...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
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ME/CFS/SEID Attitude – The Law of Attraction

1/31/2017

2 Comments

 
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I was feeling down recently - kind of an internal implosion resulting from too many people and things weighing on me culminating with feeling sorry for myself.  For a period of time I allowed myself to be in that place.  And that was OK because sometimes we need to feel emotions in order to decide what to do about them.  And it gave me a small taste of my lowest points when I was struggling with ME/CFS/SEID.
 
I am however, at my innermost core, an optimist and that part of me eventually asserted itself and demanded that I move on.  I was reminded of the Law of Attraction and the theory that by focusing on either positive or negative thoughts, we attract the same energy or results.  The most documented example of this is the placebo effect which produces positive health results in blind medical trials where the patient is only given a simple sugar pill.  Patients are able to think themselves better. I was not aware that there is an equally well documented nocebo effect which produces negative health results in clinical trials where a placebo is used.  People who fear medication or who have a negative medical image can actually cause deterioration in their own health.  Powerful stuff.
 
For me that’s a strong statement about how much control we actually DO have in dealing with ME/CFS/SEID.  Once I turned the corner away from blame, denial and anger, and moved forward into solving my ME/CFS/SEID puzzle as a case study of one, I began to slowly get better.


And yes, I was actively managing my health every day and it was no accident that the daily scrutiny finally resulted in my return to health.  But my positive attitude directed at my determination to figure out my version of this cruel disease, was a big factor in succeeding despite the long haul.  How do you manage your daily attitude in order to attract positive healing?  What strategies work for you?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,
Martha


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ME/CFS/SEID Recovery - Every Day Counts 

1/24/2017

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I have a long-term goal.  And I make progress in some ways but fall short in others.  It’s been a struggle.  I made a recent decision to rethink my time management around this goal and remembered a favorite quote from Annie Dillard, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”  And I started to see the parallels between my recent approaches to this new goal and how I had initially reacted to my struggle with ME/CFS/SEID.  My approach had been inconsistent and I misunderstood the need to apply myself every day to my desire to get well.

So much of what I did in those early days of ME/CFS/SEID came out of frustration and anger.  But even when I moved past that, I still wasn’t focused on the importance of how I spent each and every day.  It took a while before I began to see each day as a building block, which was added to the day before.  And so on until I had built up a week of days, then a month of days and eventually many months and finally a year of days.  That added up to 365 days in a row of consciously working toward recovering my health.  When I finally understood the value and rewards of daily focus, I began to see real progress.


So our lives do reflect how we spend our days.  And one day at a time, each and every day, you can make progress toward regaining your health.  That’s the only way I was successful.  How do you focus on your recovery every day?  Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,
Martha


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ME/CFS/SEID Energy – Have a Savings Plan

1/17/2017

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I had to laugh out loud yesterday at the picture that accompanied an article I was reading about poor money habits for financial retirement planning.  There was an image of a pink piggy bank and a man with a hammer sneaking up behind contemplating a robbery.  The article pointed out that money needed to be regularly going into savings not out in order to retire successfully.  Of course it reminded me of when I was struggling with ME/CFS/SEID and in the beginning, I would spend, spend, and spend every ounce of energy I had in order to get through a day.  Then I would collapse because I had emptied myself of any reserve.  After some resting I would try to do it again having never really healed or regained any reserve.
 
It took me many bad cycles of spend and crash before I finally started to understand the need to build up a solid reserve of energy before an activity.  I had to flip the whole approach around so that first I built up my energy then I used some for a specific need.  But I stopped before I was fully spent and I rested again.  Overtime, the reserve built up until I had a deep well of energy to call upon when needed.  But I still made sure that I continued to regulate my activity so that as I began to get well again, I maintained the energy reserve.  So unlike the man with the hammer, I didn’t use up every drop of energy day to day.

 
Eventually my reserve was solid enough that true healing began and I was able to walk a path back to wellness.  How do you manage your energy reserves?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,
Martha

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ME/CFS/SEID New Year – Take Control

1/10/2017

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I’ll be completely honest.  I’m not a fan of New Year resolutions because most of us set ourselves up for failure by selecting a goal which is too difficult and all encompassing.  These types of resolutions require the individual to change most of their way of being in the timeframe of an overnight.  Is there anything wrong with challenging ourselves with self improvement?  Absolutely not.  But when you’re struggling with ME/CFS/SEID, let’s not add just one more big failure to the pile of reasons why we sometimes grind on ourselves.
 
Although the patients experience with ME/CFS/SEID can differ, there is one consistent thread that I hear from everyone – Helplessness.  This disease persistently beats us down.  With the lack of recognition, with the lack of medical treatment, with the lack of understanding from many of those around us, and with our own self doubts.  It can be daunting.  And in the face of this, it can be easy to allow ME/CFS/SEID to control us and to give in.  We forget that there are aspects of this disease that we do have control over.
 
We control our daily choices about rest, nutrition and supporting our immune systems.  We control our data collection and review of patterns.  We control how we communicate and seek support.  We control our own attitudes and approach to ME/CFS/SEID.
 
I encourage you to start by taking control of just one of these areas of your ME/CFS/SEID struggle.  Then over time as you feel confident in that area, add something else.  Slowly, patiently and consistently begin to take back what you can control about ME/CFS/SEID.

 
My wish for all of you is a year filled with step by step success in taking control of ME/CFS/SEID.  Where are you going to start?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,
Martha


2 Comments

ME/CFS/SEID New Year - Take a fresh look

1/3/2017

4 Comments

 
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It’s a hackneyed part of our culture that everyone makes New Year resolutions which we earnestly pursue for one month.  Then we return to our old habitual patterns.  And every year we resolve not to let that happen yet again.  So here we are.  For many, it’s a desire to improve one’s health.  If you’re struggling with ME/CFS/SEID, the stakes and the rewards are much higher than the average person who just wants to look or feel healthier.  For us, it’s about reclaiming our lives and our ability to be fully functioning and present – to be well again.
 
I encourage you to take a fresh look at your version of ME/CFS/SEID.  Hopefully you are keeping a daily log of your activities, sleeping/resting times, symptoms and medications.  Step back and take an objective look at your patterns.  Look for periods of wellness.  What preceded those periods?  Replicate those patterns.  Look for periods of ill health or crashes.  What preceded those periods?  Don’t repeat those patterns.  Look at your symptoms.  Which are the most debilitating?  When do they flair up?  How can you treat them in order to short circuit the flair up?  Look at your sleeping patterns.  How can you improve the quality of your sleep?  How can you make your bedroom into your version of slumber heaven – light, sound, comfort and sleep aids.  Your daily log needs to be mined for clues as you find your path back to wellness. 
 

If you’ve made progress this year and you’ve managed to shed some of the symptoms that were masking your version of ME/CFS/SEID, awesome!  As you take a fresh look, you may get a clearer view of the key or central issues which characterize your version of ME/CFS/SEID and some insight into new approaches, strategies and clues to your next steps.  It was through this methodical periodic review that I eventually unraveled my version of ME/CFS/SEID and was able to be fully well again.  What can you see in your patterns?  What will you focus on in this New Year?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,
Martha


4 Comments
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    Hello,  I'm
    Martha Kilcoyne

    Welcome
     to our Community!

    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

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