...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
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ME/CFS Attitude – Find Thankfulness

11/18/2014

7 Comments

 
Picture
When I sat down to blog about Thanksgiving, I looked at what I had written last year.  I don’t think I can do a better job of expressing how I feel about this holiday and struggling with ME/CFS at the same time.  So here it is again:

Thanksgiving traditionally generates clichés about thankfulness.  The mantra basically goes like this:  Be thankful for what you DO have, not what is missing.  Most of us would agree with this outlook.  It is better to focus on the positive.  But it isn’t easy to do especially when you’ve been struggling with ME/CFS for a year or for 20 years.

When I was sick, I would allow myself to indulge in some self pity around this time of year but I knew that was totally unproductive and a waste of what little energy I had.  I would then get irritated with myself for my self-centered attitude and so just added more negativity to my load.  But it can be unfair to expect a person who is struggling with a body that can’t handle normal activity to be upbeat, positive and ultimately thankful.

So as the rest of the world around me went about their daily routines, I would look at my life and try to find something to be thankful for.  Mostly, I focused on the few people around me who understood what I was going through and supported me in large and small ways.  I made a point to tell them how much I appreciated what they did.

And after I let go of the negativity toward myself, I realized that I needed to appreciate the work I did all year long.  The work of getting well again.  Sticking to the snails pace recovery, following the protocol when I didn’t want to and being present in my life in whatever way I could realistically handle.

How are you handling thankfulness?  Are you finding things to be thankful for?  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 my next posting on Tuesday, December 2nd.  And consider being part of the conversation.

And for you and all of your loved ones,
I Wish you a warm and Bountiful Thanksgiving,

Be Well Again
,

Martha

7 Comments

ME/CFS Distractions – Stay on Plan

11/12/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture© 2014 TSM
I had a plan for the last two weeks but it didn’t play out the way I’d envisioned.  Honestly, I can’t remember how things got so off track.  Maybe I was trying to juggle too much or maybe it was the reality that too many variables were in play.  I was truly over ambitious.  Of course this reminded me of when I was struggling with ME/CFS and it took so long for me to finally get focused on the plan – the single focus plan.

During the beginning of my struggle, I was riding the rollercoaster of push/crash.  I had no consistent plan for managing my illness.  Each day was a question mark.  How was I going to do today?  How would I feel?  And this lack of planning only made me feel worse.  Then I finally understood that all the distractions of life – all of the ‘To Dos’ – were keeping me from getting well again.  I needed to ignore the distractions and focus on saving my energy and using it with discretion.  I needed to stay with the plan.


So the Holidays are fast approaching.  The next six weeks or so will be filled with activities and lists of ‘To Dos’.  It will be a time that pushes our wellness plans to the limit.  What are your strategies for staying on plan?  Please COMMENT or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.

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

Be Well Again,

Martha


6 Comments

ME/CFS Research – Are we Getting Closer to a Diagnostic Test?

11/4/2014

4 Comments

 
PictureMichael Zeineh / Stanford University
For those of us who have been suffering with ME/CFS for years if not decades, we know that it’s a real physical disease.  Even though most practitioners have told us that ‘it’s all in your head’, we’ve known that someday the research would finally catch up with the cruel reality of ME/CFS.  Now, a research team out of Stanford, using new brain scan technology, has reported finding significant differences between healthy people and those who are suffering with ME/CFS.  It was reported in many news outlets.  Here is the link to a write up in Today.  Read it if you haven’t seen it already.

http://www.today.com/health/chronic-fatigue-real-new-brain-scans-show-1D80250083

Reading this article cheered me up!  OK, I’m an optimist at heart and I’m ready to go there.  But not only did this study receive attention, mainstream audiences heard about it.  That means that the negative viewpoint of ME/CFS might start to change.   And, the researchers found inflammation in brain nerve cells which could possibly have been triggered by a viral infection.  Duh!  For decades, many ME/CFS sufferers have said that they caught a flu that they never recovered from.

Of course, this study needs to be repeated and it will take time to gather more data.  But for now, it’s exciting to think that we could be getting closer to not only understanding the underlying cause of ME/CFS but possibly a successful treatment.  OK, I said I was an optimist.  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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