In their most recently newsletter, the main article was a feature on Fibromyalgia: Treating Fibromyalgia Naturally — So You Can Shine Again.  I found this to be the most realistic, in touch and accurate assessment of Fibromyalgia I have ever read. Several times throughout my reading of it I wanted to clap for Dr. Marcelle Pick, or stand up and bow. Here are just a few of the things she wrote that made me want to cheer her:

I see many women in my practice who feel discouraged and disheartened by the advice they’ve received about fibromyalgia. The sleeplessness, extreme fatigue, and widespread chronic pain that accompany fibromyalgia can be unbearable for some women, but the medical community has long been stumped by this confusing and controversial condition. It was ignored by conventional medicine for years, and in some circles fibromyalgia is still questioned as a “real” diagnosis. But fibromyalgia is real, and I know there are thousands of women out there who deserve compassionate and effective care. We don’t have all the answers yet, but pain specialists and functional practitioners are working to get to the root of fibromyalgia and similar pain syndromes, to give you the answers you want and deserve.

I think women with fibromyalgia deserve more than a prescription for their pain and suffering.

I see this as a condition that strikes at the very core of a woman’s being.

But you can feel good again, if you’re willing to roll up your sleeves, do some digging, and learn some new ways of being.

At this point in the article Dr. Skin goes into a very thorough discussion of Fibromyalgia and its underlying issues. She uses the word SHINE as an acronym for what she believes to be the main issues of FM – Sleep, Hormone Imbalance, Immune Health, Nutrition and Emotions. (Some of you may recognize this as a protocol of Dr. Teitelbaum, author of From Fatigued to Fantastic. I am very familiar with his name, but have yet to read his book. After reading this article I certainly plan to.) Dr. Skin also addresses Stress, Detox, Exercise and Mind-body Work. She shares a lot of valuable information in her article and is clearly invested in helping women with Fibromyalgia shine again.

Dr. Skin ends her article with encouragement and hope:

Find hope in your own light

We all glow in our own unique ways, and when we are feeling good, the world can feel our warmth and positive energy. I know fibromyalgia can dim this light, making us too tired, too discouraged, and too achy to find hope in anything, let alone feeling better. Especially if you’ve been told by your practitioner, or by several practitioners that there is nothing they can do — or worse, that your symptoms aren’t real — it can seem like you just have to live with this. But please know that you don’t have to live in pain, and you don’t have to be on a prescription medication for the rest of your life, either.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome caused and influenced by many, many factors, and if you start to work on even one or two of these factors, you will find that light within starting to shine again. With this new hope, you can regain the energy to work on more aspects of your life that may be affecting your health — and in time, you’ll be enjoying each brand new day.

 

I encourage you to take the time to read the article for yourself. It is refreshing to read a perspective from a doctor who actually understands the many levels of Fibromyalgia, and hopefully you will decide on one or two factors of FM that you will want to work on. Articles like this go a long way in encouraging us to take steps towards better health and wellbeing. Thank you Dr. Skin.

15/30

So you are probably wondering, what is Takesumi and why should I be interested in it. In a previous post, I listed the several toxins and infections Dr Shores tested me positive for: 

• Heavy Metals
• Arsenec
• Borrelia Burgdorferi – lyme
• Chloroform
• Formaldehyde
• H-pylori

Takesumi, which is a carbonized bamboo supplement, is an effective and the most gentle way Dr. Shores knows to rid the body of toxins and infections. Here is a description fromMichael Lebowitz D.C.:

 Takesumi, on AK testing, fairly routinely blocks positive tests to toxic metals, chemicals, and often foods too. I look at it as a supreme detoxification product. It also appears to adsorb myco and endotoxins (and other bio-toxins) from various organisms, take the load off the liver and kidneys and thus act in an anti-aging fashion. Takesumi is also reported to adsorb radiation (radon, nuclear, etc.)

 

Michael Lebowitz D.C. has been a researcher in applied kinesiology and nutrition for over 30 years, and this statement was based on his clinical testing and research. Takesumi also has anti-fungal, anti-bacteria, anti-parasitic and anti-viral properties.

I began taking the Takesumi over two weeks ago. Some of the effects I have been feeling are headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, my skin (especially on my face) feeling hot, and some dehydration. I naturally drink a lot of water each day, but I have had to increase my water consumption considerably and I still wonder if I am drinking enough. Dr. Shores warned me about the side effects of doing a detox, and I am not experiencing anything out of the ordinary, but I am experiencing it for longer than anticipated. Although the effects sound similar to a fibromyalgia flare-up, they are not at that level of severity – thank goodness!

Now for the good news. My fibrofog is much diminished since starting the detox! Even though my body is feeling achy and fatigued, my brain is feeling as sharp as it has since the accident. I have been much more productive and organized, even with the headaches. Honestly if it were not for the improvement I am having with my cognitive function, I am not sure I would continue with the detox, but it has made me a believer and I am sticking with it in the hopes that I soon see other improvements as well. Another of my support group members, who is also on the detox under Dr. Shores supervision, has already tested negative for all of the infections he originally found in her, and she has been taking the Takesumi just a week longer than I have. That gives me even more hope. Every evening after I mix up the carbonized bamboo with some water I yell “TAKESUMI” in my loud ninja-warrior voice and then swallow it down. Silly, yes, but I am a warrior in my battle against fibromyalgia, and if I have to be a warrior, being a ninja is a pretty cool thing!

I will keep you posted on any changes and improvements I have with my detox. If you have any questions about the Takesumi, please leave them in the comments. Dr. Shores has been generous enough in the past to have direct dialogues with readers via the comments. If he is unavailable I can try to look into it myself. 

And now for my little disclaimer:

In a continuing effort to live well with Fibromyalgia I am going to be researching and trying new and different things to help improve my health.  I will report on my research and my own personal experiences, but I am not a doctor and therefore will not be telling anyone to try what I do. If you think you may benefit from my experiences, please check with a medical professional to see if it is right for you.

For the estimated 10 million Americans living with fibromyalgia, there is nothing “simple” about it. The daily battle with widespread pain, fatigue, and mental fog can be debilitating. Trying to be a productive person under these conditions is a challenge.

Fibromyalgia sufferers struggle every day coping with this “new” version of their lives. Gone is the independent, productive person you once were. In place is someone left wondering, “How am I going to contribute today?” And it is not simply how am I going to contribute to my job, to my home, and to my family, but how am I going to contribute to my physical and emotional wellbeing?

One of the best ways to begin managing the daily stress and rigors of living with Fibromyalgia is to start simple. Below are 4 simple yet highly effective daily habits to adopt.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

Common Sense? Yes. But this is one of the most important things you can do to help manage your fibromyalgia.

Begin each day with a glass of water. You are naturally dehydrated in the morning. A glass of water will help quench that thirst and also help eliminate the toxins your body has been processing throughout the night.

Continue drinking water throughout the day. A basic guideline for daily water intake is eight 8-ounce glasses, but try to drink more. Water detoxifies your body, which can help your muscle to recover from flare-ups. Water will also:

• Reduce Headaches and Dizziness
• Increase Mental Clarity
• Improve Your Energy

Helpful Hint:  Try squeezing fresh lemon in your water for added health benefits. Lemon water has been shown to help with digestive problems, alleviate cold and flu symptoms and can even aide in weight loss.

2. Avoid Toxic Foods and Beverages

Toxic foods are acid forming foods. Studies have shown an acidic diet will interfere with your body’s ability to absorb minerals and nutrients. It will also make a body more susceptible to fatigue and illness. Some of the most common items to avoid are:

• Coffee
• Soda
• Alcohol
• White Sugar
• Salt
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Processed Foods
• Junk/Fast Food

Eating right is one of the best ways to manage fibromyalgia. If you do partake in anything from the list, increase your water intake even more to help flush the toxins from your system more quickly.

Note: There is more and more evidence that gluten-intolerance may be a major contributing factor in many chronic illnesses, including fibromyalgia. I will examine the possibilities more closely in an upcoming post.

3. Move Your Body

Researchers have proven that gentle exercise, such as walking, yoga, or aquatic therapy, may be the most beneficial way to improve Fibromyalgia symptoms. This may seem counterintuitive given the amount of pain everyday movements can cause, but experts believe exercise can actually help break the pain cycle. Here are some of the listed benefits of exercise with fibromyalgia:

• Increased oxygen flow to the muscles, which helps diminish pain and spasms
• Improved quality of sleep, which helps battle daily fatigue and mental fog
• Decreased anxiety and depression, conditions common in people with FM

Start slow. It may not be possible to exercise during a flare-up and that is okay. The key is to gradually and consistently start moving. Start with simple stretches so you can begin to feel the benefits of movement, and from there work up to a more physical workout. You will begin to see improvement in your symptoms and your overall outlook on life.

4. Avoid Self-imposed Guilt

Yes you have fibromyalgia. Yes you have pain and discomfort and a whole host of other issues. You cannot and should not deny this. But do not fall victim to the diagnosis. Get the most you can out of each day and leave the rest for another day.

If your major accomplishment for the day is that you took a shower, cooked dinner, and had a semi-intelligent conversation with your husband – embrace it! Celebrate it! Don’t think about what you did not accomplish. Don’t get bogged down in the endless muck of what you can no longer do. Guilt is self-punishment, and do you not suffer enough without adding to it?

Do not compare your reality now to your pre-fibromyalgia reality. You did not have the pain then that you do now. This is your new reality with all of the very realistic challenges you face daily. It is not your fault, but you are the only one who can make the best of it. Start one day at a time. Start with acceptance, and the need to change, to adapt. Leave the blame and the anger behind and start living your new life. Start simply. Take baby steps to avoid the painful leaps.