Dom's
Newsletter
www.fms-help.com
December 16, 2010
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
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1. READERS WRITE
"I have fibro and have found a
lot of useful information on your site www.fms-help.com."
"Thank you dearest FIBRO FRIEND
for putting together a newsletter that draws all of us into a ‘knowing and sharing embrace." It brings hope in my life and I believe others
too. Thank you for your dedication,
your time and effort!!!!!!! Only
someone who shares this ‘shackle’ can understand the depths of
the grind of our struggle."
2. WHY XMRV RESEARCH IS
IMPORTANT
From a reader--
"http://merutt.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/european-society-for-me-esme-why-xmrv-research-is-importent-for-us-all/ - Snippet: "During the last 2
decades, nothing had really happened in the field of ME/CFS. There was
not much serious research, no real search for cures, and the disease received no
credibility whatsoever despite the immense suffering of patients and
skyrocketing prevalence numbers. The future for ME/CFS patients looked
bleak…. And then came October
2009 with the publication of the Science
paper where Dr. Judy Mikovits and colleagues showed a correlation between a
recently discovered retrovirus, XMRV, and ME/CFS."
3. IGUARD.ORG IS NOW
"MEDIGUARD.ORG"
FROM
DOM: I use www.mediguard.org (a
free service) to monitor my prescriptions for interactions, etc. You can
check your medications by entering their names, separated by commas, and get a
read-out of the interactions, safety alerts or recalls.
4. ELECTRONIC
PICKPOCKETING
From a friend--
5. NEWSLETTER READER MET ANNETTE
WHITTEMORE & DR. JUDY MIKOVITS
From a reader--
"I have met Annette Whittemore
and Dr. Judy Mikovits. They are both amazing, committed,
caring and motivated women. Annette Whittemore is a
kind and gracious person. We are very lucky to have her on our
side. Annette Whittemore and Dr. Daniel Peterson are the founders of the
Whittemore Peterson Institute http://www.wpinstitute.org/index.html in Reno, NV that is doing the groundbreaking
XMRV research for CFS patients. Dr. Dan Peterson is well-known from the
famous Incline Village, NV CFS outbreak in 1984-1985. Harvey and
Annette Whittemore donated five million dollars to fund the WPI (Whittemore
Peterson Institute). Their daughter Andrea is in her thirties and
has been sick with ME/CFS over twenty years."
6. VALIUM
From a reader--
"Re: www.fms-help.com/121110.htm (Meniere's disease) - diazepam 5 mg is valium and
that is not a small dose--just because a med is 5 mg not 500mgdoes not mean its
a small dose--different chemicals valium is a benzodiazepene--that is meant to
be very temporary--very addictive--i was taking half of a half---like 1mg
once a week and had protracted withdrawala--your brain gets very used to
those--be very careful--many people have more health problems in long run with
taking valium and xanax and restoril."
7. CFS IS A CONTAGIOUS
ILLNESS
8. THE DANGERS OF
MOLD
From a reader--
"I am out of work due to
mold. Finally, a pulmonologist ordered the right test and found
high levels of 3 different molds. I have only just begun to
feel well enough to search the net for information. Besides
simply feeling BAD, the loss of cognitive clarity is really
frightening. My mind is usually clear as a bell, but the antibiotic the
allergist gave me made me feel like I was losing my mind again. Thank you again
for sharing your experiences so that people like me can get information that is
near impossible to get from doctors. They seem to be oblivious to the dangers of
mold."
FROM
DOM: My mold page is at www.fms-help.com/mold.htm. I got sick in 2004-2005 from working in a mold-filled,
hurricane-damaged, non-remediated building. It is now December 2010, and I
am doing much better now, but it took years and years. A list of things I
use is at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. The one lingering symptom is my inability to travel more
than about 30 miles by car due to overstimulation of my brain causing exhaustion
and even collapse or seizure-like symptoms in my brain. To make things
more confusing, there have been a few days in the past 5 years when I was able
to travel 51 miles to my mother's house, have lunch, and return home without
symptoms. But those days are extremely rare. I have tried to "push
the envelope" on my travel and have ended up paying the price the next few days
- being almost non-functional. So,, I try to make the most of my life on a
30 mile leash. I teach piano and guitar at a School of Music
www.fms-help.com/students.htm and play the piano and organ at church. My social life is nil, because I don't have the energy for
work PLUS a social life. I save up my energy to go to Wal-Mart on
Saturdays with my husband. And of course there are home chores that never
end, so I'm grateful that my husband picks up the heavy end of the load on
home chores. He has always understood my FMS/CFIDS, and even the mold
exposure that I suffered. How grateful I am for this. It's bad
enough to be sick and suffering, but to also be misunderstood or even mocked by
family and friends is severely painful emotionally. Check out my page
about dealing with fibromyalgia skeptics: www.fms-help.com/skeptics.htm.
Oh, one more thing about mold....many years ago now a kind reader sent me the
book MOLD WARRIORS by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. I learned a lot from the book
- libraries, courthouses, and schools arre just some of the public buildings that
can be filled with mold, making people sick. I wonder how many children
are in moldy schools, can't concentrate, and are labeled ADD?? About 25%
of the population is adversely affected by mold, so it evidently doesn't bother
everyone equally.
9. CAN YOU GET FMS/CFS FROM A BLOOD
TRANSFUSION?
From a reader--
"I sufferred a horrible
accident in 1979, after which I received blood transfusions. I believe I
noticed my first symptoms of fibromyalgia in the mid 1980's. Do
you think there's a correlation? Have you or any of your readers had
transfusions? By the way, about 9 years after I
self-diagnosed my fibro, a rheumatologist made the diagnosis on Fibromyalgia
Awareness Day in May of 2009."
FROM
DOM: I have not had a blood transfusion that I am aware of, unless it was
during major surgery. Until emerging research discovers the actual cause
and and method of transmission of CFS (we are pretty sure it is viral, but why
some people are affected and others aren't, is not yet know), the American Red
Cross has suspended blood donations from anyone with CFS as a precaution.
See www.fms-help.com/120610.htm (Topic 14). In the
case of this reader, I think that the trauma and injuries from the accident
alone could have caused the fibromyalgia, even without a blood
transfusion! I hear from many whose fibro or CFS began as the result of an
accident, surgery, injury, or severe emotional stress that is ongoing (abusive
marriage, divorce, bereavement), as well as from having had a viral illness,
such as mono or EBV. See www.fms-help.com/causes.htm and www.fms-help.com/virologist.htm. Search my site and
newsletters for the word "transfusion" to find more info - for example, see
Topic 3 at www.fms-help.com/011210.htm. Read my
fibromyalgia story at www.fms-help.com/fibro.htm and my CFIDS story at www.fms-help.com/fatigue.htm. All these are fascinating questions that I am very hopeful
researchers like Dr. Judy Mikovits and other brilliant scientists can find the
answers to. Once they know the CAUSE of FMS/CFS, they can begin developing
a "cure" - or at least a way of ameliorating the symptoms. For myself
(not a doctor - just a patient since 1982), I have found many things
that help me be more functional. See my list at www.fms-help.com/what.htm. It
has taken decades of "trial and error" to find things that made a positive
difference for me. It is also very helpful to have a caring and
knowledgeable doctor who will patiently help you try different things. We
are all different, and there is no single "magic bullet" that "cures" everyone
with FMS/CFIDS, although there are many things you can do to help yourself feel
better. Bottom line, I would say avoid or limit sugar. I also don't
drink milk anymore. And oxygen drops
in my drinking water have made a huge difference for me since August 2009.
I also use a DNA Protector. If you need info, write dombush@bellsouth.net. Also, read
my "100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia and Insomnia" at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm for
lots of good ideas.
10. REPELLING CATS FROM CHRISTMAS
TREES
From a reader--
"Is there an essential oil
smell that will repel cats from Christmas trees? I sprayed a strong room
deodorizer around the bottom of the tree, but my cat has paid no attention to
it. Just wondering."
11. DEPRESSION
Interesting....
12. THE FORGOTTEN MAN OF
CHRISTMAS
This was
in our church bulletin - there are many variations of these insightful
comments online--
13.
WEIRD FEELINGS
FROM DOM:
Do you ever feel "spaced out," disoriented, anxious, panicky,
agoraphobic, depersonalized, or like you are going crazy? FMS/CFIDS
patients often have symptoms of a biochemical / hormonal brain disorder.
See www.fms-help.com/weird.htm.
14. EXCELLENT FIBROMYALGIA
SITE
Sent in by a reader--
http://www.healthline.com/health/fibromyalgia
FROM DOM: Got questions about
fibromyalgia? This site has
answers. Also, see my "100 Tips for Coping with Fibromyalgia and
Insomnia" at www.fms-help.com/tips.htm.
15. BARNA RESEARCH
RESULTS
From a friend--
http://www.barna.org/culture-articles/462-six-megathemes-emerge-from-2010
FROM DOM: Sadly the "church" is becoming
more biblically illiterate and worldly. I am grateful that Don and I
attend a church that still preaches the truth of God's Word and has Holy
Spirit conviction.
It seems that most people are primarily concerned with temporal
and material things rather than about their spiritual
condition and the possibility of spending eternity in hell (not a
popular subject these days). Interestingly, Jesus spoke more about hell
than about heaven. We all need to reconciled to God through the blood of
Jesus Christ, His Son, while there is still time. I was "saved"
("born again") at age 36. My testimony - "Religious But Lost" - is
at www.fms-help.com/salvation.htm.
Our handicapping FMS/CFIDS problems will soon be over. Life is so
short! Dying only ends the life of our bodies on earth, but our
soul and spirit live on - either in heaven with Jesus Christ
and those who love Him, or in the flames of hell. The choice is ours and
the time is NOW! I believe the devil distracts people from thinking
about their soul partly by all the technology that is available
now. For example, if you are feeling down, just turn on the TV,
find a good show, watch a football game, go on Facebook, read the newspaper,
go online, visit youtube, read a magazine, take in a movie, read a novel, go
shopping, etc. We can do all these things for hours without end to
distract ourselves. But to pick up a Bible and read it??Somehow that is
almost impossible. But think about it....would the Satan want you
to read the words of life, to help you find out how to live forever in heaven
with God? No time for the Bible? Then click here www.biblegateway.com for the Bible
online. You can look up topics of interest, or even search for
references to heaven and hell. You can select the Bible version
you prefer. I like the King James Version www.fms-help.com/bible.htm, with
my second choice being the New King James Version.
16. ANOTHER GREAT FIBRO
POEM
Got this from reader Cecile Pretorius
cecile.pretorius@gmail.com in response to Kacy's fibro poem at www.fms-help.com/poem11.htm--
Hi Kacy!!
Love your poem...
Thanks for ordering words...
To fit this menace...
This thing...
Eating away at the minutes of our lives...
Chomping at the fibers of our sanity...
Ripping at our confidence...
Stealing from our being...
At times a raging inferno...
At times a quiet numb...
But at all times a knowing...
We are strapped...
Not completely whole...
In spite of all...
We strive...
To make the best...
A brave new face...
A smile to them that treasure us...
Tenacity is the word...
For this day...
is a brand new day....
i will be FINE
my acronym:
F=FIBRO
I=IS
N=NOT (MY)
E=ENEMY
It is merely a SHACKLE...
My ENEMY is...
Hopelessness and despair...
feeling sorry for myself...
there i try not to go...
it ADDS insult...
to my injury...
KACY I treasure every word...
Knowing...
I am not alone...
You are not alone...
We are not alone...
Arms full of hugs!
Cecile Pretorius cecile.pretorius@gmail.com
17. CFS PATIENTS SHOULD NOT
DONATE BLOOD
From a reader--
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/12/15/how-common-is-it-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-patients-to-give-blood/
18. WATER BUFFALO FOR
CHRISTMAS
From Dr. Rodger Murphree--
Need to find that special gift for teachers, friends, or
family?
Why not gift a share of, or an entire water buffalo and help a struggling
family have a more prosperous new year.
Yes
you read that right donate a water buffalo. My eighth grade daughter came up
with this idea and I think it is wonderful. We bought an entire buffalo from
Heifer International and then gifted shares to her 10 teachers.
A water buffalo can lead a hungry family out of poverty and give them a
chance for a bright future filled with hope and free from hunger.
In poor Filipino villages, water buffalo from Heifer provide draft power
for planting rice and potatoes, milk for protein and manure for fertilizer and
fuel. A farmer can plant four times more rice with a buffalo than by
hand.
Water buffalo haul heavy loads to the market, where the sale of extra
produce brings in vital income for clothing, medicine and school. By renting
their buffalo to neighbors, Heifer partner families can earn money for home
improvements. And one day, those same neighbors might receive a water buffalo
of their own as recipients pass on the gifts of animals and training.
Protein-rich milk, strength to till soil, manure to enrich the land ...
so many benefits.
And, in turn, water buffalo are happy just to graze on coarse grasses and
other plants not suitable for harvesting.
For his teachers, my 5 year-old son Ridge gifted shares to a goat.
Goats Are Great for Families
The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to
help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.
Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating
grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to
several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can
be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat
manure to fertilize gardens.
Goats often have two or three kids a year making it easy for Heifer
recipients to pass on the gift of a goat to another family in need. This great
investment allows our partners to lift themselves out of poverty by starting
small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.
About Heifer
Heifer is different. Heifer works. Heifer International is a global
nonprofit with a proven solution to ending hunger and poverty in a sustainable
way. Heifer helps empower millions of families to lift them out of poverty and
hunger to self-reliance through gifts of livestock, seeds and trees and
extensive training, which provide a multiplying source of food and income.
Heifer's mission... to end hunger.
Heifer envisions... A world of communities living together in peace and
equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet.
Heifer's mission is... To work with communities to end hunger and
poverty and to care for the Earth.
Heifer's strategy is... To Pass on the Gift. As people share their
animals' offspring with others-along with their knowledge, resources and
skills-an expanding network of hope, dignity and self-reliance is created
that reaches around the globe.
Heifer's history... This simple idea of giving families a source of
food rather than short-term relief-a cow not a cup-caught on and has
continued for more than 65 years. Today, millions of families have been
given gifts of self-reliance and hope.
This year give a gift that will keep on giving.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
All The Best -
Dr. Rodger Murphree
Author of 5 books including -
Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome
Heart Disease What Your Doctor Won't Tell You
Treating and
Beating Anxiety and Depression With Orthomolecular Medicine
19. PERFECTING
STORMS
From a reader--
"For our present troubles are small and
won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs
them and will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see now;
rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see
now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." -
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
Probably the most common storms we face
in life are perfecting storms. These storms come into our lives as a result of
following Jesus. But God has a work He wants to do and a desired result that
He wants to produce in these storms. As 2 Corinthians 4:17 reminds us, "For
our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for
us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!"
Storms will come, and in the midst of
them, God is doing a work. Sometimes you can see the work, and sometimes you
can't. Sometimes that work is simply to conform us into the image of Jesus
Christ. Quite honestly, a lot of storms are inexplicable. And when you get to
heaven, you will understand why God allowed that storm and why that particular
difficulty lasted so long. We can't control our universe. (I have tried, and
it doesn't work.) We can't say when a storm will start or when a storm will
stop. All we can do is react to that storm.
One of the greatest examples of this is
found in the life of Joni Eareckson Tada who, as a young
girl, dove into a shallow lake and suffered a spinal cord injury that
paralyzed her from the neck down. Despite this severe, lifelong disability,
Joni has encouraged millions of people. Now she is battling breast cancer. In
an interview she said, "I keep thinking God is up to something big. How can I
showcase Him to others?" She knows that her life is on display, and others are
watching and learning by her response to these storms.
One day, every storm will have an end.
And then, in the big picture, we will see God's ultimate plan and purpose.
20. CLOSING
THOUGHTS
I'll close this newsletter with a cute little
picture taken under our Christmas tree this week .... Don and I must be in our
second childhood! We were having fun putting our chihuahuas' toys and
dog biscuits on the train and watching them chase after them.
Hooo haha!! We all have so many sad, hurtful,
disappointing, and tragic things that happen in life, that it feels good
to laugh when you can!
Hope this brings a
smile!.......
Dominie
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.
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DOMINIE'S FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME
HOMEPAGE