17 TOPICS below. Don't miss the RED ones! Readers comments in BLACK. My comments in TEAL.

"I thank God that you are serving the body of Christ! There are so many of us suffering. I have full body RSD (burning pain from head to toe). Jessica [friend] has Lyme Disease and full body RSD. They have a blog to track Jessica's progress as she goes through recovery. She tried the experimental Ketamine Coma down in Mexico. It is a very drastic measure for those of us who are suffering from full body RSD. Ketamine reduces the amount of GLUTAMATE in our systems to try and get the pain down and get us moving. This is her blog: http://hopeforjessica.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=3. It is like recovering from traumatic brain injury. Jessica is really struggling (I think she has been in the hospital about 10 months now and has made many small steps forward on her road to recovery.) But there is hope!"

FROM DOM: WOW!!!!! I just watched the video of Jessica on Fox News (it's a link on her blog). Jessica had mono at age 11, and got RSD in one leg, but it went away. At age 15, she was bitten by a tick at camp and now suffers whole body RSD (like gasoline being poured on her body and being set afire!) and sores cover her whole body - she is a modern day Job! Jessica is now 21. She had been living in a hospital bed, wearing dark sunglasses and hearing protectors due to extreme sensitivity to light and sound. She finally went to Mexico to be put into a ketamine coma, in hopes that her body and nervous system will reset itself (like a computer reboot). This has worked for about half of the 100 people who have tried it. I have never heard of coma therapy before, but it is fascinating! Jessica is having some side effects now and is still in Mexico, but she could not go on living with the pain. I hope she will regain her health!!!

3. PROGESTERONE & TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

From a reader--

"Here is a link for the study they are doing at Emory University on Progesterone and Traumatic Brain Injury. http://whsc.emory.edu/press_releases2.cfm?announcement_id_seq=7840. The wonderful news is the brain does heal (God's wonderful design). Paul Bach-y-Rita has some interesting research on the brain and its ability to relearn (even rewire after brain damage). His father had a massive stroke back in the 1960's. He was paralyzed on one side. Paul did not know how to rehabilitate his father so he propped him up against the wall to support the paralyzed side and through repetition and lots of hard work, his father eventually was completely restored and fully function after 3 years! Perhaps you can retrain your brain for visual stimulation (I know they can do it with stroke patients). It is amazing what people can accomplish with brain retraining. Never give up hope! Here is a link for information on Paul Bach-y-Rita: http://neurons.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/plasticity-and-the-senses-paul-bach-y-rita/ Here is an article about retraining for vision you may find of interest: http://www.houston.va.gov/pressreleases/News_20081103b.asp Progesterone has been shown to have a calming effect on the brain and estrogen has a excitatory effect on the brain (along with caffeine, MSG and aspartame). It goes right down to a cellular level involving GABA (a calming neurotransmitter) and Glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter - hence why MSG is not good for us - MonoSodium GLUTAMATE). Your sister-in-law was right about the hypothalmus being affected by this and causing so many problems. Some doctors are having success with music therapy and CFS. If I recall it had something to do with the rhythm affecting the eardrum and then the hypothalmus which in turn affected the hormones. This is all very fascinating stuff. Goes to show you how great is the mind of our God! There is nothing like God's word to edify us. It is what has got me through some of the most unbearable pain I have ever experienced."

4. ARMOUR THYROID & PAIN

From a reader--

Re: www.fms-help.com/062010.htm - "Regarding the Armour thyroid and the pain. It may have been something in the Armour that she was reacting to, but it also may have been that her thyroid was not normalized on it. Different things work for different people, and just because your labs are normal doesn't mean you are normalized. (even though some docs will say you are). I would recommend people obtain a reverse T3 to see if you actually have the kind of T3 you need. Of course you may have to go to an alternative doc to get this. The other point is valid that it might have been what they call an excipient ingredient (other things they add for bulk/flow etc). Many people have sensitivities to these. It can even be a dye. Consider trying a compound pharmacy also is an option. They can make things with better excipient ingredients for sensitive folks and leave out the dyes etc that some people need to keep from getting their meds mixed up, but many people are sensitive to those dyes."

5. MONO, EBV, STREP, FIBRO - CATCHY?

From a reader--

"Several members of my family have come down with "mysterious" cases of strep throat, sore throat, and illnesses that aren't easily diagnosed with blood work. I have had fibromyalgia for at least 3 years, which started out with a recurrence of mono, and then Epstein-Barr Virus. Is it possible that I am some kind of "carrier"?"

FROM DOM: Write dombush@bellsouth.net with comments. Also, search for mono, EBV and catchy at www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm.

6. PACEMAKER WILL HELP FATIGUE

From a reader--

"I came back from the doctor today; after months and months of one test after another...after expensive this and that, I took home a 30-day monitor that records your heart problems EVEN WHEN I do not push the button...it 'finds' the problems and records them. I was on it for fewer than two weeks and the doctor called me in and told me to stop using it; they found the problem ...and as my symptoms worsened, so did the problem, but it can be 'fixed" at least to a degree. I will be having a pacemaker put in .... when the doctor showed the tape, my heart was all over the place...up and down; fast and then slow, slow, slow and then it stopped completely too often ;on and off which is why I was so close to fainting...and why I am so weak and fatigued...and why so many other problems... I am excited because I have high hopes that I will be able to be active once again! I MISS running and i MISS riding a bicycle...I MISS even being able to walk up a flight of steps. WOO HOO i will be back to "normal" as much as I WAS normal, anyhow."

7. RSD RESEARCH CLINIC

From a reader--

"Dr. Kirkpatrick, who runs an RSD research clinic, sends out updates on some of the patients. This one is about Elizabeth who underwent the ketamine coma 5 years ago. She is now pregnant with her second child. http://rsdresearch.org/kirkpatrick/akirkpat_jones_6_18_10.htm."

8. EMOTIONAL STUPIDITY

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:zfll06LAqhYJ:www.narcissismcured.com/Emotional_Stupidity_Sample.pdf+"emotional+stupidity"&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgsTrDj_Tde-1Vtuv7M9DSRqIqcb51KWQW3PPN7vAjQ92saT17SLoJlcLGDQp7aoQsjFATPmKSgtzj_2_KP4qByk26-YVi1MqIt1AuBe3xCSndpjDRzAGt-tbJxoWi6D19yXVtK&sig=AHIEtbSpS9PewAOnqM8lAF0FtxJBluOYxQ - dealing with unhealthy emotions

9. ASHWAGANDHA

From a reader--

"My fibromyalgia pain had been very bad since this past October--I remembered I had some Ashwagandha (recommended last year by a friend)--so the other day I took 1 dose (400 mg/capsules) and the next day pain was about 99% gone! I'm continuing to take and can't believe how good I feel. I've read that it's wise to take for 8 weeks then a 2 week break. No known bad side effects, although I would suggest your readers read up on it as it can skew thyroid tests, and of course they shouldn't discontinue other meds without speaking with their physicians first. There is a lot of good info on the web about Ashwagandha, including that it helps with "rheumatic conditions and inflammation." Hopefully, this might bring others relief!"

10. FLYLADY

http://flylady.com/pages/FlightPlan.asp - a good-natured site about cleaning and decluttering your home, however, the energy required is for a normal person, and not the usual fibromite - still you might find some good tips.

11. LINDSAY'S KETAMINE COMA STORY

From a reader with full body RSD--

"I wanted to share with you information on a woman of great faith, Lindsay Spengler. She was very much like Jessica [Topic 2 above] in that her RSD/CRPS kept her bedbound and could not be touched, but Lindsay had added complications of a G-tube, J-tube and trach (she could no longer eat and was fed intravenously). She also had severe internal burning (in her organs). She, too, went through the Ketamine Coma down in Mexico and has almost fully recovered. It is an amazing story of God's mercy, grace and compassion (she has a great testimony). Lindsay also feels led to help those with RSD and she has been a tremendous help to me! Lindsay was the worse case they had ever seen, they did not think she would make it through the coma. They did not want to include her in the study because they thought she would die but they did agree to take her on a compassionate basis because without this treatment, they did not expect her to live much longer. Lindsay was so ill they had to fly her down on an air ambulance. They knew she would be in the hospital longer than other patients because she was so ill. All of this meant the cost of the treatment would be significantly more (at the time they charged other patients about $50,000 and they estimated it would cost Lindsay about $250,000). Because this is an "experimental" new treatment, the patient bears the expense. Lindsay's family had no more money left and because she had been ill so long they had used up all their money. They got approved for the coma and within 6 weeks, God provided every penny of what they needed. The coma turned things around for Lindsay but it still two another two years of repeated Ketamine infusions (they call them boosters), graduated exercise, great faith and hope in our Lord and she is now almost completely better (no more J-tube, nor more G-tube, no more trach and she can eat). She gets some occasional pain in her right ankle where it all began but it should continues to improve. She still has some issues with her brain but she does extensive brain retraining which has helped her tremendously. http://www.rsdfoundation.org/en/Lindsay_Synopsis.htm At this website, you can find her before (pre-coma) and after video (24 months later). They also have videos on other patients and their recovery stories. http://lindsayspengler.com/ (this is her new blog). http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindsay/photos/3 (this is her old blog - which details her struggle and triumphant recovery - great read for anyone who is struggle with any kind of difficulty)."

12. HYPOGLYCEMIA & MIGRAINES

From a reader--

"I recently discovered that my migraine headaches were caused by hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)! Skipping breakfast and/or lunch due to my busy schedule for years. Sounds like common sense, but I just didn't realize what it was doing to me! Making sure I eat at least healthy meals a day plus a snack before bed has completely stopped the migraines."

13. GARAGE SAFETY ALERT

From a reader--

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMz1tXBVT1s&feature=channel - breaking into a garage is easy, unfortunately.

14. FIBROMYALGIA, THYROID, BONIVA, FOSAMAX & PAIN

From a reader--

"This is a very interesting site dealing with thyroid and metabolic. Although a friend had pain that was not fibro or we don't know what it was. It developed after treatment with bisphosphonates IV- same class of drugs as that awful boniva/fosomax etc which will destroy your bones in the end. Anyway, when she got her thyroid normalized her pain went away, circulation increased, she was no longer cold, no longer hurting nearly as much- and was able to get off of her pain patch for a while- which was great for her mental status. So it might be not necessarily a cure (esp in light of this XMRV but not sure if that is a cause or just a marker), but it certainly might manage symptoms. This Dr. Lowe sounds very sympathetic and understanding. http://www.fibromyalgiaresearch.org."

FROM DOM: Have reported on Dr. Lowe's metabolic theory of fibromyalgia in past newsletters. Search newsletter archives at www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm.

15. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HTTP & HTTPS

From a reader--

"The Difference Between http and https - Maybe you already knew this but I thought it was important enough to send even if you already know. FIRST, MANY PEOPLE ARE UNAWARE OF The main difference between http:// and https:// - It's all about keeping you secure - HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transport Protocol. The S (big surprise)stands for "Secure". If you visit a website or webpage, and look at the address in the web browser, it will likely begin with the following: http:// This means that the website is talking to your browser using the regular 'unsecure' language. In other words, it is possible for someone to "eavesdrop" on your computer's conversation with the website. If you fill out a form on the website, someone might see the information you send to that site. This is why you never ever enter your credit card number (or other private information) in an http website! But if the web address begins with https:// that basically means your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can eavesdrop on. You understand why this is so important, right? If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should automatically look to see if the web address begins with https:// ; If it doesn't, there's no way you're going to enter sensitive information like a credit card number. PASS IT ON (You may save someone a lot of grief)."

FROM DOM: More on this subject at http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article.asp?item_id=277.

16. FAILURE OF FIBROMYALGIA DRUGS

http://www.fibromyalgiaresearch.org/ - Snippet: "Fibromyalgia patients' ill feelings toward mainstream medicine are justified. That medical system for the most part offers patients only pharmaceutical drugs. But not only do the older "fibromyalgia drugs" (mainly Amitriptyline and cyclobenzaprine) fail to benefit fibromyalgia patients; the newer ones (Cymbalta, Lyrica, Savella, and all the others) benefit patients little if any better. The failures of these drugs, however, haven't stopped Big Pharma and mainstream medicine from proffering the patients more drugs. Big Pharma has recently targeted fibromyalgia patients as a huge drug market that promises enormous financial profits. New "fibromyalgia drugs" are coming, and the FDA, thirsty for millions in fees from Big Pharma, will approve the drugs for sale. But new "fibromyalgia drugs" will work no better than the older and current ones. The reason is that they don't correct the underlying causes of patients' symptoms. As long as those causes continue to impair patients, the patients will continue to suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, regardless of what pharmaceuticals they take."

FROM DOM: A list of things I use to stay functional is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. I have some good ideas there, based on personal experience with FMS/CFIDS since 1982.

17. READERS' PRAYER CORNER

Ms. T. - "If you could include me in your prayers [regarding fibro] that would be such a blessing for me."

Ms. L. - "I am asking friends to please pray for our sick dog - we love him so!! He is such a good dog. Those of you who have pets understand. Thank you so much."

Dom: My 88-year-old mother was in the hospital last week for diverticulitis. Please pray for a complete recovery. Thank you so much.

Dominie

dombush@bellsouth.net

www.fms-help.com

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.