I"ve never been so damn sore in all my life!

I think I am smack dab in the middle of a major league flare. Everything is sore, stiff and very painful.

Sleeping on the floor at my mom's house doesn't help, but she gave away my hide a bed while I was in Wyoming.

Aleve and I are the best of friends, and the only reason I'm sleeping these days is because I am so exhausted every day from doing nothing. I went from working 12-15 hour days to zero, and it all feels the same to me, painwise.

I know I need to see a doctor. I saw a doctor in Wyoming before I left, and all he could tell me is that I have somehow developed an ulcer. With all the stuff I went thru at my job, that news didn't surprise me in the least. He was a GP, and the closest Rheumy was at least 30 miles away. With no car, it may as well have been on the friggin moon.

I just have to tough it out I guess, just like I have for the last four years. One of these days soon, I'm actually going to have a job with medical bennies, and I'm going to take full advantage of it.

Until then, I might see if the great state of Oklahoma can help me out somehow. I'm going back to school, maybe they'll take pity on a poor non traditional college student...

We shall see...

FMS article

I found this interesting. Click on the link and read it for yourself.

It's time for me to finally get this under control. Keeping busy and trying not to think about it doesn't cut it anymore.

Maybe this isn't going as well as I had hoped it would

I am still so tired, and I'm pretty sure I'm used to the altitude by now.

After about three months pain free since i've been here, I'm now in pain all the time it seems.

Aleve and I are fast becoming reacquainted.

I have a doctor's appointment on Sept. 18th. It's a family practice doc, but I gotta start somewhere, right?

I just want to rule other things out, and I haven't had a general check up in a very long time. I'm 42 years old; I need to find out what I should be on the look out for because I'm getting older.

So far, it's just bifocals.

I've lost weight, but I really think that's from all the walking I'm doing because I still don't have a car. I'm not eating as much either. I wonder if that means something significant?

And of course, I want to ask about a rheumy, too. I could benefit from seeing someone.

I'm almost desperate enough to try all those supposed "cures" that are out there. Almost, but not quite. I'm not stupid.

I get a lot of freedom in my job to stand and stretch and move around, so what I'm feeling now is not because I'm stuck in a chair eight hours a day.

Maybe it's the hours I work: 5am to 2pm. If the job weren't fun, I'd have never taken the position and moved all the way up here.

I have my dream job. So why do I feel iti's slowly becoming a nightmare?

Any thoughts?

I've been here two months (almost)... a status report

Haven't found a doctor to see here yet, but I think I'm doing pretty well.

For now, Aleve helps with some of the pain, and sometimes, I have my moments where I question my sanity about taking this job. It invloves a lot of sitting, and at times, I am in a lot of pain.

The thing I cannot get used to is the altitude. The city I'm in is not quite a mile high, but I've been exhausted nearly every day I've been here. Most people who have been here a while say that's normal, and that eventually, I will get used to it. My question is: WHEN?! LOL

It's been really hot here, with a weekend not too long ago in the triple digits. There's next to no humidity, so it just feels hot, as opposed to feeling like a limp dishrag because I'm sweating a lot. Don't get me wrong, I do sweat, despite the humidity, just not as much as I did living in Oklahoma.

All in all, I have more good days than bad. Is that a remission of sorts? I don't know. Perhaps I should check the local library for books on FMS. At any rate, it will at least give me something to read.

After I get more acclimated here, I'll start looking for a rheumatologist. I know I'm out in the middle of nowhere pretty much, but there has to be at least one rheumy here, right?

MorelaterZ--

An Announcement

I'm in the process of moving. Posts will resume when I get connected back up to the internet.

The reason I'm moving... I got a job! I had been going to school to study broadcasting, and about two weeks ago, I was offered a job in Wyoming. I accepted and now I'm headed to Wyoming to reclaim my life as a working person with FMS. The job has benefits, so maybe I can get this managed properly after all this time.

Wish me luck and I'll see you soon...

--MorelaterZ--

An update

I know it's been a while since I updated this blog with the progression of my own struggle with FMS. But frankly, there hasn't been much to update. I still experience pain on a daily basis, though somewhat reduced (yay!!), still take my infamous "three hour naps", and stay up way too late at night because it's too uncomfortable to sleep. Aleve is my best friend, as far as pain relievers are concerned.

I'm still not seeing a rheumatologist, because I still don't have the money or the health insurance to pay for one. Hopefully, when I get the job I hope to get here in the near future, there will at least be money to pay for regular treatments. Lord knows I need to see someone, or more correctly, a number of someones, to keep this under better control.

I do, however, have a swollen gland in my neck. It doesn't really bother me painwise, and Dr. Brother-in-law says it could be related to the mononucleosis I had 30 years ago when I was 12. It only bothers me because when I turn my head, it is noticeable. Just another thing on the list to have checked when I get the opportunity to do so.

Prayer and activity do help, but there are just some days I just don't want to get out of bed. And, coupled with the RA I was diagnosed with around the same time as the FMS, it's not a fun ride. Tolerable, yes. Fun? Not even close!

I'm also looking to change the look of my blog somewhat... jazz it up a little, or something. The thing I'm thinking of requires an artist, as I want to change the header to something other than just it saying the title of this blog. I know several artists, and maybe one of them will do the drawing I'm thinking of for free.

Oh, and I was reading over my stats the other day, and there were a couple that got folks here asking about cat health. This blog isn't about cats. I love cats, I've had a few of them. I lost my FMS diagnosing cat in January (Columbus RIP 1999-2006). But if you're looking for advice about your cat's health, contact your vet.

And that's the update. I'll still post articles about FMS/CFS/CFIDS when I run across some good ones.

Before I go-- if you want to link to my site, go ahead. Just email me your site's link and I'll add it to my list on the sidebar. Fair?

--MorelaterZ--

Well, duh! We all knew that

Chronic fatigue may all be in the genes, US says
From Yahoo! News:

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

Chronic fatigue syndrome, once dismissed by some medical experts as being all in the head, has a clear biological basis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Thursday.

A comprehensive study of 227 chronic fatigue syndrome patients shows several genetic differences, the CDC team found.

"It really is the first credible evidence for a biological basis for chronic fatigue syndrome," CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding told reporters in a telephone briefing.

"For the first time ever, we have documented that people with CFS have certain genes that are related to the parts of the brain activity that mediate the stress response," added Dr. William Reeves, who heads CDC's chronic fatigue syndrome public health research program.

"They have different gene activity levels that are related to the body's ability to adapt to stresses that occur through life." Such stresses may include aging and illness, he added.

Researchers have recently discarded theories that viruses like Epstein-Barr virus cause chronic fatigue syndrome, or that some immune system weakness might be involved.

"These findings are important because they will help to focus our research efforts to identify diagnostic tools and more effective treatments which ultimately could alleviate a lot of pain and suffering," Reeves said.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is defined by a range of symptoms, including fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, problems with memory and concentration and often pain.

AT LEAST 1 MILLION WITH CHRONIC FATIGUE IN US

"At least a million American suffer from CFS," Reeves said.

"The average family in which a member suffers from CFS forgoes an estimated $20,000 a year in lost earnings and savings."

Writing in the April issue of Pharmacogenomics, the CDC team said they extensively studied 227 volunteers with chronic fatigue syndrome who spent two days in a hospital ward. Their blood was studied, they were watched and monitored as they slept, and the activity of 20,000 genes was analyzed.

The journal also published more than a dozen papers by researchers asserting a biological basis for the syndrome.

The CDC used a new multidisciplinary approach, which it calls Computational Challenge. They created a molecular profile of each patient, said Dr. Suzanne Vernon, Molecular Epidemiology Team Leader for the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Laboratory.

"We put together four teams of different experts and challenged them to develop ways to integrate and analyze a wide range of medical data so as to identify those things that could improve the diagnosis, treatment, or understanding of CFS," Vernon said.

"Perhaps we are closest to being able to predict how someone will respond to medications, for instance," Vernon added.

Gerberding said the new approach, which uses genetics to look for causes of disease on a population-wide level, might also be applied to diseases such as autism, which many experts also believe may be caused by an underlying genetic susceptibility.


=====
Though the article doesn't mention FMS specifically, I'm willing to bet that the same thing is true of FMS as well.



--MorelaterZ--

From RemedyFind: Causes of Fibromyalgia-- Part 3 of 3

This is Part 3 of a three-part article discussing theories about the causes / triggers of Fibromyalgia. Please understand that most of these theories have yet to be tested, let alone proven.

LYME DISEASE
This disease is caused by a tick bite and symptoms are very similar to FMS/CFIDS. Accurately diagnosing Lyme Disease with blood tests can be problematic, especially if the infection happened a while ago. I heard from one lady who was treated (falsely) for Lyme Disease and now her FMS symptoms are far worse.

TYPE A PERSONALITY
I have yet to meet a person with fibromyalgia who was not intelligent, articulate, and high-achieving. It could be that we manufacture more stress chemicals than our "Type B" friends. We like to stay busy, achieve goals, and carry a lot of responsibility. Because of this, the disabilities that result from fibromyalgia can be devastating to us. Learning to pace ourselves and not saying "YES" to every opportunity is difficult. However, we can re-shape our lives into a more relaxed mode and learn that the world will not cave in if we do not participate in everything. Fibromyalgia does not get better by "pushing the envelope" of our endurance--in fact, it is a sure way to bring on a flare.

SPINAL STENOSIS
It may sound drastic, but a special kind of surgery is being used to successfully cure FMS/CFIDS in some cases. Spinal Stenosis is where the spinal cord is compressed by surrounding bone (such as a herniated disk). This can cause debilitating neurological symptoms throughout the entire body, including pain and weakness. Dr. Tim Johnson reported that a neurosurgical procedure being performed on sufferers of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue had improved their pain and fatigue. Dr. Banner of Dotham, Alabama found many of his patients with chronic pain syndromes had cervical spinal pathology. Some had compression of the spinal cord at the exit from the skull, known as Chiari malformation. Many of these patients had surgery at the University of Alabama by Dr. Michael Rosner and Dr. Dan Heffez. Many had good results and reported a reduction in pain and fatigue after the surgery.

GLUTEN INTOLERANCE
This is also known as celiac disease. People with this condition cannot eat grains such as wheat, barley and rye. Some people who thought they had fibromyalgia actually found out they have celiac disease.

SUBSTANCE P
There are abnormally low levels of blood flow in the parts of the brain that deal with pain in people with FMS. We have twice the level of a brain chemical called Substance P, which helps nervous system cells communicate with each other about painful stimuli. Elevated P levels may actually produce the higher levels of pain throughout the body.

BLOOD VOLUME
Dr. David S. Bell's study with endocrinologist Dr. David Streeten yielded a startling discovery: the vast majority of Bell's FMS/CFIDS patients had extraordinarily low circulating blood volume (a combination of plasma and the red blood cells via which the plasma delivers oxygen throughout the body).

HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE
Many of us with fibromyalgia sleep better if we take a mild antihistamine at bedtime. However, Dr. Felix Ravikovich says that histamine regulates vital functions such as hormonal production, production of neurotransmitters (including serotonin, endorphins and noradrenalin), vascular tone, bowel motility, pain, libido, thirst, and appetite. Because excessive release of histamine is the cause of allergies, doctors prescribe antihistamines to block histamine release. But Dr. Ravikovich says histamine is a self-remedy that can rectify its own production. (I have even heard from people with FMS who say that bee sting therapy has helped them!)

BLOOD THICKNESS
Dr. John Couvaras, while researching infertility in women, found a hypercoagulable state due to a coagulation protein defect that exists in women who were infertile and/or had recurrent spontaneous abortions. When Dr. Couvaras put women on low dose heparin in order to become pregnant, their CFS/FMS symptoms, pelvic pain, and migraine-like headaches diminished.

ANTIBIOTICS
Debra Simon has fascinating information on her site about the overuse of antibiotics in creating yeast-related illnesses, which have many of the same characteristics as fibromyalgia.

VACCINATIONS
Mandatory childhood vaccinations may be the cause of fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and a lot of other illnesses, according to some medical experts. See Dr. Joseph Mercola’s site for more information.

This concludes the discussion about the possible causes of fibromyalgia.

From RemedyFind: Causes of Fibromyalgia-- Part 2 of 3

This is Part 2 of a three-part article discussing theories about the causes of Fibromyalgia. Please understand that most of these theories have yet to be tested, let alone proven. (See previous post on this subject)

VIRUSES
Some researchers believe that the Cytomegalo virus is the cause of Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction FMS/CFIDS. The antibiotic Doxycycline is sometimes used successfully to treat it, but not without side effects. FMS patients often have active bacterial and viral infections like Epstein Barr or Mono, which drain the body’s immune system. Fatigue and muscle pain can be caused by an undetected chronic infection that never improved.

ADRENAL EXHAUSTION
The adrenals are tiny but powerful endocrine glands that sit on top of our kidneys and secrete steroid hormones. Adrenal fatigue can result from persistent or severe emotional or physical stress. If you need sugar, salty foods, or caffeine to keep yourself going, you may have adrenal fatigue. Dr. James Wilson and Dr. Rodger Murphree have information on their websites about how to support and repair the adrenal glands.

MITOCHONDRIA DYSFUNCTION
Mitochondria are the energy producers of the cells. According to Dr. Kent Holtorf, dysfunction in the mitochondria results in the cells starving for energy and patients feeling fatigued, lacking in energy and unable to overcome infections.

LEAKY GUT
Dr. Devin Starlanyl discusses leaky gut syndrome in her book "Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain Syndrome." Also, Dr. Sherry Rogers--another M.D. with fibromyalgia-- states that when people take antibiotics, aspirin and other pain reducing drugs, it can cause intestinal permeability. This is where cells within the intestine separate and small food particles begin to enter the blood stream. Then white fighter cells attack because they see these food particles as something to be destroyed. In doing this, bad toxins are formed in the blood and this causes soreness throughout the body. Chemical sensitivities are caused from leaky gut syndrome.

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS
Some insomniacs who get rid of electromagnetic fields in their bedrooms are able to sleep like babies! You might try shutting off the circuit breaker to your bedroom and see if that helps your sleep improve, or try a magnetic mattress pad from a reputable company.

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION ("DYSAUTONOMIA")
Dr. Manuel Martinez-Lavin of the National Cardiology Institute of Mexico wrote an excellent article explaining fibromyalgia as an autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system dysfunction. His theory is that people with FMS have a sympathetic nervous system that is persistently hyperactive, but hypo-reactive to stress.

MERCURY POISONING
There are many sources of mercury all around us. Dental fillings are just one of them. With amalgams, mercury is released when the teeth grind together while chewing. This mercury is absorbed into blood and tissue--including the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. These two glands play a part in FMS symptoms. Many researchers believe that the brain dysfunction which causes fibromyalgia is a direct result of mercury toxicity. (Some people with FMS have had their amalgam dental fillings replaced with other materials, but not all report improvement in their symptoms.)

SOFT DRINKS
Carbonated beverages contain orthophosphoric acid that leaches calcium and magnesium from the body. These two minerals are sometimes called “nature’s tranquilizers. They are absolutely necessary for healthy muscles and bones and to avoid muscle cramping. (Diet soft drinks are even worse than regular, because they contain aspartame, an excitotoxin.)

THYROID
Symptoms of either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism are remarkably similar to fibromyalgia. Hypothyroid symptoms include fatigue, inability to tolerate cold, fertility problems, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, hair loss, recurrent infections, constipation, depression, difficulty concentrating, slow speech, etc. Hyperthyroid symptoms include nervousness, irritability, a constant feeling of being hot, insomnia, fatigue, hair loss, hand tremors, rapid heartbeat, etc. A blood test can detect an underactive or overactive thyroid gland. There is also a more difficult to detect thyroid problem called “Wilson’s Syndrome.” I have heard from several women whose fibromyalgia symptoms abated when their thyroid problems were detected and correctly treated.

FOOD ALLERGIES
People with fibromyalgia have more incidences of food allergies and sensitivities. Some common allergic / sensitive foods are wheat, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, eggs, peanuts, oranges, chocolate and fermented food. If you suspect any of these are causing you problems, try eliminating them from your diet one at a time and listen to your body. Also, some people with FMS report more muscle pain after eating tomatoes, bell peppers, or potatoes (nightshade vegetables). Tomatoes contain high levels of glutamates, which can cause muscle pain.

STRESS
Prolonged physical or emotional stress can cause fibromyalgia. We deplete the helpful chemicals in our “stress bank” until we are running on empty. We all know how bad we feel physically when there is disharmony in our personal lives, and chronic "invisible" illness puts additional strain on ones personal life and relationships, so this can become a vicious cycle. I recently read a study about how arguing and discord in marriage can suppress the immune system by producing elevated stress hormones.

I've gone Blog Mad!

I've just become aware of a new blogging community, Blog Mad, that I feel has a lot of promise. You earn credits (whole credits, not the partial ones like on Blog Explosion) for surfing member blogs. There's a lot of other fun stuff there, too.

Right now, it's by invitation only, so if you want an invite, shoot me an email, and I'll send one right out to you.

It promises to be interesting, so give it a try!

From RemedyFind: Causes of Fibromyalgia

You can read the whole newsletter here.


What causes fibromyalgia (FMS)? The answer is…nobody really knows, but there are a LOT of theories, which we will explore in this article (Part 1 of 2).

If you have fibromyalgia, then you know the miserable, life-wrecking symptoms of widespread body pain, muscle stiffness, insomnia, fatigue, depression, cognitive problems (fibro fog), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and possibly other unpleasant things to deal with on an everyday basis.

Medical researchers theorize that fibromyalgia may be caused by genetics, food additives (such as excitotoxins), mercury poisoning from dental fillings, neurochemical imbalances caused by diet or stress, viral infections, sleep disorders, toxicity, accidents, hormone imbalances, vaccinations, hypothalamus malfunction, surgery, severe emotional or physical trauma, yeast overgrowth (candidiasis) or nutritional deficiencies. I will attempt to briefly explain some of these below.

Read the rest of this article here. Part 2 is in next month's newsletter.



I know I've been neglecting this blog for a while. I'm trying to find a job in radio with benefits so I can start treatment for my FMS again. I've noticed that when I'm active, as I was with going to school, that I feel better, but I still have my bad days. I'm coping the best I can. I would have liked to get disability, but it just wasn't to be, I suppose.

I'll try to update this more often as I find articles of interest, or to blog about my symptoms (or lack of them).

--MorelaterZ--