Rhonda

I am retired from the USAF. I have two wonderful daughters. My most favorite thing is simply to be with my boyfriend, daughters, family and friends. I enjoy gardening, cooking, theater, dining out, being outdoors, camping, and fishing. I also make stain glass pictures... Powered by www.myfabrik.com
Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com
I STILL NEED YOU TO CARRY ME IT IS A LONG ROAD AHEAD.I have fibromyalgia and CFS. I would like to meet other people who have these syndromes. I would like to compare treatment plans, find out what is new in the research of these illnesses, and be a support to others who also have these disabling syndromes. I don't know how long I have had either of these, but I am sure before I was diagnosed...you know it's "all in your head". I am so glad not to hear that phrase to often anymore, however, I have had to change doctors who say they don't believe in fibromyalgia...you really cannot get good treatment from a doctor who doesn't believe your diagnosis exists. I had to quit working and medically retire as a result of these syndromes and would like to find a solution to where I am well enough to return to work. I push myself everyday to do things even when my pain score is beyond tolerable. I do take breaks in doing whatever I do do...in other words I work at pacing myself. I know it is so easy to overdo and than be out of it for several days or weeks. There are so many things that are problems with fibromyalgia other than the pain. I hate the short term memory problem. My wonderful boyfriend is finally starting to understand that I am listening, however, often forget what it is that he said and/or forget it even in the middle of the conversation. It's awful when you are having an intense conversation and all of a sudden you completely forget what you are talking about. It is so embarassing to ask the other person what you were just saying. Sometimes you can be prompted and than there are times it is completely erased. Of course, the pain can stop you in your tracks...I even have voice activated software because there are times my hands hurt soooo bad that to touch anything...well I actually wish I wouldn't have my hands, but we all know that is not realistic. I do work on keeping a positive attitude. I wear makeup a lot because people can see the pain in my eyes & face easily without it. I hope someday a cure is found, but for now I wish they would at least find some treatments for the symptoms and it really work!!!
.. Make Your Own Sign!!! www.FlashToyBox.comTIPS FOR DEALING WITH PEOPLE IN PAINThis is true for fibromyalgia and alot of the other "invisable diseases"1. People with chronic pain seem unreliable (we can't count on ourselves). When feeling better we promise things (and mean it); when in serious pain, we may not even show up.2. An action or situation may result in pain several hours later, or even the next day. Delayed pain is confusing to people who have never experienced it.3. Pain can inhibit listening and other communication skills. It's like having someone shouting at you, or trying to talk with a fire alarm going off in the room. The effect of pain on the mind can seem like attention deficit disorder. So you may have to repeat a request, or write things down for a person with chronic pain. Don't take it personally, or think that they are stupid.4. The senses can overload while in pain. For example, noises that wouldn't normally bother you, seem too much.5. Patience may seem short. We can't wait in a long line; can't wait for a long drawn out conversation.6. Don't always ask "how are you" unless you are genuinely prepared to listen it just points attention inward.7. Pain can sometimes trigger psychological disabilities (usually very temporary). When in pain, a small task, like hanging out the laundry, can seem like a huge wall, too high to climb over. An hour later the same job may be quite OK. It is sane to be depressed occasionally when you hurt.8. Pain can come on fairly quickly and unexpectedly. Pain sometimes abates after a short rest. Chronic pain people appear to arrive and fade unpredictably to others.9. Knowing where a refuge is, such as a couch, a bed, or comfortable chair, is as important as knowing where a bathroom is. A visit is much more enjoyable if the chronic pain person knows there is a refuge if needed. A person with chronic pain may not want to go anywhere that has no refuge (e.g.no place to sit or lie down).10. Small acts of kindness can seem like huge acts of mercy to a person in pain. Your offer of a pillow or a cup of tea can be a really big thing to a person who is feeling temporarily helpless in the face of encroaching pain.11. Not all pain is easy to locate or describe. Sometimes there is a body-wide feeling of discomfort, with hard to describe pains in the entire back, or in both legs, but not in one particular spot you can point to. Our vocabulary for pain is very limited, compared to the body's ability to feel varieties of discomfort.12. We may not have a good "reason" for the pain. Medical science is still limited in its understanding of pain. Many people have pain that is not yet classified by doctors as an officially recognized "disease". That does not reduce the pain, - it only reduces our ability to give it a label, and to have you believe us.Sick Humor: Answers to But you don't look sick?! Published by: http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com Don't you wish that you had something witty to say when someone says the inevitable? But you don't look sick?! Well now you do. Even if you feel you can't really use these answers when people ask, you can most certainly think of them and giggle. • Oh good..... because "not sick" is just the look I was going for! • There's a well person striving to escape this body! • Really? (Look down at yourself) I'm cured!!! • Thanks! I only needed one painkiller today instead of 5! • Where did you get my medical degree from? • Maybe it's Maybelline. • What is this "sick" you speak of? • But I tried so hard! • Oh? You don't look like the bearer of prejudices. We all make mistakes * Cheery Smile * • Really? That's odd! • For when people are being rude- I don't look (Insert age here) either, but it doesn't change the fact I am! • Why thank you honey, that's so sweet of you to say that! • I wasn't aware illnesses came mounted on a billboard! • Huh? What does sick look like?How sweet of you to say that. I've been so tired; I haven't bathed in three days. And I was sort of worried about going out in public looking like this. So thanks for the compliment. It's really made my day. • And I guess your X-ray vision isn't working too well today either! You should see how corroded some of my parts are on the inside. Some of my organs are in their 90's, some in their 70's. It's hard to keep track!!! • Yeah, isn't it great? I guess I'm the healthiest looking sick person you've ever seen, huh? Isn't it weird how looks can deceive? • Yep well it's nothing to get excited about! • Well I'm NOT sick, my body is! • What do you think "Don't judge a book by its cover" means? • Just because I look ok, doesn't mean I'm fine. • I work hard to look this good. • Are you flirting with me? • I have good and bad days, but I'll never be the way I was before I got sick. • Darn! I told Q this was the wrong host body!! I should go back to the mother ship. • This is my Alter-Ego! • Should I get a refund? • It's really good to know that the 4 hours it took me to get out of bed, and get ready this morning wasn't wasted! • Really? That's not what my psychiatrist told me. • Oh gosh I didn't realize it was you who was blind. I mean people told me but I must have gotten muddled, its the drugs you know, but wow you're coping so well.……. *continue babbling till they back away* • You should see the straight jacket they make me wear! • Thanks! Funny, knowing that I don't look sick, gives me a new appreciation and patience for the people I might meet who look healthy and may not be. • Oh yeah? Check this out (show them something freaky) • Really? Ok let's trade bodies for the day! • What exactly does (insert illness) look like? • Ignorance is bliss I guess! • I guess hard work pays off! • Well of course not, I look like (insert name here) Duh!And you look Intelligent! • And you don't look stupid! • Would a bit of vomit help? Because I'm feeling quiet nauseous."Acute Pain Protects Life Chronic Pain Destroys It" Chronic pain is exhausting in every way: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.Chronic pain destroys our normal assumptions about the world. It never releases us from its grip and continually frustrates our hopes for gradual improvement. Ultimately it introduces us to an unsettling counter world where, as Emily Dickinson described it, time has stopped. (The time before pain is almost inconceivable, or else recedes in memory like a faded dream) It is a place where, gradually, almost without noticing, you find yourself at last all alone. Chronic pain penetrates so completely that it leaves no escape. It lives within us like an unimaginably dull nightmare.Nightmare is not simply a figure of speech when applied to chronic pain. Lawrence LeShan, from the Institute of Applied Biology, described the universe perceived by the patient in chronic pain as structurally identical with the universe of the nightmare. Nightmares, according to LeShan, possess three unvarying features; 1) terrible things are being done and worse are being threatened; 2) we are helplessly under the control of outside forces; and 3) we cannot predict when the ordeal will end. LeShan concludes; "The person in pain is in the same formal situation: Terrible things are being done to him and he does not know if worse will happen; he has no control and is helpless to take effective action; no time limit is given." Only one feature should be added to LeShan's description. Chronic pain is a nightmare from which we may never truly awaken - or a waking state in which the nightmare never ends. One pain patient expressed the uninterrupted dislocation he felt as follows: "It's always three o'clock in the morning." We can better grasp the dilemma facing people with chronic pain - especially their sense of dislocation - if we consider the ways in which our culture teaches us to confront pain with silence and denial.It is mostly acute pain that we learn about. No one teaches us what to do with a pain that never stops. Nevertheless we learn. Patients with chronic pain soon discover that their complaints often exhaust, frustrate, and finally alienate family and friends and physicians. Many patients thus learn to retreat into a defensive isolation. They experience firsthand the failure of words in the face of suffering. Virginia Woolf wrote: "The merest schoolgirl, when she falls in love, has Shakespeare or Keats to speak her mind for her; but let a sufferer try to describe a pain to a doctor, and language at once runs dry."Chronic pain opens on an unsocial wordless terrain where all communication threatens to come to a halt. Cries for help prove mostly useless. The person in pain belongs to a world that no one else can entirely share or comprehend. Perhaps there is something finally incomprehensible in pain that supplies, as Emily Dickinson saw so clearly, its peculiar quality of blankness. "It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled Me." writes Melville's narrator, Ishmael, in Moby Dick. This mysterious, unresponsive absence of color - "a dumb blankness" as Ishmael calls it - seems to him somehow infinitely terrible. "There yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue," he writes, "Which strikes more of panic to the soul than that redness which affrights in blood."Pain partakes of this eerie and sometimes appalling power to drain off everything that gives the world vividness, color, coherence, and value. The blankness of pain may be its most terrifying attribute. It casts us back upon a featureless landscape.Fibromyalgia Credit to: National Fibromyalgia Association 2200 N. Glassell St., Suite A, Orange, CA 92865 Phone: 714.921.0150 Fax: 714.921.6920 www.fmaware.org What is Fibromyalgia? Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain, and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands, but any body part can be affected. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time. Who is affected? It is estimated that approximately 5-7% of the U.S. population has FM. Although a higher percentage of women of all ages and races are affected, it does strike men and children. Because of its debilitating nature, fibromyalgia has a serious impact on patients' families, friends and employers, as well as society at large. What are the symptoms? FM is characterized by the presence of multiple tender points and a constellation of symptoms. The pain of FM is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. FM pain has been described as deep muscular aching, throbbing, twitching, stabbing and shooting pain. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress. In today's world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of FM is much more than being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically. Many fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep. Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud's Syndrome, neurological symptoms, impaired coordination and others. How is it diagnosed? Currently there are no laboratory tests available for diagnosing fibromyalgia. Doctors must rely on patient histories, self-reported symptoms, a physical examination and an accurate manual tender point examination. This exam is based on the standardized ACR criteria. Proper implementation of the exam determines the presence of multiple tender points at characteristic locations. It is estimated that it takes an average of five years for a FM patient to get an accurate diagnosis. Many doctors are still not adequately informed or educated about FM. Laboratory tests often prove negative and many FM symptoms overlap with those of other conditions, thus leading to extensive investigative costs and frustration for both the doctor and patient. Another essential point that must be considered is that the presence of other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, does not rule out an FM diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is not a diagnosis of exclusion and must be diagnosed by its own characteristic features. To receive a diagnosis of FM, the patient must meet the following diagnostic criteria: Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months Tenderness or pain in at least 11 of the 18 specified tender points when pressure is applied.What causes FM? While the underlying cause or causes of FM still remain a mystery, new research findings continue to bring us closer to understanding the basic mechanisms of fibromyalgia. Most researchers agree that FM is a disorder of central processing with neuroendocrine/neurotransmitter dysregulation. The FM patient experiences pain amplification due to abnormal sensory processing in the central nervous system. An increasing number of scientific studies now show multiple physiological abnormalities in the FM patient, including: increased levels of substance P in the spinal cord, low levels of blood flow to the thalamus region of the brain, HPA axis hypofunction, low levels of serotonin and tryptophan and abnormalities in cytokine function. Recent studies show that genetic factors may predispose individuals to a genetic susceptibility to FM. For some, the onset of FM is slow; however, in a large percentage of patients the onset is triggered by an illness or injury that causes trauma to the body. These events may act to incite an undetected physiological problem already present. Exciting new research has also begun in the areas of brain imaging and neurosurgery. Ongoing research will test the hypothesis that FM is caused by an interpretative defect in the central nervous system that brings about abnormal pain perception. Medical researchers have just begun to untangle the truths about this life-altering disease. How is FM treated? One of the most important factors in improving the symptoms of FM is for the patient to recognize the need for lifestyle adaptation. Most people are resistant to change because it implies adjustment, discomfort and effort. However, in the case of FM, change can bring about recognizable improvement in function and quality of life. Becoming educated about FM gives the patient more potential for improvement. An empathetic physician who is knowledgeable about the diagnosis and treatment of FM and who will listen to and work with the patient is an important component of treatment. It may be a family practitioner, an internist, or a specialist (rheumatologist or neurologist, for example). Conventional medical intervention may be only part of a potential treatment program. Alternative treatments, nutrition, relaxation techniques and exercise play an important role in FM treatment as well. Each patient should, with the input of a healthcare practitioner, establish a multifaceted and individualized approach that works for them. Pain Management: Over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, may be helpful in relieving pain. The physician may decide to prescribe one of the newer non-narcotic pain relievers (e.g. tramadol) or low doses of antidepressants (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or benzodiazepines. Patients must remember that antidepressants are "serotonin builders" and can be prescribed at low levels to help improve sleep and relieve pain. If the patient is experiencing depression, higher levels of these or other medications may need to be prescribed. Lidocaine injections into the patient's tender points also work well on localized areas of pain. An important aspect of pain management is a regular program of gentle exercise and stretching, which helps maintain muscle tone and reduces pain and stiffness. Sleep Management: Improved sleep can be obtained by implementing a healthy sleep regimen. This includes going to bed and getting up at the same time every day; making sure that the sleeping environment is conducive to sleep (i.e. quiet, free from distractions, a comfortable room temperature, a supportive bed); avoiding caffeine, sugar and alcohol before bed; doing some type of light exercise during the day; avoiding eating immediately before bedtime and practicing relaxation exercises as you fall to sleep. When necessary, there are new sleep medications that can be prescribed, some of which can be especially helpful if the patient's sleep is disturbed by restless legs or periodic limb movement disorder. Psychological Support: Learning to live with a chronic illness often challenges an individual emotionally. The FM patient needs to develop a program that provides emotional support and increases communication with family and friends. Many communities throughout the United States and abroad have organized fibromyalgia support groups. These groups often provide important information and have guest speakers who discuss subjects of particular interest to the FM patient. Counseling sessions with a trained professional may help improve communication and understanding about the illness and help to build healthier relationships within the patient's family. Other Treatments: Complementary therapies can be very beneficial. These include: physical therapy, therapeutic massage, myofascial release therapy, water therapy, light aerobics, acupressure, application of heat or cold, acupuncture, yoga, relaxation exercises, breathing techniques, aromatherapy, cognitive therapy, biofeedback, herbs, nutritional supplements, and osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation. What is the prognosis? Better than ever before! The efforts of individuals, support groups, organizations, and medical professionals to help improve the quality of life for people with FM are starting to pay off. Better ways to diagnose and treat FM are on the horizon. The symptoms of FM can vary in severity and often wax and wane, but most patients do tend to improve over time. By actively seeking new information, talking to others who have FM, re-evaluating daily priorities, making lifestyle changes, and working hard to keep a hopeful attitude, the FM sufferer can become the FM survivor! Open Letter to NormalsExplain your condition to the healthy people in your life.The information on this page may be freely copied for your use if the text is kept intact and unaltered.These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me...Please understand that being sick doesn't mean I'm not still a human being. I have to spend most of my day flat on my back in bed and I might not seem like great company, but I'm still me stuck inside this body. I still worry about school and work and my family and friends, and most of the time I'd still like to hear you talk about yours too.Please understand the difference between "happy" and "healthy". When you've got the flu you probably feel miserable with it, but I've been sick for years. I can't be miserable all the time, in fact I work hard at not being miserable. So if you're talking to me and I sound happy, it means I'm happy. That's all. I may be tired. I may be in pain. I may be sicker that ever. Please, don't say, "Oh, you're sounding better!" I am not sounding better, I am sounding happy. If you want to comment on that, you're welcome.Please understand that being able to stand up for five minutes, doesn't necessarily mean that I can stand up for ten minutes, or an hour. It's quite likely that doing that five minutes has exhausted my resources and I'll need to recover - imagine an athlete after a race. They couldn't repeat that feat right away either. With a lot of diseases you're either paralyzed or you can move. With this one it gets more confusing.Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, "sitting up", "walking", "thinking", "being sociable" and so on ... it applies to everything. That's what a fatigue-based illness does to you.Please understand that chronic illnesses are variable. It's quite possible (for me, it's common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, while the next day I'll have trouble getting to the kitchen. Please don't attack me when I'm ill by saying, "But you did it before!" If you want me to do something, ask if I can and I'll tell you. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel an invitation at the last minute, if this happens please don't take it personally.Please understand that "getting out and doing things" does not make me feel better, and can often make me seriously worse. Fibromyalgia may cause secondary depression (wouldn't you get depressed if you were stuck in bed for years on end!?) but it is not caused by depression. Telling me that I need some fresh air and exercise is not appreciated and not correct - if I could do it, I would.Please understand that if I say I have to sit down/lie down/take these pills now, that I do have to do it right now - it can't be put off or forgotten just because I'm doing something. Fibromyalgia does not forgive.Please understand that I can't spend all of my energy trying to get well. With a short-term illness like the flu, you can afford to put life on hold for a week or two while you get well. But part of having a chronic illness is coming to the realization that you have to spend some energy on having a life now. This doesn't mean I'm not trying to get better. It doesn't mean I've given up. It's just how life is when you're dealing with a chronic illness.If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don't. It's not because I don't appreciate the thought, and it's not because I don't want to get well. It's because I have had almost every single one of my friends suggest one at one point or another. At first I tried them all, but then I realized that I was using up so much energy trying things that I was making myself sicker, not better. If there was something that cured, or even helped, all people with Fibro then we'd know about it. This is not a drug-company conspiracy, there is worldwide networking (both on and off the Internet) between people with Fibro, if something worked we would KNOW.If after reading that, you still want to suggest a cure, then do it, preferably in writing, but don't expect me to rush out and try it. If I haven't had it suggested before, I'll take what you said and discuss it with my doctor.Please understand that getting better from an illness like this can be very slow. People with Fibro have so many systems in their bodies out of equilibrium, and functioning wrongly, that it may take a long time to sort everything out.I depend on you - people who are not sick - for many things.But most importantly, I need you to understand me.My Name is Fibromyalgia By Terri BeenHi....My Name is Fibromyalgia, and I'm an Invisible Chronic Illness. I am now velcroed to you for life. Others around you can't see me or hear me, but YOUR body feels me. I can attack you anywhere and anyhow I please. I can cause severe pain or, if I'm in a good mood, I can just cause you to ache all over.Remember when you and Energy ran around together and had fun? I took Energy from you, and gave you Exhaustion. Try to have fun now! I also took Good Sleep from you and, in its place, gave you Brain Fog. I can make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else feels normal. Oh, yeah, I can make you feel anxious or depressed, too. If you have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take that away, too. You didn't ask for me. I chose you for various reasons: That virus you had that you never recovered from, or that car accident, or maybe it was the years of abuse and trauma. Well, anyway, I'm here to stay!I hear you're going to see a doctor who can get rid of me. I'm rolling on the floor, laughing. Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors until you find one who can help you effectively. You will be put on pain pills, sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression, given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I will go away, told to think positively, poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not taken as seriously as you feel when you cry to the doctor how debilitating life is every day.Your family, friends and coworkers will all listen to you until they just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and that I'm a debilitating disease. Some of them will say things like "Oh, you are just having a bad day" or "Well, remember, you can't do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago", not hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago. Some will just start talking behind your back, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a "Normal" person, and can't remember what you were going to say next!In closing, (I was hoping that I kept this part a secret), but I guess you already found out...the ONLY place you will get any support and understanding in dealing with me is with Other People With Fibromyalgia.Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Credit to: CDC Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/cfsbasicfacts.htmChronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS, is a debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that is not improved by bed rest and that may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the onset of illness. In addition to these key defining characteristics, patients report various nonspecific symptoms, including weakness, muscle pain, impaired memory and/or mental concentration, insomnia, and post-exertional fatigue lasting more than 24 hours. In some cases, CFS can persist for years. The cause or causes of CFS have not been identified and no specific diagnostic tests are available. Moreover, since many illnesses have incapacitating fatigue as a symptom, care must be taken to exclude other known and often treatable conditions before a diagnosis of CFS is made. Definition of CFS A great deal of debate has surrounded the issue of how best to define CFS. In an effort to resolve these issues, an international panel of CFS research experts convened in 1994 to draft a definition of CFS that would be useful both to researchers studying the illness and to clinicians diagnosing it. In essence, in order to receive a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, a patient must satisfy two criteria: 1. Have severe chronic fatigue of six months or longer duration with other known medical conditions excluded by clinical diagnosis; and 2. Concurrently have four or more of the following symptoms: substantial impairment in short-term memory or concentration; sore throat; tender lymph nodes; muscle pain; multi-joint pain without swelling or redness; headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; unrefreshing sleep; and post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours. The symptoms must have persisted or recurred during six or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue. For more detailed information regarding the definition of CFS, please go to our CFS Definition section Defining CFS Symptoms • CFS is marked by extreme fatigue that has lasted at least six months; is not the result of ongoing effort; is not substantially relieved by rest; and causes a substantial reduction in daily activities. • In addition to fatigue, CFS includes eight characteristic symptoms: o postexertional malaise (relapse of symptoms after physical or mental exertion); o unrefreshing sleep; o substantial impairment in memory/concentration; o muscle pain; o pain in multiple joints; o headaches of a new type, pattern or severity; o sore throat; and o tender neck or armpit lymph nodes. • Symptoms and their consequences can be severe. CFS can be as disabling as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure and similar chronic conditions. Symptom severity varies from patient to patient and may vary over time for an individual patient. Diagnosis of CFS • There are no physical signs that identify CFS • There are no diagnostic laboratory tests for CFS. • People who suffer the symptoms of CFS must be carefully evaluated by a physician because many treatable medical and psychiatric conditions are hard to distinguish from CFS. Common conditions that should be ruled out through a careful medical history and appropriate testing include mononucleosis, Lyme disease, thyroid conditions, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, various cancers, depression and bipolar disorder. • Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that less than 20% of CFS patients in this country have been diagnosed. Possible Causes of CFS • Despite an intensive, nearly 20-year search, the cause of CFS remains unknown. Many different infectious agents and physiologic and psychological causes have been considered, and the search continues. • Much of the ongoing research into a cause has centered on the roles of the immune, endocrine and nervous systems may play in CFS. More recently, interactions among these factors are under evaluation. • Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in developing and/or prolonging the illness, although more research is needed to confirm this. CDC is applying cutting-edge genomic and proteomic tools to understand the origins and pathogenesis of CFS. • CFS is not caused by depression, although the two illnesses often coexist, and many patients with CFS have no psychiatric disorder. Treatment of CFS • Since there is no known cure for CFS, treatment is aimed at symptom relief and improved function. A combination of drug and nondrug therapies is usually recommended. • No single therapy exists that helps all CFS patients. • Lifestyle changes, including prevention of overexertion, reduced stress, dietary restrictions, gentle stretching and nutritional supplementation, are frequently recommended in addition to drug therapies used to treat sleep, pain and other specific symptoms. • Carefully supervised physical therapy may also be part of treatment for CFS. However, symptoms can be exacerbated by overly ambitious physical activity. A very moderate approach to exercise and activity management is recommended to avoid overactivity and to prevent deconditioning. • Although health care professionals may hesitate to give patients a diagnosis of CFS for various reasons, it's important to receive an appropriate and accurate diagnosis to guide treatment and further evaluation. • Delays in diagnosis and treatment are thought to be associated with poorer long-term outcomes. For example, CDC's research has shown that those who have CFS for two years or less were more likely to improve. It's not known if early intervention is responsible for this more favorable outcome; however, the longer a person is ill before diagnosis, the more complicated the course of the illness appears to be. Recovery from CFS • CFS affects each individual differently. Some people with CFS remain homebound and others improve to the point that they can resume work and other activities, even though they continue to experience symptoms. • Recovery rates for CFS are unclear. Improvement rates varied from 8% to 63% in a 2005 review of published studies, with a median of 40% of patients improving during follow-up. However, full recovery from CFS may be rare, with an average of only 5% to 10% sustaining total remission. Other subtitles in this article are: Similar Medical Conditions , Other Conditions That May Cause Similar Symptoms , Other Commonly Observed Symptoms in CFS , Prevalence of CFS, Risk Factors for CFS.BRAIN FOG aka FIBRO FOG If I seem to forget something you told me, or vice versa...this is why. It is a symptom of fibromyalgia. It's referred to as "Fibro Fog". Brain fog aka fibro fog is a commonly reported symptom of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients often describe multiple sensations of fatigue and listlessness combined with transitory states of confusion, poor attention and concentration, and short-term memory loss. This fibro fog tends to exacerbate the deficits in daily functioning that a fibromyalgia sufferer must deal with.What causes fibro fog? There's no conclusive origin for this symptom of FMS, nor an explanation as to why it exists in varying degrees for different fibromyalgia patients. Sleep deprivation and significant difficulty in achieving and/or maintaining deep level sleep, however, may very well point to the answer.It is at the deeper levels of sleep (delta wave sleep) that a person's mind conducts its internal "housekeeping". During this phase of sleep, newly acquired information is assimilated and integrated. The inability to get enough restorative deep-level sleep may have an impairing effect on an individual's ability to recall information or operate at a normal level of mental efficiency. 50 Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: 1. pain 2. fatigue 3. sleep disorder 4. morning stiffness 5. cognitive or memory impairment 6. irritable bowel 7. chronic headaches 8. TMJ syndrome 9. numbness and tingling sensation 10. muscle twitching 11. skin sensitivities 12. dry eyes and mouth 13. dizziness 14. allergic symptoms 15. mitral valve prolapse 16. heel or arch pain 17. brain fatigue 18. painful periods 19. chest pains, noncardiac 20. depression 21. panic attacks 22. irritable bladder 23. multiple chemical sensitivities 24. joint hypermobility 25. suicidal 26. personality changes 27. lightheadedness 28. disequilibrium 29. severe muscle weakness 30. intolerance of bright lights 31. alteration of taste, smell, hearing 32. low frequency, sensorineural hearing loss 33. decreased painful sound threshold 34. ringing in the ears 35. exaggerated involuntary rapid eye movement 36. changes in visual acuity 37. intolerance of alcohol 38. enhancement of medication side effects 39. intolerance of previously tolerated medications 40. severe nasal and other allergies possible sinus infections 41. weight change (gain) 42. muscle and joint aches 43. night sweats 44. heart palpitations 45. muscle spasms 46. Raynaud's-like symptoms 47. carpal tunnel syndrome 48. heartburn 49. difficulty swallowing 50. interstitial cystitisStress and the Immune System in Fibromyalgia SufferersThere is a symbiotic relationship between stress and the immune system, which explains why those who lead stressful lives are so much more susceptible to illness. This includes the fibromyalgia sufferer who remains chronically "sick" all the time. In addition, many researchers feel that fibromyalgia is brought on by a weakened immune system.The good news about stress and the immune system The physiological effects of stress have been hardwired into our bodies through the process of evolution. Situations that threaten or challenge us lead to what is known as the fight-or-flight response, which causes our adrenal glands to release cortisol into our blood stream.If we take a close look at cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, we can begin to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the connection between stress and the immune system.It isn't all bad news. In the initial stage, cortisol highlights a positive connection between stress and the immune system. A small dose of this stress hormone leads to:• a quick burst of energy • heightened memory • lower sensitivity to pain • maintenance of homeostasis (a balance) in the body • increased immunityIdeally, once the perceived threat subsides, your relaxation response will be invoked and your body will return to normal. The bad news about stress and the immune system If, however, the stress doesn't subside, your body is subjected to excessive amounts of cortisol. In a state of chronic stress your body will also go into survival mode, tapping into your food and energy stores. Other effects of higher, more prolonged exposure to cortisol include:• impaired cognitive function ("fibro fog" as we know it) • suppressed thyroid function (many fibromyalgia sufferers sufferer from hypothyroidism) • blood sugar imbalances • decreased bone density and muscle tone • higher blood pressure • lower inflammatory response (can contribute to joint pain) • increased fat deposited around the abdomen (most fibro sufferers complain of weight gain) • greater risk of heart attack and stroke • lowered immune functionIt is very important to learn how to control stress which in turn should help with your fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue symptoms.Fibromyalgia and Weight Gain A high percentage of fibromyalgia sufferers have a tendency to gain weight even if they don’t eat much in the first place. This especially holds true if the person also suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Weight gain in FMS sufferers can occur for a few reasons: • Many FMS sufferers are under constant stress for various reasons. Stress leads to the release of a hormone called cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels contribute to weight gain. • Many FMS sufferers do not sleep well. Deep sleep is a major trigger for growth hormone production that stimulates production of muscle, burns fat and improves insulin sensitivity thus decreasing the tendency to make and store fat in the body. Therefore getting the required eight to nine hours of sleep each night can powerfully contribute to staying young and trim. • Many FMS sufferers do not eat the required 3-5 meals per day. By not eating, your metabolism slows and you lose muscle weight not body fat. Muscle tone dictates your metabolism. Increased muscle tone means a higher metabolism and a higher metabolism means you burn more calories at rest keeping you in the “fat burning” mode throughout the course of the day. Thus, you will keep your weight under control. A slowed metabolism has the opposite effect. • Many FMS sufferers eat too much “junk food.” Eating sugary snacks (mostly because they are convenient) will spike your blood sugar which in turn will cause your body to release increased amounts of insulin. These “spikes” will signal your body to store body fat. • Weight gain is a side effect from many of the FMS medications that patients are put on. Do your homework and read up on your medications.Fibromyalgia Symptom - Fatigue The adrenal glands are the glands that help us handle stress in our bodies (often times this is known as the classic “fight or flight” reaction which can happen quite a few times per day). And as you can guess, the more times it happens, the worse off we probably are in the long run.If the body is provoked into a “fight or flight” response by stress or emergency; blood sugar levels will rise, blood vessels constrict and the heart beats faster which in turn can raise blood pressure. For many of us, this happens multiple times throughout the day, but this especially happens to people who are under increased stress levels. So as you can see, if this happens often throughout the day, day after day, these glands could potentially burn out.People who have been in pain for long periods of time, who don’t sleep well, who are continuously fatigued, who use stimulants such as caffeine, who have a poor diet, who are on numerous medications and who are under a lot of stress can go into what is called “Adrenal Exhaustion.” This means that the adrenals are not functioning properly or optimally. They are under-active because basically they are “burnt out” from over use.When the glands burn out, we feel burnt out! This can lead to increased levels of fatigue. You can see how this can “tie in” with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and as you know, chronic fatigue is associated with fibromyalgia.By using stimulants such as caffeine and consuming excessive amounts of sugar (which as you know, is used in excess in the typical American diet), we typically feel that “jolt” of energy. However, this burst of energy is short-lived. We then consume more stimulants to pick us up again. This turns into a vicious cycle and in the long run is only adding to the chronic fatigue.My suggestion is to consume caffeine and sugar in moderation, especially sugar. Even cutting back a little should help increase your energy levels.Once adrenal exhaustion sets in and the glands remain in this stressful state, the body will begin to break down. Being constantly stressed seems to contribute to chronic illnesses. This is why it is important to learn how to handle and/or deal with stress.Fibromyalgia Symptom Treatment One of the best things that you can do is begin a gentle, exercise program.The hardest part for most people who want to exercise, is starting. It is difficult to begin a program because most people are either in too much pain or they are too tired to even get started.If you do not have the motivation to begin an exercise program at this time than literally just “think” about exercising (even if it is just walking). Then after 14 days of thinking about exercising, try to start a program slowly.Once you can finally motivate yourself to start a program, it becomes much easier to continue with one.Walking is a great form of exercise. When possible, walk outdoors versus inside on a treadmill. Outdoors, you’ll get fresh air, the enjoyment of scenery, and if you walk during the day, you will benefit from the sunshine.In addition to walking, you should try to do some mild/easy form of exercise. You can try swimming, tennis, light weight resistance training, bicycling, etc. We have all heard how exercise triggers the release of endorphins (kind of like when runners get what they call the ‘runners high’) in our bodies which are potent brain chemicals that relieve pain and help stimulate relaxation. Look at it this way, the more endorphins that are released, the greater your sense of calm and relief of pain. I have heard that YOGA is great for FMS.Myspace Graphics
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