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FMS eNews 26/03/2016


First of all I wish you all a very Happy Easter.  May the risen Christ bring light and joy into your lives.  I knitted the chickens for AgeUK which they sold with a Chocolate Cream Egg inside each one, at their Spring Fayre. And if you want to know about the eggs, go here. 

 I had better luck in producing the blog  this week.  Everything went smoothly and without a hitch, I am pleased to say.  I would like to thank all those of you who sent words of encouragement and appreciation last week. That was very uplifting for me.  All was well that ended well!
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WORDz for the WEEK

 265.  While considering your options remember that choices made without consequences aren't choices at all.
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Exercise & Broken Pain Controls in Fibromyalgia

 For years, we've heard that exercise is good for fibromyalgia but very little about why that is, especially when we know that too much exertion will land us in a world of hurt. Finally, we're getting some insight into what exercise does to the fibromyalgia brain and why -- if it's done in moderation -- exercise can improve our health. That's below.
Also this week, a look at how similar some of our symptoms are to actual torture techniques, how to tell if you've got low neurotransmitter levels and more.
Take care of yourself!
Adrienne Dellwo - Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Expert
Read Arienne's articles . . .
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 Chronically Beautiful ~ 7 Steps To Creating A Peaceful Home Environment For Your Mental Well-Being
One of the lessons I've learned along the way is how important maintaining a beautiful and peaceful home environment is to your mental well-being.  This is especially true now that I am chronically ill. Studies have shown that visual beauty can have profound effects on the mental and physical state of an individual, these may include:

  • reduction in anxiety
  • easing muscle tension
  • lowering blood pressure
  • boosting immune system

Find out more . . .
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 One Simple Way to Make Pill Taking Easier
Taking pills suck.
No matter which illness you have, there is a great chance you have to take a pill for it. And maybe not just a medicinal pill. It could be a herbal supplement or probiotic or vitamin supplement. Either way, everything about taking pills suck.
Sorting the pills by days and quantity.
Fitting ALL those pills into ONE TINY slot in the pill box.
Opening and closing the weekly pill container with already painful, swollen hands.
And the most aggravating part of it all – remembering to take the pills! 
It’s all overwhelming. I don’t know how many times I’ve said to myself, “Isn’t there an easier way to do this?!” I’m happy to announce that now there is an easier way!
Introducing the HERO of pill taking – the smart appliance that stores, dispenses, and manages all your pills for you and your loved ones. This product is perfect for the person taking the pills as well as your caregivers. 
Read more about HERO . . . 
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 23 March 2016 Update

 Obviously we’re delighted, though amazed, to be writing about the resignation of IDS and the abandoning of the PIP cuts.
Who could have expected such happy events, even a week ago?
But our joy is marred by the realisation that although IDS’ ministerial career is currently dead, there’s at least a possibility that he could be back in charge at the DWP before the summer is out.
Because if the British public vote to leave the EU, then Cameron and Osborne will almost certainly be toppled, possibly to be replaced by Boris Johnson.
If that happens, IDS will undoubtedly expect to be rewarded for his part in the Brexit campaign and there is a real possibility he will ask for his old job at the DWP back again.
Read on . . .
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 Book review: Take Back Your Life by Tami Stacklehouse Fibromyalgia Coach
I’ve followed Tami Stacklehouse for years, so when I saw that her book was available on Amazon I snatched it up. The idea of being a health coach is something that has appealed to me at times. When I had to give up the idea of completing a graduate degree and pursuing counseling in that way I gave a lot of thought to life and/or health coaching. It’s something I may still consider at some point. But, at the moment I have enough on my plate.  However, health coaching is exactly what Tami Stacklehouse does, in fact she has dubbed herself the Fibromyalgia Coach because that’s her focus as a health coach. Her focus is on helping people with Fibromyalgia take back their life.
Read the review . . .
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How Chronic Illness is Like a Marriage
I’ve been thinking about how in a lot of ways chronic illness is kind of like a marriage. This is a new kind of post for me. We’ll see how it works out – I hope you enjoy it.
Sometimes we get stuck in relationships we don’t want to be in. I’m pretty sure that for all of us chronic illness is one relationship we don’t want to be in.  So, while chronic illness isn’t a marriage we want to stay with, it’s still a lot like a marriage.
It’s for life (in theory) – chronic (by definition) means that you are stuck with it for life.
Continue with the analogy . . .
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DineSafe makes dining out with food allergies easier
The UK and Europe are often ahead of the US in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to things that affect our health. I just recently learned that they actually have laws regarding allergen disclosure in restaurants. Man, I wish we had that here – it would make my life so much easier and really open the doors to where I can eat.
While I wait for that to happen I rely on apps that help me find which restaurants are safe for me. While there are several for avoiding gluten, there’s really no easy way to know where or what I can eat and avoid eggs and dairy… at least there wasn’t.
A few weeks ago I ran across a new app via Twitter – DineSafeApp. Unlike the various apps to help you find gluten-free restaurants, DineSafe actually lets you create a custom menu based on your allergies, so that you know in advance what foods are safe for you.  It doesn’t matter how many allergens you have, and it’s not even just the top 8 allergens, they include over 15 different allergens.  They also include special diets like vegan, Paleo, Organic, and Kosher. It will be so nice to avoid those stupid spreadsheets they give you at some restaurants.
Find out more . . .
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 REDEFINING SUCCESS AND CELEBRATING OUR SMALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Success is something that holds a different meaning for each of us. Since falling ill, I’ve learned to become more mindful about how I view success. Its definition has had to change for me. For too long I saw myself as a failure because I couldn’t do the things I was previously able to do. It was an easy frame of mind to fall into, especially considering the pressures and expectations society places onto us. However, I can now see that I was being incredibly unfair to myself, and I also now appreciate how this way of thinking was detrimental to both my mental and physical health.
Read more . . .
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 WEEK OF MARCH 21, 2016 FIBROMYALGIA AND ME/CFS NEWS

  Here’s this week’s news roundup. Some highlights:

  •     Study finds Lyrica and Cymbalta work better together for pain relief
  •     Which fibro drugs cause memory loss
  •     CDC issues warning about over-the-counter pain relievers
  •     Some think fibromyalgia may be caused by brain injury
  •     The optimal amount of Epsom salts for pain relief
  •     How living with chronic illness is like a marriage
  •     Plus research news, personal stories and much more!

Read all about it . . .
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 Fibrocane Daily and Serenitea
These are new treatments that have been reviewed by several, maybe many bloggers.


(The products are produced by Bio Ceuticals but are not listed on their website,  so are probably not yet on the open market.  Looks like they could be worth trying when they do become available.)
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 Message from Beth
3 yrs old, 4 yrs old, 11 yrs old, 16 yrs, 18 yrs, 21 yrs - already showing signs and being tested or have already been diagnosed with FM.
How many years of suffering and pain will they have to go through? Our work and our help now will hopefully lead to a better, brighter more hopeful future for them.
That's why we ask for your help and support - voting, writing to MP's helping boost our awareness fund. We need you on board, we can't do it without YOU. We do get a lot of regular support and we can never thank those members enough. We don't work alone, we work in tandem with other support groups, whose group leaders and admin also get involved. But ultimately it's the members who will help us make a difference. I don't want to sound like a nag (or even an old nag) but we cannot do it without you. X
Some links to help you 
Write to your MP - see FMA UK's campaign 
Fundraise for Fibro research in conjunction with FollyPogs  through Fundrazr
Donate to Fibro Flare Magazine by PayPal fibroflaremag1@outlook.com or by Bank transfer Sort Code 089299, Account No 65789764, Account Name Fibro Flare Awareness Group.  Bank transfer avoids PayPal charges!
Thank you.  
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 Vote for Fibro Flare Magazine in the National Diversity Awards

 Diversity Award HAS NOT EXPIRED -  Please vote every week
Bio
Fibromyalgia/ME/CFS are chronic and debilitating conditions that have a major impact upon those diagnosed and their families. It is estimated that 3-5% of the population have been diagnosed (approx 70 million people worldwide) and despite Fibromyalgia having been around for hundreds of years very little is known or understood. Support, Awareness and Research are much needed in the future to ascertain the cause and aim for a cure.
People from across the spectrum can be struck down at any time, these chronic conditions do not discriminate. Children as young as 4 are already suffering.
Read the manifesto . . .

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 10 Energy Boosting Smoothies for Fibromyalgia Fatigue
Spring is here and with it comes new projects, challenges, etc. So whatever you’re facing this spring (i.e. spring cleaning, travelling, or just surviving the kids being out of school for a whole week) – make one of these delicious smoothies to start each day on the right foot and power you through spring!

 Try these recipes . . .
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 27 Health Problems Linked to Low Vitamin D
From depression to cancer, many conditions go along with vitamin D deficiency.
The truth about vitamin D - by Lauren Oster 
No doubt you've seen the headlines saying that not getting enough vitamin D may increase your risk of countless health woes. It's important to read those stories carefully, since links don't necessarily prove cause and effect. "There can be many other explanations for the associations observed," says JoAnn Manson, MD, PhD, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts. "Several large-scale randomized trials of vitamin D are in progress, and they will provide conclusive evidence as to whether supplementation with moderate-to-high doses of vitamin D can reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases." In other words, don't panic and start popping pills; do consult with your own doc to be sure you're getting the nutrients you need. Read on for some of the health problems now linked to low vitamin D.    
View the slideshow . . .
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 How Float Therapy Can Help Chronic Pain and Illness

 What is Float Therapy?
Flotation therapy is essentially floating in warm salt water in a large tank. Think about taking an Epsom salt bath to soothe your joints, but in this case the tank is filled with hundreds of pounds of salt making floating completely effortless. The tank is both sound and lightproof allowing you to completely disconnect from the world. A session lasts anywhere between one and three hours.
Flotation therapy is believed to improve a number of ailments including stress and anxiety, joint and muscle pain, back pain, high blood pressure, and insomnia. I wasn’t sure what or how much relief to expect from my float, but I figured that even an hour’s break from pain and anxiety is worth trying.
Find out more about float therapy . . .
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 The Poisonous Flip of Logic
My spirituality is an important part of who I am and how I approach living with a chronic illness. I believe that we are a part of something bigger, a kind of universal oneness and I believe in our role as co-creators of the universe. This belief guides me towards actions that consider both my wellbeing, the wellbeing of others and the wellbeing of the planet as a whole. I can extend this concept to believe that by compassionately taking care of myself (as long as I do so without doing harm to others or the planet) I am constructively adding to the universal wellbeing. Whether any of this is fact, doesn’t really matter too much to me. My faith leads to my actions which result in better health and wellbeing for me and a little more love in the world. That’s enough of a reason for me to believe!
Read the rest of Julie's article . . .
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 Fibromyalgia Treatment

 When people with Fibromyalgia have taken cortisone tablets within the Microdose Therapy program, 601 averaged 77% relief – triple that of Lyrica™.
The FDA now recommends using cortisone this way. Cortisone, best at controlling inflammation and in the top 10 most-prescribed medicines mainly as injections, is always in the blood. Question being answered: After training, will people use cortisone tablets responsibly without cortisone side effect? So far, yes.
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 Fibromyalgia – Can We Crack the Code and Put The Patient First? by Donna Gregory Burch

 Dr. Jarred Younger is the fibromyalgia community’s most impatient ally. For more than a decade, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) researcher has been working on cracking the mystery of what causes fibromyalgia and how to treat it.
He thinks it stems from brain inflammation, which prompts an overreaction of the body’s immune system. He has a dozen or so potential treatments that he’d love to test on patients to see if his theory is right, but he’s stymied by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) notoriously slow process for approving research grants.
Continue reading . . .
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 The Mighty News Week of 03/16/16

 Howdy, Mighty fibro community! Are you ready for the latest and greatest stories about fibromyalgia and chronic illness?
This week, Mighty writer Shelley Smith (AKA Chronic Mom) has a crucial reminder for anyone with fibromyalgia: you are awesome (and a straight-up bad-ass!). If you've experienced the dreaded "brain fog" that can often come with spoonie life, you might appreciate some of the "ridiculous" things writer Sarah Wilson shares about her own brain fog moments. And for anyone whose family members don't always understand fibromyalgia, Fibro Today's open letter is a must-share.
Read on for these stories, new research about fibromyalgia symptoms and more . . .
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What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Fibromyalgia
I was still suffering and without hope when I decided to write this book, the day I brought home some dog-eared, yellow-highlighted books from the house of a deceased woman I had never met. I had stopped at an estate sale only to find that the woman who had lived there was a 56-year-old woman with fibromyalgia. The neighbors who were there weren’t sure how she died; perhaps an overdose, they suggested. Maybe a heart attack. I bought most of her books even though I already owned many of them. I wanted to feel close to her. I could sense her desperation as I turned the pages, as she highlighted various remedies, every one a highly popularized course of action for reversing the disease. I decided then that I wanted to tell the truth about the hopelessness that FMS patients feel when their doctor’s explanations and lectures fail and about what happens when you have tried every therapy in print and still can’t control the pain. 
Read more . . .
Buy it on Amazon . . . 
Comments on Amazon's site are very positive.
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 How To REALLY Be Happy by FibroMom

 Here are 3 fun experiments you can do to make yourself a happier person! Hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Please share your results with me. What did you think of this?? 

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 This section is included because it provides general health education, but not necessarily fibro related.







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A quarter of 2016 has now gone!  If you are in the UK, don't forget to put your clocks and watches forward an hour tonight! British Summer Time!  Sounds good, I hope the sun shines on us in more ways than one.
Have a great Easter weekend
Well wishes to all
Stella
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or leave your comments below under 'Post a Comment'
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 N.B. The links on this my FMS eNews blog are in the BROWN text, usually in the title of each article but occasionally elsewhere too. Some titles have no links in which case the title is in GREEN like the dividers.  This blog gives just a taster of each article which can be viewed in full through its link.  The sites included are in alphabetical order.  If you have any navigation problems, let me know. 
I would like to point out to you that the information in my FMS eNews blog is passed on to you mainly from other sources. Links are given to the original articles. I take no responsibility for their accuracy but freely give them publicity if I think they might be of interest to my readership. Sites I refer you to are for information only. They might conflict in their opinions, they might not even be medically sound, but I merely offer them for you to peruse and make your own judgments, accept or reject as you will. Only by reading widely can we get an overall picture of fibromyalgia syndrome and how we can deal with its symptoms, learn to cope with them and still have a life. Any advice or recommendation of a medical or legal nature should always be discussed with a qualified professional.
I also include various awareness items, benefits issues, as well as general health considerations. Anyone wishing to reproduce any of the included items in any way should seek permission from the originators.
Wordz for the Week are from ‘Wordz for the Day’ by Donnie Kuhn, Sr. who died in May 2011.
This eNews is my personal offering to fibromyalgia sufferers and their carers and is not related to any other organisation or charity although I do work in conjunction with other bloggers and Facebook groups.
If you don’t already get reminders when each new FMS eNews is posted, please send an email to fmsstella@gmail.com and you will be added to the emailing list.

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2 comments:

  1. Unknown28 March 2016 at 09:03

    Actually Fibrocane is made by Premier Bioceuticals, not Bioceuticals. You can find the products and their website at http://www.Fibrocane.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown1 April 2016 at 08:57

    Thank you Julie for this correction.

    ReplyDelete

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