FMS-HELP.com

Welcome to Dominie's Homepage

A Christian-based, compassionate, and informative site for people with Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Fatigue & Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.)


Sharing my thoughts, research and experiences as a "fibromite" since June 1982.

II Corinthians 1:4 - "Who comforteth us in all our tribulatioon, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

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SITE CONTENTS (listed alphabetically under category):
 
 
BRAIN & NERVOUS SYSTEM
 
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM - dopamine, fibromyalgia and the autonomic nervous system
 
BRAIN BASED TREATMENT - Dr. Boydston is a chiropractic neurologist with a unique protocol for helping fibromyalgia patients
 
BODY CLOCK - gene mutation speeds up body clock, interfering with sleep and circadian rhythm
 
 
CENTRAL NERVIOUS SYSTEM ABNORMALITY & FIBROMYALGIA - this explains the strange symptoms
 
DYSAUTONOMIA - autonomic nervous system dysfunction and fibromyalgia - fascinating article
 
ENERGY GONE - "chronic fatigue is not a psychiatric illness, but a nasty mix of immunological, neurological, and hormonal abnormalities"
 
HIPPOCAMPUS & FMS  - Recent Egyptian research study shows that dysfunction in the hippocampus area of the brain may explain our strange FMS symptoms!
 
HYPOTHALAMUS GLAND & FMS/CFIDS - my very smart sister-in-law with a Ph.D. in virology may have been right 15 years ago
 
 
 
DISABILITY
 
DISABILITY FOR FMS/CFIDS - I have not filed for disability, but many must do so in order to survive - here are some tips from those who have been successful
 
 
 
DOCTORS
 
DOCTOR'S DISBELIEF CAUSES DEATH YOUNG WOMAN WITH CFS/ME - brace yourself for this disturbing video (news report)
 
DOCTORS - GOOD AND BAD - comforting if you've had a bad experience with a doctor
 
 
DRUGS
 
 
DRUGS BEING TESTED ON HUMANS - What will the consent forms disclose about the risks involved?
 
 
MY MEDS - meds that help me
 
 
EMOTIONS
 
CHRISTMAS BLUES - depressed during the holidays?
 
NOT THE WAY YOU PLANNED IT - FMS/CFIDS has a way of ruining our lives, or at least how we thought it would turn out
 
STRESS MANAGEMENT - "Help Me - I'm Stressed!" by Joyce Meyer is a great book about preventing anxiety and stress - (stress is a fibromite's worst enemy!)
 
SUICIDAL FEELINGS - biochemical depression and fibromyalgia
 
 
 
EXPLAINING FMS/CFIDS
 
FIBROWHEEL - a great way to explain fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome to people who don't have it
 
IMAGINE (what it's like having fibromyalgia) - for those who don't have FMS
 
FMS and the misunderstandings and losses I experienced
 
 
LOSSES WE EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ILLNESS - here is one woman's poignant (yet typical) FMS/CFIDS story called "I Have Been Robbed"

MY NAME IS FIBROMYALGIA - an easy way to explain FMS to friends and family
 
OPEN LETTER TO NORMALS - explains to healthy people what it's like to live with FMS/CFIDS on a daily basis
 
POEMS ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA - contributed by creative readers of my site
 
SKEPTICS - dealing with people who are skeptical of fibromyalgia or say it's "all in your head"
 
SPOON THEORY - helps explain chronic illness to healthy people
 
THIEF OF MANY LIVES - great article by Kathleen Houghton
 
 
 
 
FIBROMYALGIA AWARENESS
 
AWARENESS - letter I wrote to Congress for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day - May 12, 2006
 
MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN - THE PROJECT - thanks to all who participated on May 1, 2005
 
MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN - UPDATE - responses we received
 
NEUROENDOCRINEIMMUNE DISORDERS - tremendous description of what it's like to live with a neuro-endocrine-immune illness

STIGMA OF HAVING FIBROMYALGIA - negative perceptions our society has about fibromyalgia sufferers and how we can create more awareness
 
T-SHIRTS THAT EXPLAIN FIBROMYALGIA - Candy's T-shirts inform the public
 
 
 
FIBROMYALGIA / CFIDS / M.E. - MEDICAL INFORMATION
 
100 SYMPTOMS OF FIBROMYALGIA - do you have these?
 
ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY - patients are overexcited when they should rest and sleep, but tired and weak when they need to function.
 
ANTIBIOTICS - overuse of antibiotics can cause yeast overgrowth and FMS/CFIDS symptoms
 
BLADDER PROBLEMS - suggestions I received from readers about irritable bladder and urinary frequency
 
CAUSE OF CFS - virologist disovers cause of CFS in the central nervous system after 20 years of research
 
CAUSES OF FIBROMYALGIA - there are many theories about what causes this baffling and debilitating illness
 
CEREBRAL ATROPHY & CFIDS - this bad news could be good news, since it proves we aren't malingerers or hypochondriacs

CHILDREN & TEENS WITH FMS/CFIDS - younger people now have FMS/CFIDS
 
CHRONIC FATIGUE STORY - my CFIDS began after a virus in 1987
 
COLDS & SORE THROATS - can dampness cause people with CFIDS to catch viruses that affect the respiratory system?
 
COLDS SORES - some things I've used for cold sores
 
DEFINITION OF FIBROMYALGIA - "a change in brain chemistry from distress in the central nervous system"
 
FIBROMYALGIA STORY - my FMS experience may be similar to yours - I think I have a "classic" case!
 
GENETICS - chronic fatigue syndrome is caused by mutated genes in the brain, according to the CDC study, reported by the L.A. Times
 
GULF WAR SYNDROME - similar to FMS/CFIDS
 
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME - many people with FMS have IBS too
 
 
MITOCHONDRIA DYSFUNCTION - FMS & CFIDS are complex diseases that involve multi-system disturbances and abnormalities
 
MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS (M.E./CFIDS)  - damage to the central nervous system (brain) which results in dysfunctions and damage to many of the body’s vital systems and a loss of normal internal homeostasis
 
POLIO & CFS - is CFS caused by the polio vaccine?
 
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FMS/CFIDS - risk factors and symptom checklist
 
REVIEW OF FMS-HELP.COM (BellaOnline, the Voice of Women)  - "FMS-HELP.com provides inspiration, information, understanding, support and encouragement"
 
SPINAL CORD FLUID - CFS patients have 16 proteins that healthy individuals do not - the CFS problem lies in the central nervous system
 
 
HELPS & TIPS
 
100 TIPS FOR COPING WITH FIBROMYALGIA & INSOMNIA - things I learned from dealing with FMS since 1982
 
EXCITOTOXINS & FIBROMYALGIA - avoid aspartame, Nutrasweet, MSG, etc.
 
IMMUNE SYSTEM - 80% of our immune system is located in the intestines ("gut brain") - people with immune or autoimmune disorders can benefit from an innovative biotech powder
 
 
REMEDIES FOR FMS/CFIDS (find them or rate them) - all of us "guinea pigs" need to speak up - we have a wealth of experience to share
 
SPLENDA & FIBROMYALGIA - tastes good, but is it good for you?
 
WHAT I USE - list of things that help me greatly - without these, I would not be able to work
 
 
 
INSOMNIA - SLEEP DISORDER
 
INSOMNIA STORY - I have had a sleep disorder for 40+ years
 
SLEEP IDEAS - things I've tried for sleep during my decades of insomnia
 
SLEEP MEDS THAT HELP ME - my doctor helped me get on a regimen of meds that helps me get restorative sleep nearly every night
 
 
 
MEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA
 
 
 
MOLD & SICK BUILDINGS
 
MOBILE HOMES - comments from readers about formaldehyde and mold in manufactured housing

MOLD - I worked in a "sick building" and became desperately ill
 
 
NEWSLETTER
 
NEWSLETTERS - how to subscribe to Dom's weekly newsletters - you will not feel alone with FMS/CFIDS/M.E. after reading even one of these warm, encouraging and informative newsletters!
 
 
OCCUPATIONS
 
OCCUPATIONS & FIBRO - here's what my newsletter readers were doing when they got FMS/CFIDS
 
 
PAIN
 
MISERY INDEX - "CFS has one of the highest morbidity rates (degrees of suffering) of any illness, rivaling the physical misery of advanced cardiac disease and cancer"
 
PAIN RELIEF IDEAS - I endured agonizing pain during the first 14 years of my FMS. Here are some things that helped me.
 
PAIN SCALE FOR FIBROMYALGIA - very helpful in explaining what you feel
 
 
PERSONAL

BIBLE - I love the King James Version of the Bible - here are some great resources
 
BIBLE COLORING METHOD - this is a FUN and COLORFUL way to study the Bible, even when fibro-fogged!
 
CHINESE CLUB - a friendship club we started in Clay County - this was a bright spot in my life!
 
CHURCH - our loving church family is a bright spot in my life
 
COINCIDENCES - some amazing things that happened to me recently
 
CHRISTMAS CD - Dominie plays 20 Christmas carols using beautiful instrumental sounds
 
MUSIC STUDENTS - I really enjoy teaching piano and guitar to my wonderful students!
 
PETS - here's the darling puppy I was allergic to and had to give away (boo hoo!) We now have 2 sweet chihuahuas that keep us company.
 
PHOTOS - here's a picture of me at age 10 and at 54
 
SALVATION TESTIMONY - I was "Religious but Lost" for 36 years!
 
TRIBUTE TO MY LOVING DAD - my father went home to be with the Lord on January 28, 2005
 
 
RELATIONSHIPS
 
MARITAL HARMONY - an emergency marriage manual for women in difficult marriages
 
MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSED BY FIBROMYALGIA & CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME  - People can't see our invisible illness, so they find it hard to believe. We don't LOOK sick!
 
RELATIONSHIPS & FIBROMYALGIA - chronic illness strains the best of marriages - here are some suggestions for family llife while suffering with FMS/CFIDS
 
SPOUSES - letter from a man whose wife has fibromyalgia
 
 
 
SUPPLEMENTS
 
ANTIOXIDANTS - these help oxygen circulate in the brain and cells more efficiently
 
ESSENTIAL OILS -  these plant extracts affect the limbic portion of the brain and help relieve my debilitating fatigue and fibro fog
 
LIST OF THINGS THAT HELP ME - so far there is no "cure" - just ways to "manage" symptoms
 
SUPPLEMENTS - supplements I have found over the years that help me cope better
 
 

VIRUSES, MYCOPLASMAS & INFECTIONS
 
AIDS & CFIDS - is there a link between the CFIDS epidemic and AIDS??
 
ANIMAL VIRUS MAY CAUSE CFIDS - 96% of blood samples and 91% of spinal fluid tested positively for Cryptovirus specific antibodies in these CFS patients
 
MYCOPLASMAS - are we infected???
 
STEALTH VIRUSES - CFIDS symptoms are the result of viral-induced organic brain damage
 
VIROLOGIST - virologist discovers cause of CFS in the central nervous system after 20 years of research
 
YUPPIE FLU? - "Drained by the Brain" - excellent article about CFS from Australia
 

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Dominie and Donnie Bush
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. I am a fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome survivor. The purpose of this site is not to diagnose or cure any disease or malady, but is presented as food for thought. What you read on this site is based on my own history and ideas. 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 site.

My name is Dominie Soo Bush. I am a piano teacher and church musician in Florida. I developed fibromyalgia (FMS) in 1982 from severe job stress as a legal secretary - coupled with years of unrelenting stress in my personal life. I began experiencing debilitating muscle pain and stiffness, extreme fatigue, insomnia and depression. 

Not much was known back then about fibromyalgia (called "fibrositis"). I consulted doctors in many cities. They all prescribed drugs, but nothing really helped and I felt like a zombie from the side effects.

I tried many "alternative" treatments as well. It was all very frustrating, not to mention expensive. I also had serious hormonal, neurological and allergy problems.

Then in 1987, I developed CFIDS (chronic fatigue & immune dysfunction syndrome) after a nasty virus and lung infection. I was prescribed numerous antibiotics, and they wrecked what was left of my immune system.

After 14 years of suffering, in June 1996 I began to find things that were helping me. My health began to improve to where I could function again.

I did very well for many years until 2005 when I worked in a building with toxic mold. This caused my health to crash once again. It has taken almost 5 years to gain back (limited) health and strength.

Here are my stories: fibromyalgia, insomnia and chronic fatigue. Also, see my 100 tips for coping.

There's a lot of info in the yellow box on the left, such as the CDC study which showed that chronic fatigue is caused by genetic mutations in the brain.

Hopefully one day the cause and cure will be found! As I receive new information, I continue adding to FMS-HELP.com, so you may want to bookmark this page and check back now and then. 

Only those of us with FMS/CFIDS understand what it's like to have this mysterious and often disabling condition.

I am fortunate that my husband understands my illness. He is a great help at home and supportive of my endeavors (when he's not admonishing me to slow down and rest more!)

I use several meds, supplements and protocols that help me cope and function so that I have a reasonable quality of life. I had to experiment a lot over the years to find things that helped. Each of us is different, but you can read the list of things that help me.

I must continue to be very careful in managing stress (my worst enemy!), and I still need sleep meds or I don't sleep at all. I've had a broken sleep clock since I was 16 (40+ years ago).

You can use the Google search box (below) to find specific topics I've discussed on my site and in my newsletters.

I continually get new information about FMS/CFIDS and I'm happy to share it with others who suffer from this condition.

To receive my weekly newsletters, please make a one-time donation of any amount.

Dominie Soo Bush


Below are some natural things I've found over the years that have helped me. Click on the links below to get information.   If you have questions, please write dombush@bellsouth.net.

Alkalizing & Oxygenating Drops - put in your drinking water to raise pH balance - being too acidic causes disease and pain - and viruses flourish!

Antioxidants - powerful - heals free radical damage

Bio-Available Supplements - can't say enough nice things about these!

Colloidal Silver - natural antibiotic

DMSO - rose-scented, many uses

DNA Protector & Immune Booster - unprecedented formula

Essential Oils - fascinating and so helpful!

Immune Balancing Shake - high tech and tastes great!

Nutritional Powder - all-in-one formula with vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics and fiber

Omega 3's - highest quality - NOT rancid!

Stress Tablets - to help you feel calm

Viral Outbreaks - law does not allow me to elaborate here




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