Dream about Dick Van Dyke + Andy Griffith = Getting Old is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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Putting Fatigue in Perspective: What Fatigue Really Is is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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1. It’s All In Your Head Anyone who copes with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Fibromyalgia...

The worst insult is probably: Everybody gets tired.

We know that! Before we got sick, we just got tired, too. But this fatigue is far beyond anything I (or most of the rest of us) would wish on anyone. If you can imagine how you feel on the worst day of having the flu, you can imagine how somebody with CFS feels on a good day.

That’s why it took me more than two months before I could get past the opening line to read the article I’m about to recommend.

Can people think themselves sick? This is what psychiatrist Simon Wessely explores. His research into the causes of conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and Gulf war syndrome….

I read that, and while I didn’t dismiss the article, I did get angry at the person who’d recommended that I read it.

I then ignored it for over two months. Through countless reboots and browser saves, I left it open in a tab in FireFox. It became one more thing on my To Do (Someday™) List.

The article to which I refer is a 13 March 2009 interview by Clare Wilson in NewScientist: Mind over body? It’s obvious from the interview that British Psychiatrist Simon Wessely, founder of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research and Treatment Unit at King’s College London and the first specialist NHS clinic for CFS at what is now King’s College Hospital, isn’t out to win friends. But once you get beyond the controversies, you come to realize that he does make some valid points, among them:

Roughly a third of people completely recover and a third show good improvement. About a third we can’t do much for.

We all celebrate those who have had any improvement in his or her CFS condition. We envy (yet cheer!) those who have made a complete recovery. Of those of us who remain in that latter group, we prefer not to give up hope. And so, in search of finding that gem of information that will help us find our step toward a miracle cure, we eventually read articles like Mind over body? and pray.

Articles like Mind over body? validate that there simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for CFS, FM, IBS, and MCS.

The everyday realities coping with those conditions is that it isn’t all in one’s head. It’s there and in every other fiber of one’s being. Occasionally, it can be pushed aside long enough to allow for another fleeting glimpse at normal life.

Read More:

Mind over body?

New Scientist: Letters in response to Simon Wessely interview

…In the UK, the ME Association has just collated results from the largest ever survey of patient opinion, with over 4000 respondents. Over 50 per cent reported that behavioural treatments such as cognitive behaviour therapy and graded exercise therapy were either ineffective or made their condition worse.

NOTE: The New Scientist received more than 485 responses to Mind over body? Of those, they reprinted 2 in their magazine. If you wish to voice your thoughts on Simon Wessely’s article, please post them in the Comments section following this post. As I am able, I will see that non-spam/sham ones appear on this site.

Blog Entries about Simon Wessely

CFS and CFIDS Awareness T-Shirt and Gift Merchandise

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It’s All In Your Head is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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1. Putting Fatigue in Perspective: What Fatigue Really Is ...

My Amazing Crunchless Abs is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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You can view the entire index for the comic strips by clicking on the Comic Strip link in the Categories section of the middle column on this (and every) page.

Updates Done on Chronic Illness Realities Comic Strips is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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Let the Changes Begin! is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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Once my (self-named) Code Monkey gets the foundation in place, I’ll be able to begin building the new and improved home for this chronic illness- and chronic condition-related site. Once that’s done, archives will appear on this site that are dated before the date of this post. That’s because I intend to maintain the original dates of the prior Chronic-Illness.org content. New content will be announced on this page on the date that it appears on the site. All content will be available via a series of keyword-related and category links.

Chronic-Illness.org Will Soon Undergo Some Changes…. is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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Note: I wrote an initial article about the Bounce Back Exercise Chair in 2005 while working as the about.com guide for the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome site. Getting a chair for myself has been my goal since that time and I now finally have one! I’ve had mine for a week, and I can tell a difference already; it’s especially helped lessen some of my lower back pain. … Now for the article:

Maintaining or improving one’s physical fitness is difficult for a healthy person. It’s even more so for those with Fibromyalgia, and especially so for those who are exercise intolerant because of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Although it doesn’t promise an easy solution, the Bounce Back Fitness Chair does provide a safer fitness alternative. Because it combines the function of low-impact aerobics while the user is seated in a comfortable chair, anyone with balance or most other mobility problems can perform the exercise.

Ouida Stephens, RN, has worked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients through physician referral since 1993, and says that the Bounce Back Chair is of benefit to those who have a limited tolerance for physical exercise because the Bounce Back Exercise Chair makes it possible for the patient to approach exercise carefully, and slowly increase exercise duration times as the patient is able. Ouida says that “patients who have done well … have started with as low as five minutes daily and taken as long as six months to increase their [exercise] time to thirty minutes.”

An article by Carol Sieverling on ImmuneSupport.com states that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome expert Dr. Paul Cheney, M.D., Ph.D. recommends the bounce back exercise chair for “low level, non-vigorous bouncing for ten to fifteen minutes every other day.” An article that appeared in the July/August 1998 issue of The CFIDS Chronicle states that Dr. Chaney “cautions against aerobic exercise — any kind of sustained activity, such as running or walking or swimming” because such prolonged activity can damage the mitochondria (energy producing part of the cells), which appears to be malfunctioning in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients; the mitochondria appears to be vulnerable to excessive aerobic exercise. Instead he “recommends a routine of 10 seconds of activity followed by 60 seconds of rest,” such as the rebounding or bouncing exercise possible through use of the Bounce Back Fitness Chair.

According to information on the Allfit site, the chair is built for those who weigh between 70 to 250 pounds. Upgrades are available to make the chair suitable for those who weigh between 250-350 pounds and 300-450 pounds.

The exercise performed on the chair:

• Stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluids through the body by as much as 10 times their normal rate
• Assists the body in removing toxins, strengthening the immune system, and building strong, healthy cells
• Improves blood circulation and oxygenation to tissue and organs
• Builds strength and muscle
• Provides a means to manage physical stress

The Allfit site further states that the chair specifically helps those with Fibromyalgia because stronger muscles are used to exercise weaker ones.

Ouida Stephens, RN of Sun-Ray Supply does provide this warning about the chair: “The exercises seem so simple and innocuous that it is very easy to over-exert. Failure to advance slowly with this equipment can lead to a major relapse for CFIDS* patients.”

*Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is also sometimes referred to as CFIDS, which is an acronym for Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.

Although none of them are from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia patients, there are some interesting testimonials about the Bounce Back Fitness Chair on the Allfit site that provides quotes from forums maintained by the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

June 2008 update:

Until I am ready to announce the sites that I will be providing for this purpose, further explanations about how to assemble the chair, plus why it’s also helpful for those with diabetes, arthritis, and some back problems and information on the other benefits can be found at:

Allfit

Or you can contact Doug at Allfit directly by calling (888) 272-2225 or by e-mail.

October 2008 update:

Now that BouncePotato.com is online, I’ll soon be blogging about my experiences with the bounce-back exercise chair as well as the things I’m doing to cope with my disabling chronic conditions and illnesses.

Special thanks to Ouida Stephens, RN of Sun-Ray Supply for in 2005 providing me with the information about the Bounce Back Fitness Chair; her answers to my questions helped me able to write my original article.

# # #

Copyright © 2005-2008 Pamela Rice Hahn
All Rights Reserved

Exercise While Sitting Down is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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1. It’s All In Your Head Anyone who copes with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Fibromyalgia...

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E., ME) — referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) per CDC definition in the United States or Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) — is a complex disorder characterized by persistent fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and post-exertional malaise. (Malaise is usually referred to as the feeling of bodily discomfort at the beginning of an illness; in ME/CFS, malaise is not limited to the onset to the illness, but for those with exercise-intolerant ME/CFS, it is the pain, discomfort, and depression that can follow any exertion.) Because the mechanism of fatigue in CFS is not known and as no reliable diagnostic test is available, misdiagnosis is common and treatment regimes vary.

T-shirts and Gift Ideas Index for the “a nap is only nice when it’s a luxury, not a necessity” design

More reliable diagnostic criteria soon may become possible thanks to the research done by a doctor in Scotland.

Conducting research done at the University of Glasgow, Dr. John W. Gow has generated what he believes to be a “gene signature” of patients with ME/CFS. Dr. Gow believes that a gene malfunction causes the immune system to “work overtime,” which in turn makes patients with ME/CFS to become excessively, constantly tired. In Japan in February 2005, Dr. Gow presented “Whole-Genome (33,000 genes) Affymetrix DNA Microarray Analysis of Gene Expression in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” — an abstract about that research, and hopes to have his data published in a peer-reviewed journal later in 2005.

Because of Dr. Gow’s research, on February 1st 2005 the University of Glasgow patented the novel biomarkers and triple drug treatment (”Materials and Methods for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” application number GB 0502042.5).

Unfortunately, in what seems to occur all too often when it comes to ME/CFS research, Dr. Gow has been hit by a funding crunch. Coming to Dr. Gow’s aid and in honor of his friend who suffers from ME/CFS, singer Stuart Murdoch is auctioning band memorabilia to help raise research funds. (Stuart Murdoch himself was one of the lucky few to overcome childhood ME/CFS.)

Despite recent donations that mean Dr. Gow can go forward with clinical trials planned for August 2005, he emphasizes that before his proposed diagnostic test can become widely available, funding will be needed for extensive further trials that include a larger number of patients with CFS/ME and controls (healthy controls and patients with a variety of disorders).

If you would like to send a donation to help continue Dr. Gow’s research, you can do so by sending a check directly to Dr. Gow at this address:

Dr John W Gow

Senior Lecturer in Clinical Neuroscience

University Dept. of Neurology

Southern General Hospital

1345 Govan Rd

Glasgow, G51 4TF

Scotland

Make checks payable to “The University of Glasgow.” Dr. Gow’s secretary will ensure that the check goes into the research account. The University will send you a receipt. (Although it isn’t required, as a courtesy, those outside of Scotland should include International Reply Coupons available from the post office sufficient to pay for mailing fees for the receipt.)

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/4702515.stm

Dr. Gow Identifies Possible Gene Signature for ME/CFS/CFIDS is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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1. It’s All In Your Head Anyone who copes with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Fibromyalgia...
2. Putting Fatigue in Perspective: What Fatigue Really Is ...

For many, a compromise might be a camisole with a built-in shelf bra. Many “models” are available in 100% cotton or a 50-50 cotton and rayon blend with a touch of spandex in the built-in shelf bra. Depending on where you find them, they are known as a “camisole with a built-in shelf bra,” a “stretch bra top,” a “tank with shelf bra,” a “shelf-bra camisole,” or whatever other descriptive or creative names those who write the copy for catalogs can come up with.

Some versions limit the bra-strap adjustment feature to a small piece of elastic hidden at the back of the bra and can be worn as a tank top under a cardigan sweater or similar open top; others more closely resemble a camisole meant strictly to be worn as an undergarment.

One model is described as racer back all-in-one bra/camisole and is made of a cotton-rayon blend.

Some may find the crossed straps in back to be more comfortable; however, it is more expensive than most of the other options.

Regardless of the style, they all offer greater comfort than does a traditional bra. You won’t end up with an undergarment that will give you the lift and separate route to eye-popping cleavage; instead, you will have a garment with a built-in shelf bra that will give the support and more traditionalist in-public appearance you need — without intensified muscle spasms in your upper back. A worthy compromise for most women!

You can find misses and plus-sized undergarments with a built-in “shelf bra” at:

Just My Size

Junonia Plus Size Activewear

Kohl’s

Lane Bryant Catalog

Sears

Silhouettes

Ulla Popken

Support and Muscle Spasms: A Comfortable Bra Alternative is a post from: Chronic Illness.org

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