Fibromyalgia - One Step at a Time

Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

2020-06-12T14:46:00.003+02:00

Do you suffer with many different aches and pains? Are your main complaints chronic fatigue and muscle aches? Do you feel like you have the flu? Do you also suffer with any of the following:

Anxiety, back stiffness, candida, can’t concentrate, depression, difficulty or inability to learn new information or skills, digestive disorders, dizziness, frequent skin rashes, more frequent bruising, hair loss, heart palpitations, hot flushes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) low blood pressure, low body temperature, migraines/headaches, multiple sensitivity to foods, pollen, moulds, medicines or alcohol, nerve pain, numbness or tingling sensations, pain in jaw area (TMJ), tinnitus, frequent ear infections, PMT, sensitivity to noise, bright lights, sensitivity to weather changes, sore throat, stiffness and aching in muscles, tender lymph nodes, struggle to absorb information, substantially impaired memory and concentration, thick foggy head, un-refreshing sleep or insomnia.

In my book ONE STEP AT A TIME, I explain how in May 2002 I became ill with the “flu” and went downhill from there. Its taken me six years to get my health back. I read everything I could get my hands on and spoke to many different therapists. FM and CFS is a serious and real illness – you can’t just leave it and take drugs – that does not work - you have to make lifestyle changes. Fortunately there are many things you can do and many professionals are there to help you.

I diarised everything from the beginning and the book is written in a month to month form. Remembering how confused, brain fogged and anxious I felt, I hope it helps to motivate, uplift and inspire you – even when some people may be negative or disbelieving (because they don’t actually have a clue about this illness) do not let this stop you in trying your very best to improve your health. Maybe you won’t have to do everything that I have, perhaps yours will be an easier and faster improvement – we are all different. This book will hopefully give you a broader and very general understanding of health problems – not only FM and CFS.

The price is R150-00. plus postage. Discount offered if both ordered together.
If you would like one please email Barbara Shepherd at:- barbshepherd@mweb.co.za
phone 021 7822098 or 072 437 2810
Website: http://www.onesteplifecoaching.co.za

ODYSSEY MAG BOOK REVIEW

2009-06-13T07:09:00.007+02:00

click on to enlarge!
April/May 2009 Edition

2009-04-08T10:25:00.004+02:00

Just to announce that My second book called "Starting over" is complete. My book ONE STEP AT A TIME finishes off in September 2007 with me having improved my health about 70%. After this time, I went on to making new discoveries which have resulted in me getting my life back and becoming well again - see the bottom photo of me on the mountain!! So, STARTING OVER continues where the first book ends. It deals with some facts and figures (as before) but most of the book explains "my journey" through all of this and what I learnt - short stories of for instance: handling stress differently, coping with change, feeling thankful, are you a perfectionist?, watching your emotions, play like a child, opening up to people etc. I would like to include here one short paragraph as an example :-
I believe we all have our lessons to learn in this lifetime and we must remember who we are deep down – before we got messed up with all our wrong thoughts that we accumulated over the years. Sift back through the many layers that you wrapped around yourself to protect yourself and start peeling them off one by one. As you do this, you will uncover things you said and did popping back up into your mind as I did!
Things you told yourself and things other people told you – your parents, your teachers, your friends – inspect and examine each belief – does it serve you now – have you spent years believing this? As you uncover and discard some of the beliefs, you will find yourself going deeper and deeper within and feeling lighter and lighter! More and more you will discover your joyfulness again – believe me this is the most important journey you will ever make – but it is not for the faint-hearted, it is for people who want to discover their joy again – for people who are not afraid of moving through their fears and false beliefs to come out on the other side filled with love, light and a sense of how beautiful everything is! If you are one of these people – ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY!!
sells for R120 - postage extra. Disc offered if both ordered together.

LIFE COACHING

2009-01-26T13:28:00.004+02:00

August 2009 - I am now a fully qualified New Insights Life Coach - you will be able to find me on the New Insights Africa web page in about a months time when their new "Find a coach page" is up and running - the present one is currently full.
For more info on my life coaching, please go to my website: www.onesteplifecoaching.co.za

RECIPE FOR FM AND CFS!

2008-10-06T07:32:00.002+02:00

Take 3 cups of suppressed past issues
Stir in a cup of bad living habits
Gently fold in lots of environmental toxins
Pour into a pot and leave to simmer for a few years
Then mix in some free radicals, bad bacteria and candida yeast
Add 1 cup of your beliefs and responses to life
Beat 1/2 the hormones needed and add in (discard the other half)
Whip in a dash of genetic influence
Boil for another 5 to 30 years
Then throw in the "final straw" - accident, flu, operation etc
Allow to cool - then see what you have produced?
FM and CFS!

My story

2008-06-12T15:38:00.014+02:00

I suffered with Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue syndrome for nearly 6 years . Over this time I did a lot of research and have formed a good understanding of the alternative approach to our health in general, not just Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I have also spoken to many therapists and ‘picked their brains’ for their ideas etc – with ill health, you have to look at the “Big picture” and treat every aspect i.e. not just the symptom (as in conventional practice) but also the mental, physical and spiritual issues. There is no magic pill or potion or diet or exercise to return to health (otherwise I would have found it!) but an overall change in lifestyle and a total cleansing of the body and mind is necessary. It is hard work especially when you are not feeling well to start with, but it is the only way!. Fibromyalgia and/or CFS is a very lonely illness and not understood very well, with many doctors not knowing much about it or how to diagnose or treat it, even alternative therapists do not always look at the full picture and recognize the severity of the symptoms…I could go on and on………there are thousands of people with these illnesses - I would like to help others in any way possible.

CLEANSE THE BODY, CLEANSE THE MIND!

Just over six years ago, I came down with a mild case of the ‘flu’, took a few days off work, rested, felt better and returned to work – however my troubles had only just started. Shortly afterwards, the aching and stiffness started in most of my muscles, particularly my lower back and shoulder and neck area. The headaches, which I had battled with for years were now constant, with migraines as well, lasting three days each time. Soon, my ears starting ringing off and on and I also had shooting pains in the head, ear ache, and sometimes tooth ache and a tender jaw. My constipation, indigestion and bloating got worse. From being an extremely fit, (going to gym) and energetic person before, I now became very fatigued over the next few months having a thick fuzzy head, battling to think clearly, unable to concentrate, and unable to remember the simplest things. Then the anxiety and depression set in. Needless to say, this was not the most fun time in my life!

I started seeing a homeopath/naturopath/iridologist who put me onto a very healthy eating plan – (not a diet, as I did not have to lose weight) – consisting mainly of brown rice, fish, fruit (after the initial month) and most vegetables, 100% yeast-free rye bread, and herbs. Obviously things like coffee, alcohol, sugar, and dairy, any processed foods, take-aways or fried food (except low temperature stir-fry) was not advised. My system could also not tolerate wheat, beans, lentils, oats, sweet corn, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbage or nuts.

The homeopath said I had Candida, ( a fungal yeast infection, by itself causing many of the above symptoms), constipation, blocked colon, an overloaded toxic liver, very sluggish circulation, a severe hormonal imbalance (hot flushes, low body temperature, premenstrual irregularities, hair falling out and PMT), severe inflammatory osteo-arthritis in both my hands and exhausted adrenal glands. I was given many homeopathic medications for my liver, immune system, viruses and irritable bowel. I also took many other vitamins and minerals, drank more water and faithfully followed all of his instructions.

After 3 months when there was no improvement, I had to resign from my job and rest more, get more fresh air and walk a little each day. I decided to start reading and learning more about my problems. Besides the above main symptoms, there were many others that although not serious by themselves, altogether point to a weakened, toxic body and mind. My far sight which had always been good, started blurring now, my lymph glands were often tender and inflamed, I bruised easily, I became very sensitive to noise, crowded places, too cold or too hot weather, and bright lights. I felt ‘fluey’ all the time with watery sore eyes, headache and the total brain fog. Most of the time I preferred a quiet routine with everything in its place – the slightest change would stress me out. No longer did I sleep like the dead, but I slept very lightly and often woke up in the early hours, battling to go back to sleep.

Slow to think – slow to move – I no longer recognized my ‘self’ – I was like an old sick woman with Alzheimers.

I carried on reading my health books, magazines, brochures and information on the internet. I could not always comprehend what I was reading – I could not read a book from front to back – I preferred to jump around and read chapters here and there – I could only concentrate for about an hour at a time – I could not remember much of what I read (which is why I re-read the same books many times, they became like old friends these books!), but very slowly I started getting a broad outline of general health and healing methods, becoming more interested and fascinated as I read. I also started realizing that what I had was called Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue syndrome.

And so the healing began…….

Although I was fortunate in starting off at the beginning with a homeopath who put me onto the right path, the treatment was by no means enough to get my health back – this was obvious after 7 months, when there was only a 20% improvement overall, although anyone else not doing everything I had been doing would surely have become 20% worse by now, especially if on more drugs.

I was starting to understand more and more, but it was still all confusing , I realized I had to cleanse my body to ‘de-tox’ but how to do this quickly – what must my next step be? Whom should I see? Should it be a reflexologist, another homeopath, a naturopath, a nutritionist, a lymph drainage therapist, an acupuncturist, a body stress release therapist, a cranial sacral therapist, a kinesiologist, a physiotherapist, an aromatherapist, a herbalist, an oral surgeon (I had TMJ), or an ayurvedic therapist?. There is also magnetic healing, visualization, tai’chi, yoga, energy healing, light therapy, crystal healing, shiatsu, pilates, colonic irrigation and many more options. It seemed the more I learnt, the harder it was to make a choice – the wrong choice would be a waste of time, money and energy. All had to be carefully guarded.

I started forming a hazy idea of what was needed – I just had to find the right healers/therapists to help me – people who had similar ideas, and that was to:-

Eliminate the toxins/poisons from my body
Treat the parasites, viruses and fungal infections
Guide me with general nutrition, digestive enzyme tablets and pro-biotics.
Advise me on the best way to treat my vitamin and mineral deficiency.
Treat my spastic colon, constipation, digestion and absorption of food/drink
Build up my weak immune system
Cleanse my liver, get my blood and lymph circulating efficiently again.
Bring my body and mind back into balance again and working efficiently, enabling me to come off all painkillers and anti-inflammatories.
Help me release pent up emotions from many years.
Assist me to express myself and to reconnect to a higher power.

Simple? No – it’s taken me six years of various treatments and seeing numerous therapists to get where I am today – I am finally well again! During the cleansing process, I had almost constant and very severe ‘detox’ symptoms that were often worse than the fibromyalgia itself. I suffered more and different headaches, muscle spasms in my arms and legs, more back ache and sciatica – I had to wear a corset and use anti-inflammatory bandages sometimes, I had sudden and prolonged menstrual flow, severe tightness and pain in the fibromyalgia trigger points, severe emotional mood swings and feelings of panic, diarrhoea and bloating again, itchy rashes, – you name it – I had it! What kept me going was the knowledge and understanding of my illness – in fact of most illnesses – that the trillions of cells in your body can be renewed and revitalized – but you have to persevere – and you have to make changes.

Some things I have learnt in my quest for health are:

Picture yourself well and healthy at the end! – this is your goal!

Remember whatever you are doing every day is a step closer to achieving this goal.

Be selfish – explain to others you are ill and need as much help/rest or whatever is necessary – don’t feel guilty !

Try not to waste your precious energy on insignificant silly things i.e. don’t sweat the small stuff!

Don’t let others upset you – they do not understand the extent of your illness – especially with FM and CFS – you look well!

Keep a diary of your progress and aches and pains to report to your doctor/therapist.

Do not let conventional doctors or well meaning friends put you off your quest for health – bombard them with your knowledge or books to read.

Do not stop treatment when it gets worse – this is a good sign that toxins are leaving the body – would you rather have them stay in your body?

Learn everything you can about improving your health – this is the most important subject you will ever need to know about – so take charge and get interested!

If you already have fibromyalgia or CFS, It is no good only changing your diet and taking extra vitamins, or only exercising and doing meditation, you need to treat this aggressively – your body is literally ‘screaming out’ with a toxic overload which is affecting every part of you including your brain, which is why your mental symptoms can be as severe as your physical problems!

Even though you have a long term goal of regaining your health, try and live in the moment each day and be content and cheerful and look at it as a learning experience. Try and see the ‘bigger picture’.

Keep a record of everything - otherwise the details are later forgotten! Journalling is also excellent for releasing the emotions - very important!!

We all need good nutrition, sleep, exercise, relaxation, lots of water, sunshine and fresh air. We also need to live our lives with integrity and in harmony. Things go wrong when we are not able to get rid of toxins we have accumulated and we are not digesting, absorbing or eliminating our food, causing eventually a deficiency of vitamins and minerals and a poisoned system. Another factor is the bottling up of emotions - this alone (if severe enough) can cause a major energy blockage in the body. All these things may go on to cause numerous health problems.

Well, now I do not feel ill any more and my energy is back to how it used to be! ! I am now busy climbing mountains!!!
I would love to hear from anyone with similar problems, please email me:

barbshepherd@mweb.co.za