“A great many cases of ME follow viral infection and/or vaccination. In these conditions the immune system is switched on to fight the offending microbe. In the short term this is highly desirable. To be effective, all vaccinations contain immune adjuvants which are there specifically to fire up the immune system. When this works in our favour, we call it immunity. However, when it works against us, we call it allergy. Clinically, we know that vaccinations can trigger allergies. There is no doubt that there are some ME patients who do not recover until they start taking antivirals (see work by Dr Martin Lerner in : Valacyclovir in the treatment of post viral fatigue syndrome ) In these cases, there is often no overt evidence of infection. I suspect what is going on here is that these microbes are present in low levels which would not normally cause harm to the body, but the immune system continues to fight. It is a sort of inappropriate immune activation against microbes or “allergy” to microbes. This is hugely wasteful of energy. Such patients will have a large immunological hole draining their daily energy bucket. See Energy Expenditure in ME/CFS: Immune wastage of energy and Rituximab” Dr. Sarah Myhill, from her book – Diagnosing and Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Author: jruthkelly
Stigma
CFS/ME definitely comes with the stigma attached. I’ve heard the first one here: “It’s a depression.” or “They just want attention.” or “Hypochondriac.” The first doctor to run a series of tests on me to eliminate the possibility of “real” illnesses shook her head and said that I must have the “yuppy crud.” She later implied it was all in my head.
Stigma creates a climate of shame and defensiveness. Eventually my anger won the battle and I diagnosed the medical profession with ignorance and put my health in my own hands.
One of the many gems I’m finding on The Optimum Health Clinic’s website includes this affirming bit:
“Stigma around the illness and lack of understanding in our experience directly reduces a patient’s expectation of recovery and creates stress. We have patients tell us stories like friends being diagnosed with cancer at the same time as they were diagnosed with CFS/ME and noticing the level of understanding, support and sympathy available with a clear, accepted illness. The friend would tell them they were happier to have been diagnosed with bowel cancer than go through what they would face with a diagnosis of CFS/ME.” – Taken from their paper entitled “The Application of Integral Medicine in the Treatment of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome”
So far, this website has inspired me to order their info pack. Next is the interview. I’m very impressed.
Identity Pitfalls
“As long as you make an identity for yourself out of this pain, you cannot become free of it. As long as part of your sense of self is invested in your emotional pain, you will consciously resist or sabotage every attempt that you make to heal that pain. Why? Quite simply because you want to keep yourself intact, and the pain has become an essential part of you. This is an unconscious process, and the only way to overcome it is to make it conscious.” Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now
This is also true of physical pain. The mind-body connection is powerful and any influence the brain could have on alleviating pain can be blocked by the attachment to pain as an identity. Welcome pain-free living…
Cellular Magnesium
A few things to know…
“Salt lowers cellular magnesium.
Glucose lowers cellular magnesium.
Pregnancy lowers cellular magnesium (especially if pregnancy is complicated by diabetes).
Aging lowers cellular magnesium.
Insulin temporarily raises blood magnesium, but it causes increased magnesium loss through the urine, ultimately leading to a lowering of cellular magnesium and increase in cellular calcium.” From The Magnesium Factor – Mildred Seelig, M.D., Andrea Rosanoff, Ph.D.
Also…
Dr. Sarah Myhill recommends magnesium be taken by injection when the body is severely depleted, which is usually the case with CFS/M.E. and, if injection is not available, via nebuliser (this is my new planned approach!). Typical blood tests might not necessarily reveal whether your body is severely depleted.
Another great source for magnesium? There’s also the great magnesium oil alternatives putting it directly on the skin and into the system via absorption.
Krill Oil for the Brain
Krill oil’s a must…
“When your omega-3 intake is inadequate, your nerve cells become stiff and more prone to inflammation as the missing omega-3 fats are substituted with cholesterol and omega-6 instead. Once your nerve cells become rigid and inflamed, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell and within cells become compromised.
It’s thought that the unsaturated fatty acid composition of normal brain tissue is age-specific, which could imply that the older you get, the greater your need for animal-based omega-3 fat to prevent mental decline and brain degeneration.5
For example, low DHA levels have been linked to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, and research suggests degenerative conditions can not only be prevented but also potentially reversed. For example, in one study, 485 elderly volunteers suffering from memory deficits saw significant improvement after taking 900 mg of DHA per day for 24 weeks, compared with controls.6
Another study found significant improvement in verbal fluency scores after taking 800 mg of DHA per day for four months compared with placebo.7 Furthermore, memory and rate of learning were significantly improved when DHA was combined with 12 mg of lutein per day.” Dr. Mercola
Pain Attachment
“To suddenly see that you are or have been attached to your pain can be quite a shocking realization. The moment you realize this, you have broken the attachment. The pain-body is an energy field, almost like an entity, that has become temporarily lodged in your inner space. It is life energy that has become trapped, energy that is no longer flowing.” Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now
One of the ways I cope with recurring physical (or occasional emotional) pain is to do what needs doing physically to alleviate it (supplements, stretching etc.) but I also take the time to welcome good things, good feelings, good events. It creates a new energy feel in my whole body, the energy unique to welcoming good, joyful, rewarding, fulfilling events. And that in and of itself moves any energy along and out. We have so much power.
Wild Office Companion
…good for the soul!
j. ruth kelly, all rights reserved, 2013
Tootsie wants to play and curl up on my lap all at once. He’s been trying to get my attention. This is his latest campaign…
j. ruth kelly, all rights reserved, 2013
And one last ploy…
j ruth kelly, all rights reserved, 2013
He finally won out, of course.
Dandelion Dandy
A worthy focus piece on Monsanto’s war against weeds, particularly dandelions, from Truth-Out includes the following:
“Though considered a weed by Round Up and many home/lawn owners in the United States, the dandelion is actually an incredibly nutritious food. It’s a great source of calcium, potassium, iron and manganese. It’s replete with vitamins A, C, E, K, Niacin and Riboflavin. Chock full of beta-carotene. The lecithin in its golden top detoxifies the liver. The roots can be roasted to make a coffee substitute, or used in soups. The leaves (tastiest after they first emerge for the season or after the first frost) can be eaten, as can its sweet yellow blossoms. People use them in salads raw, boil them, fry them with bacon, marinate them in vinegar, and sauté them with fresh garlic. Did you ever notice that if you break the stem of a dandelion that a milky white liquid comes out? Well, you can use that liquid to ease the pain of bee stings and sores. Remember the advice of the great ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. These vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, fight anemia, and help prevent the development of type II diabetes. Remember the brain is a part of our body as well. Healthy bodies mean healthy brains. Proper nutrition prevents depression and anxiety and improves concentration. Scientists even believe that lecithin may help combat Alzheimer’s.”
Waiting
“There is a qualitatively different kind of waiting, one that requires your total alertness. Something could happen at any moment, and if you are not absolutely awake, absolutely still, you will miss it…There is no tension in it, no fear, just alert presence. You are present with your whole Being, with every cell of your body…it is only now that you are truly yourself.” Eckhart Tolle – The Power of Now
Pradaxa Deadly…
Here’s the news on Pradaxa…
“Pradaxa (dabigatran) is an anti-clotting drug used to treat a type of irregular heartbeat called nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) and to prevent strokes. It’s used as an alternative to warfarin, an older drug, and needs less monitoring (warfarin requires regular doctor’s visits, blood tests, and dietary restrictions). In clinical trials, Pradaxa outperformed warfarin in reducing the risk of stroke, and it initially appeared to be safer, causing less hemorrhaging. But that turned out not to be the case. In 2011, Pradaxa caused 542 people to bleed to death.”
542 people bled to death in 2011 because of Pradaxa. Hello world, time to wake up.
The Wellness Quest 