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.
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
Anybody else tired of New Year's resolutions?
I have never taken the whole idea too seriously, truth be told. It seemed to me that if you wanted to make some changes, you'd just ... make them. ...
December 29, 2011 - 9:34am
During the one short week between Christmas and New Years, you are constantly making choices whether you know it or not. Will you continue to stuff yourself with chocolate and pumpkin pie? Will ...
December 27, 2011 - 8:47pm
I have taken my place amongst the creatures of fabled lore -- the Loch Ness monster, the unicorn, the Yeti ... Yes, I am highly controversial and hotly disputed. I am recovering from Chronic ...
December 26, 2011 - 8:45pm
We shouldn't be surprised by this but a certain amount of denial seems to be natural. Baby boomers after Christmas just don't bounce back like we used to.
Remember when you could be up all ...
December 25, 2011 - 8:18pm
Baby boomers get a bad rap sometimes. We've been called self-absorbed and spoiled.
Our inevitable impact over the decades has been received with ... mixed feelings by the ones coming up behind ...
December 22, 2011 - 7:37pm
Okay, we baby boomers aren't what we used to be. But then, who is?
At Christmas time there is a tendency to reflect on past years, and part of that for us boomers might involve a pining for the ...
December 20, 2011 - 8:10pm
Christmas doesn't seem quite like Christmas without little kids on the scene. As a baby boomer looking back on Christmases that had magic and those that did not, I've seen that children were the ...
December 19, 2011 - 8:18pm
Things have changed substantially from the Baby Boomer Christmases I remember of almost half a century ago. I have fond memories of candy canes and egg nog, and a beautiful sweet treat called ...
December 18, 2011 - 6:19pm
Wellness. Internal and external balance in your life. Peace and strength. Wouldn't you like that during the holiday season?
And wouldn't it be nice if this wholeness and soundness automatically ...
December 14, 2011 - 7:12pm
Being a baby boomer, I have seen Christmas from many angles over the past half a century. I remember what's now considered retro attire like flannelette pajamas splashed with cowboys for boys and ...
December 13, 2011 - 7:46pm
Christmas can be tricky for anyone. It can be especially tricky for someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
People with CFS struggle with multiple health problems, contending with a disease that ...
December 12, 2011 - 6:18pm
Christmas has a way of kindling nostalgic memories of past holiday seasons. As a 56 year old baby boomer, I've had plenty of them to reflect upon.
My four brothers and I are all baby boomers, ...
December 11, 2011 - 9:11pm
Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus, causing pockets of tissue to build up in and around the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder and other parts of the ...
December 9, 2011 - 2:16pm
Endometrial tissue is made up of cells that are produced inside the uterus during ovulation. When the tissue builds outside the uterus into other parts of the pelvic area such as the bladder, ...
December 9, 2011 - 2:06pm
Exercise can offer many health benefits physically and mentally, however when a woman exercises too much her health may actually be negatively affected. Excessive exercise can cause hormonal ...
December 9, 2011 - 1:44pm
Information about what gluten can do to people with a gluten sensitivity, and how avoiding gluten can set them free, is transforming lives. The concept of avoiding gluten not so long ago ...
December 6, 2011 - 9:50pm
Baby boomers may not like it but The Boom is rolling its way into osteoporosis territory, and it may not be happening only to the older boomers. Osteoporosis is a loss of bone mass that can begin ...
December 5, 2011 - 7:58pm
Contrary to the belief (and fear) of many pre-menopausal women, hitting menopause does not mean life is over. On the contrary, most postmenopausal women have a third of their life ahead of ...
December 4, 2011 - 8:58pm
St. John's wort flowers around the end of June, near the feast of St. John the Baptist. Apparently that's where the name originated. The herb is also known as goatweed, hypericum perforatum L. and ...
November 30, 2011 - 8:09pm
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 ...
Jody Smith commented on Jody Smith's post Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Why I Can Work On the Internet