Fibromyalgia and Me

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Fatigue may be defined as a subjective state in which one feels tired or exhausted, and in which the capacity for normal work or activity is reduced. There is, however, no commonly accepted definition of fatigue when it is considered in the context of health and illness. This lack of definition results from the fact that a person’s experience of fatigue depends on a variety of factors. These factors include culture; personality; the physical environment (light, noise, vibration); availability of social support through networks of family members and friends; the nature of a particular fatiguing disease or disorder; and the type and duration of work or exercise. For example, the experience of fatigue associated with disease will be different for someone who is clinically depressed, is socially isolated, and is out of shape, as compared to another person who is not depressed, has many friends, and is aerobically fit.

Fatigue is sometimes characterized as normal or abnormal. For example, the feeling of tiredness or even exhaustion after exercising is a normal response and is relieved by resting; many people report that the experience of ordinary tiredness after exercise is pleasant. Moreover, this type of fatigue is called acute.

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It can always get worse. I got my letter of denial from SSDI today. Even though I know they deny 80% of people who apply for the first time, I was still shocked and panicked. It was 2 page letter that ended with “we have concluded that your condition should not limit your ability to work.”

Huh? That’s one of the craziest things I’ve heard.

The next step is to get an attorney and file an appeal. I have 60 days in which to do so. It’s overwhelming though. I spent some time researching attorneys. The crazy thing about this whole maddening process is that it take energy and a good mind to do this. I have neither right now.

What I’d really like to know is can I start again with this life?

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MCS America, a national organization, is now offering a free information, resource, referral, and support listing for individuals injured by chemicals, including those who develop with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), gulf war syndrome (GWS), electrosensitivity (EHS), and other environmentally correlated disease.

Environmental illness (EI) is a result of chemical injury in which negative neurological, pulmonary, cardiac, and rheumatic health effects, among others, are experienced from exposure to common environmental chemicals including fragrances, cleaners, pesticides, and other petrochemicals at concentrations that are below regulatory toxicity thresholds and that are normally deemed as safe. MCS is thought to be caused by a toxic chemical injury which damaged the central nervous system and causes biochemical changes.

A surprising number of people report sensitivity to ordinary everyday chemicals. An average of 15% of Americans report reactions to multiple chemical incitants, nearly 3 times the number who have diabetes.

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The line in the graph shows the decreases in a fibromyalgia patient’s pain distribution during treatment. The pain distribution is the percentage of 36 body divisions containing pain, indicated by her on her pain drawing. Her pain distribution decreased during metabolic (i.e. thyroid) treatment, during the first six weekly evaluations. However the pain did not decrease further until soft tissue treatment was begun, at the time of the tenth evaluation, to desensitize several myofascial trigger points.

John Lowe is a Chiropractic Physician who has done an enormous amount of valuable work in researching and treating hormonal imbalances, particularly relating to the thyroid. To this end he has produced a huge volume of work, the most notable being his book The Metabolic Treatment of Fibromyalgia.

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Natural Therapist, Elizabeth Noble - http://www.EBVcures.com - continues her series about natural treatments for Epstein Barr Virus (EBV). The virus is also related to glandular fever and mononucleosis. Epstein Barr Virus has the ability to establish a lifelong presence in the body. In most cases a healthy immune system keeps it in check. However some people do get chronic mononucleosis which can trigger Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which has been triggered by Epstein Barr typically include fatigue, aching muscles, sore throat and swollen lymph glands. These symptoms can fluctuate from week to week, and even day to day.

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I recently interviewed Rosalind Joffe for FibroAction and you can see the interview on the FibroAction website here.

Rosalind Joffe is author of the popular blog, ‘Working With Chronic Illness’, and co-author of the blog ‘Keep Working Girlfriend’. She founded the career coaching practice, cicoach.com, building on her experiences living and working with MS and ulcerative colitis, and is dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

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(HealthDay News) — Chronic fatigue syndrome is an illness of unknown cause that can make a person feel excessively tired for prolonged periods.

While there is no cure, medication and lifestyle changes can help keep symptoms under control.

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The 31-year-old Olympic veteran is teaming up with teenager Jessica Walker, the youngest woman ever to compete in flatwater racing at the Olympic Games, in the women’s K2 500 metres event.

Hemmings, a six-time world champion in marathon canoe racing, joins Walker, a prodigy who has just turned 18, in the 500m kayak sprint event which takes place at the regatta centre outside central Beijing. Old and new they may be, but both are formidable athletes.

Hemmings, half-Honduran, half-British, is tough, physically strong and has the kind of bearing which could lead men into war. If she were not a sportswoman, she might have made an expert female military leader.

Invited to speak at a lower sixth form leadership conference at Harrow School by director of sport Roger Uttley a few years ago, Hemmings was happy to put out a challenge to the boys who were there, asking if anyone could do more press-ups in 60 seconds than she could. There were no volunteers bar one boy, a member of the rugby XV.

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Most people who have chronic fatigue syndrome, come down with the problem quite suddenly. Some can experience a gradual descent into the disorder. Either way, there are definite signs and symptoms to look out for, which are generally a good indication that there is a problem. In all, there are eight categories of chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms. Fatigue is the first; if you have a persistent feeling of fatigue, whether it is mental or physical, and find yourself less and less active, chronic fatigue syndrome may be the problem.

Malaise is the second category of telltale symptoms where chronic fatigue syndrome is concerned; this can mean anything from the loss of stamina, to mental and/or physical exhaustion, to a slow rate of recovery from any physical activity. Problems with sleeping, such as insomnia is the third category; pain, with a tendency for it to be widespread and migratory, is the fourth category of symptoms concerning chronic fatigue syndrome.

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What’s the Difference Between a Disease & a Syndrome?

Among the many confusing things you have to deal with when trying to learn about fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS) is the difference between a disease and a syndrome.

About.com

Doctors need to keep up with treatment options

What Dr. Deas has described is the serious neurological illness myalgic encephalomyelitis, sometimes known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

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