| Part 1 of a three part series on Fibromyalgia and | | | | bring even though the shots were painful. I had |
| CFS. | | | | previously had two children using natural childbirth |
| I am a long time sufferer of Fibromyalgia and | | | | and was accustomed to some levels of pain but |
| CFS. I defeated the disease and I am now a | | | | the chronic nature of the disease begins to tire |
| massage therapist and instructor of massage. In | | | | you and wear you down. (I later found that |
| this series I will tell you how to overcome the | | | | Magnesium taken in pill form at least 1000mg a |
| disease. | | | | day also helped). |
| I believe that there are a number of avenues of | | | | I felt very fortunate at the time that my job as |
| treating Fibromyalgia that are not normally | | | | a financial analyst allowed me to sit a lot and I |
| covered by doctors. | | | | was not forced to stand and move around a lot |
| Doctors are trained to manage an illness and not | | | | and have to experience the discomfort I felt |
| trained to CURE it. They are taught only to | | | | more intensely. I later found that this was exactly |
| explore options that they were taught in medical | | | | the wrong concept. I often wondered why my |
| school or through trade journals and sales people | | | | legs became so sore and would almost not bear |
| pedaling medicines. This leaves other options | | | | my weight when I did try to stand. I was far |
| completely out of the office visit. There are many | | | | from understanding that good circulation and a |
| different approaches to treating/curing | | | | more active life was a major key in ridding my |
| Fibromyalgia. I would like you to be able to make | | | | self from this debilitating disease. I often had no |
| intelligent choices on which treatments to begin | | | | medical insurance and even when I did seldom |
| first. I deal with Fibromyalgia and CFS on a daily | | | | found anyone who had even heard of |
| basis and have learned a lot about it in the | | | | Fibromyalgia much less have an effective |
| process. The simplest of the things we have | | | | treatment for it. |
| learned is that just eating Cherries will help. Yes | | | | It is now a recognized condition and social security |
| eating a dozen or so cherries will help with the | | | | even recognizes it and can pay disability for it. I |
| edema (swelling in the legs usually). Cherries either | | | | chose to not go that route even though I know |
| fresh or dried along with blueberries easily available | | | | others who did and will give you some advice in |
| at most supermarkets will help a lot with | | | | other installments on what is required if you would |
| reversing the edema. Many people have it since | | | | rather not do what is necessary and sit at home |
| the discomfort of moving around with | | | | with a very low quality of life. (They simply do |
| Fibromyalgia can be intense we tend to sit longer | | | | not pay if you are able to do much and the mind |
| and with less movement the edema (swelling in | | | | set of admitting you can't and accepting it causes |
| the feet and legs) gets worse. The blood needs | | | | an even faster degradation of your body). Trust |
| muscle action to be pumped back up to the heart | | | | me there really is a LOT you can do to eliminate |
| and sitting just does not help it. Sitting too long | | | | the symptoms of it. I now live a very active |
| can lead to painful swelling of the lower legs and | | | | productive life and feel blessed that I can help |
| while traveling as well and can cause tiny red | | | | people on a daily basis overcome this disease. |
| spots that itch. These are actually small blood | | | | I discovered that massage worked wonders for |
| vessels that rupture and allow blood to be | | | | me. It needed to be VERY gentle at first as most |
| trapped under the skin when the edema is severe | | | | of my body was in pain. I found that if I mixed |
| and the legs are not moved very much as in a | | | | the massage oil with several essential oils I felt |
| long trip or sitting at a desk or through a long | | | | much better. Lavender oil mixed in along with |
| movie at the theatre. So eat the cherries and try | | | | others caused me to relax and be able to sleep |
| to move as often as you can and sit no longer | | | | better at night. By either self massaging at night |
| than 30- 60 minutes at a time without at least | | | | or having help with it I was able to relax and get |
| some walking. | | | | some relief. I found that as I slept better I did |
| My story is that initially I had gone to regular | | | | wake up more rested each day and did not tire |
| doctors but was unable to even get a decent | | | | quite as easily or have as much pain. I found that |
| diagnosis to find out what was wrong and why I | | | | eating coconut oil would in a matter of days help |
| was in such pain and discomfort. I found a | | | | me to feel better. It only takes 2-3 tablespoons |
| Naturopathic doctor who gave me expensive | | | | full of oil a day to begin feeling better. You can |
| magnesium shots, which did help and staved off | | | | use the oil to cook with or simply eat it. It is liquid |
| some of the symptoms and allowed me to | | | | at 70 degrees so it can be mixed into a drink or |
| continue working and taking care of my family | | | | simply place in warm water as well. The coconut |
| instead of giving up and becoming a semi-invalid | | | | oil also seemed to help my energy levels. Once I |
| like he told me some day Fibromyalgia may do. | | | | was able to sleep better and have an increase in |
| The shots helped significantly and I felt blessed | | | | my energy levels I began to look for other ways |
| that I had relief but the constant drain of | | | | to help myself and found many. I have found that |
| $1500.00 dollars a month for two shots and office | | | | anything which will increase circulation is a great |
| visits soon took their toll on the family budget. | | | | benefit. Massage, massage cupping and Tai chi |
| When the insurance company finally stopped | | | | exercises are all wonderful ways to do so. If you |
| helping to pay for them I was forced to abandon | | | | cleanse your body with a sauna then the |
| the treatment. Shortly thereafter the doctor quit | | | | sweating does burn calories brings toxins out of |
| his practice here and moved to Florida. I was left | | | | the muscles and tissues and relaxes the muscles |
| with no real resource to find a treatment. The | | | | so the blood can flow easily. We tend to be very |
| magnesium shots I had found helped but were | | | | tense do to the pain, and that restricts the very |
| only of a temporary nature and I found myself | | | | flow of blood we need to take the toxins out of |
| looking forward to the relief the next shot would | | | | our systems. |