FIBROMYALGIA THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE
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Topic: EASING THE PAIN THROUGH D
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Dear Warriors,

THE SCARLET LETTER
OF MEDICINE

BLOGGING

BY SKYE HOLDON
MD


WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO
START LOOKING AFTER YOUR BODY?
IS 2006 YOUR YEAR?

When it is time to face the fact that you could shed a few pounds,
the solution is to first learn to love ad respect yourself.

This may sound bizzare and far out, but in reality, if you love yourself,
and respect your body, you would not put into your mouths half the stuff
you do now. Remember that you are the one putting on the pounds.
Your body is not demanding this. Your emotional state, and your
mind is demanding that you eat more than you should and
choose the wrong foods.

Many of you have written to tell me that no matter what you eat,
you are still ill and in pain. And this is true. But if you really take
the time to understand the mechanism and workings of your body,
you will understand that there are things that you can do to
feel better. You may not cure yourself, but you can help to
ease the pain and discomfort.

And it does not happen in day. It takes weeks for instance, to
get sugar out of your system.

Sugar is detrimental to your health for many reasons.
But just staying away from it for a few days will not make an appreciable
difference in how you feel off the sugar.

Here are the number one steps you should take to optimize your chances
of less pain and better health.

For several million years, humans existed on a diet of animals and vegetation.
It was only with the advent of agriculture a mere 10,000 years
ago - a fraction of a second in evolutionary time - that humans
began ingesting large amounts of sugar and starch in the form of
grains (and potatoes) into their diets. Indeed, 99.99% of our genes
were formed before the advent of agriculture; in biological terms,
our bodies are still those of hunter-gatherers.

While the human shift to agriculture produced indisputable
gains for man - modern civilization is based on this epoch - societies
where the transition from a primarily meat/vegetation diet to one
high in cereals show a reduced life-span and stature, increases in
infant mortality and infectious disease,
and higher nutritional deficiencies.

Contemporary humans have not suddenly evolved mechanisms
to incorporate the high carbohydrates from starch- and sugar-rich foods
into their diet. In short, we are consuming far too much bread,
cereal, pasta, corn (a grain, not a vegetable), rice, potatoes
and Little Debbie snack cakes, with very grave consequences
to our health. Making matters worse, most of these carbohydrates
we consume come in the form of processed food.

That 65% of Americans are overweight, and 27% clinically
obese, in a nation addicted to sesame seed buns for that hamburger,
with a side of French fries and a Coke, is no coincidence

It is not the fat in the foods we eat but, far more, the excess
carbohydrates from our starch- and sugar-loaded diet that
is making people fat and unhealthy, and leading to
epidemic levels of a host of diseases such as diabetes.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms,
chances are very good that the excess carbohydrates
in your body are, in part or whole, to blame:

Excess weight
Fatigue and frequent sleepiness
Depression
Brain fogginess
Bloating
Low blood sugar
High blood pressure

Through our addiction to grains, potatoes, sweets and
other starchy and sugary foods,
we are consuming far too many.

The body's storage capacity for carbohydrates is quite limited,
though, so here's what happens to all the excess:
they are converted,
via insulin, into fat and stored in the adipose, or fatty, tissue.

Any meal or snack high in carbohydrates generates a
rapid rise in blood glucose. To adjust for this rise, the pancreas
secretes the hormone insulin into the bloodstream, which lowers the
glucose. Insulin is, though, essentially a storage hormone, evolved
over those millions of years of humans prior to the agricultural age,
to store the excess calories from carbohydrates
in the form of fat in case of famine.

Insulin, stimulated by the excess carbohydrates in our
overabundant consumption of grains, starches and sweets,
is responsible for all those bulging stomachs
and fat rolls in thighs and chins.

Even worse, high insulin levels suppress two other
important hormones - glucagons and growth hormones – that
are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting muscle
development, respectively. So insulin from excess carbohydrates
promotes fat, and then wards off the body's ability to lose that fat.
Excess weight and obesity lead to heart disease and a
wide variety of other diseases.

But the ill effect of grains and
sugars does not end there.

They suppress the immune system,
contributing to allergies,
and they are responsible
for a host of digestive disorders.

They contribute to depression,
and their excess consumption is,
in fact, associated with many of the chronic diseases
in our nation, such as cancer and diabetes.

The bottom line is that we need to reduce our intake of grains,
including corn-based foods,
and all sweets and potatoes, dramatically.

A good tip to help you get off these health damaging food items
is to ask yourself

BEFORE YOU EAT

WOULD I GIVE THIS TO MY BABY?

For if you love your baby, you would not want
to compromise
their immune systems or cause them any
harm would you?

Think about this!

THEN WHY DO YOU WANT
TO HARM YOURSELF?

This is where the self love
and self respect comes in.

In addition to throwing off the body's homeostasis,
excess sugar may result in a number of other
significant consequences. The following is a listing of some
of sugar's metabolic consequences from a variety
of medical journals and other scientific publications.

Sugar can suppress your immune system and
impair your defenses against infectious disease.

Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in your body:
causes chromium and copper deficiencies
and interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.

Sugar can cause can cause a rapid rise of adrenaline,
hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating,
and crankiness in children.

Sugar can produce a significant rise in total cholesterol,
triglycerides and bad cholesterol and
a decrease in good cholesterol.

Sugar causes a loss of tissue
elasticity and function.

Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected
with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries,
prostate, rectum, pancreas, biliary tract, lung,
gallbladder and stomach.

Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and
can cause reactive hypoglycemia.
Sugar can weaken eyesight.

Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract
including:
an acidic digestive tract,
indigestion,
malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease,
increased risk of Crohn's disease,
and ulcerative colitis.

Sugar can cause premature aging.

Sugar can lead to alcoholism.

Sugar can cause your saliva to become acidic,
tooth decay, and periodontal disease.

Sugar contributes to obesity.

Sugar can cause autoimmune diseases such as:
arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis.

Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of
Candida Albicans (yeast infections)

Sugar can cause gallstones.

Sugar can cause appendicitis.

Sugar can cause hemorrhoids.

Sugar can cause varicose veins.

Sugar can elevate glucose and insulin responses
in oral contraceptive users.

Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.

Sugar can cause a decrease in your insulin
sensitivity thereby causing an abnormally high insulin levels
and eventually diabetes.

Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels.

Sugar can increase your systolic blood pressure.
Sugar can cause drowsiness and
decreased activity in children.

High sugar intake increases advanced glycation end
products (AGEs)(Sugar molecules attaching to and
thereby damaging proteins in the body).

Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.

Sugar causes food allergies.

Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.

Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.

Sugar can cause atherosclerosis and
cardiovascular disease.

Sugar can impair the structure of your DNA.

Sugar can change the structure of protein and
cause a permanent alteration of the way
the proteins act in your body.

Sugar can make your skin age by
changing the structure of collagen.

Sugar can cause cataracts and nearsightedness.

Sugar can cause emphysema.

High sugar intake can impair the
physiological homeostasis of many systems in your body.

Sugar lowers the ability of enzymes to function.

Sugar intake is higher in people with
Parkinson's disease.

Sugar can increase the size of your liver by
making your liver cells divide and
it can increase the amount of liver fat.

Sugar can increase kidney size and
produce pathological changes in the kidney
such as the formation of kidney stones.

Sugar can damage your pancreas.

Sugar can increase your body's fluid retention.

Sugar is enemy #1 of your bowel movement.

Sugar can compromise the lining of your capillaries.

Sugar can make your tendons more brittle.

Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.

Sugar can reduce the learning capacity,
adversely affect school children's grades
and cause learning disorders.

Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha,
and theta brain waves which can alter your mind's
ability to think clearly.

Sugar can cause depression.

Sugar can increase your risk of gout.

Sugar can increase your risk
of Alzheimer's disease.

Sugar can cause hormonal imbalances such as:
increasing estrogen in men, exacerbating PMS,
and decreasing growth hormone.

Sugar can lead to dizziness.

Diets high in sugar will increase
free radicals and oxidative stress.

High sucrose diets of subjects with
peripheral vascular disease significantly
increases platelet adhesion.

High sugar consumption of pregnant adolescents
can lead to substantial decrease in gestation duration
and is associated with a twofold increased risk for
delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant.
Sugar is an addictive substance.

Sugar can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.

Sugar given to premature babies can affect the
amount of carbon dioxide they produce.

Decrease in sugar intake can increase
emotional stability.

Your body changes sugar into 2 to 5 times
more fat in the bloodstream than it does starch.

The rapid absorption of sugar promotes
excessive food intake in obese subjects.

Sugar can worsen the symptoms of children
with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Sugar adversely affects urinary
electrolyte composition.

Sugar can slow down the ability of
your adrenal glands to function.

Sugar has the potential of inducing
abnormal metabolic processes in a normal healthy
individual and to promote chronic degenerative diseases.

I.V.s (intravenous feedings) of sugar water
can cut off oxygen to your brain.

Sugar increases your risk of polio.

High sugar intake can cause epileptic seizures.

Sugar causes high blood pressure in obese people.

In intensive care units:

Limiting sugar saves lives.

Sugar may induce cell death.

In juvenile rehabilitation camps, when children were
put on a low sugar diet, there was a 44 percent
drop in antisocial behavior.

Sugar dehydrates newborns.

Sugar can cause gum disease.

KEEP A FOOD DIARY FOR 2006

If you write down every single mouthful you take,
you will be surprised at how many useless calories
you eat during the course of a day.

Keeping a food diary will educate you and
help you to control your unhealthy eating habits.

Remember that once over thirty, you cannot eat as
you used to when you were younger.

In your forties and fifties, two meals per day
is sufficient with a solid reduction of all breads,
carbohydrates and sugars.

In your late fifties, one meal a day is sufficient.
Or a small breakfast and early supper packed with
vegetables and protein.

Keep your servings HALF SIZE
YES – HALF SIZE

Look at yourself in the mirror.

If you are overweight, REDUCE
YOUR PORTIONS

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

DO NOT EAT AT NIGHT

FORGO JUNK FOOD

READ FOOD LABELS

EXERCISE DAILY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

DRINK EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER

AND KEEP YOUR CARBS AND SUGARS
DOWN TO A BARE MINIMUM

Before you know it, your weight will
drop and you will actually start to feel better.

Your eating habits
MAKE YOU WHAT YOU ARE!

Over eating can actually stop a thyroid from
functioning properly.

YOU DO NOT NEED THAT MUCH FOOD.

CUT YOUR PORTIONS IN HALF

AND WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

WOULD YOU GIVE IT TO YOUR BABY?

With love and Blessings
for a healthy and happy
and svelte New Year

Sincerely,

Skye Holdon and Family

Garth, Rebecca
and
Fluffy (meow)

FM THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE
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Topic: A GIFT FOR YOU
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Giving Yourself The Gift Of Love

Learning to Love yourself

Many of us tend to look outward in the search for love, rather than inward. But if you take the time to learn to love yourself, this experience can be almost as fulfilling as falling in love with somebody else. You may think that this is the height of conceit, or self involvement, but choosing to love who you are is a powerful act of self love.

You can discover a marvelous sense of discovery and adventure if you take the time to learn to love who you are. Delving deep within, past the heartaches, the self-doubts, the insecurities can help you to look at yourself with fresh eyes, and to become more attentive to the little details that make you so unique. For just like a snowflake, no two people are alike.

And, once you discover just who you are and what you stand for, you cannot help but begin to treat yourself with love and respect just as you would treat somebody who is special to you. You then start to give yourself more and become more attentive to your own desires and needs.

Choosing to learn to love yourself is a personal process that takes time. Rome was not built in a day. But then, we are not building Rome today, are we? There isn’t a magic wand that you can wave to make this happen. But there is inherent magic in your intention and in the power of your actions, whether you are taking the time to perform activities you like, speaking to and treating yourself with respect, taking inventory of all your wonderful qualities and accomplishments, or nurturing yourself with plenty of rest and self-care. When you learn to love yourself, you begin to see yourself in a positive light. You begin to respect and admire your unique outlook on life, and therefore are likely to treat yourself in a more nurturing and forgiving way.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Taking yourself seriously and bringing yourself to task for things is a negative and miss-spent emotion. In loving yourself, you are acknowledging that you are special and deserving of LOVE. And best of all, you are giving yourself one of the greatest gifts you have to give to another. You are giving yourself the gift of love.

Be Happy, Be Kind to Yourself, TAKE CARE OF YOU
Skye Holdon

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Giving Yourself The Gift Of Love

Learning to Love yourself

Many of us tend to look outward in the search for love, rather than inward.

But if you take the time to learn to love yourself, this experience can be almost as fulfilling as falling in love with somebody else. You may think that this is the height of conceit, or self involvement, but choosing to love who you are is a powerful act of self love.

You can discover a marvelous sense of discovery and adventure if you take the time to learn to love who you are.

Delving deep within, past the heartaches, the self-doubts, the insecurities can help you to look at yourself with fresh eyes, and to become more attentive to the little details that make you so unique. For just like a snowflake, no two people are alike.

And, once you discover just who you are and what you stand for, you cannot help but begin to treat yourself with love and respect just as you would treat somebody who is special to you.

You then start to give yourself more and become more attentive to your own desires and needs.

Choosing to learn to love yourself is a personal process that takes time. Rome was not built in a day.

But then, we are not building Rome today, are we? There isn’t a magic wand that you can wave to make this happen. But there is inherent magic in your intention and in the power of your actions, whether you are taking the time to perform activities you like, speaking to and treating yourself with respect, taking inventory of all your wonderful qualities and accomplishments, or nurturing yourself with plenty of rest and self-care.

When you learn to love yourself, you begin to see yourself in a positive light. You begin to respect and admire your unique outlook on life, and therefore are likely to treat yourself in a more nurturing and forgiving way.

Don’t be hard on yourself. Taking yourself seriously and bringing yourself to task for things is a negative and miss-spent emotion.

In loving yourself, you are acknowledging that you are special and deserving of LOVE. And best of all, you are giving yourself one of the greatest gifts you have to give to another. You are giving yourself the gift of love.

Be Well, Be Happy and TAKE CARE OF YOU!

Skye Holdon

Fibromyalgia The Scarlet Letter of Medicine
Mood:  sharp
Topic: The Tortoise and the Hare



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POETRY IS LIKE STILLNESS IN MOTION

Learning to pace yourself and doing things more slowly than you are used to doing. Life often feels as though it is on fast forward. I think this makes us feel obligated to accelerate our own speed along with it. We become whirling dervishes and it turns into frenzied accomplishment, often with frayed ends, and things half done. We often try to cram in as much activity as possible in the shortest amount of time and we totally have learned to ignore our natural rhythms because we feel that we must keep up with the general flow of the maddening frenzied rush of our present day life. In truth however, rushing never gets you anywhere but on to the next activity or goal. And if you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady does it!

Slowing down is comparable to learning to eat slowly and chew your food, delighting in the experience of fine cuisine. It allows you not only to savour your experiences but it also will permit you to fully focus your attention and energy on the task at hand. Moving at a slower pace lets you get things done more efficiently, more completely, leaving no lose ends that may crop up to haunt you later. Rushing can diminish the quality of what you are trying to accomplish. Slowing down allows you to be more mindful, deliberate, and fully present and involved in your project. You are not chasing down other tasks while rushing through the present one. When we slow down, we learn to be cognizant of the natural rhythms of the earth. If we let go of the fast forward stress, and allow our bodies to remain centered and grounded, we can then understand that slowing down is inherent to fully savoring anything in life. Rushing to take a bath for instance, can make it feel like an uncomfortable dunk in hot water, while taking the slower and more mindful way, the bath can be luxuriant and relaxing. A student cramming for an exam will often feel weary and unsure, whereas somebody who really absorbs the information will be more confident and relaxed. Cooking, eating, reading, and writing can become pleasurable when performed slowly. It simply allows you to become absorbed in the task at hand. You are then part of it.

Slowing down allows you to disconnect from the frenzied helter-skelter pace buzzing around you like a horde of worker bees, and connects you to the rhythm and movement of your own pace. The moments we choose to live in fast forward motion then become a conscious choice rather than an involuntary or customary action. Learning to slow down in our fast paced world takes practice. However if you slow down long enough to try it, you may surprise yourself with how natural and organic living at this pace can really be. It could and will change your life and enhance all its delights and pleasures.

Be at peace, practice healthful living and love yourself and others,
Skye Holdon

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THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE - FM
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: HOW TO SAY NO
GAMES PEOPLE PLAY




Tired of being the go for girl? Weary of being a “Yes” girl? Here are some tips on how to master and control the art of a gracious turndown and gaining control of your personal time.

Why is it so hard for us to say the word “NO”? And how, if you have difficulty using it, do you learn to say the word?

Most women find it very hard to say no and to set limits on what they do for others! It probably goes back to when we were little girls snuggling with our stuffed animals and you learned what taking care of others was all about. You watched your Grandmother do it, and you watched your Mom do it and probably you were raised to do it too. We, as women are mostly conditioned to project the welcoming and all encompassing aura of giving people what they need and want and feeling guilty if they do not. We find it hard to hurt people’s feelings or alienate them by rejecting their requests. It is a constant search for validation, for approval.

A friend of mine cannot bear the idea of disappointing or letting down her Mom with a “no.” Her Mom typically drops in, unannounced to have coffee or lunch. Just recently, instead of telling her that she could not spare the time because she had to pack for a trip, my friend actually hid it from her own mother. When she saw her Mom approaching the back door, she crouched down and hid behind the kitchen counter, fearing condemnation and reproach far more than deceit. She is probably an extreme case but the whole point is that many of us do whatever we can do to avoid saying no, often to our own distress, misgivings and detriment. Indeed, many of us agree to things we simply loathe doing and beat ourselves up later for agreeing to do so. It is vital to remember that there are lots of good reasons to just say “NO” and that not one of them is laziness, selfishness, or meanness of spirit.

Saying yes all the times puts you on overload. It binds you down with stress. It is because you are letting everybody else choose the activities that fill your time.

No matter what kind of ace you are at nurturing others, you should learn to set your own limits. You have to admit to yourself that you cannot meet everybody’s needs and that you should not be expected to. This does not make you a bad wife, mother, daughter, co worker or friend.

Try to make certain that the requests you agree to match your priorities, so that you genuinely enjoy pitching in instead of doing out of a sense of obligation and guilt.

Are you willing to neglect your own needs just so a person will like you? Remind yourself daily that you do not have to say yes to anybody, because you have someone else to say YES TO AND THAT’S Y O U!

HOW TO SAY NO

STALLING
“Gosh, the project sounds wonderful but let me get back to you. I am sure that our calendar is filled up and as much as I would like to help, my family comes first.”

The Partial No
This method is a good compromise if you don't feel right delivering a blanket "no" to someone.
You can say, “Gee, I would love to tend the bake sale table all day but I am booked. I can, however, help out between two and three pm.”

THE “DIRECT NO”
A short explanation for your refusal - as in, "...because I have to help brother out that day" makes your busyness sound legitimate.

The Wistful No
You'll like this tactic if you're naturally effusive and eager to show people how helpful you wish to be. You could handle it this way. “I love animals and love your dog, but I have a commitment, as much as I would love to take care of Rusty.”

The Empathetic No
If you pride yourself on maintaining a strong emotional connection with people, says McClure, this strategy allows you to have your cake and eat it too. You show the asker how I-feel-your-pain in sync you are with her even as you're turning her down. Example: "I can see that you really need someone to water your potted plants while you're away in the month of August. I know that these plants mean a lot to you. Unfortunately, I'm just too busy at that time to take care of them properly."

The Stealth No
If you get really nervous at the thought of turning someone down face-to-face, use this technique. Simply call at a time when you're pretty sure she won't be home and leave a polite message expressing your regrets on her answering machine.

The Sympathy-Card No
If you're overwhelmed (with obligations, exhaustion, illness, pain) and you're comfortable letting everyone know that, go for this tactic. They may walk away feeling sorry for you after you've said something like, "I'd help you, but I'm just swamped these days. I can barely keep food in the fridge." It will make them think twice about asking you.

Remember, it’s your life. You can be the “Yes” girl and become a slave to others whims, requests and desires. Or you can stand up for yourself and value yourself enough to insist you retain your own agenda and quality of time for yourself. And, you don’t have to feel guilty about it.

Life is one long series of lessons. Protect your health by protecting your quality of life.

Skye H

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THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE - FIBROMYALGIA
Topic: THE WAR INSIDE YOU
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AIN'T NO SUNSHINE SINCE YOU'VE GONE



THERE IS A WAR

GOING ON WITHIN YOU

BY SKYE HOLDON
FIND MEANING WITHIN YOURSELF WHEN YOU ARE ILL


If you are feeling a terrible yearning within you, a restless searching for something that you do not have, or a piece of the puzzle that is missing in your life, it could be the call of every part of yourself, except your intellect – body- heart and soul – trying desperately to get me to listen to them!

Often people suffering from illness and chronic pain are like a ship that had lost its compass or charts. The pain, frustration, the lack of quality of life often makes the victim feel aimless and uninspired, and at a loss for their life’s purpose. Therefore, it is important that the person who suffers from chronic illness learn to consciously reconnect with his or her essential self. Then he or she will have regained the capacity to their own course toward happiness, whether that lay in his present job and marriage, his disability, or in a completely different life.

Your essential self yearns for the freedom of nature; your social self buys the right backpacking equipment. Your essential self falls in love; your social self watches to make sure the feeling is reciprocal before allowing you to stand underneath your beloved's window singing serenades.

This system functions beautifully as long as the social and essential selves are communicating freely with each other and working in perfect synchrony. However, not many people are lucky enough to experience such inner harmony. Many people who are ill allow others to take charge of charting their path through life. They never even consult their own navigational equipment; instead they steer their lives according to the instructions of people who have no idea on what you need, want or feel inside. In this manner, unwittingly, they often steer you off course.

If your feelings about life in general are fraught with discontent, anxiety, frustration, anger, boredom, numbness, or despair, your social and essential selves are not in sync. Life design is the process of reconnecting them. It means that communication between your two selves has broken down.

Your essential self formed before you were born, and it will remain until you've shuffled off your mortal coil. It's the personality you got from your genes: your characteristic desires, preferences, emotional reactions, and involuntary physiological responses bound together by an overall sense of identity. It would be the same whether you'd been raised in France, China, or Brazil, by beggars or millionaires. It's the basic you, stripped of options and special features. It is "essential" in two ways: first, it is the essence of your personality.

The social self is the part of you that developed in response to pressures from the people around you, including everyone from your family to your first love to the pope. As the most socially dependent of mammals, human babies are born knowing that their very survival depends on the goodwill of the grown-ups around them. Because of this, we're all literally designed to please others. Your essential self was the part of you that cracked your first baby smile; your social self noticed how much Mommy loved that smile, and later reproduced it at exactly the right moment to convince her to lend you the down payment on a condo. You still have both responses. Sometimes you smile involuntarily, out of amusement or silliness or joy, but many of your smiles are based purely on social convention.

Between birth and this moment, your social self has picked up a huge variety of skills. It learned to talk, read, dress, dance, drive, juggle, merge, acquire, cook, yodel, wait in line, share bananas, restrain the urge to bite - anything that won social approval. Unlike your essential self, which is the same regardless of culture, your social self was shaped by cultural norms and expectations.

If you happen to have been born into a Mafia family, your social self is probably wary, street-smart, and ruthless. If you were raised by nuns in the local orphanage, it may be saintly and self-sacrificing. Whatever you learned to be, you're still learning. Your social self is hard at work, right this minute, struggling to make sure you're honest and loyal, or sweet and sexy, or tough and macho, or any other combination of things you believe makes you socially acceptable.

The social self is based on principles that often run contrary to our core desires. Its job is to know when those desires will upset other people, and to help us override natural inclinations that aren't socially acceptable.

Many of you become retrospective during an illness and are essentially responsible citizens who have muzzled their essential selves in order to do what they believe is the "right thing." There are, of course, people who fail—or refuse—to develop a social self. They live completely in essential-self world, never accommodating society in any way that runs contrary to their desires.
Often the ill and disabled try to make themselves a better person. Or, conversely they feel that the whole world owes them a living and show the nasty selfish sides of their characters. Having a strong social self is a terrific asset. It's allowed you to sustain relationships, finish school, hold down jobs, and meet a lot of other goals. But if, in spite of all these achievements, you're feeling discontented and unfulfilled – then your internal wiring is probably disconnected. You need to re-establish contact with your essential self.

The most reliable places to find meaning and love in your everyday life are in moments that affect you emotionally and move you most deeply. I call these human moments. The most reliable places find human moments are in the connections you make. These are connections of the heart. The people and the places that you love. The part of work you really care about. The children you raise and the grandchildren they may give you. The friends you trust. The pets you adore. The garden (or any pastime) that you fuss over. Even the teams you fanatically root for. All these connections lead to human moments. We hold these moments in our hearts, long after they occur, and feed on them when we are hungry for something to lift our spirits, or simply for something that we believe in and care about. They are emotional sustenance for the heart. It is not healthy to starve the heart.

Nor is it healthy to retain bitterness, to wallow in self pity, to demand that the world revolve around you just because you are sick. Laying the burden of YOUR illness on your nearest and dearest is about the most selfish and inconsiderate thing you can do in your life. Sure, it is awful being sick. Nobody wants to be sick, or if they do, they should seek immediate help. Rising above your illness and retaining your sweet character is not difficult if you put yourself in the other caregiver’s shoes. How awful to be stuck with a sick person all the time! Ever think of that? Now hold on here. Perhaps they love you enough to make it all matter. And perhaps you love them enough not to take out your misery on them and to not reflect the negativity of your life on their lives. Holding yourself above your illness and cutting out the whining and complaining will go a long way to helping you feel like a productive human being again. Life is a learning process. Sick or well, our characters are developing and there is simply no excuse to allow your character to become bitter, spiteful, whining and complaining because you are ill. Instead, rejoice in the fact that somebody cares enough about you to take care of you. Their part of the bargain is difficult, and compromising to their own dreams and aspirations. Its not all about Y O U. If you can understand this, you will be on your way to developing a partnership of the heart and soul, one that you cherish, and one that you will be proud of, knowing that you are following your own star, while allowing your partner to follow his or hers. First star on the right, right until morning. Skye Holdon

FIBROMYALGIA - THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE
Topic: Autonomic Nervous System
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USING OUR IMAGINATION AND DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR TREATING FM

I often tell people that FM features can be explained on the basis of autonomic (sympathetic) nervous system dysfunction. And there is some scientific evidence to support this. However, the key is to understanding and following the trail backwards to where the person loses their ability to cope with the stresses of life. FM is a multi-system illness. So what does that tell us? It tells me that symptoms are not just related to the muscles, but that this illness produces dramatic manifestations in different systems and organs in the body.

I am sure that you all know that the most frequently associated symptoms are: morning stiffness, headaches, numbness and tingling, restless legs, anxiety, cold, clammy hands, irritable bowel, sleep disorders, mental fog and cystitis. So I think that we have to examine any valid theory attempting to explain FM should first give an educated explanation for the presence of these disparate symptoms in the same patients.


What Is the Autonomic Nervous System?

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the portion of the nervous system that controls the function of the different organs and systems of the body. For instance, it regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat rate, and bowel and bladder tone, among many other variables. It is "autonomic" because our mind does not govern its performance; rather, it works below the level of consciousness. One striking characteristic of this system is the rapidity and intensity of the onset of its action and its dissipation. Centers located in the central nervous system (brain stem, hypothalamus, and thalamus) and in the spinal cord activate the ANS. These centers also receive input from the limbic system and other higher brain areas. This means that the ANS is the interface between mind and body functions. These connections enable the ANS to be the main component of the stress response system in charge of fight-or-flight reactions.
The ANS works closely with the endocrine system (the hormonal system), particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Another endocrine axis closely related to the ANS involves growth hormone secretion.

The peripheral autonomic system is divided into two branches; the sympathetic and para- sympathetic. These two branches have antagonistic effects on most bodily functions, and their proper balance preserves equilibrium.

So this means that the ANS represents the ying-yang concept of ancient eastern cultures. Sympathetic activation prepares the whole body for fight or flight in response to stress or emergencies; in contrast, parasympathetic tone favors digestive functions and sleep.

The sympathetic autonomic branch extends from the brain stem to the spinal cord and features rich sympathetic nerve tissue in the neck and pelvic areas. From the spinal cord, the sympathetic nervous system goes to our internal organs and to the extremities. At the skin level, sympathetic activity induces cold clammy hands, mottled skin, and piloerection (goose flesh).
The action of the two branches of the ANS is mediated by neurotransmitters. Adrenaline (also known as norepinephrine) is the predominant sympathetic neurotransmitter whereas acethylcoline acts in the parasympathetic periphery.

Until recently, the action of this extremely dynamic ANS has been difficult to assess in clinical practice.

Changes in breathing pattern, mental stress, or even posture alter immediately and completely the sympathetic/parasympathetic balance.

Nevertheless, with the introduction of a new powerful cybernetic technique named heart rate variability analysis, the outlook has changed this.

What is Heart Rate Variability Analysis?

This technique is based on the fact that the heart rate is not uniform but varies continuously from beat to beat by a few milliseconds. The periodic components of this endless heart rate variation are dictated by the antagonistic impulses that the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches have on the heart. Cybernetic recording of this constant variability is able to estimate both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The elegance of this method resides in the fact that all measurements are derived from electrocardiograms, so patients are subjected to no discomfort whatsoever.

Heart rate variability analysis is not a test that a patient can readily obtain from practicing physicians. So far, this test is largely confined to research centers.

Research on Fibromyalgia - Rheumatology Department at the National Cardiology Institute of Mexico.


They have used in their research, heart rate variability analysis to estimate ANS function in patients with FM. They have found that such patients have changes consistent with relentless hyperactivity of their sympathetic nervous system which continues 24 hours a day. Very interestingly, in a different study, they subjected FM patients to a simple stress test which involved having them stand up. Their overworked sympathetic nervous system became unable to further respond meaning that the system was already exhausted.

It is known that as we stand up, blood tends to pool in the lower parts of the body. In normal circumstances, there is an immediate sympathetic surge that compensates for this blood shift and maintains normal blood circulation to the head. People with FM clearly have an abnormal response, and their sympathetic nervous system fails to respond properly. It is pertinent to mention that researchers from different parts of the world have confirmed these abnormal heart rate variability findings in patients with FM.

Based on this research, they propose that dysautonomia (the medical term for ANS dysfunction) is frequent in patients with FM. Such dysautonomia can be characterized as a sympathetic nervous system that is persistently hyperactive but hypo-reactive to stress.

Furthermore, they propose that such dysautonomia explains all FM features. Their ANS findings fully agree with previous ground-breaking research on sleep disorders and hormonal abnormalities in FM.

Does Dysautonomia Explains All FM Features?

Sympathetic hypo-reactivity provides a coherent explanation for the constant fatigue and other symptoms associated with low blood pressure, such as dizziness, fogginess, and faintness.

This phenomenon can be compared to what would happen to a constantly forced engine that becomes unable to speed up in response to further stimulation.

Relentless sympathetic hyperactivity also explains the sleep disturbances associated with FM. It is known that parasympathetic tone predominates during deep sleep stages and that seconds before awakening episodes there is a sympathetic surge.

The concurrent studies of polysomnography and heart rate variability analyses have shown that FM people have relentless nocturnal sympathetic hyperactivity associated with constant arousal and awakening episodes.

Sympathetic hyperactivity may also explain the cold, clammy hands (pseudo Raynaud's phenomenon) and the constant dryness in the mouth often seen in persons with FM. Investigators who have directly studied irritable bowel syndrome and interstitial cystitis have also reported alterations which are consistent with sympathetic hyperactivity.

The relationship between FM and anxiety and/or depression also deserves special mention.

It is clear that FM patients frequently have these two conditions.

It hardly could be any other way in persons suffering from chronic intense pain.

Unfortunately, the psychological component associated with multisystem FM features has led some physicians to diagnose these patients with pejorative labels such as hypochondriasis or hysteria.

In recent years, new labels have been applied, such as "health seeking behavior" or "somatization".

In this clinic’s clinical opinion, these labels are totally misplaced and do not help by any means in understanding the causes that lead to FM.

The fact that there is a psychological component to FM does not diminish the validity of the diagnosis nor make patients guilty for their own suffering.

The key issue in FM research is not whether there is a psychological component; the key issue is why these persons have so much pain. (It is the pain, stupid !!!).

There is ample evidence to sustain the fact that FM pain is real as attested by different studies demonstrating very high levels of the powerful pain-transmitting substance P in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients. A

ccording to their model, anxiety could be either the cause or the effect of sympathetic hyperactivity. It should be noted that any normal person injected with adrenaline becomes jittery and anxious.

However, they addressed the key FM issue:

how to explain its defining features (i.e., widespread pain and tenderness at palpation on specific anatomical points).

They proposed that these key features can be explained by the mechanism known in medicine as sympathetically maintained pain. This type of pain is characterized by its frequent onset after trauma, by its independence of any tissue damage, and by the presence of allodynia (the medical term for pain elicitation with light touch) and paresthesias (the medical term for burning, tingling sensations).

Sympathetically maintained pain is a type of neuropathic pain. This means that the problem lies in the pain-transmitting nerve itself. Examples of neuropathic pain are post-herpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. We have suggested that FM is a generalized form of reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Unfortunately, these types of neuropathic pain respond poorly to the usual analgesic/anti-inflammatory medications.

Sympathetically maintained pain syndromes have strong experimental foundations. Studies performed in animals have shown that trauma may trigger relentless sympathetic hyperactivity and that in such instances the pain-transmitting nerves are altered and abnormally activated by norepinephrine (a phenomenon known as norepinephrine-evoked pain), thus starting a vicious cycle of sympathetic hyperactivity and pain.

FM has clear sympathetically maintained pain features.

As discussed before, there is relentless sympathetic hyperactivity.

There is frequent onset after physical or psychological trauma.

There is widespread pain without underlying tissue damage accompanied by allodynia and paresthesias.

The typical FM tender points reflect a state of generalized allodynia.

It should also be noted that most FM tender points are located in the neck area, a zone very rich in sympathetic interconnections. Nowhere else in the body are the sympathetic cell bodies so near to the skin.

Our recent findings (see sidebar) show that injections of tiny amounts of norepinephrine induce pain in FM patients, thus reinforcing the notion that FM is a sympathetically maintained pain syndrome.

Treatment of Dysautonomia in Fibromyalgia

The realization of dysautonomia in FM demands a holistic approach for its treatment. We are not dealing with a localized ailment; rather, it is our main regulatory system that is not working properly.

Dysautonomia provides a plausible explanation for the reported beneficial effects of interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and graded aerobic exercises. These disciplines improve FM symptoms and also improve resting autonomic tone.

It also seems wise to ask patients to avoid the intake of adrenaline-like substances such as nicotine, caffeine-containing soft drinks, and coffee.

Liberal intake of mineral water may help symptoms related to low blood pressure such as fatigue, dizziness, and faintness.

For this chronic illness with multiple complaints, is important to refrain from excessive use of medications.

Therapy should be individualized and remain under a physician's supervision. Medications should be directed to improve sleep and autonomic balance.

The main FM symptom, widespread pain, should be eased with centrally acting analgesics.

Anti-inflammatory medications have little beneficial effects. It is clear that current analgesic therapy is insufficient in many cases.

We have to direct our attention to anti-neuropathic medications, but again, currently available compounds are not satisfactory in many instances.

Different types of anti-neuropathic drugs are in the developmental stage, and there is reason to believe that these new medications will also be effective for FM pain.

There is much to be learned about the possible beneficial effects of eastern relaxation disciplines on ANS balance and on FM symptoms.
In conclusion, we can be optimistic.

The FM enigma is in the process of being better understood. I am convinced that scientific evidence will eventually disprove FM non-believers.

Both patients and heath care providers have to be daring and move away from the decrepit medical paradigm that views any illness without obvious structural damage as non-existent or as belonging to the realm of psychiatry. We need to adopt a scientifically holistic paradigm that recognizes the tight mind-body interactions in any chronic disease state.

We have to be imaginative and develop different treatments for FM based on the unfolding new knowledge.

About the Author: Manuel Martinez-Lavin, M.D. graduated as a physician from the National University of Mexico. He did his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at St. Louis University in Missouri and in Rheumatology at Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California. He is certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is currently Chief of the Rheumatology Department at the National Cardiology Institute of Mexico. He has published over 60 research articles in scientific, peer-reviewed journals. His research interest focuses on cardiovascular involvement in rheumatic diseases.
Excerpts Reprinted from Fibromyalgia Frontiers, 2001, Vol.10 #1.

BLOGGERS NOTE:

I have to agree with most of this dissertation. It is apparent that trauma to the heart, mind, psyche, or body can precipitate Fibromyalgic symptoms, but the author fails to remark on the secondary component of Fibromyalgia and the relationship between misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed primary health conditions. But in examining this, if the primary condition is not diagnosed, this in itself provokes more pain, distress, anxiety and upset. So its no longer a question of which comes first, the chicken or the egg, but how to crack the egg and kill the chicken before it gets to the other side.

Your health is important. It is a vital component to quality of life
SKYE HOLDON

THE STIGMA OF FIBROMYALGIA
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Medical Scarlet Letter
My Song



FM – THE SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE
By Dr Skye

Fibromyalgia does exist and I want to make this crystal clear before you all attack me with mail. It is a syndrome that is very painful and I treat many women who have it. Fibromyalgia is the SCARLET LETTER of MEDICINE. Unfortunately at this time, it is considered a waste basket diagnosis but in time things will change. I believe that its an illness but a psychological one in the aspect of PRIMARY FIBROMYALGIA. There are FM and CFS clinics springing up all over the states, but they cannot cure anybody, they charge a fortune and people go with hope with their life’s savings only to find out that there isn’t anything that can really be done. That in fact, to date, there is no cure. This is a travesty.

We need support groups who understand the realities of this illness and just what can be done. I call it the SUPER SENSITIVE disease.

Meaning that in some obscure way, the neuro-receptors of the brain are influenced by the sensitivities of the mind and heart and as this produces stress, it hits in the vulnerable part of the body - the pain center. The pain comes from guilt, bad memories, abuse, etc and the pain is real but pain medications will not take it away. Hence the fact that they do not work too well or for too long. What people need to do is find out why they are sensitive to life's traumas and problems and why they cannot handle things that the so called NORMAL person without FIBRO can. This is not to say that the people are any less people, in fact I have found them to be highly intelligent, giving, generous and loving people who usually do too much for others at their own peril. And I have found others, particularly in the primary category, to be self absorbed, selfish, whining, vindictive people unhappy with their lot in life.

They are the hypochondriacs who need attention, want to be ill and thrive on each and ever stab of pain or twinge. The manipulate doctors, families and siblings into thinking that they are gravely ill, and cannot cope with any more. They disrupt the lives of normal people and do not think twice about it. They are self centered people who crave attention and love and are demanding, inconsiderate of others and prone to verbal attack of people without thought or reason to whether they hurt another human being or not. They become paranoid as most of them are on far too many prescriptions that DO NOT MAKE THEM BETTER, and they begin to think that everybody is against them. They vent their spleen on people and put it down to their illness and it becomes a great excuse to be a miserable, mean and negative person. Still others rise above it and become even more compassionate, loving and understanding and take care not to overburden their already worried and overburdened family with any more baggage that belongs to them, and them alone.

Witch or Martyr?

There is a happy medium.

However become a vindictive martyr to an illness is the most non-constructive thing a person can do to themselves. They are literally torturing themselves and sadly, loving it. The witch can come out with full venom as they attack people right left and center and feel justified because they are sick and the world owes them something for this unfortunate circumstance. And, the martyr plays on her family with frailness, constantly running to the emergency rooms, over emphasizing every little health problem that comes their way, including that of the family, and of concentrating solely on sickness and pain. They are easier to get along with but place a terrific strain on marriages and relationships and also soundly influence their children in the most negative of fashions.

Then you have the warrior, who pushes through it all, to his or her own detriment, literally doing too much, trying too hard! Keeping it all inside so as not to annoy or irritate anybody else, and who cries silently, never letting it loose and ends up in a ball of pain in the dead of night when everybody else is sleeping.

Which path is the right path?

ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS and TREATMENT. An understanding physician and FINDING THE ROOT CAUSE to the FIBROMYALGIA.

THE X FACTOR

The root cause is the X factor.

Once you are diagnosed with FM, the SCARLET LETTER OF MEDICINE, the doctors are prone to ignore all other symptoms OR lump them into the FM garbage bag and refuse to sift through the litter.

And in this way, so many Fibromyalgia sufferers are left by the wayside, suffering from a primary disease that is left undiagnosed until its almost too late, if in fact it is caught at all.

The primary diseases range from back problems, cervical and lumbar, auto immune diseases such as HHV6, granulotomous disease, Lupus,Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis, etc. AS well as commonly, endocrine diseases such as Graves, as well as pituitary tumors, adrenal problems etc. All of the above can cause secondary fibromyalgia as a sympathetic to the pain and disease piggyback syndrome. I call it a syndrome in this case because it follows the pathways of the primary condition. And this makes sense.

Also, somewhere along the line the pain center becomes involved. I believe that because most Fibromyalgia patients are misdiagnosed for their primary conditions that the pain center becomes overloaded with pain and confused as it cannot handle it all. The body is NOT treated appropriately as the primary condition has not been established and in the end, the pain center simply breaks down from exhaustion and overuse of trying to control the pain. Then the endorphins fade away or become weak and ineffective and the person lives within a living hell of pain. All because they were ONCE stamped with the SCARLET LETTER OF FIBROMYALGIA. This is in MOST CASES. I REMIND YOU OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

PRIMARY – Needs help psychologically, counseling, and a readjustment of attitude, as well as medication, exercise and treatment for depression.

CAUSATIVE – FM caused from the repercussions of an accident, trauma to the body. In this case, it is the piggyback syndrome as I mentioned above. We will discuss treatment in my next article.

SECONDARY – Secondary Fibromyalgia symptoms due to a primary condition such as spinal stenosis, rheumatoid and or osteoarthritis, Lupus, etc.

Remember, your health is important.
It is your LIFE!

SKYE HOLDON

Fibro Girl Blog



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