Who am I and why am I here?
Valid questions.
I'd have to start, though, with -- who was I?
Eighteen years ago, I came down with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Before it knocked me over completely, I had been a very busy woman with a satisfying life.
I raised and homeschooled five children, now ages 19 - 27. I was active in our church. I led a local homeschooling support group, and was the homeschool liaison with the local school board. Our family had had articles written about us in three publications, one local and two national. I had just started moving into a home business, editing and proofreading, and the future was looking bright.
This was my life before CFS.
Eight years ago, I finally surrendered the last of these involvements. I knew no one outside of my own family anymore. I was too sick for visits or phone calls. The world went on without me. And on, and on, for many years.
But I am making a comeback. My health is gradually being restored. And that is why I'm here.
I want to speak to other people felled by CFS. I want to offer suggestions that might help restore health, and to encourage hope for a better future.
Having a dog means having to go for walks. This can be a drag. It can also be a great way of making sure to get some exercise. Maybe even a lot of exercise.
It's almost enough to make you go ...
May 28, 2012 - 7:17pm
Remember when you used to eat whatever you liked, and never gained an ounce?
And how you used to be able to drive all day and all night and still be able to get up and meet the new day? Well, ...
May 27, 2012 - 6:08pm
The further you get into your senior years, the more you may be seeing fellow aging compatriots falling by the wayside, metaphorically speaking.
You notice as people your age are having to ...
May 24, 2012 - 6:53pm
Do sunscreens protect us from skin cancer? Or then again are they just an inconvenience that does nothing at all? Do they make us more vulnerable to skin cancer?
Ironically some research has ...
May 23, 2012 - 3:35pm
If you love the water, you may think of it as your friend. But it really isn't. Not when it's so cold you're numbed and on the verge of hypothermia.
As caution is in order when making a tiger ...
May 22, 2012 - 6:08pm
If you've ever bought or borrowed a tennis racquet you may have noticed that they are not all the same. The size of the heads vary, and this is true for the grips and shafts.
There are ...
May 21, 2012 - 5:52pm
Remember when you were a kid, being asked to write a report about what you did on your summer vacation? Writing those reports wasn't any fun, but the vacation was.
Well, that may have been a ...
May 20, 2012 - 4:55pm
What is it that makes the difference between a wonderful trip and one full of misery for a senior looking for a good time? Deep down, you know what makes that difference.
It is planning, ...
May 17, 2012 - 6:28pm
The picture of someone -- like you -- on water skis, holding on to a tow rope while being pulled through the wake of a boat is indeed a perfect summer picture.
And it can stay perfect as long ...
May 16, 2012 - 7:13pm
Camping for some is a tortuous experience of sweat, hard work and primitive inconvenience.
But for others, the thought of gathering firewood, pitching an uncooperative tent, and sleeping an ...
May 15, 2012 - 8:11pm
Scuba takes some skill but it's a skill you can learn if you put your mind to it. Becoming a dedicated student of scuba diving can bring great rewards, giving you access to a part of the world not ...
May 14, 2012 - 7:25pm
You'd like to see your grandchildren every day -- well, nearly every day -- but you live far apart and travel may not be an option. Not as often as you'd like anyway.
You'd like to be a ...
May 13, 2012 - 10:51am
What do you do if your beloved grandchildren live far away, across the country or across the world?
If that's not tough enough, how do you stay in touch with these angels if you don't have a ...
May 10, 2012 - 6:04pm
If you're honest, you will admit that one of the main reasons you wear sunglasses is because you want to look cool. Maybe you've got a couple of pairs, in different colors. Maybe you've got a pair ...
May 9, 2012 - 7:00pm
You can go swimming any time of the year but there is a special pleasure in swimming in sun-warmed water in the summertime. Whether you're in a pool, a lake, or the ocean, if you're going to be ...
May 8, 2012 - 6:18pm
"She was afraid to come out of the water ..." About a half a century ago, a song on the radio about a self-conscious young girl was very popular.
Her nerve gave out as she wore her brand new ...
May 7, 2012 - 7:41pm
A good relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can be a little on the magical side. Okay, that sounds a bit starry-eyed.
Let's look at some statistics then.
An article on ...
May 6, 2012 - 5:40pm
Grandparents and grandchildren just seem like a natural fit. And research from Concordia University and Wilfrid Laurier University, bears this out.
Medicare.org reported that visits with your ...
May 4, 2012 - 7:56am
Looking back, it would appear that one of the many things women needed emancipation from a century or so ago, was their wardrobe.
This was true in women's day to day life as long skirts got in ...
May 2, 2012 - 7:24pm
Women were on the outs from the Olympics starting from Day One. It was Men Only, naked and unashamed.
Married women who might be tempted to sneak in were looking at the death penalty if they ...
May 1, 2012 - 7:27pm
In 1993, the American College of Sports Medicine first spoke up officially about the female athlete triad. This is no sports event.
It is a combination of three disorders that most often ...
April 30, 2012 - 1:08pm
The federal government created Medicare and Medicaid, supported by taxpayers,in 1965. The two problems have some similarities but also many differences.
While Medicare focuses on taking care ...
April 27, 2012 - 10:11am
Poverty can befall anyone in any walk of life. But seniors in this state can face some stiffer challenges. An elderly person with health problems is less likely to be able to improve their ...
April 26, 2012 - 1:13pm
Those who have metabolic syndrome share a number of specific characteristics. Some of these factors include excess fat around the middle, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, high ...
January 25, 2012 - 8:42pm
People with metabolic syndrome may benefit considerably by eating a low carbohydrate diet. According to an article on the Los Angeles Times website, these folks will lose weight, and their blood ...
January 24, 2012 - 9:10pm
To be old, to be sick ... Sometimes I am both ... Sometimes I'm neither.
Some of this paradox is due to being 56 years old. In this day and age, that is neither young nor old. Or a bit of ...
January 23, 2012 - 7:30pm
Tired? Can't lose unwanted weight? Unhappy digestion? Maybe you're not just middle-aged and worn out. Maybe you have metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome, as its name suggests, affects your ...
January 22, 2012 - 8:12pm
Metabolic syndrome is a dangerous set of factors that will leave you more vulnerable to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If you are big around the middle and getting bigger, with excess ...
January 18, 2012 - 9:59pm
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are beneficial to your health. And it seems that includes your mental health.
Omega-6 fatty acids are necessary for health but they need to be in proper ...
January 17, 2012 - 9:29pm
I owe a lot to traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. I wouldn't be writing this article, or very likely, any other articles, if it weren't for my experience with acupuncture in the past ...
January 16, 2012 - 9:06pm
Inflammation, dear boomers, can be found right under your nose. That is to say, unless you are very careful (and you should be very careful) it is in your mouth. Right now.
Getting older, as we ...
January 15, 2012 - 8:59pm
According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the meridians in the human body are invisible energy pathways forming a network over which qi (pronounced "chee") travels. Qi is considered to be ...
January 12, 2012 - 8:06pm
It could be argued that for baby boomers, inflammation is public enemy number one. Inflammation of course is no good for anyone. But for baby boomers, now in their late 40s and up into their late ...
January 10, 2012 - 9:33pm
I work at home, which is ideal for me since I am recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I don't expend an hour or more of energy getting ready to face the world and get to work. That would ...
January 9, 2012 - 8:12pm
The term castor oil may trigger an intense aversion associating it with use as a laxative or labor inducer. I was introduced to castor oil in a completely different guise however.
I had a bad ...
January 8, 2012 - 9:12pm
Baby boomers, take note, the Journal of the American Medical Association cited the Mediterranean diet as being a way of eating that can decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease by as much as 32 - ...
January 4, 2012 - 10:18pm
We baby boomers are increasingly dealing with changes in our fitness. Past the age of 50, we start losing bone density, muscle mass and muscle strength.
Weight-bearing exercise can be quite ...
January 3, 2012 - 6:43pm
Menopause as makeover? What is this, some kind of cruel joke?
A baby boomer woman's first reaction to menopause as makeover might be to reflect on the newly-acquired spare tire some of us are ...
January 2, 2012 - 8:01pm
Judging by the state of my equilibrium, it must be just after my annual Christmas/New Year's debauchery. Don't be too impressed, my debauchery is not very adventurous, nor very interesting. ...
January 1, 2012 - 8:04pm
It's getting near the time for the big count down. The end of 2011, and the beginning of 2012 is approaching.
I could write some profound thoughts about the Brave New World of a Brave New Year ...
December 30, 2011 - 7:28am
Asperger's Syndrome is finally moving into the spotlight. Questions that have perplexed Asperger's (AS) and neurotypical (NT) family members alike are now finding answers. Marriages between Aspies ...
Jody Smith commented on Jody Smith's post Asperger's Parents and Neurotypical Children