FMS-HELP.com

Dominie's Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Homepage

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

My Fibromyalgia Story     My Chronic Fatigue Story

My Insomnia Story     Helpful Things I Use

100 Signs of Fibromyalgia     100 Tips for Coping

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TOPICS (listed alphabetically)   AWARENESS AWARENESS - letter I wrote to Congress for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day MILLION LETTER CAMPAIGN - THE PROJECT - thanks to all who participated 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   BRAIN 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 BRAIN FUNCTIONING IN REVERSE - I can relate! CEREBRAL ATROPHY & CFIDS - this bad news could be good news, since it proves we aren't malingerers or hypochondriacs 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   DRUG INTERACTIONS - CHECK YOUR MEDS HERE - good idea! DRUGS BEING TESTED ON HUMANS - What will the consent forms disclose about the risks involved? DRUGS THAT ARE DANGEROUS - beware MY MEDS - meds that help me   EMOTIONS CHRISTMAS BLUES - depressed during the holidays? DEBUNKING THE "LAW OF ATTRACTION" - "new age" philosophy is running rampant in the holistic health field NOT THE WAY YOU PLANNED IT - FMS/CFIDS has a way of changing our lives 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 INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIE (BellaOnline, the Voice of Women) - my early struggles with FMS and the misunderstandings and losses I experienced LETTER TO THE HEALTHY WORLD FROM THE LAND OF CHRONIC PAIN & FATIGUE - well stated 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 TRYING HARDER (and why it doesn't work for CFS) - a compassionate article   HELPFUL TIPS 100 TIPS FOR COPING WITH FIBROMYALGIA & INSOMNIA - things I learned from dealing with FMS since 1982 EXCITOTOXINS & FIBROMYALGIA - avoid aspartame, Nutrasweet, MSG, etc. MORE TIPS FOR COPING WITH FIBROMYALGIA - a most helpful list 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   IMMUNE SYSTEM ENERGY GONE - "chronic fatigue is not a psychiatric illness, but a nasty mix of immunological, neurological, and hormonal abnormalities" 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  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 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 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 LAB TEST FOR FIBROMYALGIA - finally? MITOCHONDRIA DYSFUNCTION - FMS & CFIDS are complex diseases that involve multi-system disturbances and abnormalities 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"   MEN WITH FIBRO MEN WITH FIBROMYALGIA and/or CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME - an "equal opportunity" illness   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     NERVOUS SYSTEM AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM - dopamine, fibromyalgia and the autonomic nervous system CENTRAL NERVIOUS SYSTEM ABNORMALITY & FIBROMYALGIA - this explains the strange symptoms DYSAUTONOMIA - autonomic nervous system dysfunction and fibromyalgia - fascinating article 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 SPINAL CORD FLUID - CFS patients have 16 proteins that healthy individuals do not - the CFS problem lies in the central nervous system NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTERS - I wrote a health newsletter for FMS/CFIDS sufferers from 1996 to October 2013. You can find the issues from 2003-2013 by typing the word "newsletter" into the search box at the top of this page. Much fascinating, still relevant information! 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 CREMATION - my thoughts on cremation vs. burial 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 YOU BET YOUR LIFE - by Paul Ernst, former atheist of 50 years. What happens after you die? Is there a credible way to know? YOUTUBE SONG #1 - my first song on youtube...with pictures of my parents, brother and husband YOUTUBE SONG #2 - my second song on youtube...I first heard this song when I was growing up. It is so beautiful! 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! 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     TEENS CHILDREN & TEENS WITH FMS/CFIDS - younger people now have FMS/CFIDS   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		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, church pianist/organist, and editor of Christian books and magazine articles. My husband, Don, and I live in Green Cove Springs, 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 filled with toxic mold and bacteria. This caused my health to crash once again. It took nearly 5 years to gain back (limited) health and strength, and I am still dealing what appears to be permanent neurological (brain) damage from the mold. Here are my stories: fibromyalgia, insomnia and chronic fatigue. Also, see my 100 tips for coping. I also have a lot of FASCINATING links on the left side of this page. Check out the topics in BLUE. 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. FMS/CFIDS is not a psychiatric condition. We are not mentally ill. We are physically sick. 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 various 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 (45+ years ago). You can use the Google search box here to find specific topics I've discussed on my site and in my past newsletters. Search FMS-help.com FMS/CFIDS is sometimes called "Millionaire's Disease" because it destroys our ability to function and make a living. Sufferers spend a fortune trying to find ways to regain their lost health, for the most part unsuccessfully. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for any donation to help keep FMS-help.com online. Dominie Soo Bush Below are my youtube music videos. The first one has pictures of me and my family. In the second video, I sound like a trio, using a vocal harmony effect on my piano! I hope these songs are a blessing to you. If you have questions, please email Dominie Bush at dombush527@gmail.com.