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FMS eNews 02/04/2016

Thanks to those who sent Easter wishes.  I hope you had a pleasant holiday weekend.   
You will see there is a new logo in the right side column (like the one here on the left).  This is a fun item instigated by Ness from The Girl with 5 Lads.  You can see her blog below.  She invited people to re-view themselves before /besides their illness.  She called it #BesidesMyDiagnosis.  If you click on the logo you can see mine!  Read what she has to say further down this page.  Anyone can join in, you don't have to be a blogger - why don't you?  I would love to read your entries.

 Be sure to read my item about my new FaceBook Page  under Facebook, below.
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WORDz for the WEEK

 266.  I know my limits, but somehow, I know I can overcome them.
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 Refreshing Your Knowledge

 Between a bad memory and a constantly changing body of knowledge about our illnesses, it's good to go back to the basics now and then. This week, browse through the articles to remind yourself of everything you've forgotten and see what's new.
I also want to let you know about something that's coming up in a few weeks. Your newsletter and the articles it links to may look different as we go through some changes, but never fear -- the content and quality you expect will be the same.
Take care of yourself!
Adrienne Dellwo - Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Expert

Read Adrienne's articles . . .
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Living Healthy
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we love carbs. Who doesn’t? And not just because they tend to be the base of all your favorite comfort foods, but because they’re an important energy source that many of us don’t get enough of when we’re exercising for weight loss.
That said, if you’re skipping the gym today? It's best to keep them on the low side. And these tips are going to make a world of difference.
Read the articles . . .
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When Your ‘Invisible’ Can Be Seen ~ How To Handle The Body Shame Of Chronic Illness
At some point in our lives, the image in our mind of the 'perfect' body was formed.  Then came the realization that we fell short of those ideals.  Whether we thought we were too fat, too skinny, too skimpy on top, too abundant on the bottom, too tall, too short, too...well, you get the picture.
Depending on the environments we were raised in, and whether or not the influences around us were healthy or not, we developed a mental representation of ourselves that steered us toward a more 'positive' or 'negative' view of our bodies.
Chronic illness changes the body.  Up to this point, I have been able to hide the fact that there is anything wrong with me.  Unless I had told someone I had Fibromyalgia and M.E., they would never know.
Over the winter I have developed a slight limp.  It's not that bad yet, and most of the time I can keep it low-key.  However, that small physical change has caused me to lose the power of choice.  I can no longer choose to keep the fact that there is something wrong with me private.
Read on . . .
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5 tips for faking a chronic illness (A Satirical View)
1. Make sure you pick a real illness– don’t pick a fake one like Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, or Lyme Disease. because people will never believe you. Make sure it’s well know enough that people have heard of it, but it also has to be difficult to diagnose. If it can be confirmed by a blood test, pick something else (Lyme Disease is a tricky one since the blood tests are useless).
Discover the other 4 tips! . . .

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7 ways to distract yourself from pain
1.     A relaxing salt bath
A bath can be wonderfully relaxing, especially when you are pain. I like to lock myself in the bathroom so no one will bother me. I take a book and a glass of ice water, and think of nobody but myself for a whole thirty minutes. It does wonders for my mental and physical health.
Find out what the other 6 are . . .

 See the sarcastic version of this post '10 ways to distract yourself from pain' 
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You Don’t Know (a poem)
I love talking with my readers. Ann is one that emails me on occasion to give me updates on how she is and it’s just nice to connect with others who “get it”. She shared her story a while back here, and recently she emailed me this poem and gave me permission to share it.
Read Ann's poem . . .
Anne's story . . . 
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10 Disability hacks for the kitchen
Once upon a time I used to love to cook. This was before I got arthritis in my hands and before I suffered from CFS/ME and fibro. Add into the mix that I have food allergies to many things including gluten, I really need all the help I can get now to motivate myself into the kitchen. I’ve picked up some tips over the years that help and I’m going to share some of them with you here today. I sincerely hope that you find the answer to a problem that you might have so that you too can enjoy the kitchen more as well. . . .
Please note as well that unless I’ve said otherwise I own all of these items, or they are the closest model of the make that I own. I am happy with all of them or I wouldn’t recommend them to you. There are plenty of choices these days so I hope that this gives you a good starting place for finding the solutions that you need.
What were the items Cath recommends?  Find out . . .
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New FB page for FMS eNews

 My introductory message:
"Hello, and welcome to my new FaceBook page for those who have or care for someone who has fibromyalgia. My blog, Stella's Fibromyalgia eNewsletters, has been running on an almost weekly basis since December 2012. It gives links to other websites that provide information about fibro; symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, alternative therapies, nutrition, exercise, research, benefits news, petitions and other bloggers pages. I aim to post some of the links that are destined for my blog on this page so you can get them sooner. So I hope all the readers of my blog will join here and I shall welcome any others who would like to join and/or would like to subscribe to my blog. There will of course be opportunities for discussion. My blog can be found here www.fmsenews.blogspot.co.uk If you wish to subscribe send an email to fmsstella@gmail.com"
This is experimental at the moment as I'm not sure how it will work.  I hope you will be able to join me, Like, become a Friend and Share with your Friends.  Thank you. See you there.
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HOW TO OFFER ADVICE TO SOMEONE WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS
If you suffer from a chronic illness– especially if it is an invisible illness such as ME/CFS or fibromyalgia– you will no doubt find that some people will offer you advice on how you can improve your situation. The majority of the time this advice comes from people who mean well. After all, the people who care about us don’t want to see us suffer; they want to help in anyway they can. What I’ve come to realise though, is that there are two different ways that people can tell us about the information they have Googled, read about or heard from their second cousin twice removed. The first I appreciate, the second… well, not-so-much. Today’s post is all about how to offer advice to someone with a chronic illness.
Find out how . . .
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I’m stalled … and here’s what I’m doing about it

 It’s been almost six months since my last "how I'm doing" post. The short answer, which I guess you already know from the title of this post, is I’m stalled. I thought I would update everyone on what's been working to reduce my fibromyalgia symptoms and which area is still a struggle. 
My longtime readers know I started working remotely with fibromyalgia specialist Dr. Rodger Murphree in August. As part of his six-month program, he overhauled my supplement regime and put me on an anti-inflammatory diet. (I wrote about my supplement and diet changes in my last update here.)
Find out what Donna has been doing . . .
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Don't forget to vote for FFM in the Diversity Awards
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Juvenile Fibromyalgia’s Similarities, and Differences, to Adult Disease Examined

 And many other articles.
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Early Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Most people with fibromyalgia realize that their symptoms actually began months, if not years, before their official diagnosis. Although some diseases come on very suddenly, fibromyalgia is more of a slow dawning process. It is not yet known if fibromyalgia is preventable because researchers aren’t sure what causes it. However, even if fibromyalgia isn’t preventable, here are some of the early signs to recognize. If you see these symptoms, try to make proactive, positive changes to get more rest and take better care of yourself.
Read about the symptoms . . .
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 A Meditation to Start Your Day

 Need a great way to start your day? Take a few moments when you first wake up to set a direction for your day with this guided meditation from Sonima.com
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7 Foods that make you sleep

 Can't sleep? Try adjusting your food intake before you hit the sheets. 

 Watch this video to see seven foods you should consider eating to have a great night's sleep.
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Next Gen Opioid Drugs Promise Pain Relief Without Side Effects
Opioid drugs help a lot of people but they can also cause such devastating side effects that the feds have come down hard against them.
But what if side effects weren't a problem? And what if opioid pain killers were even more effective at relieving pain? Sound like a fantasy?
One researcher doesn't think so. He believes that the next generation of opioid drugs will not only relieve pain better but be far, far safer as well. 
Find out more . . .

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Disability life lessons – Who cares what society thinks?

 Life can be tough. Sometimes people with disabilities/impairments have to make tough choices and the impact of society can make tough choices even tougher.
Using mobility aids, pacing and pain management strategies often come with judgments and assumptions attached.
Over the last few years, I’ve learnt a lot about myself and I feel like I’ve finally accepted the ‘new me’. I might not be able to hit the gym twice a week and the climbing wall 3 more nights a week but I’m doing more than I was last week. Living in a wonky body has taught me a lot about myself, I’ve learnt to be kinder to myself and to set realistic goals. I’ve learnt that sometimes the harder you push with things the harder you crash.
I’ve also learnt that most of what society thinks about people is wrong.
Find out what else Jo learnt and how she copes . . .

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Fibromyalgia Sufferers Have Difficulty Maintaining Continuous Sleep, Study Says
A new study published in the Clinical Journal of Pain concludes that people with fibromyalgia have difficulty maintaining continuous sleep as compared to patients with primary insomnia and patients who do not report disturbed sleep.
“This post hoc analysis demonstrates that the nature of sleep disturbance among patients with fibromyalgia reporting difficulty with sleep can be distinguished from patients with primary insomnia and from controls,” the study’s authors wrote.
“We demonstrate that despite comparable wake time during the night (WASO), fibromyalgia patients can be differentiated from patients with primary insomnia and from controls without sleep difficulties, on the basis of frequency and duration of wake or sleep bout episodes.”
Read more about the study . . .

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(Apologies !  Last week I said that FibroCane products were made by BioCeuticals.  They are actually made by PREMIER Bioceuticals.  Thank you to Julie Ryan for pointing this out.)

 Fibromyalgia does not define me.  I can take conrol over it.

There is no one single product, whether it is a pharmaceutical drug or a nutritional supplement, that works for all people all of the time. Therefore, we formulated the FibroCane line by integrating the best of several different healing philosophies from Western and Eastern traditions so that our products would be readily absorbed and contribute to overall health.

Find out more about it here . . .

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Are Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Fibromyalgia Immune Exhaustion Disorders?
When we think of immune problems we often think of the immune system going berserk and attacking healthy cells, but recent studies suggest that for many people with ME/CFS and FM the opposite problem - immune exhaustion - may be more of an issue.
Find out how in this Simmaron Research Foundation sponsored blog . . .
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#Besides My Diagnosis
What is #besidesmydiagnosis all about?
When we receive a diagnosis of a long-term illness we tend to forget all the wonderful things about ourselves, we simply become our diagnosis.
I use the hashtag #fibromyalgia so often I forget to add #smileylady #lovesart #redlipstick #lovespinkfluffysocks #Marvelnerd I am so many more things besides my diagnosis and I know you are also. (Even if you do not realise this yet!)
Many people become totally different people when they become ill, they mourn the person they once were and during this phase, they forget how wonderful they are NOW.
The hashtags for my diagnosis found me so many amazing kindred spirits and put me within this community but now let's celebrate our uniqueness.
Each one of us has amazing qualities that need to be shared.
So I am planting a little seed to see how it grows and flourishes into something that can only be good, a place to learn to love ourselves again and all the wonderful attributes besides our diagnosis.
So I am planting a little seed to see how it grows and flourishes into something that can only be good, a place to learn to love ourselves again and all the wonderful attributes besides our diagnosis.
The aim of #besidesmydiagnosis is to share self-love and appreciation for people who need to feel they are more than their diagnosis.
Let's fall back in love with ourselves.
See Ness's 'Besides My Diagnosis' 
See if any others have been added . . .
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28 People With Chronic Illness Explain What ‘Brain Fog’ Feels Like to Them
“Brain fog” is a term that often comes up when people share their experiences with chronic illness. If you don’t know what it means, you might assume it’s similar to feeling a little sleepy before your morning coffee, but its effects can extend well beyond that.
Brain fog can be hard to understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself. And even when you have, you might wonder if others ever feel the same way. That’s why we asked our readers on Facebook who have chronic illnesses to describe what it’s really like. Their responses were truly eye-opening:
See what they were . . .
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This section is included because it provides general health education, but not necessarily fibro related.




Newsletter! April 1st, 2016
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I hope that you weren't conned on April Fool's Day!
Have a nice weekend.
Well wishes
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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