there might one day be a cure! For now,
we deal with symptoms. My fibro was definitely the result of severe
ongoing stress. My story is at www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm. A list of things I use to make my life
more comfortable and functional is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm.]
13. CANADIAN HEALTH CARE
From a
reader--
"Just got your latest email newsletter and I
live in Canada and what
you wrote about socialized medicine, having to wait months to see a
doctor isn't true. Yes for
a specialist sometimes you can wait weeks
or months (depending on what the
malady is) but not your regular GP.
As a result of being ill with
chronic FM and Chronic Fatigue I can no
longer work and can't afford private
medical insurance. I have managed
to find an excellent doctor who is
interested and treats people with
FM and I don't have to wait months to see
him! So not all social
medicare systems are the same! I am EXTREMELY lucky to
have this here
in Canada and in the province that I live (health care is
provincially
implemented, not federally). No system is perfect, but at least
I know
if I get really sick or have an accident I can go to the
emergency
ward and NOT have thousands of dollars in bills to pay afterwards.
My
taxes pay for this system and I am happy to pay them for myself
and
anyone else who may need it. I just had to write you to let you
know this Dominie.
This system is not perfect but I think our
former Prime Minister Trudeau was on to
something when he thought that
a strong country is a healthy country
and that in order for
Canada to be prosperous and industrious we had
to have a healthy working
population and that meant equal access to
health care for all. I think he had
something there."
14.
LOCAL WOMAN FIGHTS FOR FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS
Article about a
newsletter reader--go Marty!
15.
COST OF TREATING FIBROMYALGIA
"When you are battling symptoms of
mind-boggling pain, profound fatigue, jumbled thoughts, a wall-banging headache,
pain-gurgling intestines, and you haven't had a decent night's sleep in over a
week, it would be natural to feel pushed against a wall. Adding to the reckless
impact of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is the
affect these conditions have on your career, your marriage and relationships,
your social life (if you still have one) and your general sense of well-being.
Indeed, FMS and CFS can, at times, make you feel out of control.
Unfortunately, the saga of how you struggle
each day to be functional and your efforts to hang onto a sense of
accomplishment is not the focus of medical journal editorials these days. The
obsession is over a "c" word that doesn't convey compassion, care or concern,
but it is the language of the financial world: COST.
In the eyes of the medico-legal system,
the cost of diagnosing and treating people with FMS and CFS is what they
consider to be out of control. As heartless as it sounds, the
insurance and health care industries are attempting to use the paucity of
research and treatment trials available on FMS/CFS to their monetary advantage.
The logic that they are spewing is: if modern medicine can't effectively
relieve the symptoms of FMS/CFS to keep patients employed, then maybe therapies
should be curtailed or abandoned altogether.
Some of the proponents of this "weird science"
have even proposed what they view as a rational way of approaching patients with
FMS/CFS. After confirming the diagnosis, health care providers should educate
patients about the diagnosis ... so patients aren't left with the costly and
insatiable need to consult another doctor. Then a series of two or three
inexpensive therapies should be offered, possibly along with a referral to
mental health management (assuming that mind-control is an important adjunct to
therapy for conditions in which prescription medicines don't work). If the
foregoing fails to make a person with FMS/CFS feel better, then the doctor
should at least say they are sorry, but that any further attempt to ease the
pain would be futile and too costly. Then the doctor should just call in the
next patient. Perhaps as an added touch, the receptionist should wish the
patient a nice life when they are handed a check for services not
rendered.
The above scenario is no joking matter; it
has actually appeared in various forms in two distinguished medical journals:
Arthritis & Rheumatism and Journal of Rheumatology. Hang in
there though, because most physicians who care for FMS/CFS patients are revolted
by this less-than-compassionate approach."
[I thank God for
you - my newsletter readers - my fibro team! Together we can share
support, understanding and ideas about coping with this illness.
Unfortunately, the medical world still doesn't have real answers for
us....yet. See my 100 TIps for Coping with Fibromyalgia and Insomnia at
www.fms-help.com/tips.htm.]
16. "MOUSETRAP IN THE HOUSE"
This is a great little
story that is going around the net, most recently sent in by a reader. It
certainly applies to those of us with fibromyalgia and why we should stick
together--
"A mouse looked through the crack in the wall
to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was
devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning:
There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said,
"Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no
consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap
in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but
there is nothing I can do about it but pray.
Be assured you are in my prayers."
The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in
the house!There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no
skin off my nose."
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to
face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like
the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the
darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had
caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the
hospital , and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the
farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came
to sit with her around the clock.
To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow
slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with
great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think
it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are
all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an
eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
REMEMBER….
EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR
LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.”
17.
FREE SAMPLE OF REMIFEMIN
Natural relief for
menopausal hot flashes and night sweats--
18.
MYER'S COCKTAIL DIDN'T HELP
From a
reader--
"This month's National Fibro Assn newsletter states
that a recent study showed very good results from patients receiving the
intravenous "Myers Cocktail". I want to share my personal experience with this
treatment. Five years ago, I traveled 50 miles to an alternative care doctor who
was treating about a dozen women with this procedure (with rave reviews from the
Dr). I went in 2x week for about 2 months. It was painful since they had a
difficult time finding my vein. It was also time consuming with the travel and
procedure time. I did not get any relief. A few women who were
there with me had been getting treatments for more than 2 months also felt
it was not helping or that they had a little more energy than
before. They were continuing treatments because they were like me, desperate to
feel better. I stopped treatments after 2 months, again disappointed
that another treatment plan did not help."
19. I NEEDED THE QUIET
A beautiful poem (author unknown)
sent in by a reader--
"I needed the quiet, so He took me
aside.
Into the shadows where we could
confide;
Away from the bustle, where all the day
long,
I hurried and worried when active and
strong.
I needed the quiet, though at first I
rebelled,
But gently, so gently, the Cross He
upheld,
And whispered so sweetly of spiritual
things.
Though weakened In body, my spirit took
wings
To heights never dreamed of when active and
gay.
He loved me so greatly He drew me
away.
I needed the quiet, no prison, my
bed,
But a beautiful valley of blessing
instead,
A place to grow richer, in Jesus to
hide…
I needed the quiet, so He took me
aside."
Author unknown
20.
MAGNETS FOR TIGHT MUSCLES
From a reader--
"Re: Tight muscles. I had knots in my shoulders so tight and
painful that my doctor had to spray a freezing agent on them in order to
try to get them to relax. I heard about magnets and contacted
Serenity 2000 and ordered their strongest magnetic
necklace (it was very attractive too). I put it on and
within minutes the muscles in my neck and shoulders
relaxed. I wore it every day. I went to my doctor and he
couldn't believe the improvement. Now I only wear the necklace when my
muscles tighten up. I got a magnetic bracelet for my carpel tunnel and my
hand hardly ever hurts. It's amazing. Hope this
helps."
21.
EXERCISE & FIBRO
From a reader--
"RE: exercise - My
physical therapist told me not to work my muscles to the extreme as it creates
lactic acid in the muscle which in turn increases pain when you have
Fibromyalgia. I do gentle water exercises 3 times a week
and have reduced my pain and strength considerably. It took over a
year to start to see results so you have to persevere and be patient."
22.
YOU CANNOT SEE IT, BUT YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT
Great
article sent in by a reader about fibromyalgia as a painful invisible
illness--
23. PACING
YOURSELF
From a
reader--
"I've has it since
I was 5 or so, but it wasn't diagnosed until I was in my 50s. I've had
plenty of time to figure out what works for me. Getting the diagnosis let
me know what the game is so that I could work out a game plan. I've
found pacing myself to be what works best for me. I
religiously use a timer. One hour working and 15 minute to half hour rests
on a good day, half hour working and half hour resting on not so
good days. I started using the timer on my days off work about
30 years before the diagnosis. Now, of course, working is pretty
difficult, so I work at home [has a small home
business] at my own pace."
24.
DOM'S UPDATE - GOOD NEWS FINALLY!
For those of you who have been following my miserable 2 year saga
of FMS/CFIDS/ME decline (ever since the mold exposure at my former workplace in
2005), you can imagine my amazement to now be feeling alert, focused, energized and
alive again!
About a month ago, my husband said, "You were doing better on
those products you took a long time ago!" He was referring to some things
I used from 1996-2002, so I went online and re-ordered
them. I noticed a difference in my energy level in 2 days.
I am now having 5 good days out of every 7--maybe soon that will
be 7 out of 7! I have energy, my mind is clear, and I am not
"fibro-fogged" anymore! The world seems like a
brighter, happier place! I am able to accompany my
husband on errands around town instead of staying at home utterly exhausted and
miserable. I am also able to go to work without feeling tortured from
fatigue. I felt alert in church this morning and could play the piano with
enthusiasm and strength. It's like the old me is coming
back!!!
Here are the 4 things that make a HUGE difference for me:
1) a specific OPC product - heals oxidative damage - I feel much
more energy!
2) an "all-in'one" powder with vitamins, minerals,
probiotics and fiber - nourishes the system and pulls out toxins
3) immune powder - since 2001 - it keeps my sleep from
getting messed up
4) essential oils - I like to put a favorite oil in my
diffuser and lie down to relax and inhale....ahh!...wonderfully
rejuvenating!
If I keep on feeling this good, I may forget what
it's like to be sick! If you
want info on any of these products, please write me at dombush@bellsouth.net. I
also know of some for weight loss.
Dominie
Soo Bush
Acne
Treatment
Candida Treatment
Cold
Sore Treatment
Essential Oils
Immune Balancing Shakes
Never an Outbreak
Shingles Treatment
Supplements That Work
DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE
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.