25
Reasons Why I’ve Improved
By Bruce
Campbell
Many people believe that
improvement is difficult when a case of CFS or FM is severe. The
experience of Bobbie Brown, a CFS & FM patient from Arizona, offers
evidence that patients can get
better. Bobbie, who has taken our course and participated in our support
groups, reports that she has improved from 10%-20% of normal to 35%-40%.
Bobbie’s List: Reasons Why I’ve Improved
When asked to explain what she has
done to improve, she listed the following:
|
1 |
|
I started taking a supplement
called Dr. Shulze's Super
Food* |
|
2 |
|
Pre-emptive rest
(I rest a lot) |
|
3 |
|
Fruit & yogurt smoothie
everyday (plain yogurt, frozen fruit-smoothie blend fruit and
frozen blueberries with fresh strawberries and bananas) then I put
the Super Food in it |
|
4 |
|
A great chiropractor |
|
5 |
|
Do my stretching and exercises in
the pool/have a Jacuzzi tub for pain |
|
6 |
|
Don't drive myself more than 10
miles from home/don't drive at all on bad days |
|
7 |
|
Use pain killers only as needed |
|
8 |
|
I take Celexa for depression/nerves |
|
9 |
|
I bought the self-help
course textbook and joined the classes and support
groups |
|
10 |
|
I found a great church and
volunteer 1 1/2 hours a week and teach Sunday School! |
|
11 |
|
Our children and families moved
near us after we moved here for my health (grandkids make me very
happy) |
|
12 |
|
Cut down on computer time |
|
13 |
|
Cut down on phone time |
|
14 |
|
NO STRESS: I trained friends and
relatives to bring no stress through our front door |
|
15 |
|
Stay away from situations that have
too much input |
|
16 |
|
Don't try to be the head of the
family and plan events |
|
17 |
|
Don't have dinner parties for more
than a couple of people at a time/then order out |
|
18 |
|
Don't stay too long at others
parties |
|
19 |
|
We only take trips that are within
6 hours of where we live and can drive |
|
20 |
|
Stay home a lot and watch good
movies on bad days |
|
21 |
|
Stay positive and joke about my
special problems |
|
22 |
|
I got an electric scooter so I
don't have to restrict my outings so much (baseball games,
mall) |
|
23 |
|
My husband does all the shopping
most of the laundry, most of the cooking, vacuuming, etc |
|
24 |
|
I do not work anymore |
|
25 |
|
I have not had sleep interruptions
for several months! Makes a big difference! |
Comments
A long list of coping strategies is
consistent with the experience of other people in our program. There is
rarely a single, magic bullet for people with CFS and FM. Rather, most
patients find are helped by using a variety of approaches, often
including both medications and self-management techniques.
Two items in Bobbie’s list refer
to medications. She also reports using non-drug treatments for pain.
Most of her strategies, however, involve changes in her daily habits and
routines. She uses pacing techniques such as taking regular, scheduled
rests and living within limits. In fact, almost half her items are
techniques for setting limits on herself, including limits on:
Other
factors she mentions include good nutrition, exercise, support, helping
others and good sleep. In addition to these regular practices, Bobbie
and her husband have also made two larger lifestyle changes. Bobbie is
no longer working and they moved from Nevada to Arizona to improve her
health.
Bobbie’s experience is a good
example of a patient taking responsibility for her health by combining
the use of resources from the medical system with lifestyle changes.
*Note
on item 1: Bobbie’s use of this supplement does not imply an
endorsement from the CFIDS & FM Self-Help program. While people in
our program use a variety of medications, supplements and other
treatments, the program does not recommend any specific products.
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