Healthy Living: My “Choose You” Update and a Giveaway.

Have you joined the Choose You Movement yet?  It’s a great way to get motivated to make healthy life changes.  Even though it’s through the American Cancer Society, it’s really for anyone, and anyone suffering with chronic illness could really benefit from this program.

With that said…I’m not only participating in the program, I am also helping to promote it as a blogger on their Choose You Blog.  Here’s my latest post with a giveaway…

Why I’m Choosing Me

Why I’m Choosing Me (cross-posted from the Choose You Blog)

Hi, my name is Catherine Morgan, I’m a single mother of two teenagers (Brian 19, Nicole 16), and they are my reason for wanting to “choose me” and make healthy changes in my life. I was so happy to hear about the Choose You campaign by the American Cancer Society. The timing was perfect. For health reasons, I really need to get serious about eating healthier and getting more exercise. Not only am I excited about making some Choose You commitments, but I’m honored to have also been asked to be part of the Choose You Blog.

You see…up until recently, I’ve been falling prey to emotional eating, mainly due to the stresses of selling my home and moving into another. And I haven’t just fallen off the healthy eating wagon, I’ve crashed and burned. It’s not a pretty sight. I’ve been eating all kinds of sweets and junk food, most of which I don’t even like. Go figure. The last few weeks have actually been way beyond emotional eating, I think a more accurate term would be eating insanity.

I believe the first step in healing is admitting you have a problem, so here goes.

Catherine, you have a problem, and it’s time to try and fix it.

Now, to start. There is no “quick fix” when it comes to eating healthy, so I’m starting off slow. My short-term plan is to cut out the unhealthy sugars (like cookies, candy, cakes, and ice-cream). I know that I need to tackle this issue before any other, because it’s the one that is most like an addiction for me. [I recently posted on a new study that shows junk food is as addicting as cocaine.] I can go months and months without eating sugar (not even craving it), but once I start eating it again, it’s all over. That’s why I’m making cutting out sugar my first Choose You commitment. I’ll be taking the next two weeks to get the sugar out of my system.

Once I’m successful at cutting out the sugar, my next steps will be to eat healthy, get more exercise, and hopefully lose some weight. It’s going to take time, but I’m ready for the challenge. I’ll be posting here once a week…and I could use all the support I can get from you in comments.

Wish me luck.

Also See:

• My BlogHer post – Join The Choose You Movement with Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy.
• Are You Addicted To Sugar?
• Eat Healthy For Life, Not Weight Loss

Catherine is the mother of two teenagers, she writes about health & wellness at BlogHer and catherine-morgan.com.

Fibromyalgia and Skin Sensitivity

Here is a guest post by Lori at Living Better and Feeling Better Naturally – Fibromyalgia and Skin Sensitivity

If you have Fibromyalgia, you probably also suffer from a multitude of skin sensitivities, including frequent rashes and a tendency to develop skin flare-ups when exposed to anything from perfumes to certain cleansers. Recent Research on Fibromyalgia Skin Sensitivities has uncovered at least a partial explanation for why so many of us suffer from itchy, inflamed skin throughout out lives. Too many histamines and an over-reactive immune system both contribute to the problem.

I’m currently coping with the continued fall-out from this problem. My over-reaction to having my hair colored almost two weeks ago led to a sustained allergic reaction that was amplified last night and landed me at the doctor’s office this morning, where they had to give me cortisone injections to quell an out of control allergic reaction that had become systemic. Hives had spread all over my body and my hands had begun to swell. Now I’m on a round of steroids and antihistamines to get things back under control.

Do others have this kind of problem with frequent skin rashes and allergic responses? How do you cope with them? What types of treatments have you used to treat or prevent them?

The Secret Life of a Fibromyalgia Patient

I don’t get a chance to write on this blog as much as I’d like to.  But I just came across a post by a member of BlogHer that was so powerful I just had to share it here…

Her name is Edwina and her post is titled Fibromyalgia+ The Type “A” Personality = Chaos, Frustration and Near Insanity and I can totally relate.  Here’s an excerpt from her post about the trials and tribulations of living with the debilitating symptoms of Fibromyalgia…

The commercials you see on television about a certain drug to help control the symptoms of FMS is SO FAR OFF THE MARK! “Fibromyalgia is explained as wide spread pain that doesn’t go away.” Ummm, wow, what an oversimplification! You wanna know what FMS is really like? Step into my twisted world for a moment and allow me to explain.

Wide spread muscle pain: I like to call it, “Guess what hurts and win a cookie!”

You can read the full post Fibromyalgia+ The Type “A” Personality = Chaos, Frustration and Near Insanity at BlogHer.com

Researchers Link Cancer-Causing Retrovirus To Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Last week I was reading a lot about the latest research linking Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) to the XMRV Retrovirus.  Some of the articles even implied that people suffering with CFS (like myself) should be excited at the possibility that this news could lead to better diagnosis and treatment of CFS.  But, it’s not exactly good news for CFS patients, especially for patients hoping for a cure.  Here’s why…

Understanding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

This is from CFIDS Association of America…

Collected here are the top 10 most frequently provided answers to question number 22, “What is the one thing you’d like your family/friends to really understand about CFS?” Responses were limited to 100 characters, and some were stated using different words, but I’ve tried to capture the “essence” of the most consistent responses with a few direct quotes as well.

Chronic Pain: Banning Narcotics Will Hurt People Suffering With Chronic Pain

Should there be a ban on Vicodin and Percocet? Darvocet or other narcotics containing acetaminophen? What about over-the-counter medications with acetaminophen?

This is what I think…

We can’t just ban every medication that has serious problems associated with overuse. It seems to me that educating people who are taking these medications would be more helpful, than making them totally unavailable.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not denying the seriousness of Acetaminophen overdose…

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee met late last month to review the actions the agency could take to reduce accidental acetaminophen poisoning. The drug, also found in over-the-counter cold formulas and pain-relieving prescription favorites Vicodin and Percocet, is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the U.S.

In acute liver failure, the organ fails quickly, sometimes in 48 hours, as opposed to the more usual forms of liver failure, caused by disease or alcoholism, which can take years to develop.

I just don’t think banning medications with acetaminophen in them is the answer. And I think this whole controversy is just exacerbating the stigma associated with chronic pain and the use of therapeutic doses of narcotics.

Read full post at catherine-morgan.com

Chronic Illness: Often Claims of Cures are Scams

Chronic Illness: Claims Of Cures Are Often Scams.

Do you suffer from a chronic illness with no known cure? Like Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? If so, you probably wish every day that you could find a cure and finally be healthy and well.

Why is it that just about every illness without a medically proven cure, has loads of people “claiming” to know the cure? Not only is it disingenuous to promote cures to desperate people suffering with chronic illness, but it also minimizes the seriousness of these conditions.

For instance, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and many people believe the cure for this condition is as simple as getting more sleep (and oddly enough, more exercise). Guess what? CFS has nothing to do with how much sleep someone gets, and exercise often exacerbates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There is no cure for what I have, but the Internet is full of sites that claim to have “sell” the cure. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that there are many alternative modalities of healing that can benefit the symptoms of this disease, but they should not be mistaken for (or touted as) cures.

Read the rest of this post at catherine-morgan.com

Dating and Chronic Illness: Is it possible to be in a relationship when you are chronically ill?

Dating and Chronic Illness: Is it possible to be in a relationship when you are chronically ill? (cross-posted at BlogHer Health & Wellness)

As a person living with chronic illness, I was intrigued to read a post on dating with fibromyalgia. I can totally understand how complicated relationships can be – especially when you are living with an illness that isn’t easily recognizable to the average person (an invisible chronic illness). It seems to me that “dating” isn’t the problem, it’s trying to have a “relationship” that can become complicated.

I can totally relate to this post and how in the beginning of a relationship people may see us differently than who we really are. And let’s face it, we want to be that person they think they see. In many ways we truly are that person, but chronic illness steals are ability to stay that person.

5 Steps For Keeping A Personal Medical Journal

KEEPING A PERSONAL MEDICAL JOURNAL — by Catherine Morgan – (cross posted at Catherine-Morgan.com)

Whether you are suffering from a chronic illness, pregnant, or just getting older. Keeping a personal medical journal, is important, and can really come in handy. Some may want to do this on a weekly or monthly basis, others on a daily basis, this will depend on the severity of your health issues.

STEP ONE: Just go out and get a notebook that you can use for this purpose alone. This journal will be helpful to you, as well as the medical practitioners you are working with. Especially, if you move, need to change doctors, or are hospitalized. Which reminds me, if you go on vacation, or extended holiday, bring your medical information with you, it will make it much easier if you need to see an unfamiliar physician, or be hospitalized.

Reduce Stress With Positive Affirmations (with videos)

Is stress wearing you down? Are you worried about the bad economy? Your job? The mortgage? Your health? Your family? If so, you are not alone.

Life is always changing, and that can feel very stressful. But often, seemingly bad things will happen in our lives, that will actually turn out to be the catalysts to something positive. It’s very true that when one door closes another will open. Although it never feels so great when that one door closes. Recently I’ve had several doors close on me. But as hard as it’s been, I can already see that these things needed to happen to bring me closer to where I am meant to be.

There are three things we can do to help relieve the stress in our lives…

Number one is acceptance. We need to accept that life does not always go the way we perceive to be best.

Redefining Yourself – Living Well With Chronic Illness

Living Well With Chronic Illness – Redefining Yourself – by Catherine Morgan

This issue is so important, and that is because; When you suffer from chronic illness, although you are being treated (even successfully), going back to your former life before you were sick may be impossible. I hear this all the time from others suffering with CFS and FM, and I am certain it holds true for many others suffering with chronic disease as well. The biggest problem, is that many of us “define” ourselves through our work, or what we do for a living. Quite frankly, this is a bad idea even if you are a healthy person. None of us “are” our work. Our work is not who we are, it’s simply what we do. But, we all know it doesn’t always feel that way, especially when out of nowhere, we are unable to do what we do.

So….What do you do, when this happens to you? Well, it’s not so different than when a stay at home mom sees her last child off to college. They call it “Empty Nest Syndrome” for her, and it can be quite devastating for a women who has devoted her life up until then (usually at least 18 years or more) to being the best mom she could be, and doing it as a career. Now she is left with no-one to mother, and she loses her sense of “self”. At this point, she can choose to except her new life and find new and exciting things to do with herself (maybe go back to school, get back into a career, take up a hobby, or maybe travel), or she can choose to be sad and depressed and feel like her life is over because she has no-one left to take care of. It’s not the same as losing your identity due to illness, but it is an example of seeing your life (or identity), as half full or half empty.

Campaign For A Fair Name: ME/CFC

CFS is a multi-system disease which causes extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, cognitive dysfunction, hypersensitivity, orthostatic intolerance, digestive disturbances, depression, poor immune response, and cardiac and respiratory problems. According to the CDC, studies show that disability in CFIDS patients is comparable to multiple sclerosis, AIDS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, end-stage renal disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yet, studies have shown that patients diagnosed with “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” are not taken as seriously as patients with the same symptoms but a different name for their diagnosis. Thus, the name CFS not only affects the quality of treatment patients receive, but the amount of money committed to research! PWCs deserve to be taken seriously, to have a name for their illness that preserves their dignity, and to receive appropriate medical care! Spread the message — CFS: Change the Name!

Campaign For a Fair Name

SIGN PETITION

Surfing The BlogHer Fitness Blogs

*If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome exercise can be very difficult, and extreme moderation may be necessary.  Always check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.

I thought I would take tonight’s post to do a roundup of some of the great fitness blogs on BlogHer.  I took some time and surfed the Health and Wellness BlogHer Blogroll (I also used BlogHers new search tool), and here are fourteen of those blogs.  Do you blog about fitness?  If so, leave you link in comments.

Are You At Risk For An Accidental Drug Overdose?

Could you or someone you love be at risk for a fatal medication error? It’s more common than you may think. [cross-posted at BlogHer Health and Wellness]

A new study shows that (in home) accidental overdoses are on the rise. Most recently, the death of actor Heath Ledger, has been in the news. But, this isn’t a problem confined to Hollywood…

Yoga For Fibromyalgia: Reduce Pain and Improve Your Quality of Life

Healthy Living: Can Yoga Help Reduce Symptoms of Chronic Illness? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Back in March, I told you about yet another invisible illness that I’ve had the pleasure of being diagnosed with. Fibromalgia. It was also at that appointment where I learned of the 20+ pounds I had put on in less than a year. And it wasn’t like I was at my ideal weight before that time either. For the first time in my life, I actually weighed more than I did when I was pregnant. It was then that I decided I must begin to take eating healthy more seriously. Aside from not being able to fit into my skinny jeans, the extra weight was exacerbating all of my invisible medical problems.

Since then I’ve lost about fifteen pounds, and I’m starting to think there might be a chance that I’ll be able to finally get back down to my ideal weight. The main problem I’m facing now, is my inability to exercise. It’s not that I have an aversion to exercising, it’s because I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (here are some videos that might help you understand), and one of the most devastating symptoms is something called post-exertional malaise. Basically, even though I need to exercise to be healthy and lose weight, just a little bit of exercise can make my fatigue and pain much worse.

I know that yoga would be the best type of exercise for me to try, and I’ve always wanted to try it. But, up until now, I thought yoga was the type of thing that would be too difficult to learn how to do on my own. And then I came across a book on yoga, that was written specifically for people with Fibromyalgia. I was a little skeptical at first, but I was also ready to give something new a try. So, I emailed the publisher, and asked them to send me a review copy of Yoga for Fibromyalgia: Move, Breathe, and Relax to Improve Your Quality of Life by Shoosh Lettick Crotzer.

Fibromyalgia: An Invisible Disease? An Imaginary Illness?

Fibromyalgia: An Invisible Disease? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I try not to be a complainer, but last week I was seriously not feeling well. I actually resorted to sending a message to the other women in my community to ask for help (and I’ve never done that before).

I thought I would take tonight’s post to talk about what was wrong with me last week, because I know many women are suffering with the same problem.

One Lesson From A Decade Of Fighting Chronic Illness

This post was originally published on March 7, 2007

Grieving For The Loss Of The Person You Once Knew — While Learning To Be The Person You Have Become – by Catherine Morgan

There comes a time in every fight, where you have to wonder what it is you are fighting for. In the case of chronic illness, I thought I was fighting to take my life back. I thought I was fighting to find a cure for myself. I thought I was fighting for the right combination of medications to help me lead a “normal” life again. I was fighting, fighting, fighting…..until that one day when I realized, I was fighting a losing battle. No matter how much I fought, I was never going to get my life back. No matter how much I fought, I was never going to be “normal” again. I actually even fought myself at this time, to not give-up the fight. I thought that if I admitted failure, I was letting the disease win. But the truth is, that as with most fights, the toll the fight takes on you emotionally is much worse than the fight itself.

Suffering With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

image from Immune Support

Suffering With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

People who have chronic fatigue syndrome have been tireless in their quest to be acknowledged.

It has been 20 years since the first advocacy group was formed, and almost 20 years since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined the diagnosis. Despite that, during the decades since people with CFS still were told their disease didn’t exist or it was all in their head.

Now, although many people with the crippling condition are glad that doctors will say, “You have chronic fatigue syndrome,” they are dismayed that what follows is usually, “There’s nothing I can do for you.”

One of the hardest aspects of CFS is the isolation and loneliness. McCleary, of the CFIDS Association of America, says about 25 percent of people with CFS become unable to work.

READ FULL ARTICLE

Happy Thanksgiving!