Saturday, 2 June 2012

FMSSAS eNews 12.06.02


My dear fibro friends and friends of fibro
Here we are in June.  How time flies.  The much awaited bank holiday and celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is upon us.  I only hope the festivities are not marred by a change in the weather.
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WORDz FOR THE WEEK
73.  Life is like a bicycle . . . you have to keep moving forward if you don’t want to fall down.
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Comment on last week’s eNews re Sun Damage.
Following on from what Stella says, don't wear sunglasses, wear a hat instead! Why? Because as soon as sunlight hits your optic nerve, it sets off a process in the pituitary which results in the production of melanin, which protects your skin and causes you to tan. If you wear sunglasses, your pituitary thinks it's dark outside and actually reduces melanin levels, thus exposing your skin to damage!  From Helena Andrews B.A. (Hons), M.A., Lic. I.S.H., M.A.R.H, RHom.  Digital Homeopath.
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How to Beat Pain
If you missed this last Monday you can watch it on iplayer – if you are quick.
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Are you still knitting?
If you have been knitting the 5 inch blanket squares I would love to have the ones you have finished.  The blanket is progressing well, but I would like an estimate of how many more squares I can expect to receive.  So please let me know.  Thank you so much to those of you who have participated so far.  Keep them coming.  I hope you enjoy knitting as much as I do.  I have recently knitted 50 hats for babies in Kenya!
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I Love Small Charities Day
Please participate in the Facebook Pledge Challenge and try to win £200 for Fibromyalgia Support for Surrey and Sussex.  Explanation and rules are in the link below.
Thank you.
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New treatments for fibromyalgia syndrome
Two studies catching the editorial eye recently in connection with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) were ‘hypnosis with guided imagery’1 and implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator.
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Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Alternative Fibromyalgia Treatments?
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Irritable Bowel Linked To Gut Bacteria, Definitively
A new study of Greek patients shows that overgrowth of bacteria in the gut is definitively linked to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is the first to use the "gold standard" method of examining gut bacterial cultures to connect bacteria to the cause of a disease that affects some 30 million Americans. The researchers say their findings confirm antibiotics are a successful treatment for IBS.
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Brain fog - poor memory, difficulty thinking clearly etc
What allows the brain to work quickly and efficiently is its energy supply. If this is impaired in any way, then the brain will go slow. Initially, the symptoms would be of foggy brain; but if symptoms progress, one will end up with dementia. We all see this in our everyday life, with the effect of alcohol being the best example. Short-term exposure gives us a deliciously foggy brain - we stop caring, we stop worrying, it alleviates anxiety. However, it also removes one's drive to do things, one's ability to remember; it impairs judgement and our ability to think clearly. Medium-term exposure results in mood-swings and anxiety (only alleviated by more alcohol). Longer-term use could result in severe depression and then dementia - examples include Korsakoff's psychosis and Wernike's encephalopathy.
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Cognitive Dysfunction Finding in Fibromyalgia
New research helps shed light on the cognitive dysfunction associated with fibromyalgia, which is often called "fibro fog."
The study used 2 tests of cognitive inhibition, which is what it's called when a mental process is stopped or overridden, without your intent.
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Grieving Your Losses
Coming to terms with loss is one of the biggest challenges of CFS and fibromyalgia. Both conditions create many serious losses, including loss of control over one's body, loss of friends and loss of valued activities. People are often forced to give up their job and so lose income, companionship and challenge. And often people have to abandon dreams, thus losing the future they had envisioned for themselves. In sum, we experience the loss of the person we used to be and the person we hoped to become.
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Alcohol Intolerance in Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
How have you changed your alcohol consumption since you started living with fibromyalgia (FMS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS or ME/CFS)?
Notice I didn't ask whether you'd changed it, just how. That's because most of us discover that we just can't handle alcohol like we used to. During the holidays, it's harder not to enjoy a drink now and then - a glass of wine with Thanksgiving dinner, a champagne toast, or a beer to unwind after shopping. As with so many other things, the key is knowing your body and your limits. Some of us can handle a drink or two OK, while some can't handle any at all.
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Have a great weekend, however you choose to spend it.  Enjoy your parties and other celebrations.  Have fun.
Best wishes to you all.
Stella
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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.
Wordz for the Week are from ‘Wordz for the Day’ by Donnie Kuhn, Sr.
Past issues of FMSSAS eNews can be found at www.fms-sas.co.uk/fmseNews.html and on a blog at http://fmssas-enews.blogspot.com/




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