Do You Want To Get Well? Hope for those with CFS, fibromyalgia, and other chronic conditions

Did you at one time have doctor or doctors tell you that your condition will be chronic and that, basically, you will never get well?  That is was happened to me back in 1984 when my internist told me he had just read about a condition called, Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus Syndrome, and that is what he thought this mysterious illness was...No cure, no easy fix, just live with it.  I decided that I would find out all I could about this condition and work on making my immune system as strong as possible to keep the virus dormant.  I paced myself, took a nap everyday, ate healthy food, took supplements.  That is how I lived until about a year and a half ago.

I read a book by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D, called "Coyote Wisdom" and it changed the way I thought about the illness.  There were multiple stories of people in the book who used what had meaning to them to get well or at least change their thinking about their condition.  I decided that I did not have to believe what the doctor(s) said and that I had to believe that I would get well.  Your belief becomes your biology.  I would change the belief that was limiting me.  I would still do all I was doing to stay healthy, but I would also go try some things I thought I couldn't do.  I would push myself a little when reluctant to push myself a little.  And it worked.  I felt stronger and healthier.  I let my body guide me, instead of blindly following what the practitioners were telling me. (see work by Byron Katie).  Granted, I still do all the things I was doing before to stay healthy, I just changed my thinking.

A Healthy Option - Have A Smoothie!

There have been times during a flare of CFS that I did not feel like eating, but I knew had to build my strength back up.  Back in the 1980's when I was in the worst of the flare-ups, I lost a lot of weight and what I turned to was Ensure to take in some calories and nutrition.  Since then, I have discovered smoothies.  There are hundreds of recipes out there for smoothies - all you have to do is look on the intranet.  This is what works for me - I make up my own recipe based on what I have available and what appeals to me.

Is It Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Something Else?

In 1982, at the age of 30, I came down with a bad case of mononeucleosis.  It took me two months to recover and go back to work.  In 1984, I suffered what I thought was a relapse of the mono with the exact same symptoms (not so much sore throat, but nausea, weight loss and fatigue).  After going to my GP who said my mono spot test was negative and was mystified, I went to an internist who coincidentally had just read an article in the Journal of Internal Medicine about a new condition that was emerging called Chronic Epstein Barre Virus Syndrome.  He was convinced that that was what I had, but could offer nothing in the way of treatment options.  Over the years I had several flare-ups of the condition and did everything I could in terms of researching the condition and living my life carefully.  I was relieved that over time, physicians began to recognize it as an emerging problem suffered by many.  The condition was named chronic fatigue syndrome (and its sister, fibromyalgia.)

I have navigated this condition pretty successfully (with lots of bumps) and, with the assistance of some practitioners who think outside the box, have begun to look CFS differently.  Yes, I believe the condition does exist, no doubt.  But I also believe other factors may contribute to the syndrome, such as food sensitivities and bad gut organisms.  I will be sharing my journey with CFS in this blog and what has and hasn't worked for me.  As a wellness coach, my desire is to help others with discouraging chronic health conditions to think in terms of wellness instead of illness.  Changes to my website are coming!  Feel free to contact me at www.lifestylesbyjane.com for wellness coaching.