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Suffering with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and/or Fibromyalgia is a very difficult on-going process. Especially since all treatments are symptomatic rather than addressing the underlying disease process. However, there are strategies that will help the patient in managing their illness more effectively. What follows are suggestions to maximize your potential to recover.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH:
This sounds much more difficult than it actually is. Communication between the patient and the doctor is crutial. Physicians theses days will spend only a few minutes discussing your case. This is due to having too many patients, being over-worked, and unfortunately, not taking the time to actually listen to the patient. So what can you, as a patient, do. One major strategy is to write down what is bothering you and your symptoms. This may seem symplistic but how many times have you crawled into your doctor's office and not been able to tell him/her what your problems are. With cognitive dysfunction being common in most CFIDS patients, forgetting to tell your doctor important aspects about your health is common. It is also the easiest thing to correct. Start writing down your symptoms a few days before your doctor appointment. Be brief, specific and to the point. Then give the doctor your list or read it to him/her. You may even want to make little notes to yourself as to questions you wish to ask your doctor. Bringing in a spouse or family member can also be of great help.
BECOME AS EDUCATED AS POSSIBLE:
By reading this you are educating yourself. The more you know in regards to the conventional wisdom about CFIDS, the better. Sometimes knowing the unconvential wisdom is helpful too. At very least, know the basics of your illness. This site and others will help you with that. (see disclaimer) It's important to rule out other illnesses that can cause similar symptoms to CFS and FMS. After that is done, you can attend support group meetings, do research from books, videos and the internet, and find a physician that is willing to spend a little extra time with you. Like anything else, a doctor who has many CFS and FMS patients will likely know more about the illnesses than a doctor who has less. It's tough to find this type of doctor, but the patient's health and future are at stake so this should be a priority.
TEST RESULTS AND ORGANIZATION:
A terrific idea and one that is very important is to always get copies of your medical records. This means every time you go to the doctor and have blood work or x-rays you should get your own copies. Make sure you or a family member can organize the records so that tests aren't repeated unnecessarily. Many times patients will change doctors and that is one time this practice will be indespensible. In collaboration to this suggestion, achieving an understanding of what your test results mean can help you make informed choices in the future. This is not to say you need to make yourself more ill researching what your test results mean, but having a basic overall knowledge can give you piece of mind.
OVERALL HEALTH WILL HELP:
This is another aspect that is overlooked. It also can be more difficult that you think, however, research is proving more and more that getting your health to the best it can be, minus the illness, WILL help. What this means is that it is very important to get plenty of rest. Stop pushing yourself before you get tired or symptoms begin. Look into vitamins, supplements and diet issues as a key element to overall health. The combination of traditional AND alternative medicine is an exciting possibe treament for some patients. Try to reduce as much stress in your life as possible. Whether you should exercise or not should be discussed with your doctor, however, even minimal light stretching can help releave some pain due to a sedentery life style and deconditioning. A Massage has helped some patients that were well enough to tolerate it. Other so-called non-tradtional modalities ahve also been used with differing success. We do know that support from friends and family members is very important, both emotionally and physically. Coping strategies can also be a focus with a counselor or psychologist. Preferably one with experience with CFS and FMS patients. Ironically, try not to focus on your illness as much. You should try to rule your illness not the other way around. Find things that you are able to do that bring happiness and self-worth into your life. And never forget, just because your life isn't how it used to be or isn't how you would like it to be, that you should NEVER GIVE UP HOPE. We will have an effective treatment for this illness eventually, and right now, many symptoms are treatible.
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