Saturday 30 July 2011

FMSSAS eNews 11.07.30


Hello everyone
Here we are again – another week – and on Monday, another month!  How time flies by.  You have already been reminded about the meeting on Monday for those of you who are members of FMSSAS.  Nevertheless it is repeated below:
Special General Meeting
Just a quick reminder about the Special General Meeting to be held next Monday, 1st August at 7pm at the Age UK Centre, Lavinia House, Dukes Square, Denne Road, Horsham RH12 1GZ.  Your presence is urgently required, especially if you have not already voted on the new constitution.  The official business will be followed by a presentation about the FMS conference held in April.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
WORDz FOR THE WEEK
30.  Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Knitting Project
Several people have shown an interest in the project.  One has offered a supply of wool/yarn and I have received a supply of knitting needles, so if lack of supplies is stopping you, there is now no excuse.  Just tell me what you need! 
If you missed my article, find it here:-   http://www.fms-sas.co.uk/PDF/Knitting_Article.pdf
 ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
FM-CP Advocate July 24 2011
Fibromyalgia/Chronic Pain latest updates
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Yoga Can Counteract Fibromyalgia, Study Suggests
According to new research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University, yoga exercises may have the power to combat fibromyalgia -- a medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Fibromyalgia is a physical disorder that is characterized as widespread pain throughout the body. People who suffer from fibromyalgia often complain of fatigue and pain.
There is no simple test that will reveal if you suffer from this chronic condition. Generally, doctors look for widespread pain that has been present for at least three months.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Patient.co.uk’s take on FMS
Fibromyalgia typically causes persistent pains and tenderness in many areas of the body as well as tiredness. You may also have other symptoms. There is no simple 'once and for all' cure. However, various treatments are available that ease symptoms in many cases. Non-drug treatments that may help include exercise, heated pool treatment, and cognitive behaviour therapy. Drug treatments that may help include a painkiller called tramadol, antidepressants (for their pain-relieving action) and some other drugs. . . . . . .
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Treating fibromyalgia  - NHS Advice
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but treatment aims to ease your symptoms as much as possible and to improve your quality of life.
Your treatment will be decided jointly between you and your GP, depending on what you prefer and what is available. Several different healthcare professionals may also be involved in your treatment
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
From Listserve
A brain-derived neurotrophic factor polymorphism Val66Met identifies fibromyalgia syndrome subgroup with higher body mass index and C-reactive protein.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
CFIDS & FM
1) "Reducing Anxiety and Worry"
How one person succeeded using five simple strategies.  “People with CFS and FM often experience high levels of anxiety and worry, for very understandable reasons. The two conditions often create a loss of control over one's body and make it difficult to plan. They also bring uncertainty about the future, as people wonder if they will ever improve and whether any gains will last.
All those things applied to me, but I was able to reduce my anxiety greatly over a period of several years, thanks to using ideas I found in Edward Hallowell's book Worry. Using five of his strategies, I reduced my score on the worry scale in his book by 60% and, more importantly, changed the emotional climate of my life.”
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
2) "Making a NOT TO DO List"
Gaining control by setting limits.  To do lists are a necessary part of our life. Still, we can't let them govern us. Recently, I heard a "life coach" on one of the talk shows. Many of her suggestions made sense. She talked about how she had been able to organize her busy life. However, one of the ways she managed to cope intrigued me. She said she made herself a NOT TO DO list.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
 Stress & Body-Pain      Part 3 
Supplements and herbs can be valuable tools to help relieve stress. Not only daily stress, but chronic stress too!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Lyrica - monitoring more than 1,400 patients
This product is used in the treatment of neuropathic (nerve) pain, fibromyalgia and epilepsy. It works at different sites in the nervous system, although its exact mechanism of action remains unknown.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Chronic pain often makes people mad.  Pain feels unfair.  You don’t deserve it.  It gets in the way of life.  It doesn’t make sense.  Other people just don’t get what you are going through.   It’s gone on for too long… …
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Don't Ignore These Ten Red-Flag Health Symptoms
Ten Health Symptoms You Should Never Ignore.  Share this story.  Plenty of women with five-alarm health symptoms put off calling the doctor in the hope that whatever is bothering them will just go away. Big mistake!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
 I hope August will be a happy, relaxing holiday month.
Best of wishes
Stella

N.B. I would like to point out to you all that the information in my eNewsletters does not necessarily infer endorsement by the charity Fibromyalgia Support for Surrey & Sussex.   Any advice or recommendation of a medical or legal nature must always be discussed with a qualified professional. The charity cannot be held responsible for omissions and/or errors.
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 judgements, 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.  I also include various awareness and local issues as well as general health considerations.  Anyone wishing to reproduce any of the above items in printed form should seek permission from the originators.


Saturday 23 July 2011

FMSSAS eNews 11.07.23

Hello to you all on this bright sunny morning
St Swithun has been true to form with a variety of wet and sunny weather this week!  We will be celebrating our 53rd wedding anniversary this week and attending a friend’s funeral.  Life can be sweet and cruel at the same time.  Fibro can be a bit like that.  I have made many friends and received many blessings whilst working for the relief and benefit of fibro sufferers.  It is apparently more PC to say people who have fibro than refer to them as sufferers.  Nevertheless we do suffer to a greater or lesser degree.  Here’s hoping for the lesser!!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
WORDz FOR THE WEEK
29.  Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look ahead than to look back.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
FMSSAS Special General Meeting
This is a reminder to all Members that the Special General Meeting will take place on Monday 1st August at the Age UK Centre, Lavinia House, Dukes Square, Denne Road, Horsham RH12 1GZ.  Notice and accompanying documents were sent out to members on 27th June.  I hope that a goodly number of you have voted on the acceptance of the new Constitution and that you will make the effort to attend the meeting. The voting form is available here http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17459523/Voting%20form%20SGM%202011%20final.pdf Your vote is important, please use it.
After the business has been concluded Jeanne Hambleton will be telling us about the FMS Conference that took place in April, and the plans for next year’s.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
East Sussex County Council LINk News
Health update information
Adult Social Care Consultations
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Expert Patient Programme
New course planned – Tues 6th For further information, or to book contact Natalie Cooper Tel 01403 227000 ext 7547
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Dr Dierdre’s second seminar on Yoga Nidra. 
Listen as she guides you on this deep relaxation journey towards healing and transformation.
This practice is supreme when it comes to relaxing. It will help you to:
      Move into a place of peace, trust, and confidence
      Retrain your nervous system to relax
      Completely relax from accumulated mental, muscular and emotional tension
      Offer significant relief for chronic and unbearable pain.
      Restore natural deep sleep
These and many more amazing healing benefits await you...please enjoy!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Coping with Pain: Five Ways to Improve Your “Self-Efficacy”
Chronic pain often gets in the way of life. Pain can cancel, interrupt, delay, interfere with, and diminish living.  The worst part is that it can make you afraid to try again tomorrow. It can challenge  your beliefs in your ability to do what you want to do in many, or all, areas of life: your work, family life, friendship, or personal goals.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Central nervous system research on fibromyalgia:
Most of the research findings in fibromyalgia point to a malfunctioning of the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. Yet, there appear to be a variety of abnormalities occurring in the peripheral soft tissues (muscles and connective tissue) and the peripheral nervous system that communicates with the CNS. This dysfunctional interplay between the CNS and peripheral systems is believed by most investigators to be the source of the many body-wide symptoms. In a way, fibromyalgia could be considered a disease of the CNS.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
In exclusive interviews with Pro Health’s editor, respected physicians discussed their approaches to treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia with both traditional and alternative methods, including expert advice from their standard protocols and other recommendations for important issues patients deal with including pain, fatigue, sleep, depression, brain fog, diet, exercise, and nutritional supplementation.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Latest News in Fibromyalgia
You need to register to gain full access to Medscape’s articles, but it’s free and worth the little effort involved!   There are loads of articles about research and information about fibromyalgia.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Fibromyalgia News... Recent Fibromyalgia Headlines And News Articles In The News
Welcome to the new "Fibromyalgia News Headlines" and "Comments From Our Readers" page. We welcome your comments
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
I hope you learn something new this week.  However much we think we know, there’s always something else around the corner!

Stella

N.B. I would like to point out to you all that the information in my eNewsletters does not necessarily infer endorsement by the charity Fibromyalgia Support for Surrey & Sussex.   Any advice or recommendation of a medical or legal nature must always be discussed with a qualified professional. The charity cannot be held responsible for omissions and/or errors.
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 judgements, 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.  I also include various awareness and local issues as well as general health considerations.  Anyone wishing to reproduce any of the above items in printed form should seek permission from the originators.

Saturday 16 July 2011

FMSSAS eNews 11.07.16 (2nd attempt)



Hello everyone
Yesterday 15th July was St. Swithun's Day, a day on which people watch the weather, for tradition says that whatever the weather is like on St. Swithun's Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.
There is a weather-rhyme, well known throughout the British Isles since Elizabethan times. copied from projectbritain.com
'St. Swithun's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithun's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'
So whatever the weather was like for you, expect plenty more of it if the legend is to be believed!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
WORDz FOR THE WEEK
28.  People say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes.  Make it worth watching.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
The Therapy of Knitting – a Project for Fibromites
Please read my article and join me in knitting for and against fibro!
 ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Dr Jacob Teitelbaum ‘s visit to Bath – 4th August
With the help of the Bath Support Group FMA UK have arranged for Dr Jacob Teitelbaum  to speak at The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath on the 4th August at 2.30.  Tickets are only £5 and can only be bought from their online shop.  http://www.fmauk.org/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=57&category_id=9
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Midlands Fibromyalgia Support Group , supported by The Academy of Nutritional Medicine.
M.E. and FIBROMYALGIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011
Due to the overwhelming success of their 2010 International Conference on M.E. and Fibromyalgia , The Academy of Nutritional Medicine in association with The Midlands Fibromyalgia Support Group, are delighted to announce their International Conference to be held at the Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Sunday 9th October 2011 from 9am to 5pm.  See poster here www.fms-sas.co.uk/PDF/IrishConf11.pdf
 ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Fibromyalgia Nutrition:
Vitamins and Minerals are Critical
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Rebecca Richmond asks  “What have I done to deserve this?”
Well you will be pleased to know you have not done anything to deserve it!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Could a fibromite be Miss England?
Last week I told you about Simran Gill who has suffered from fibromyalgia all her life.  At the last moment she entered the Miss England competition and won her heat and from many thousands of girls is now into the final on the 18th of July at the Birmingham Hilton.
She is a passionate advocate for fibromyalgia.  She’s number 05Black on the second row.  Oh NO she’s not!  She’s 08AsianModel on the third row!  http://www.missengland.info/finalists  So if you would care to vote for her it could help raise fibromyalgia awareness.  Sorry about my error.  She has promised that she will mention her condition when she is interviewed on TV. Currently you can vote by text which will rank the contestants, with the top 15 guaranteed to be interviewed.
Please text your support to ensure Simran's opportunity to speak out.  At the moment (Weds) she is in 12th place so she urgently needs your text support.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Drug Class Review: Drugs for Fibromyalgia
An overview and comparative study of the various drugs prescribed for FMS
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Double Checking Doctors' Information With Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
When you have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, you've got to educate yourself about your condition and every treatment you consider. If we left it all up to the doctors, we'd be in big trouble!
Managing Your Energy Envelope
“I found a way to bring stability to my life by determining my energy profile and pacing myself accordingly. To me, pacing means understanding my limits and then adapting to them. By staying within my limits, I reduced my symptoms, gained stability, and started a gradual upward spiral that led to recovery.”
http://www.cfidsselfhelp.org/library/managing-your-energy-envelope
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Third Age Fibromyalgia Blog
“Welcome to the Fibromyalgia forum of ThirdAge.com. Join one of our many discussions, create your own, get some advice, but above all have fun. Need some guidance or help, take a look at our FAQ page, or leaving a comment in our help forum. Someone will answer your question as soon as possible.”
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Fibromyalgia in Tonbridge Newsletter
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Treatment for Chronic Pain: Is Self-Help for You?
Effective self-help strategies include a variety of delivery mechanisms such as workbooks, group formats, audio, CD-ROM, DVD, telephone, and internet-based programs.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Another Session of Yoga Nidra
“It's Deirdre here, with an invitation to attend my 2nd special free Yoga Nidra tele-class.
Because so many of you have written to me about how much deep satisfaction and success you had from my last  Yoga Nidra tele-class, I've decided to run another free class for you -- for free!”
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
I have been busy knitting blanket squares and hats for orphans!  So never a dull moment!  I’m hoping lots of you will get hooked on knitting too.  If you haven’t already done so do read my article about the therapeutic advantages of knitting which is at the top of today’s list.
Until next week . . .
Stella

N.B. I would like to point out to you all that the information in my eNewsletters does not necessarily infer endorsement by the charity Fibromyalgia Support for Surrey & Sussex.   Any advice or recommendation of a medical or legal nature must always be discussed with a qualified professional. The charity cannot be held responsible for omissions and/or errors.
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 judgements, 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.  I also include various awareness and local issues as well as general health considerations.  Anyone wishing to reproduce any of the above items in printed form should seek permission from the originators.

FMSSAS eNews 11.07.16



Hello everyone
Yesterday 15th July was St. Swithun's Day, a day on which people watch the weather, for tradition says that whatever the weather is like on St. Swithun's Day, it will continue so for the next forty days.
There is a weather-rhyme, well known throughout the British Isles since Elizabethan times. copied from projectbritain.com
'St. Swithun's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithun's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.'
So whatever the weather was like for you, expect plenty more of it if the legend is to be believed!
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
WORDz FOR THE WEEK
28.  People say that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes.  Make it worth watching.
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
The Therapy of Knitting – a Project for Fibromites
Please read my article and join me in knitting for and against fibro!
 ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Dr Jacob Teitelbaum ‘s visit to Bath – 4th August
With the help of the Bath Support Group FMA UK have arranged for Dr Jacob Teitelbaum  to speak at The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath on the 4th August at 2.30.  Tickets are only £5 and can only be bought from their online shop.  http://www.fmauk.org/shop?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=57&category_id=9
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Midlands Fibromyalgia Support Group , supported by The Academy of Nutritional Medicine.
M.E. and FIBROMYALGIA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2011
Due to the overwhelming success of their 2010 International Conference on M.E. and Fibromyalgia , The Academy of Nutritional Medicine in association with The Midlands Fibromyalgia Support Group, are delighted to announce their International Conference to be held at the Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Sunday 9th October 2011 from 9am to 5pm.  See poster here www.fms-sas.co.uk/PDF/IrishConf11.pdf
 ^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Fibromyalgia Nutrition:
Vitamins and Minerals are Critical
^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^+^
Rebecca Richmond asks  “What have I done to deserve this?”
Well you will be pleased to know you have not done anything to deserve it!