CFS/FMS News November- December 2003
of South West Florida WWW.CFS-FMS-FL.ORG
Meeting Third Saturday of the month, 10:30AM to Noon at the Cape Coral Hospital,
In the ‘New Café’, 636 Del Prado Boulevard, Cape Coral.
September – Round table discussion lead by a licensed counselor
October - Round table discussion lead by a licensed counselor
Handouts on Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia are available at every meeting. A therapist leads round table discussion. Information and support is shared by all. Perfume and scent free due to sensitivities. Programs announced as available.
Newsletters are published every other month.
If you received this newsletter in the mail it means we do not have your e-mail address.
Visit our very own web site at www.CFS-FMS-FL.org
Roxann Barber
Cape Coral, Florida 33904
“As you leave behind all that
has been, you are on the way to all that can be."
-Douglas
Pagels
Local and Group News
Kathy Gallagher, our publicity chairperson, has appealed to both the Cape Coral hospital and Lee Memorial Hospital to inform their staff of our existence in the hopes of increasing our membership. The appeal included a request for help with on going mailings to professional groups. Kathy is sending monthly reminders to area OB, GYN physicians, Nurse Midwives and Physical Therapy Departments etc. She made suggestions such as getting the information to the staff as well as the public they have contact with. We are also to be included in the NewsPress forthcoming column, “Community Calendar”. Kudos to a job well done!
Help$$$$ We are in desperate need of funds to operate for the next year. Please make an effort to make a donation, or get your work place or favorite store to make a donation! Our funds are used for the newsletter you have in your hands, mailing to health professionals, programs for our meetings, literature and videos for loan at our meetings, subscriptions to CFS/FMS groups around the country for updated news, and various sundry supplies. Please help keep us afloat for the upcoming year! To mail in donations, see the form at the bottom of this newsletter. Or better yet, see you at the meeting when we pass the hat!!
Love and Hope for All, Roxy Barber webeinflorida@juno.com
Cape Coral, FL
Help may be all in your head!
From www.fibrohugs.com
Laughter is a form of internal jogging, according to this article. It exercises the body and stimulates the release of beneficial brain neurotransmitters and hormones. Adults laugh about 15 times a day compared to kids who laugh 400 times a day. No wonder they have so much energy!
The new study of phsychoneuroimmunology focuses on how state of mind affects health. Laughter is a form of good stress, or stress in reverse. Medical studies are showing that the immune system actually gets a boost from laughter! It triggers similar physiological processes to exercise. Endorphins and neurotransmitters are increased and stress hormone levels of adrenaline and cortisol are decreased. T-cells which combat viruses are activated and ready to do battle,
In some clinics throughout the world, laughter is beginning to take the place of anti-depressant drugs and pain killers.
Of special note is that even faking laughter will cause the body to respond as if it is real.
He who laughs…..lasts!
Writers of this article, Drs. Gael Crystal & Patrick Flanagan are world-recognized researchers, doctors and Nobel Prize nominees.
Managing Pain
From the National Fibromyalgia Association website an article entitled Managing Fibromyalgia:--Yes You Can! by Dennis C. Turk, Ph.D.
With FMS or CFS life problems seem insurmountable. Family harmony is affected and your ability to do important tasks is severely reduced. One way to ease your pain is to manage your stress. Dr. Turk discusses how stress affects the body in a mounting spiral of pain and many ways to recognize negative thought processes and how to counter them.
He stresses that this does not mean that negative factors cause your symptoms. There is no question that pain and fatigue are real. But when pain and fatigue sap all your energy there is little left to deal with naggling negatives.
Pain and fatigue alone cause stress. Stress builds and problems pile up and your tense muscles, clench your teeth, hold your shoulders rigid, which adds to the overall tension level. You are not even aware of this until the tension headache or sore teeth set in later in the day.
Dr. Turk suggests learning Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) as an effective way to learn about the muscle tension you actually hold in your body. It involves first tensing, then relaxing the muscles in order to learn the difference in how that feels and be more aware of when you are tensing. Visualization and being more involved in your imagination can be a way of relaxing too. Imagery can ‘distract’ your body from tension. Another method he suggests is being aware of negative thoughts that are automatic. What we think affects how we feel and being aware of negative thoughts and counteracting them can help prevent tension and stress. Thoughts can be lightening fast and seem almost uncontrollable so this, as well as any of the above suggestions takes knowledge and practice.
Responding to flare-ups can be most disheartening. But you can control how you respond. Have a plan for what to do when they happen. Plan ahead on the days you do feel better for the flare-ups which are bound to come later. This he calls ‘relapse prevention’ and classifies 3 stages, things to do before, during and after a relapse. Before is preventative such as exercise, pacing activities, relaxation skills, and monitoring beliefs and feelings. During it is important to accept what is happening and be prepared to tolerate symptoms. After you should rest and recover and reflect on what was effective out of the techniques you were using and being planing for more prevention before the next flare.
Since there is no cure for out conditions we need to take healing into our own hands and do whatever we can to make our lives more bearable and regain some control in out lives. No one technique will work for everyone and most of us can use any help we can give ourselves. Find what is most helpful to you. Then pass it on to the rest of us!
Dr. Dennis Turk is the Director of Fibromyalgia Research Center and Professor of anesthesiology and Pain Research at the University of Washington, School of Medicine in Seattle. WA
Reading List/Web Surfing
Check your local Library for all kinds of reading; CFIDS, FMS, and related disorders, spiritual, self-help, history, nutrition, yoga, art, and just plain good reading. You name it, they got it. And if they don’t they will get it for you on inter-library loan. some libraries give away donated magazines, and some libraries offer a special book delivery for people who cannot travel.
BOOKS
The Fibromyalgia Handbook, 3rd Edition: A 7-Step Program to Halt and Even Reverse Fibromyalgia” by Harris Mcilwain, M.D.
WEB SITES
www.endfatique.com Dr. Teitelbaum
Lactic Acid Bacteria may be Theraputic for CFS
From Health Watch 2003 Vol XII, no. 3 by Pro Health, Inc.
Researchers at CFS-FM Integrative Care Center in Toronto have shown that patients with CFS have lowered levels of microbial flora in the digestive tract and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Other studies have shown that these patients are under increased oxidative stress, have impaired type 2 helper cells, frequent allergies, altered essential fatty acid status, and may have malabsorption of certain micronutrients.
Lactic Acid Bacteria are thought to improve the immune system. These bacteria can be thought of as the good bugs of the intestines. Intestinal integrity can be compromised by prolonged perscription drug use among other things. It is thought they help support T helper cells, affecting immunity, and may decrease allergies. LAB are strong antioxidants,may improve the fatty acid status, balace PH levels, and improve absorption of micronutients by protecting the intestinal barrier.
Editors note: I am currently on a new treatment that uses LAB and have had incredible increases in my levels of energy! This makes it much easier for me to deal with pain and flare-ups, and I am not catching every cold or flu that passes around at work for the first time ever! I can help you find out more if you are interested. My email and phone are listed at the top of the newsletter.
Disclaimer
The Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia Syndromes Support Group is a self-help program to present ideas and exchanges with the members. None are to be construed as medical advice. This newsletter does not dispense medical advise not is any endorsement intended. No responsibility will be assumed for any specific medical hypothesis or product, and will assume no responsibility for any treatment or activity undertaken by readers.
Contact
Bonnie Dewar 239/543-2812
Terry Connor 239/945-1247
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