Editor's
Corner with Mary McKennell:
Jane has been so good to carry on for me while I have been going through a series of
personal mishaps, medication glitches, family crises, and job concerns the last few
months. Some say that I am a magnet for crises and others say I create crises out of what
happens to me. Either way I have been in a tailspin for awhile.
One of the things that occurred to me in my absence from writing here in this space was a
change in medication that was a major mistake. Perhaps you can learn something from my
experience.
I had been referred to a neurologist and she noticed that I had been on this one
medication for a long time for restless leg syndrome. She does not like that drug because
it is an old drug and there are newer drugs out to treat that. There was nothing wrong
with the existing one. I let her talk me into trying something new. Pharmacy did not tell
me anything about weaning off the old one or warn me about symptoms of withdrawal from it.
Neither did I get any warning about how this new drug might be contraindicated with
anything I was presently on.
Perhaps you can deduce from those statements above what went wrong. I went on Mr. Toad’s
Wild Ride for several days. The new drug was a disaster. It was contraindicated with
several of my existing medications. I had major side effect reactions to the drug.
Basically I went crazy for a week, or as one of the references I looked at phrased it-I
had a “brief reactive psychosis”. I couldn’t go to sleep and then when I
did go to sleep I couldn’t wake up until 15 or 16 hours later. I had horrible
nightmares. I was having panic attacks.
I called to talk to the neurologist to tell her that things had run amuck. I never got
through to her. She kept giving me messages about changing the dosage through her nurse.
She did not comprehend my messages where I was saying “I will not, I cannot, eat
green eggs and ham”. In other words lady, it does not matter how you change the
dosage I am not taking the medication.
The fourth phone call I received was giving me an entirely different medication. By now,
my trust level was very low and I was not going to take anything she recommended until I
talked to someone else and gave time for her disaster drug and my old drug to clear out of
my system. So after 6 weeks I was ready to try this new one and it proved to be a very
good change for a number of reasons.
I failed to follow my usual pattern when the idea of a new drug was introduced. Normally I
would go to one of the “drug checker” web sites and read about the drug and do
my own investigation about drug-drug interactions before I get it filled. I did not do
that.
If you have a pharmacist that reviews your medication list with you then you have found a
very good thing. If not, here are some websites for a do it yourself check up. I run my
drugs through one of these checkers about once a year just to see if any new warnings have
come up or things I should be aware of. There are three good choices below to do your own
check up.
http://www.drugdigest.org
http://www.micromedex.com/products/drugreax/
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/drugdb/drugSearch.jsp
Wishing you joy in your journey!
Mary McKennell
ARTICLES IN THIS EDITION:
1. Portraying the Personal Side of Pain
2. Pain Relief the Natural Way
3. Why Fatigue Accompanies Pain
4. Antidepressant Agents for the Treatment of Chronic
Pain and Depression
5. Acupuncture and myofascial-trigger therapy compared
6. Medicines Derived From Cannabis: A Review Of
Adverse Events
7. Dr. St. Amand Comments on First Report from City of
Hope Fibromyalgia Research
8. FM and ME/CFS – The Same, Related, or Different?
9. Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia: Stress, the stress
response system, and fibromyalgia
10.Autonomic Dysfunction
11.Fibromyalgia and Your Nervous System
12.Living with Invisible Illness: 5 Ways to Let Go of Hurt
Feelings
Portraying the Personal Side of Pain
Just as pain is a very personal experience, so is its portrayal through creative
expression. The artworks in this special Pain Treatment Topics gallery depict a broad
pallet of pain conditions, created by patients who sometimes found that their artistic
endeavors also lessened their suffering. Healthcare providers can learn from such works,
for these express emotions, thoughts, and perspectives that patients often cannot put into
words.
http://pain-topics.org/gallery.php#feature
I found some of these pictures to be very moving. Have you made an attempt to draw a
picture of your pain or to express it in some other art form? Give this a try. You may
find it to be therapeutic. Can’t draw? Then use pictures from magazines or do
something abstract. I think that once you start you will find that you can find a way to
illustrate your thoughts and feelings in an art medium. And-gasp! You might even have fun
doing it.
Pain Relief The Natural Way
Millions of people all over the world live with chronic pain. Although there are medicines
that can help ease the discomfort, many more will still continue to suffer. But there are
ways that we can relieve ourselves of the pain without taking any pills or medications.
Some are non conventional methods that may seem foreign to most of us, but have proven to
work in relieving pain.
1.) Chiropractic therapy compliments the healing process although practitioners cannot
prescribe drugs or perform surgery but are trained to do standard medical procedures.
Their services are even covered by some health cards. Spinal manipulation have been proven
to treating simple lower back pain especially if it has been only present for a short
time.
2.) Hypnosis can also relieve pain as well as treat headaches and bowel syndrome by
altering brainwave patterns in the same way as other relaxation techniques.
3.) Breathing exercise by deep breathing from the diaphragm will greatly reduce stress
that is associated with several chronic pains.
4.) Regular exercise prompts your body to release endorphins, which blocks the pain
signals from reaching the brain. Endorphins are also known as feel good chemicals that
your body produce to help alleviate depression and anxiety. Regular exercise will let you
loose weight which is important form chronic pain sufferers because lighter weight will
reduce the stress on your joints and improve your flexibility.
5.) Acupuncture is one of the most non conventional means of treating pain. But this
practice has been around from centuries and has been proven to work numerous times
already. Acupuncture helps relieve dental pain and nausea after undergoing an operation.
This ancient form of treatment also helps treating cramps, myofascial pain as well as a
host of other conditions.
6.) Certain foods an also help ease the pain. Although there is not enough evidence yet,
foods like chicken soup and jacket potatoes make you feel better. Cherries, which contains
Anthocyanins have anti inflammatory properties found in aspirins. Sugar can also reduce
the perception of pain, especially in children. Soya can also help relieve osteoarthritis
pain.
http://myhealthoption.blogspot.com/2007/07/pain-relief-natural-way.html
Why fatigue accompanies pain
April 15th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw
Why are more women, than men, diagnosed with chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and
fibromyalgia? Approximately, 94% of people with chronic fatigue report muscle pain.
Nearly, 75% of people reporting chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain report having
fatigue. Women are the majority of patients reporting these symptoms.
Katheleen Sluka, PhD, professor Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Science, University of Irvine Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, found that
a protein involved in muscle pain works in conjunction with the male hormone testosterone
to protect against muscle fatigue.
Sluka, using animal studies, found the differences in fatigue between males and females
depends on both the presence of testosterone and the activation of ASIC3 (an
acid-activated ion channel protein that is involved in musculoskeletal pain). This
suggests that they are interacting somehow to protect against fatigue, which may explain
some of the differences we see in chronic pain conditions that include fatigue and why it
occurs more often in women.
http://www.disabilityhappens.com/why-fatigue-accompanies-pain.html
Antidepressant Agents for the Treatment of Chronic
Pain and Depression
Depression and pain can occur together in up to 54% of patients, and can have devastating
effects on health, productivity, and overall quality of life. Antidepressants of various
types remain fundamental therapeutic agents for depression and anxiety disorders, and the
extension of their use into chronic pain, depression with physical pain, and other medical
conditions are discussed in this paper.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/565763
Acupuncture and myofascial-trigger therapy
compared
May 14th, 2008 by Richard Brassaw
For thousands of years classic Chinese acupuncture treatment has been used to treat pain.
Since its development in the 1800s myofascial trigger-point therapy has been used in the
western world for pain treatment.
A recent May Clinic study surprises practitioners of both systems that they are
fundamentally similar despite the differences in approach to treat pain.
Peter Dorsher, MD, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic,
Jacksonville, Florida, found in a recent study that at least 92% of common trigger points
anatomically correspond with acupoints; that those used to treat pain corresponded more
than 95% of the time.
Dorsher points out that myofascial pain treatment was a rediscovery of a system discovered
2,000 years before by the Chinese. Myofascial trigger-point therapy has 255 regions
described by the Trigger Point Manual, whereas classic Chinese acupuncture has 361
acupoints that target specific organs or pain problems.
The study was funded by the Mayo Clinic.
http://www.disabilityhappens.com/acupuncture-and-myofascial-trigger-therapy-compared.html
Medicines Derived From Cannabis: A Review Of
Adverse Events
Researchers at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), McGill University and the
University of British Columbia (UBC) determined that medical use of cannabinoids do not
cause an increase in serious adverse events, but are associated with an increase in some
non-serious adverse events.
Several drugs containing compounds derived from the cannabis plant, or cannibinoids, are
available for medical purposes in Canada. As the use of cannabinoid medications increases,
so do concerns about their potential to cause "adverse events," or negative side
effects. Dr. Mark Ware, Dr. Stan Shapiro and PhD candidate Tongtong Wang of the Research
Institute of the McGill University Health Centre and McGill University, and Dr. Jean-Paul
Collet of the University of British Columbia examined the nature of these potential
adverse events in a study which will be published June 16 in the Canadian Medical
Association Journal (CMAJ).
The study was based on the adverse events reported in 31 separate clinical studies of
cannabinoid medications conducted between 1966 and 2007. Adverse events were categorized
as either serious or non-serious; with serious adverse events defined as those leading to
death, hospitalization or disability.
"Overall, we found an 86% increase in the rate of non-serious adverse events among
the patients treated with cannabinoids compared to the patients in the control
groups," said Ware, a neurosciences researcher at the Research Institute of the MUHC
and assistant professor in anesthesia at McGill's Faculty of Medicine The majority of
events were mild to moderate in severity.
The majority of non-serious adverse events observed affected the nervous system, mainly
dizziness and drowsiness. "Cannabinoids are used as medicines because they are
neurologically active, so we expected to see some side effects such as these," said
Wang, a PhD candidate in epidemiology and biostatistics at McGill University.
Cannabinoids have been shown to treat chronic pain resulting from diseases such as cancer,
multiple sclerosis, arthritis and fibromyalgia, and also to stimulate appetite and relieve
nausea. Physicians must weigh the possible benefits of treatment against the possible side
effects in an overall attempt to improve the patient's quality of life.
"We have summarized the adverse events from these studies to help educate physicians
and patients about the possible risks of medical cannabinoids," said Collet, formerly
at McGill's Department of Epidemiology, and now professor at University of British
Columbia, senior researcher at the Child & Family Research Institute and Director of
the Centre for Applied Health Research and Evaluation at British Columbia Children's
Hospital. "We cannot extend these results to smoked cannabis or recreational use.
That will require further research."
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/111638.php
Dr. St. Amand Comments on First Report from City
of Hope Fibromyalgia Research
by R. Paul St. Amand, MD
ImmuneSupport.com
June 5, 2008 - A report of the research study from the City of Hope (Duarte, California)
described new findings in some of our patients with fibromyalgia.
This very technical paper can be read on line (http://www.ebmonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/0712-RM-328v1),
but I will try to simplify it. My summary will omit some fascinating and pertinent
material in its simplification.
The function of our genes is to dictate the formation of proteins throughout the body. You
know these proteins as enzymes, hormones, antibodies, components of cell structures and so
on. Our study examined twenty-five circulating proteins known as cytokines or chemokines.
We found that several were abnormally elevated in the blood of FM patients as well as in
some of their family members (with and without fibromyalgia) when compared with normal
controls.
Two proteins were most prominently elevated. They are known as
• Eotaxin
• And MCP-1 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1).
When tested in tandem, the elevations correctly identified fibromyalgia in up to 50% of
the patients.
But when two other less-prominently abnormal cytokines (four total) were factored into the
testing, the diagnostic probability rose to somewhere between 70% - 80%.
These two additional cytokines are TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma (tumor necrosis factor alpha
and Interferon-gamma).
Interestingly, eotaxin was even higher in patients treated with guaifenesin. MCP-1, on the
other hand, showed the same elevated levels in treated or untreated fibromyalgics. The
other two cytokines actually dropped down to normal in patients treated with guaifenesin.
Obviously, this raises the question of whether more eotaxin is needed by fibromyalgics to
protect them from something else - such as inflammatory effects of other cytokines. It
certainly reflects that guaifenesin has distinct effects on cytokines that have been
previously unknown.
This is a very technical research paper that addressed only laboratory findings. It does
not describe the feasibility of testing cytokines by an average clinical laboratory.
However, the study is ongoing and will certainly produce more data and hone in on what
could become mainstream testing for fibromyalgia. Such facts will surely become more
relevant as results from the current genetic arm of the study are published. Genetic
findings point the way for future biochemical analyses, and this paper did reinforce our
stance that the disease is inherited in the vast majority of patients.
Obviously, we are closer to a solution for the complicated aberrant biochemistry and
physiology that so thoroughly disrupts the life of fibromyalgics and their families. As
Churchill would say, "This is not the end, but it is the beginning of the
beginning." It gives credence to our protocol even though its benefits to patients
were not part of this project.
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/print.cfm?ID=8940&t=CFIDS_FM
FM and ME/CFS – The Same, Related, or Different?
by Karen Lee Richards*
ImmuneSupport.com
06-23-2008 The question as to whether fibromyalgia and ME/CFS ('chronic fatigue syndrome')
are the same illness, closely related illnesses, or completely different illnesses has
been debated by physicians and scientists for many years.
Some feel FM and ME/CFS are different facets of the same illness, while others believe
they are distinct disorders that share several common symptoms. To further complicate the
situation, 70 percent of people who have been diagnosed with one are also diagnosed with
the other.
A new paradigm put forth several years ago by Muhammad B. Yunus, MD, suggests that FM and
ME/CFS, along with a number of other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, migraines,
and multiple chemical sensitivities, are part of a larger group he terms “Central
Sensitivity Syndromes.” The uniting factor that all of these illnesses have in common
is central sensitization – an exaggerated response of the central nervous system to
stimuli.
Overview of FM and ME/CFS
Before enumerating their similarities and differences, let’s look at a brief overview
of FM and ME/CFS.
FM – FM (Fibromyalgia) is a malfunction of the central nervous system that causes
disordered pain processing, and results in pain amplification. The primary symptoms of FM
are:
• Widespread chronic pain
• Extreme fatigue
• Sleep problems.
Other symptoms that may occur include: allergies, irritable bowel, irritable bladder,
headaches, migraines, dizziness, numbness and tingling, sensitivity to cold or heat,
depression, restless legs syndrome, chemical or environmental sensitivities, impaired
balance or coordination, dry eyes and mouth, vision problems, or problems with memory,
concentration and cognitive functioning.
ME/CFS – ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalopathy or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome) is an illness characterized by prolonged and debilitating fatigue
accompanied by a number of other symptoms, including: memory and concentration problems,
recurrent sore throats, unrefreshing sleep, muscle and joint pain, and headaches.
Generally speaking, ME/CFS includes at least four of the following:
• Post-exertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours
• Non-refreshing sleep
• Short-term memory or concentration problems
• Muscle pain
• Multi-joint pain without joint swelling or redness
• Headaches of a new type, pattern or severity
• Tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes
• Sore throat.
The article continues at:
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/print.cfm?ID=8942&t=CFIDS_FM
Biology and therapy of fibromyalgia. Stress, the
stress response system, and fibromyalgia
Manuel Martinez-Lavin
Stress is a state of disharmony, or threatened homeostasis. A stressor could have a
psychological origin or a biological origin. Societies have become more intricate with
industrialization, and modern individuals try to adapt to the new defiance by forcing
their stress response system. The main component of the stress response network is the
autonomic nervous system. The present article reviews current knowledge on autonomic
dysfunction in fibromyalgia. Sympathetic hyperactivity has been consistently described by
diverse groups of investigators. Fibromyalgia is proposed to be a sympathetically
maintained neuropathic pain syndrome, and genomic data support this contention. Autonomic
dysfunction may also explain other fibromyalgia features not related to pain.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2206360
Autonomic dysfunction Definition
Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is known as dysautonomia. The autonomic
nervous system regulates unconscious body functions, including heart rate, blood pressure,
temperature regulation, gastrointestinal secretion, and metabolic and endocrine responses
to stress such as the "fight or flight" syndrome. As regulating these functions
involves various and multiple organ systems, dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous systems
encompass various and multiple disorders.
Description
The autonomic nervous system consists of three subsystems: the sympathetic nervous system,
the parasympathetic nervous system and the enteric nervous system. The ANS regulates the
activities of cardiac muscle, smooth muscle, endocrine glands, and exocrine glands. The
autonomic nervous system functions involuntarily (reflexively) in an automatic manner
without conscious control.
In contrast to the somatic nervous system that always acts to excite muscles groups, the
autonomic nervous systems can act to excite or inhibit innervated tissue. The ANS achieves
this ability to excite or inhibit activity via a dual innervation of target tissues and
organs. Most target organs and tissues are innervated by neural fibers from both the
parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. The systems can act to stimulate organs and
tissues in opposite ways (antagonistic). For example, parasympathetic stimulation acts to
decrease heart rate. In contrast, sympathetic stimulation results in increased heart rate.
The systems can also act in concert to stimulate activity. The autonomic nervous system
achieves this control via two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the
parasympathetic nervous system. Dysfunctions of the autonomic nervous system are
recognized by the symptoms that result from failure of the sympathetic or parasympathetic
components of the ANS.
Primary dysautonomias include multiple system atrophy (MSA) and familial dysautonomia. The
dysfunction can be extensive and manifest as a general autonomic failure or can be
confined to a more localized reflex dysfunction.
With multiple system atrophy, a generalized autonomic failure, male patients experience
urinary retention or incontinence and impotence (an inability to achieve or maintain a
penile erection). Both males and females experience ataxia (lack of muscle coordination)
and a dramatic decline in blood pressure when they attempt to stand (orthostatic
hypotension). Symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease may develop, such as slow movement,
tremors, and stiff muscles. Visual disturbances, sleep disturbances, and decreased
sweating may also occur.
Persons with autonomic dysfunction who do not exhibit the classical symptoms of
orthostatic hypotension may exhibit a less dramatic dysfunction termed orthostatic
intolerance. These patients experience a milder fall in blood pressure when attempting to
stand. However, because the patients have an increased heart rate when standing, they are
described as having postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
Although not as prevalent in the general population as hypertension, orthostatic
intolerance is the second most common disorder of blood pressure regulation and is the
most prevalent autonomic dysfunction. Orthostatic hypotension and orthostatic intolerance
can result in a wide array of disabilities. Common orthostatic intolerance syndromes
include: hyperadrenergic orthostatic hypotension (partial dysautonomia); orthostatic
tachycardia syndrome (sympathicotonic orthostatic hypotension); postural orthostatic
tachycardia syndrome (mitral valve prolapse syndrome); postural tachycardia syndrome
(soldier's heart); hyperadrenergic postural hypotension (vasoregulatory asthenia);
sympathotonic orthostatic hypotension (neurocirculatory asthenia); hyperdynamic
beta-adrenergic state (irritable heart syndrome); and idiopathic hypovolemia (orthostatic
anemia).
Demographics
Milder forms of autonomic dysfunction such as orthostatic intolerance affect an estimated
500,000 people in the United States. Orthostatic intolerance more frequently affects
women; female-to-male ratio is at least 4:1. It is most common in people less than 35
years of age. More severe forms of dysautonomia such as multiple system atrophy often
occur later in life (average age of onset 60 years) and affect men four times as often as
women.
http://www.answers.com/topic/autonomic-dysfunction?cat=health
Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Your Nervous System
FMS is closely linked to a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Our nervous system
is made up of several components. The central nervous system consists of the brain and
spine and is our body’s main control area. The peripheral nervous system connects the
central nervous system to our organs and tissues, while the autonomic nervous system
includes the sympathetic nervous system (which induces a "flight or fight"
response in the body) and the parasympathetic nervous system (which reduces heart rate and
slows down muscles in order to preserve energy).
In patients with fibromyalgia, the sympathetic nervous system functions at an abnormally
high level, while the parasympathetic nervous system functions at an unusually low level;
this leads to a constant "fight or flight" response. Studies have shown that
this constant state of hyperactivity also leads to an increased heart rate when patients
are both standing and lying down. Several studies have found that female fibromyalgia
patients can have a particularly severe autonomic dysfunction.
Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia leads to changes in the nervous system, such as hyperactivity and a decreased
ability to sleep.
The over-activity of the autonomic system in fibromyalgia patients also leads to fatigue,
a "pins and needles" feeling, irritable bowel syndrome, depression and anxiety.
FMS also leads to an increased susceptibility to panic disorder and post-traumatic stress
disorder.
Joint tenderness is another of the main fibromyalgia symptoms; fibromyalgia
temporomandibular joint disorder (Fibromyalgia TMJ) leads to tenderness in various muscle
groups, including the neck and shoulders, which are main connecting points for the
sympathetic nervous system.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Treating Fibromyalgia Syndrome can help improve a person’s overall quality of life.
Visualization helps to reduce the level of pain associated with fibromyalgia. By
visualizing pain as a positive, controllable quality as opposed to a harmful,
incontrollable element, the individual can rise above pain and tenderness caused by FMS
instead of feeling overwhelmed by them.
Massages, such as herbalized oil massages, can also promote the relaxation of the nervous
system, as they create heat and friction, which stimulate circulation and decrease the
amount of chemical impurities that lead to oversensitive nervous tissue.
Maintaining a healthy diet can also decrease nervous system imbalances and can reduce
sensitivity to pain. A proper fibromyalgia diet should exclude the following foods to
decrease fatigue and boost energy levels: coffee, chocolate, fried foods, white sugar and
flour, and tobacco.
Natural therapy for fibromyalgia is an excellent way to reduce FMS symptoms associated
with the nervous system. Meditation and stretching exercises are also helpful in the
treatment of fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia Traditional Chinese Medicine (or Fibromyalgia TCM) uses acupuncture and
herbal medicines that treat the liver and blood deficiency which are believed to be at the
root of FMS.
http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_ac.html
Living with Invisible Illness: 5 Ways to Let Go of Hurt
Feelings
"You look so good! You can't be as bad as you say. You look perfectly healthy."
"You think you have fatigue? Try working full-time plus having four children! Then
you'll know what chronic fatigue is."
"I think you're spending too much time thinking about how you feel. You need to just
get out more."
"If you really wanted to get well, you'd at least try that juice drink I gave you
last week. It won't hurt to try it."
And the comments go on and on.
And it hurts.
Nearly 1 in 2 Americans has a chronic illness or physical condition that impacts their
daily life. The definition of chronic illness can include everything from arthritis to
cancer, migraines to diabetes, and back pain to fibromyalgia. Even mental illness or
eating disorders are considered invisible illnesses.
One of the biggest emotional hurdles for people who suffer from daily pain is the
invisibility of it. Statistics tell us that about 96% of illness is invisible--meaning the
person who suffers from the chronic condition may appear to be a healthy individual but
who actually copes each day with physical pain.
If you have an invisible illness here are 5 ways let go of hurt feelings and move on to a
better life:
(1) Let go of expectations. This may be a life-long process, but you will consistently
find that people will always disappoint yo. No one is perfect--including you! Remember,
you don't understand the difficulties that your friends are going through, whether it's a
divorce, the death of a loved one, a loss job, an ill child, etc. Your illness is
significant in your life. Even when people care, they still will have significant things
going on in their own lives. Listen to them share about their challenges too even when you
think they pale in comparison to your own.
(2) Find supportive friends. When you are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired you
don't need to be around people who constantly belittle you or doubt your illness. End that
relationship or distant yourself from that relative. Illness has a way of helping
prioritize friendships. We don't need friends that will send us spiraling into depression.
Spend your limited energies with those that mean the most to you.
(3) Find joy in your blessings. Rather than thinking about how badly you feel find ways to
bring more joy into your life. Appreciate the little things. Many chronically ill people
even begin to write poems to help them examine what makes them happy and where their
passions lie. You may not be able to garden like you once did, but you can grow a few
plotted flowers or hire a neighborhood teenager to plant some vegetables and set up an
automatic sprinkler system for them.
(4) Use your talents and skills for things you care about. If you're no longer able to
work because of your illness, you may feel like your skills are going to waste. Maybe
you've always wanted to write children's books or be a business consultant. Find a place
to plug in and do some volunteer or part-time work for to be able to use these skills in
an area where you feel passionate. Instead of focusing on what others aren't doing or
giving you, follow your dreams and give that gift to yourself. Many people find the advice
of a chronic illness coach or counselor helpful. There are even some 12 step programs for
chronic illness available on the internet.
(5) Encourage someone else. You personally know how hard it is to live with illness and to
feel like no one understands. So take time to be vulnerable with someone else who is going
through this. Whether you meet someone through an online group such as National Invisible
Chronic Illness Awareness Week's message boards, or through your local support group,
volunteer your time and expertise (yes, you're an expert on living with invisible
illness!) and use it to make someone else's journey easier and you'll find your own is
more enjoyable too. Are you frustrated that no one at your church thinks your invisible
illness is real? Rather than stop going to church, find ways to educate them, such as a
column in the church newsletter or brochures about National Invisible Chronic Illness
Awareness Week. These say what to say/not to say to a chronically ill person.
We can't change other people, but we can educate them and give gentle advice. Then we much
work on ourselves. It's a delicate balance to find how to live most successfully with
chronic illness. You'll find that even when you want to change it can be difficult. It
requires discipline and motivation for a better life. But you owe it to yourself and
finding joy in your life despite invisible chronic pain will improve both your mental and
physical health.
http://restmin.typepad.com/lisas_blog/2007/07/article-to-repr.html
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