Mommy's Random Thoughts

Genetics Link Overlapping Conditions

2010-07-28T22:28:00.001-04:00

Genetics Link Overlapping Conditions

July 27, 2010

The following article appears in Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine, Spring 2010, Vol. 22. We invite you to share this article free-of-charge in your blog, website or any other educational and social media venues. We request that you include the following credit line with the article: © FM Aware All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the National Fibromyalgia Association: www.fmaware.org

Genetics Link Overlapping Conditions

Many people with fibromyalgia also experience migraine and depression; now a study from the Netherlands reports that these two seemingly unrelated conditions may share a genetic component.

Researchers undertook this investigation upon noticing that migraine and depression co-occur with greater frequency than is to be expected by chance—and that the relationship goes both ways: people with migraine are at increased risk of developing depression, while people with depression have an increased risk of migraine.

For the study, data was collected on more than 2600 people, all of them descendants of 22 couples who lived in a particular Dutch town in the last 50 years of the nineteenth century. Using this data, the researchers found that genetics explained 56 percent of the migraine cases (360 people in the study had migraine). Genetics also explained 96 percent of the cases of migraine with aura, in which the headache is preceded by flashes of light (151 of the study participants had migraine with aura). In addition, investigators found that migraine patients have—at least partly—a genetic predisposition for depression.

Researchers noted that while genetics may play a part in both conditions, it is possible that they are only triggered by an environmental trigger.

Investigators have also been looking at genetics in relation to FM. For more details, read “What’s In a Gene?” on page 8 of Fibromyalgia AWARE magazine. The digital issue is free for registered subscribers.

~Helen

Miley Mania?

2010-06-15T00:08:00.003-04:00

I would like to share a blog post about the new Miley Mania and how it is affecting our daughters. It would seem the Hannah Montana we all grew to love and gotten bitten by Hollywood.

Read this post of secretkeepergirl.com and see what you think...
http://blog.secretkeepergirl.com/?p=358

~Helen

2010-05-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered what happens to old tires? How's this for recycling!

~Helen

Facebook Charging a Monthly Fee?

2010-05-19T23:22:00.004-04:00

There has been a lot of talk about Facebook starting to charging a monthly fee starting in July of this year. We went out to eat a couple of weeks ago and the topic even came up with our waitress. I noticed tonight, and have on other nights, noticed a lot groups coming up on Facebook against the charge of a fee. I do agree that Facebook should remain free. So I decided to check this out before joining any of these groups. I found that this is a hoax. Here on snopes.com and here on Facebook itself disputes the claim. If you Google the Facebook charges you will find many other articles about it as well. So those of us that enjoy spending hours of our day "Facebooking" to our hearts content can continue free of charge!

By the way if you want to friend me you can find me here ;0) I will become your neighbor in FarmVille if you like! LOL

Helen Rogerson

Create Your Badge

~Helen

Oh Boo Hoo.

2010-05-18T16:44:00.002-04:00

I walked into the dining room today where my son(3) was playing with Playdoh. He looked at me and said "A bug!", and waved his hand. I saw it was just a fly and said, "oh boo hoo." My son looked at the fly and said "go away boo hoo!" It was soo funny! It is so cute the things 3 year olds would say.

~Helen

2010-05-17T00:24:00.003-04:00

I have started a blog for some graphics that I have either made or found. If you would like to see them visit GlitterBugGraphics The graphics are free for anyone to use. Just save the images to your computer.

~Helen

Love Letter to Normals

2010-05-16T21:49:00.001-04:00

LOVE LETTER TO NORMALS

by Claudia Marek

Here is my letter written to explain to family and friends what it's like to have fibromyalgia. It won't work miracles: it's hard to understand our illness from the outside looking in. But it is a start and can open the door to important dialogues. You are all welcome to use it, either as is, or as a basis for writing your own. Remember that you have a responsibility to tell those close to you what is wrong and communicate as clearly as you can how you feel and what you need. The best time to do that is when you are not upset!

Fibromyalgia isn't all in my head, and it isn't contagious. It doesn't turn into anything serious and nobody ever died from fibromyalgia (thought they might have wished they could on really awful days!!) If you want to read articles or books about fibromyalgia I can show you some that I think are good. If you just want to learn as we go along, that's fine too. This is definitely going to be a process. The first step is for you to believe that there is an illness called fibromyalgia and that I have it. This may sound simple, but when you hear about my symptoms I don't want you to think I'm making this all up as I go along.

Fibromyalgia is a high maintenance condition with lots and lots of different kinds of symptoms. There's no way to just take a pill to make it go away, even for a little while. Sometimes a certain medication can make some of my symptoms more bearable. That's about the best I can hope for. Other times I may take a lot of medication and still won't feel any better. That's just the way it goes. I can't control how often I feel good or when I'm going to feel terrible. Lots of people have been cutting new drugs advertisements out of magazines for me and I appreciate the thought, but I've seen them too. Look at the list of side effects and the few symptoms they help in return. Even in the best studies those expensive compounds didn't help over half the people who tried them. No matter how happy the people in the pictures look, there's still no miracle drug available.

There's no cure for fibromyalgia and it won't go away. If I am functioning normally, I am having a good day. This doesn't mean I'm getting better -- I suffer from chronic pain and fatigue for which there is no cure. I can have good days, several good weeks or even months. But a good morning can suddenly turn into a terrible afternoon. I get a feeling like someone has pulled out a plug and all my energy has just run out of my body. I might get more irritable before these flares, and suddenly get more sensitive to noise or just collapse from deadening fatigue. Weather changes can have a big effect on how I feel. Other times there may be no warning, I may just suddenly feel awful. I can't warn you when this is likely to happen because there isn't any way for me to know. Sometimes this is a real spoiler and I'm sorry. The sadness I feel for what my illness does to those around me is more than I can easily describe. You may remember me as a light-hearted fun loving person -- and it hurts me that I am no longer what I was.

Fibromyalgics have a different kind of pain that is hard to treat. It is not caused by inflammation like an injury. It is not a constant ache in one place like a broken bone. It moves around my body daily and hourly and changes in severity and type. Sometimes it is dull and sometimes it is cramping or prickly. Sometimes it's jabbing and excruciating. If Eskimos have a hundred words for snow, fibromyalgics should have a hundred words for pain. Sometimes I just hurt all over like I've been beaten up or run over by a truck. Sometimes I feel too tired to lift up my arm.

Besides pain, I have muscle stiffness which is worse in the morning and evenings. Sometimes when I get up out of a chair I feel like I am ninety years old. I may have to ask you to help me up. I'm creaky and I'm klutzy. I trip over things no one can see, and I bump into the person I am walking with and I drop things and spill things because my fingers are stiff and my coordination is off. I just don't seem to connect the way I should. Hand-eye, foot-eye coordination, it's all off. I walk slowly up and down stairs because I'm stiff and I'm afraid I might fall. When there's no railing to hold on to, it's terrifying.

Because I feel bad most of the time, I am always pushing myself, and sometimes I just push myself too hard. When I do this, I pay the price. Sometimes I can summon the strength to do something special but I will usually have to rest for a few days afterwards because my body can only make so much energy. I pay a big price for overdoing it, but sometimes I have to. I know it's hard for you to understand why I can do one thing and not another. It's important for you to believe me, and trust me about this. My limitations, like my pain and my other symptoms are invisible, but they are real.

Another symptom I have is problems with memory and concentration which is called fibrofog. Short-term memory is the worst! I am constantly looking for things. I have no idea where I put down my purse, and I walk into rooms and have no idea why. Casualties are my keys which are always lost, my list of errands, which I write up and leave on the counter when I go out. Even if I put notes around to remind myself of important things, I'm still liable to forget them. Don't worry, this is normal for fibromyalgics. Most of us are frightened that we are getting Alzheimer's. New kinds of brain scans have actually documented differences in our brains.

I mentioned my sensitivities earlier and I need to talk about them again. It's more like an intolerance to everything. Noise, especially certain noises like the television or shrill noises can make me jittery and anxious. Smells like fish or some chemicals, or fragrances or perfume can give me headaches and nausea. I also have a problem with heat and cold. It sounds like I'm never happy but that isn't it. These things make me physically ill. They stress me out and make my pain worse and I get exhausted. Sometimes I just need to get away from something, I just don't know how else to say it. I know sometimes this means I will have to go outside, or out to the car, or go home to sit alone and that's really all right. I don't want or need you to give up doing what's important to you. That would only make me feel worse. Sometimes when I feel lousy I just want to be by myself. When I'm like this there's nothing you can do to make me feel better, so it's just better to let me be.

I have problems sleeping. Sometimes I get really restless and wake up and can't get back to sleep. Other times I fall into bed and sleep for fourteen hours and still be tired. Some nights I'll toss and turn and not be able to sleep at all. Every little thing will keep me awake. I'm sure that's confusing to be around, and I know there are times when my tossing and turning and getting up and down to go to the bathroom disturbs you. We can talk about solutions to this.

All these symptoms and the chemical changes in my brain from pain and fatigue can make me depressed as you'd imagine. I get angry and frustrated and I have mood swings. Sometimes I know I'm being unreasonable but I can't admit it. Sometimes I just want to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed. These emotions are all very strong and powerful. I know this is a very hard thing about being with me. Every time you put up with me when I'm in one of my moods, secretly I'm grateful. I can't always admit it at the time, but I'm admitting it now. One thing I can tell you is it won't help to tell me I'm irrational. I know I am, but I can't help it when it's happening.

I have other symptoms like irritable bowel, muscle spasms and pelvic pain that will take their toll on our intimacies. Some of these symptoms are embarrassing and hard to talk about but I promise to try. I hope that you will have the patience to see me through these things. It's very hard for me too because I love you and I want to be with you, and it makes everything worse when you are upset and tired of dealing with all my problems. I have made a promise to myself and now I am making it to you: I will set aside time for us to be close. During that time we will not talk about my illness. We both need time to get away from its demands. Though I may not always show it I love you a million times more for standing by me. Having to slow down physically and having to get rid of unnecessary stresses will make our relationship stronger.

~Helen

How to turn your electronics into cash.

2010-04-27T22:24:00.008-04:00

If you are looking to get rid of some of your old electronics such as your old cell phones, digital cameras, gaming systems and so on, then you may be able to earn some cash as well. There are several companies online that offer to do just that. Here is an article on Yahoo Green that explains how a few of those companies work.

I did a search online to see for myself how many companies there were that offered to buy old cell phones. Google came up with over a million hits! I for one know I have a few old phones laying around here somewhere so it may be worth checking into. If anything it is a greener way of getting rid of these things. For my pocket and the planet ;)

Here are a few more companies I found that were not listed in the article.

www.pacebutler.com

www.sellyourcell.com

www.simplysellular.com

www.ibuyphones.com

~Helen

2010-04-22T22:42:00.000-04:00

End of School Year Testing

This will be our first year doing the end of year testing required by homeschoolers in NC. I have tried doing some research on different test approved for NC and I am so confused!

I am thinking of just going with the standard CAT test this year and see how that goes. I would like to do one that I can administer at home to my children and one that is easy for us to follow.

I have two 2nd graders and one 5th grader to test so the cost is a concern as well. I have found a site I can get the CAT for $25 from Seton Home. I am not so much concerned with the grades as just finding out if they are at least on grade level.

Since started homeschool this year I have just been focusing on math, reading, and language arts. I haven't really done a whole lot in other subjects at least not steady. I wanted to be sure that they were solid in those areas and plan on adding more next year.

If anyone has any recommendations of a good end of year test for us please feel free to let me know.

~Helen

How Do You Spell It?

2010-04-22T22:39:00.001-04:00

Is it Spelled Homeschool or Home School?

Ok I was wondering how is it supposed to be spelled?

I have seen it as homeschool, home school and home-school. Now here as I am typing homeschool is what the spell check is picking up but it is also the most common spelling that I have seen.

In my opinion homeschool is the best spelling because it shows that the home and the school are together, joined if you will. A combination of sorts.

As cheesy as that may sound it is true. As homeschooling(funny spell check didn't pick that one up) families put their homes and the kids education together. School never truly stops after the books are put away. All day every day is a learning adventure of some sorts without the kids(and sometimes the parents) even knowing.

So I choose Homeschool. How about you?

~Helen

Approaches to Homeschooling

2009-10-17T21:52:00.005-04:00

This is an interesting article on the different approaches to homeschooling. I didn't realize there were so many different approaches. From reading this I think we are more the eclectic or relaxed style with maybe some of the Montesseri included.

What form or forms do you think describes your homeschool?

Homeschooling Approaches
Although every family is unique, certain homeschooling approaches have become popular in one form or another. Most homeschoolers do not exactly follow one style or method, but rather select ideas and methods from among different approaches to best fit their family's needs. Many of these methods have several common elements such as defined objectives, lesson plans, frequent library visits, family nights, portfolios, and even tutoring and mentoring. When looking at the differences between homeschooling approaches, it is important to see what they have in common as well as their differences.

The first step in choosing a homeschooling approach is to gather information about the options that exist. Ask yourself a few questions to help you decide what homeschooling methods best fit your family. Are you a highly organized person? Do you like your day to be predictable, or are you inclined to stay flexible, ready to adapt to changing circumstances? Would you prefer that you not be told what to do? Do you want your curriculum to be planned for you, with teacher instructions and worksheets for the children? Or do you want to be able to pick and choose which books they read and which activities to engage in?
As you study these descriptions and talk to experienced homeschoolers, you can start to get a feel for the style that best fits you and your family.

The following are the most popular homeschooling approaches:

School-at-Home
School-at-home is the style most often portrayed in the media because it is so easy to understand and can be accompanied by a photo of children studying around the kitchen table. This is also the most expensive method and the style with the highest burnout rate. Most families who follow the school-at-home approach purchase a boxed curriculum that comes with textbooks, study schedules, grades, and record keeping.

Unit Studies
Unit studies use your child's interest and then ties that interest into subject areas like math, reading, spelling, science, art and history. For example, if you have a child who is interested in ancient Egypt, you would learn the history of Egypt, read books about Egypt, write stories about Egypt, do art projects about pyramids, and learn about Egyptian artifacts or mapping skills to map out a catacomb.

Unschooling
Unschooling is also known as natural, interest-led, and child-led learning. Unschoolers learn from everyday life experiences and do not use school schedules or formal lessons. Instead, unschooled children follow their interests and learn in much the same way as adults do—by pursuing an interest or curiosity. Unschooled children learn their math, science, reading and history in the same way that children learn to walk and talk.

"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" Homeschooling
"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" homeschooling is the method used most often by homeschoolers. Basically, eclectic homeschoolers use a little of this and a little of that such as workbooks for math, reading, and spelling, and taking an unschooling approach for the other subjects.

Classical Homeschooling
The "classical" method began in the Middle Ages and was the approach used by some of the greatest minds in history. The goal of the classical approach is to teach people how to learn for themselves. The five tools of learning, known as the Trivium, are reason, record, research, relate, and rhetoric. Younger children begin with the preparing stage, where they learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. The grammar stage is next, which emphasizes compositions and collections, and then the dialectic stage, where serious reading, study, and research take place. All the tools come together in the rhetoric stage, where communication is the primary focus.

The Charlotte Mason Method
The Charlotte Mason method has at its core the belief that children deserve respect and that they learn best from real-life situations. According to Charlotte Mason, children should be given time to play, create, and be involved in real-life situations from which they can learn. Students of the Charlotte Mason method take nature walks, visit art museums, and learn geography, history, and literature from "living books," books that make these subjects come alive. Students also show what they know, not by taking tests, but via narration and discussion.

The Waldorf Method
The Waldorf method is also used by some homeschoolers. Waldorf education is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and stresses the importance of educating the whole child—body, mind, and spirit. In the early grades, there is an emphasis on arts and crafts, music and movement, and nature. Older children are taught to develop self-awareness and how to reason things out for themselves. Children in a Waldorf homeschool do not use standard textbooks; instead, the children create their own books.

Montessori
Montessori materials are also popular in some households. The Montessori method emphasizes "errorless learning," where the children learn at their own pace and in that way develop their full potential. The Montessori homeschool emphasizes beauty and avoids things that are confusing or cluttered. Wooden tools are preferred over plastic tools, and learning materials are kept well-organized and ready to use. Most homeschoolers use the Montessori method for younger children.

Multiple Intelligences
"Multiple intelligences" is an idea developed by Howard Gardner and Harvard University's "project zero." The belief is that everyone is intelligent in his or her own way and that learning is easiest and most effective when it uses a person's strengths instead of their weakness. For example, most schools use a linguistic and logical-mathematical approach when teaching, but not everyone learns that way. Some students, the bodily kinesthetic learners for example, learn best by touching and not by listening or reading. Most successful homeschoolers naturally emphasize their children's strengths and automatically tailor their teaching to match their child's learning style. Successful homeschoolers also adjust their learning environment and schedule so that it brings out their child's' best. The goal for the homeschooling parents is to identify how, when, and what their child learns best and to adapt their teaching style to their child.

Hybrid Homeschooling (part-time)
Hybrid homeschoolers work in the middle ground between a traditional type of schooling, and homeschooling. Many hybrid homeschoolers work with their public school system or utilize co-op classes, tutors, and even private school programs. While hybrids work with a more traditional type of schooling, they only do this a few days per week. Homeschoolers find this method more appealing as children get older, because it provides a more structured environment for the child, and can take a lot of weight off of the parents shoulders as well as free up a good deal of your time.

Internet Homeschooling
The Internet Homeschooling method has become a widespread phenomenon that allows homeschoolers to harness the power of the Internet by accessing virtual tutors, virtual schools, online curriculum, and quality websites. Parents are turning to this method because they can set their own schedule, learn online wherever there is internet access, talk to teachers one on one whenever their child needs help, and can study subjects that interest their child. Also, schools like iQ Academy, let you work at your own pace, and even provide students with a laptop

http://www.homeschool.com

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

2009-10-15T19:51:00.002-04:00

I wanted to update everyone on this auction site. I know I posted about it previously but it deserves another mention. They have redone the fees and now it is an better deal for everyone.

For those that haven't read the previous posts, here or here, I just wanted to let you know that edifyathome.com is an auction site for homeschooling families and you can sell your new and used homeschool supplies and other items.

So whether you are a homeschooler or not check the site out and find some great deals!

And just a little plug, check out my auctions while your are there :)

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Before I was a Mom

2009-10-15T00:03:00.004-04:00

I found this in another site and wanted to share....

Before I was a Mom I never learned the words to a lullaby.

I never thought about immunizations.
Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Drooled on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple little grin.
I never sat up for hours watching a baby sleep.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.
Before I was a Mom - I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

I had never known the warmth, The joy, The love, The heartache, The wonderment or the
satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

~Helen

I Am Powerful!

2009-10-11T22:21:00.000-04:00

I hope I can instill these values into my children.

I Am Powerful!
Author Unknown

I am very powerful!
Whatever I set my mind on having, I will have.
Whatever I decide to be, I will be.
The evidence is all around me.
The power of my will has brought me precisely to where I am right now.
I have made the choices. I have held the thoughts.
I have taken the actions to create my current reality.
And I have the power to change it into whatever I want it to be.
With the choices I make, I am constantly fulfilling the vision I have for my life.
If that does not seem to be the case --
then I am deceiving myself about what I really want.
Because what I really, truly want, I will get!
What I truly wanted in the past, I already have.
If I want to build a billion-dollar business, I will take the actions necessary to do it.
If I want to sit comfortably watching TV night after night --
I will take the actions necessary for that.
Don't be disappointed in my results --
they're just the outward manifestation of my priorities.
I will be sure of what I truly want,
because I am sure to get it!

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself

2009-10-05T17:26:00.000-04:00

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

2009-09-26T20:12:00.004-04:00

I wanted to post a couple more articles I found about fibromyalgia. I have been doing a lot of reading since my diagnosis. This syndrome is rather interesting and really has me puzzled. I do however think these articles do explain a lot.

Imagine

By Christine Livingston

Imagine never feeling good, when you know of no reason not to feel good.

Imagine feeling pain in multiple areas of your body for no apparent reason.

Imagine feeling like your verbal and motor skills are impaired when they were fine a minute ago.

Imagine feeling like you have missed sleep for a week when you have just gotten out of bed.

Imagine something going wrong with your body everyday, when you have done nothing out of the ordinary.

Imagine having uncontrollable shakes and tremors and shocks of pain run through you, and disappear as quickly as they came; leaving you awaiting their return.

Imaging having to live a "normal" life in society, yet knowing your abnormalities will mess that up for you anytime of any day.

Imagine striving to be the best Mother and Wife you could be and being left to feel useless many times over awaiting to feel normal again.

You have now imagined what it is like to be me. I live with Fibromyalgia.

MY NAME IS FIBROMYALGIA

by Terri Been

Hi....My Name is Fibromyalgia, and I'm an Invisible Chronic Illness. I
am now velcroed to you for life. Others around you can't see me or hear me,
but YOUR body feels me. I can attack you anywhere and anyhow I please.

I can cause severe pain or, if I'm in a good mood, I can just cause you to
ache all over.

Remember when you and Energy ran around together and had fun?

I took Energy from you, and gave you Exhaustion. Try to have fun now! I
also took Good Sleep from you and, in its place, gave you Brain Fog. I can
make you tremble internally or make you feel cold or hot when everyone else
feels normal. Oh, yeah, I can make you feel anxious or depressed, too. If you
have something planned, or are looking forward to a great day, I can take
that away, too. You didn't ask for me. I chose you for various reasons:

That virus you had that you never recovered from, or that car accident,

or maybe it was the years of abuse and trauma. Well, anyway, I'm here to stay!

I hear you're going to see a doctor who can get rid of me. I'm rolling
on the floor, laughing. Just try. You will have to go to many, many doctors
until you find one who can help you effectively. You will be put on pain pills,
sleeping pills, energy pills, told you are suffering from anxiety or depression,
given a TENs unit, get massaged, told if you just sleep and exercise properly I
will go away, told to think positively, poked, prodded, and MOST OF ALL, not
taken as seriously as you feel when you cry to the doctor how debilitating life
is every day.

Your family, friends and coworkers will all listen to you until they
just get tired of hearing about how I make you feel, and that I'm a debilitating
disease. Some of they will say things like "Oh, you are just having a bad day" or
"Well, remember, you can't do the things you use to do 20 YEARS ago", not
hearing that you said 20 DAYS ago. Some will just start talking behind your
back, while you slowly feel that you are losing your dignity trying to make them
understand, especially when you are in the middle of a conversation with a

"Normal" person, and can't remember what you were going to say next!

In closing, (I was hoping that I kept this part a secret), but I guess you already

found out...the ONLY place you will get any support and understanding in dealing

with me is with Other People With Fibromyalgia.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

2009-09-22T13:51:00.007-04:00

I found this "letter" about fibromyalgia when I was looking for information last night to help me with my new diagnoses. I think it says a lot. http://www.fibrowelcomepackage.com/

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FIBROMYALGIA

FMS is not the newest fad disease. In 1815, a surgeon at the University of Edinburgh, William Balfour, described fibromyalgia. Over the years, it has been known as chronic rheumatism, myalgia and fibrositis. Unlike diseases, syndromes do not have a known cause, but they do have a specific set of signs and symptoms which, unfortunately for the patient, take place together. Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are also syndromes.

The many physical and emotional problems associated with FMS are not psychological in origin. This is not an "all in your head" disorder. However please remember, stress can affect the body, just as physical pain can affect the mind, causing stress and depression. If someone needs help in coping or dealing with depression, they should see a therapist or Psychiatrist, but it does not mean they are "crazy." It may help you to find methods of coping!

In 1987, the American Medical Association recognized FMS as a true physical illness and major cause of disability. It is recognized as a disabling condition by the ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION, THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION and the MAYO CLINIC, among others.

This syndrome may strike life-long athletes as viciously as it does couch potatoes. It can be disabling and depressing, interfering with even the simplest activities of daily life.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ME
(Keep in mind that these things may apply to some, not all of fibro patients)

My pain - My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me. I cannot work my pain out or shake it off. It is not even a pain that stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or gone. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is VERY real and very painful.

My fatigue - I am not merely tired, I am often in a severe state of exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities, but I can't. Please do not take this personally. If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can't help you with yard work today, it isn't because I don't want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability.

My forgetfulness - Those of us who suffer from it call it fibrofog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age (young people can get fibro) but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don't have any short-term memory at all.

My clumsiness - If I stomp on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd, I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stairwells one step at a time.

My sensitivities - I just can't stand it! "It" could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors. FMS has been called the "aggravating everything disorder." So try to understand if I must decline certain invitations, or go home suddenly. I really can't stand it.

My intolerance - Perhaps I can't stand heat, either, or humidity. I may sweat, profusely. Some people cannot sweat at all and so the heat is even more unbearable! Both are equally embarrassing, so please don't feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. I know. And, don't be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it's cold. I don't tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

My depression - Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of Dr. Kevorkian's "patients" suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression, but it is a result of the Fibro, not a cause of it. Some days I may just feel like giving up. Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink. Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge.

My stress - My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I'm not lazy. Every day stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely.

My weight - I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not by choice. My body is not your body. My appestat is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it. Often the medication I must take causes weight gain, but many of us with fibro suffer from severe Irritable Bowel Syndrome and lose weight.

My need for therapy - If I get a massage every week, don't envy me. My massage is not your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out was very painful, but it had to be done. My body is filled with painful knots. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily.

My good days - If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don't assume I am well. I am having a good day but I am not cured. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no cure. I can have my good days or weeks or even months. In fact, the good days are what keep me going.

My uniqueness - Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike. That means not every fibro sufferer may not have all of the problems mentioned above. I do have pain above and below the waist and on both sides of my body which has lasted for a very long time. I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain, but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else.

I hope that this helps you understand me, but if you still doubt my pain, your local bookstore, library and the internet have many good books and articles on fibromyalgia.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Stop Waiting

2009-09-21T14:47:00.002-04:00

Stop Waiting
Author Unknown

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now.

Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have.

Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Learning to accept living with pain.

2009-09-11T14:16:00.005-04:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been dealing with some unknown health issues. I went to the doctor this past Wednesday and have now been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic depression. It was a diagnosis based on symptoms I have been dealing with for a long time now with no relief.

Since about 2003 I have been dealing with all over pain, excessive tiredness, weight issues, depression and so on. I was diagnosed with PCOS with insulin resistance at that time and put on Metformin, birth control pills and told to go on a low carb diet. I did and lost a lot of weight and started feeling better. I did pretty good until about 2005 after I lost my insurance and wasn't able to continue getting my prescriptions. I started looking up and trying different herbal supplements to help and was able to manage.

In 2006 I became pregnant with my son. As mentioned in the previous post, I found out I had a dermoid cyst on my left ovary and had to have that ovary removed when I was 13 1/2 weeks pregnant. I thankfully did not loose my son. I was on bedrest when they discovered the cyst and of course after, I did however go into terrible depression. I was put on anti depressants. When I was able to go off of bedrest I was still in a lot of pain and eventually my pelvis separated as well. That is a terrible kind of pain I cannot describe. I was put back on bedrest due to that.

Then I had my boy. My that was something else. I had a 9 year and 2 six year girls and they were thrilled to have a baby brother. My husband was smitten. That son of mine is terribly spoiled lol. The problem was I just wasn't happy. I couldn't figure out why. I had what I had always wanted, a little boy. Everyone seemed happy but me. Again I was put back on the anti depressants.

Not long after he was born I lost my insurance again and could not afford the anti depressants so I went off them. I soon started to feel the depression come back again and started having muscle aches and pains as well as gaining weight and terrible exhaustion. I was able to find a free clinic that was able to help me get back on the anti depressants. They also ran several different blood tests and could not find anything else wrong with me. I continued to take the anti depressants but it still did not find relief for the muscle aches and tiredness. I gave up and figured it wasn't depression and this past June stopped taking them when my prescription ran out.

Then the pain flared up and was from head to toe. My face even hurts to touch it. It hurts to walk. It hurts to move to much and the one that bothers me the most is it hurts when my kids hug me. That one brings me to tears even thinking about it. On top of the pain I started having a lot of trouble sleeping and laying awake at night. My husband says that when I do sleep I toss and turn all night keeping him awake. That is also starting to bother me a lot. He is also staying tired and I think he may be starting to resent me in some ways because of it. It seems we are having more fussing going on between us and in the middle of the night I wake up to "stop kicking!"

Sooooo with all of these new developments and a few things I talked to the doctor about, she has determined I have Fibromyalgia. She gave me a prescription to help me sleep and I am also scheduled to see a psychiatrist for my depression and to get me on other prescriptions to help with the fibromyalgia.

So now I know what is wrong with me. I was hoping it was something simple and take a pill and feel better but instead I now have to learn to live my life in pain. I need to somehow accept the fact that I will need to for the rest of my life. I need a lot of prayer for my family to accept this, my husband to forgive me and support me, and for myself to learn to live like this.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

5 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success

2009-09-08T18:51:00.003-04:00

Here is an article I wanted to share with you...

5 Essential Ingredients to Homeschooling Success

By Terri Johnson – co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers

We’ve all seen it… or, at least, heard about it… the homeschooled child who wins the geography bee, or the one who graduates at the age of 15, or the one who excels in musical accomplishments…

Now, obviously, a student does not have to be homeschooled in order to accomplish one of the feats above, nor does every homeschooled child excel in such notable ways. However, every homeschooling parent desires for success in teaching their children at home and launching them into the world to become all that God has intended for them to be.

The flipside to this statement is that no one wants to fail when it comes to teaching their children at home. So, what are the five necessary ingredients to homeschooling success?

The first one is the desire to foster a closer relationship with each of your children and your kids with one another. If you don’t want to spend more time together and deepen these relationships (or, at least, want to want to spend more time together), then homeschooling may not be the best choice for you. However, I am sure that you have heard it said before that at the end of the day, no one is going to say, “I wish that I had spent more time at work… or by myself… or with my canary…” No, the universal regret that aging and dying people declare is their sadness over not spending enough time with their loved ones. Teaching your children at home is an amazing opportunity to spend more time with your dearest loved ones and have no regrets.

The second ingredient to homeschooling success is a teachable spirit on the part of the parent. This is essential because, like it or not, you will learn so much more teaching your own children than you ever did in school the first time around. So, you might as well like to learn.

On that same note, the third essential ingredient to successful homeschooling is creating a home environment that is conducive to learning. This may show itself differently in each of our homes, but the result is the same – a place where kids can learn and enjoy it.

A home that is conducive to learning may have quiet and cozy reading nooks, bookshelves crammed with great books, a listening corner complete with headphones and a beanbag chair, uncluttered smooth surfaces for writing, stacks of coloring/activity books and colored pencils, a place to gather together and talk about the day’s events. You get the idea… Create centers in your home that make learning fun and accessible.

The fourth ingredient for a successful homeschool is 2 hours of your time to devote to your children’s studies. Truly, when the one-on-one teaching method is employed in your home, you do not need all day in order to get things done. In fact, a child in K-2 grades might be finished with her schoolwork in as few as 45 minutes (of course, that probably does not include the time that you spend reading together because who can get enough of that!).

At the other end of the spectrum, you might not need that much time with your middle schooler or high schooler either, because they become such independent learners by this age. The kids that will need the majority of that time that you have designated for school – those full 2 hours – would be your students in 3-6 grades as math and grammar assignments might get a little more involved.

The final ingredient for homeschooling success is a library card. That’s right! With access to a huge roomful of books, a world of learning opportunities is at your doorstep. Let’s say that your child is interested in insects or flowers, electricity or magnetism, transportation or inventions… check out as many books as he can devour on the subject and then some more. Watch your child light up with the delight of learning.

With these 5 essential ingredients incorporated into your homeschool, you will experience successful learning in the lives of your children, because this is the measure of success – children that love to learn!

Enjoy those learning moments…

Terri Johnson

Co-author of Homeschooling ABCs – an online class starting this month for brand new homeschoolers. Don't let self-doubt, or lack of experience, rob you of the best first year possible! Sign up for class at Homeschooling ABCs

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

A few of my favorite homeschooling sites

2009-09-07T13:07:00.002-04:00

I wanted to share some of my favorite homeschool sites.

www.currclick.com
This site has a ton of great home school curriculum and you can get a lot of it for free also. If you sign up for the newsletter you will get an email showing what the new free item of the week is as well as a list of their newbies and sales.

www.starfall.com
This site is great for teaching reading. The site starts at preschool and goes through 3rd grade.

www.funbrain.com
This site is great for kids to play on. My kids love playing here and all of the games are educationally based.

funschool.kaboose.com
This is another site full of educational games for the kids.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Chuck Norris

2009-09-06T21:53:00.004-04:00

My dh told me about this tonight. Go to google.com, type Chuck Norris into the search box and then click the I'm Feeling Lucky button.

You won't be sorry you did. LOL!

And of course if you like that then you will want to check out www.chucknorrisjokes.net

My husband and brother are loving this Chuck Norris phase that has been going around the internet. I thought I would just share some of the fun with you.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

I am....

2009-08-29T17:07:00.004-04:00

I am, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a grand-daughter, a niece, a cousin, a friend. I am a partner, a student, a young girl and a grown woman. I am confident, and scared, terrified and excited. I am loving and caring, and thoughtful and hopeful. I am sick and tired. I am shy and friendly and careful and careless. I am broken and whole. I am misunderstood, misguided and mislead. I am hard working and determined, but a little scared on the inside. I wish on stars and dream my dreams. I pray to God and cry my tears. I smile on the outside while dying on the inside. I listen to others who won't listen to me, I walk on eggshells and I walk on fire. I believe in passion and true love. I love you and push you away. I want you but not so close. I am everything and nothing all, all at once, and all I want is for you to love me.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

I need a little rant.

2009-08-28T17:13:00.004-04:00

I have a difficult time talking about myself which in turn contributes to the few posts I have here. My point in the blog was to start being able to open up a bit and get some things off my chest as needed.

I have had anxiety and depression issues in the past and I have weened myself off of the antidepressants. My doctor wants me to see a counselor but that is difficult with my 4 children, my husbands schedule and the other things I have dedicated myself too. So my thoughts came to having a blog where I could just write and rant and get things off my chest, it still has been difficult to do.

See I am the person that people have always come to for help. I am the one that sits and listens politely while others talk. I don't mind that, I actually love helping other people. I try not to solicit advise unless asked for it and definitely do not spread gossip. So people know they can trust me.

The thing is I do not have someone around here to do that with. I don't have a physical person to go to with the things I need to talk about. At least that is how I feel. I think that knowing everybody's problems and situations that I feel like my problems would just add to theirs. Or maybe they would not want to come to me with their problems anymore. Often after hearing someone elses problems I feel mine are trivial and I should let it go.

Probably sounds childish, I know.

As of right now my mom has a lot of health problems. She is suffering from COPD, heart disease, thyroid disease, depression and allergies. I have been the one taking her back and forth to her doctors appointments. I also take her shopping and running errands because she cannot drive. I am the one that does this since my brothers work full time and/or have gone to school over the years.

Recently she started having breathing issues and wheezing a lot. She has had several doctors appointments because of it. She had to put on oxygen and praise the Lord today she was told that they have everything under control now. So the oxygen and the new medications are helping a lot.

I also babysit for my best friend, now sister in law(yeah!)! She and one of my brothers just got married and had a baby. She has two older children that I watch after school or while she works. I love them dearly and mentioned them in a previous post. When she goes back to work in a few weeks I will have the baby and the other two after school.

I also watch my nephew on weekends while my brother in law works. He works 12 hour shifts so his son stays here all weekend while his dad works.

We are also going to starting school again this upcoming Monday! We started homeschooling last year.

I am writing all of this to get to a point. I think I am getting to a breakdown point and I don't know how to handle all of this anymore. I have health issues rearing their ugly heads. I was diagnosed with PCOS with insulin resistance back in 2003 after going to the doctor for female issues. I had dealt with different female issues since I was a teenager and now had a name for it.

In 2006 I found out I was pregnant and at the same time found out I had a 9cm dermoid cyst. I had to have it removed along with the entire ovary when I was 13 weeks pregnant. By the Lord's grace my son came out of the surgery fine and born at 38 weeks. Because of the cyst and surgery though I was on bedrest nearly the whole pregnancy.

This past Jan. I had a 15cm fluid filled cyst burst on my other ovary. I have also had a lot of abdominal pain on and off since.

Overlapping since I had my son has been major tiredness and achy all over kind of feelings. I have been told on and off it is stress, depression, doing too much, not getting enough rest and so on. None of which seems to be the problem in my opinion. I have been on antidepressants, my husband makes sure I get plenty of rest, and I have tried different methods to relax and rest.

Since Christmas this past year I have been getting progressively worse in the pain department. I stay tired all of the time. I try to exercise and it is all I can do to do so. Then for a day or two after any major physical activity I am so exhausted I want to sleep constantly and hurt all over.

This summer has been really bad. I toss and turn all night. My husband, poor man, says I kick and hit him constantly. He said last night he thought I was dreaming of being a ninja. He hasn't been getting sleep because of me tossing and turning. I have since given up exercise and yet I still feel completely sore from head to toe. I have tried melatonin, Tylenol pm and other sleep aids.

I just don't understand what is wrong. My dad and step mother believe I may have chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, who knows. I still do not have insurance but able to go to a free clinic near by. They are a small practice and do not have a lot of resources but I plan on going back soon.

I am just to the point that I want to be better and just don't know what to do. I am having a hard time hiding all of this from everyone anymore. I just want to scream sometimes because I hurt so bad. My kids are starting to notice and keep asking me why I am sick all the time. I am constantly telling them I don't feel good and leave it at that. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Thanks for letting me rant and if you read this far I appreciate you taking the time.

~Helen
aka Miss Mommy Aunt Helen Meow

Check out Vocalpoint - Off-Label Beauty Products

2009-08-12T09:51:00.002-04:00

Take a look at these great ideas, Vocalpoint - Off-Label Beauty Products.

What are some other natural beauty ideas have you used that work? I have used egg whites as a facial peel, baking soda for toothpaste(be careful with this one) and hydrogen peroxide and water mix for a whitening mouthwash. When I was a teenager I had a friend that used mayo or eggs on her hair as a conditioner. I have not tried that one.

Since the cost of so many things have gone up knowing some of these things could be a handy tool. What ideas do you have?