Dom's FMS/CFIDS
Newsletter
www.fms-help.com
June 27,
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: 1. READERS
WRITE 2. THE SOCIAL COST OF CHRONIC PAIN
3. THE CURE FOR WORRY
4. A TYPICAL DOCTOR'S VISIT FOR A FIBROMITE
5. PAIN & SLEEP
6. BIBLEGATEWAY.COM
7. MOISTURIZER INGREDIENT CAUSING CANCER
8. DIZZINESS, FALLING & FIBROMYALGIA
9. GUIDELINES FOR LIVING
10. THE COST OF PAIN: SHEDDING LIFE, SHEDDING LOVE
11. "AN EVENING PRAYER"
12. ELDERBERRY JUICE
13. ONE WOMAN'S M.E. DIARY
14. MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING DISABILITY FOR FIBROMYALGIA
15. TWO HORSES
16. MAGNESIUM MALATE FOR FIBROMYALGIA
17. OVARIAN CANCER WHISPERS
18. DMPS TEST FOR METAL TOXICITY
19. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
20. TOXINS & THE BRAIN
21. COPING WITH WIFE'S FIBROMYALGIA
22. OCEANS ALIVE
23. IS AN ENZYME CALLED GAD RESPONSIBLE FOR FIBROMYALGIA?
24. LIVER DAMAGE FROM MEDICATIONS
25. VITAMIN RESEARCH
26. CAN JUICING CURE FIBROMYALGIA?
27. THE RELIEF OF A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
28. OVERCOMING CONTROL ISSUES IN MARRIAGE
29. DOM'S UPDATE
======================================================
1. READERS WRITE
"Thanks for all you do for those
of us with invisible illnesses. Your newsletter is my
main source of info and inspiration in dealing with my fibromyalgia."
"I love your emails and
website www.fms-help.com."
"Thanks for everything
you've done for me with your newsletter and
articles."
"I appreciate all the fine
information you work so hard to
provide."
"I continue to look
forward to your newsletter. It helps keep hope alive when
I feel down about the possibility of
recovery."
2. THE SOCIAL COST OF CHRONIC
PAIN
http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/c/5949/139214/cost-chronic/2
3. THE CURE FOR
WORRY
"Casting all your care upon Him,
for He careth for you." I Peter 5:7
FROM
DOM: The Lord reminded me of this verse this morning. Whew!
What a relief! I'm a card-carrying "worry wart."
4. A TYPICAL DOCTOR'S VISIT FOR A
FIBROMITE
From a male reader--
"We share certain things
in common. One of them seems to be an inevitable encounter with
someone in the medical profession with whom we fail to connect.
Either the Dr. secretly believes the science is weak for the condition (several
have confided to me they don’t buy this as a real malady to which I replied I
would be happy to join them just as soon as they can help me find some way to
recover). We share a common awkward moment trying to explain the
bi-polar states of appearing normal and later becoming confined by pain,
fatigue, insomnia, and other not-so-cheery symptoms. One of the
doctors I normally see was on leave and so the practice booked me with a
different doctor for my next visit. I tried to ignore the alarm bell in my
mind thinking that I would not enjoy trying to communicate this puzzling health
scenario to a new doctor. Somehow we did not connect.
At
least half the fault was mine as the visit followed a business meeting that
turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly unpleasant meetings I have ever
been involved with. So, I arrived on-time to the doctor’s office,
proceeded to fill out the papers. I am often puzzled by the 1-10 rating
scale that interrogates how your medical condition is impacting your
life. By the time it has wandered through the impact on my employment,
social life (how do you plan to get together with friends without
knowing in advance if you will be having a good day or even a good hour in
advance?), and the impact on nearly every area of my existence I am
worn out and rather sobered by the form. On the back are the typical
questions about other health issues to which there are now very few unchecked
boxes for me. However, when I got to the question that asked me if I was
depressed, I was struck by the cumulative effect of the questionnaire and
answered that I was not depressed until I had completed the
form.
So, I
get to see the doctor and he is glancing through my chart making the inevitable
“uh-huh” responses to my answers to his questions. I realized that he did
see me; instead he saw a baffling grouping of seemingly random symptoms and was
trying to make sense of it all. So, I suggested he take a look at the
Fibro-Wheel www.fms-help.com/fibrowheel.htm which is kept in
my chart and he was able to locate it. I explained to him the non-linear
relationship between inputs and outputs and how any trigger can cause any
symptom which increases the rotation of the wheel causing the initial symptoms
to become more intense or adds other symptoms on top of the original
symptoms. I managed to explain this in one breath. This is when
things began to fall apart. Anyone who is trying so hard to understand how
to deal with a series of medical mysteries must actually be dealing with deeper
anxiety and so he concluded from the detail of the chart that I must be
OCD and wrote out a referral for me to see a mental health
professional. The truth is that chronic pain does change your life so I
was not terribly offended.. Next, he asked me about
depression. I explained the difficulty staying ahead of the bills
with health issues impacting your work load which then spirals back on you when
you have to go back to the doctor and spend money you don’t have from missing
work. This is the family budget being sucked into the death spiral of
medical bills. We all face this. So he decided to put me on
a medicine we have all heard about.
While
sitting in the waiting room of one of the highly rated hospitals, I pulled a
magazine from the rack to read something interesting. The ad for the
medicine the doctor had just prescribed was listed there and the front side of
the page is about how great this is and backside of the page is about who should
not take this medicine. Top dead center, number one person that should
never take this medicine is people who are depressed as it “can cause suicidal
thoughts” I had taken the sample pills, discovered the suicidal thoughts
and put this one back in the corner with a note - do not take this
one."
FROM DOM: See my page about good and bad docs at
www.fms-help.com/doctors.htm - it will comfort you! If you are
having suicidal thoughts, see my page at www.fms-help.com/suicide.htm. We have all been to docs who think we are
crazy. I'm so glad we fibromites can stick together via this
newsletter! I've been writing this newsletter since 1996. Archives
from 2003-2011 are at www.fms-help.com/newsletters.htm. Lots of great info. Also, if
you are searching for info about a med or symptom, use the Google search box at
the end of this page to look for mentions on my site www.fms-help.com.
Over the years, there seems to be no topic that hasn't been mentioned related to
FMS/CFIDS! I developed a sleep disorder when I was 16 www.fms-help.com/insomnia.htm, and I believe this led to my fibromyalgia at age 30
www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm.
5. PAIN &
SLEEP
From a
reader--
"I have recently been
looking at the site: http://www.terrytalksnutrition.com/ Currently, Terry is running an article on the
connection between pain and sleep. He provides what seems like solidly
researched information and recommends supplements to help with this cycle.
I haven't been able to try these yet as I am pregnant, but look forward to
giving them a chance in a few months. In the meantime, I thought it may be
a helpful site for your readers to be aware of. There are other articles
that may be helpful for readers as well--including on energy, immune system,
depression etc."
6.
BIBLEGATEWAY.COM
FROM DOM: I discovered this wonderful site
www.biblegateway.com several years ago. It has the whole Bible
online (many versions - you pick!) You can type in a subject or just part
of a verse you are trying to recall, and voila! It finds it for you.
I love it! It will even read the passage to you.
7. MOISTURIZER INGREDIENT CAUSING
CANCER
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/21/is-your-moisturizer-causing-skin-cancer.aspx
8. DIZZINESS, FALLING &
FIBROMYALGIA
From a reader--
"Regarding #21 at www.fms-help.com/062011.htm, I learned from your newsletter about this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Medications-Treatment-Dizziness-Fibromyalgia-Conditions/dp/0974581801%3FSubscriptionId%3D14H876SFAKFS0EHBYQ02%26tag%3Dcareepersoexp-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0974581801 - I own and have read it about it makes sense how
falling could be related to the dizziness that this topic addresses."
9. GUIDELINES FOR
LIVING
From a customer on Donnie's route--
How to Know if an Action or Situation is OK for
Me
(If the answer is "no" to any of the following, then I
should not participate in the action or the situation.)
1. Will doing this bring honor and glory to
God?
2. Will this cause anyone to stumble and
sin?
3. Is the issue important enough to cause
division in the church?
4. Will this help win someone to
Christ?
5. Will this direct attention to God's grace and
salvation?
FROM DOM: I share this with my you, my
precious readers, because I wish I had thought about these things before I made
bad decisions in my life in years gone by. I will be 60 this year.
Older and wiser.
10. THE COST OF PAIN: SHEDDING LIFE,
SHEDDING LOVE
http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/c/80106/133645/life
11. "AN
EVENING PRAYER"
FROM
DOM: One of Donnie's customers on his route - a church organist - gave
him this beautiful laminated prayer on a card and she says it is a
hymn. I had never heard it before, but it brought me to tears and God
spoke to me through it:
"An Evening
Prayer"
by C.M. Battersby
If I have wounded any soul
today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own
willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I have uttered idle words or
vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself shall suffer
through the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I have been perverse or
hard or cold,
If I have longed for shelter in Thy fold,
When Thou hast
given me some fort to hold,
Dear Lord, forgive!
Forgive the sins I
have confessed to Thee,
Forgive the secret sins I do not see,
O guide me,
love me, and my keeper be,
Dear Lord, Amen.
12. ELDERBERRY JUICE
From a reader--
"I just watched 19 Kids
& Counting, where they all came down with the flu. Eleven of the 19 kids
were sick. Their Grandma had bottles of Elderberry juice that helped them all
get well quicker! As we know, God provides. We don't always have to run to get
drugs with dangerous side effects."
13. ONE
WOMAN'S M.E. DIARY
14. MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING
DISABILITY FOR FIBROMYALGIA
A reader received this
information--
If your applying for,
have been denied... or are just wondering
if you qualify for
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS then
STOP WHAT YOU ARE
DOING, TAKE 3 MINUTES TO REVIEW THIS WEB
PAGE SO YOU KNOW
EXACTLY HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCES
OF
WINNING.........
Go
to:
http://www.thedisabilitydigest.com/HowToWin11-max.your.chances.htm
The
statistics tell us that on average 2.6 million file each
year
and only around 850,000 are approved, so some simple
math tells us MOST
GET DENIED... especially first time applicants.
Unless you meet a Social
Securities slam dunk approval criteria
(coma, advanced cancer
etc) there is a 70% chance you will be
denied :-( and
much higher if you don't invest the time to maximize
your
chances for winning....
Here
the deal....
I've
spoke to 1200 SSDI applicants, interviewed 107 social security
representatives, met
with Social Security, found the experts
and gathered the
information. Basically I've done your home work for
you
and put it all in one place
My
goal is to educate you on the entire system, help you
understand your
options for filing and most importantly Maximize
your chances
of winning your case early.
So
take 3 minutes and learn exactly what you need to do to
maximize
your odds, You will be relieved just knowing
your on the right track.
Go
to:
http://www.thedisabilitydigest.com/HowToWin11-max.your.chances.htm
15. TWO
HORSES
From a reader--
"Two Horses"
Author
Unknown
Just up the road from
my home is a field, with two horses in it.
From a distance, each
horse looks like any other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are
walking by, you will notice something quite
amazing...
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose
that he is blind.
His owner has chosen
not to have him put down, but has made a good home for
him.
This alone is
amazing.
If you stand nearby and listen, you will hear the
sound of a bell.
Looking around for the
source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in
the field.
Attached to the horse's halter is a small bell.
It lets the blind friend know where
the other horse is, so he can follow.
As you stand and watch these
two friends,
You'll see that
the horse with the bell is always checking on the blind horse,
And that the blind
horse will listen for the bell and then slowly walk
To where the
other horse is,
Trusting that he will not be led
astray..
When the horse with the bell returns
To the
shelter of the barn each evening,
It stops occasionally and looks
back,
Making sure that the blind friend isn't too far behind to hear
the bell.
Like the owners of
these two horses,
God does not
throw us away just because we are not perfect.
Or because we
have problems or challenges.
He watches over us and even brings others
into our lives
To help us when we are in
need..
Sometimes we are the blind horse
Being guided
by the little ringing bell of those who God places in our
lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to
find their way....
Good friends are like
that...
You may not always see them, but you know they are always
there..
Please
listen for my bell and I'll listen for
yours.
And
remember...
Be kinder than necessary.
Everyone you
meet is fighting
Some kind of battle.
==========
Response to horse poem from a
reader--
"That horse poem, my goodness.
How TRUE and thank you for sharing it. I will admit I wonder why God
keeps me here when I'd rather be Home! But I'll be either horse for
God!"
16. MAGNESIUM MALATE
FOR FIBROMYALGIA
From a reader--
"I read about the magnesium malate from a reader and
since I've started taking it my muscles pain has diminished incredibly. My
doctor also has put me on Bioeffective A, which is a powerful antioxidant and my
severe exhaustion has lifted a little. I am not lying down after
everything I do and can manage to stay sitting for most/or all of the
day."
17. OVARIAN CANCER
WHISPERS
From a friend--
Ovarian Cancer Whispers -
so listen carefully...
Watch
for--
Pelvic or
abdominal pain or discomfort;
vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets
such as gas, nausea, and indigestion;
frequency and/or urgency of
urination in the absence of an infection;
unexplained weight gain or weight
loss;
pelvic and/or abdominal swelling,
bloating and/or feeling of fullness;
ongoing unusual fatigue;
unexplained changes in bowel
habits.
If
symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, ask your doctor for a combination
pelvic/rectal exam,
CA-125 blood test, and trans-vaginal
ultrasound.
A pap test WILL NOT detect ovarian
cancer.
18. DMPS TEST FOR METAL
TOXICITY
From a
reader--
"I
just wanted to ask if you or any readers have had the DMPS test for
metal toxicity. My doctor wants me to have this test for metal
toxicity. He said it can make you feel sick for a few days and rarely can
have allergy or anaphylactic reactions. I read a little on the internet
and am a little sceptical about it. The reason why you feel sick is because the
DMPS sticks to the metals and tries to excrete them which overloads your
body and makes you feel tired. After reading all this I ordered a
home test kit which showed I have copper and lead toxicity. I
am not sure if I should go through with the DMPS test or just go by the home
test kit and treat this by researching the internet? I also had the
hair analysis about 5-6 years ago, but that was normal.
If you have any advice/information/knowledge about this, I would greatly
appreciate it."
FROM DOM:
I'm stumped. Does anyone know about the DMPS test for metal
toxicity? Write dombush@bellsouth.net.
19. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL
STUFF
20. TOXINS & THE BRAIN
From a
reader--
http://national-toxic-encephalopathy-foundation.org/ - Snippet: "Encephalopathy is a
term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or
structure. Encephalopathy may be caused by infectious agent (bacteria,
virus, or prion), metabolic or mitochondrial dysfunction, brain tumor
or increased pressure in the skull, prolonged exposure to toxic
elements (including solvents, drugs, radiation, paints, industrial
chemicals, and certain metals), chronic progressive trauma, poor nutrition, or
lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain. Chemical Injury, ADD/ADHD, Lyme,
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Gulf War Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome, Autism, all have some degree of interaction upon the
brain."
FROM DOM: I believe I suffered neurological damage from
working in a "sick building" filled with toxic mold from unremediated hurricane
damage in 2004-2005 www.fms-help.com/mold.htm. I have not been able to ride in a car for more than about
30 miles without "brain crashing." It is now 2011, and I pretty much live
within a 30-mile radius from my house. The good news is that God has given
me a LOT to do in that limited geographical area - teaching at a school of music
www.fms-help.com/students.htm and playing the piano and organ for my church. The problem is that I can't go see my
family. They have to come here to see me. This inability to travel
began after the severe illness I had from mold, a
neurotoxin.
21. COPING WITH WIFE'S
FIBROMYALGIA
"Beyond Chaos: One Man's Journey Alongside His
Chronically Ill Wife" by Gregg
Piburn - chronicles his journey of understanding and coping with his wife's
fibromyalgia.
22. OCEANS ALIVE
From a
reader--
"I have
been trialing Oceans Alive marine phytoplankton. As with all
FMS/CFS/ME suffers, I have spent $1,000's on every product with a promise,
including all the available algae with various outcomes, nothing spectacular.
Nothing I would call healing, in the true sense. This one WORKS for anyone and
any problem. I have used it for less than a month and I feel SO much better. I
am someone who have hardly left home the last year, it's been so bad. I
feel awesome. I felt the difference from the first dose! Here's a DVD
link to watch http://www.whyplankton.com/FullDVD.html These people have products, but
I don't believe they are the best. I have done a bunch of research and "Oceans
Alive" is best It's truly alive, and that's what makes the difference. I
buy it from Raw & Order online. They are cheaper than anyone
else."
23. IS AN ENZYME CALLED GAD RESPONSIBLE
FOR FIBROMYALGIA?
From a
reader--
24. LIVER DAMAGE FROM MEDICATIONS
From a
reader--
"My
brother died of cirrhosis of the liver at 60. He never drank, but the
strong arthritis meds he was on I understood could cause liver damage. My
sister in law has cirrhosis of the liver, again no drinking, but on high
cholesterol meds for years."
25. VITAMIN
RESEARCH
From a
reader--
"There is
very little in the way of financial recompense available to scientists working
with vitamins. Vitamins are natural substances and therefore cannot be patented.
It is only in the ability to patent a product that money can be made. I hope
that you will come to understand this fact whilst reading and watching the
information contained here. Drugs are synthetic’s (mostly) made in a
laboratory, which can be patented and therefore make huge sums of money for the
companies (the pharmaceutical companies) who sell them. There is absolutely no
incentive for pharmaceutical companies to study and do trials on vitamins
because they cannot patent them. No Patent, no incentive, because they cannot
make huge sums of money from them – just the facts here! Yet these brave
men have done the experimentation. They have done the testing. They have had the
papers published in Scientific Journals, and they have fought long and hard on
our behalf, to have one of these Vitamins (the only one I am discussing here) –
Vitamin C (AKA Ascorbic Acid) generally recognised as safe (Gras).
http://justmeint1health.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/a-journey-of-immense-discovery/."
26. CAN JUICING CURE
FIBROMYALGIA?
From a
reader--
"This video is from Dr.
Mercola's site. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/25/cherie-calbom-on-juicing-part-3.aspx - "Drink your way out of fatigue."
The nutritionist claims that she was CURED from fibromyalgia/CFIDS from
juicing and coconut oil. The nutritionist is Cherie Calbom, The Juice Lady's Turbo Diet.
I am always skeptical when I hear stories of people being healed
from this horrible condition because honestly, I cannot imagine not
feeling the overwhelming pain and fatigue I feel, but I think what she has
to say is good and helpful. Do you believe that anyone is ever totally
cured from this miserable disease??? I wish I could believe that,
but I won't totally dismiss it as impossible."
|
FROM DOM: Since I began my site www.fms-help.com in
1996, I have never known of anyone totally "cured" of fibromyalgia
www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm (assuming
they had a correct diagnosis in the first place). "Cured" to me is that
you don't have to take meds or supplements to relieve it. Fibro always
comes back in one way or another - as a "flare" - usually during a time of
stress or change in weather. However, there are many things that do help
certain symptoms, as I have listed at www.fms-help.com/what.htm and also
www.fms-help.com/tips.htm. I am 99.9% positive that FMS is not a
nutritional deficiency of some kind. Something goes wrong with our
hypothalamus, brain and nervous system that is not normal. One day
medical researchers may figure out fibromyalgia. If nutritional
deficiency was the cause, then why don't people in third world countries have
fibro? Also, if stress if the cause, then everyone who has ever lived
in a war zone (perhaps as a civilian) should have it. So the
question of what causes fibromyalgia remains www.fms-help.com/causes.htm. My thinking is that it is glandular, viral and
genetic.
Reader's response:
"I think
you are absolutely right in your perspective about the nervous system being
"off." I do have a genetic abnormality, and I believe my father had fibro,
and possibly my grandfather, so it's more than just a nutritional
deficiency. Sometimes I wish I could believe it can be cured, or imagine
not having mega-pain... For me it's really hard because I don't look sick
but there's clear medical evidence of my pain, fatigue and immune
dysfunction. I get no sympathy though, really, most of the time.
It's really a curse in that respect. "
27. THE RELIEF OF A CLEAR
CONSCIENCE
From a
friend--
"The Relief of a Clear
Conscience"
BIBLE
MEDITATION:
“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a
conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” Acts
24:16
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
What does it mean to have a
clear conscience? As far as you know, there is nothing wrong between you
and God. And there is nothing wrong between you and anybody else.
Do you jump every time the doorbell rings? Do you cringe when you see a police
squad car approaching you? In Psalm 51:3, David knew the hounding of a bad
conscience when he said, “My sin is ever before me.” Trust me, no torture the
poets name can match that fierce unutterable pain of a bad conscience. You know
you’ve sinned and yet you have done nothing about it. The trials
of life are easier to face when you have a clear conscience. Then when something
bad happens you can know that you haven’t done anything
wrong.
ACTION
POINT:
Is there something nagging at you—something you know
you need to confess to your Heavenly Father? What about something between you
and someone else. There is no better day than today to make it
right.
28. OVERCOMING CONTROL ISSUES IN
MARRIAGE
29. DOM'S
UPDATE
Our
sweet 8-month-old grandbaby, CJ, was taken to the hospital on Father's Day Eve
due to large bruises appearing on his body accompanied by severe itching.
It turned out that his liver enzymes, white blood count and clotting factor were
off the charts. The doctors were going to airlift him across the state to
a children's hospital on Father's Day to await a liver transplant, but then a
blood transfusion brought his numbers back to normal temporarily. He is
still jaundiced and remaining in the hospital. The docs continue to run
tests. One of the possibilities is that it is an autoimmune illness
attacking his liver. CJ had a liver biopsy on Friday, June 24, which is
being sent to a lab in England. It is possible that he may have PFIC
(Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis) caused by 2 recessive
genes. Incidence is 1 in 20,000 to 50,000 babies. If this is PFIC,
he will need a liver transplant, or a partial one. His loving parents are
taking great care of him at the hospital. Thank you for your prayers for
CJ & family.
Please support Dom's site and newsletters--
100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia &
Insomnia
My Fibromyalgia
Story
My Chronic
Fatigue Story
My Insomnia
Story
What I Use
II Corinthians 1: 4 - "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.
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FATIGUE SYNDROME HOMEPAGE