Hello my friends,
Looking back, I have realized that it has been 16 months since my last post. It was about that time when I became very ill, finally being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.
I stepped away from blogging to focus on my health. A little over a year later, I am doing about 90% better. I have had multiple people ask me what I did, so I decided to post about it. I will say now, there is no "quick fix." However, it is so very worth every step!
This is a long blog, due to its nature, but please try to stay with me. I suggest reading it a few times in order to glean all of the information you can from it.
*NOTE: Fibromyalgia presents differently in every person. While what worked for me may not work for you, it just MIGHT. If you are like I was, I was willing to at least try.
Steps to treating fibromyalgia naturally
1.Assemble your team. You will need a chiropractor, a
massage therapist, a naturalist, and a general practitioner. Make sure that all
are familiar with fibromyalgia, willing to treat it naturally (no
pharmaceuticals), and believe that it can be cured. These three items are VERY
important. If they don’t meet these requirements, move on. You need a team that
has the mindset that this CAN be beaten and beaten naturally. By the end of
this, you will be in fantastic shape!
I use a chiropractor that uses the Gonstead method. Make an
appointment with whomever you select, then go as many times as needed in order
to get to the goal of 1 time each month. That is a maintenance level.
Find a massage therapist that works alone and is licensed by
a school of massage therapy. I talked to my massage therapist, and she said
that those that went to school have been trained in treating FM. There are some that never went to school and
were grandfathered in. Avoid them. Also
avoid Spa Massage Therapists. They do not do the medically needed massage that
your muscles must have.
I use Dr. McGuckin as my specialist. He is in Valparaiso,
Indiana. For the few visits that you will need, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you go
to him, or ask him for a recommendation for your area. He is an actual doctor.
He is also a chiropractor. He will meet with you to discuss what is wrong. He
will run tests, I urge you to have all of them done. The main one is the
internal allergy test, as well as the vitamin D test. You will then meet with
him to go over results. It will be a list of all the things that you are
allergic to. This is different than the external scratch tests. Much better at
pinpointing exact causes. You can’t have those things for at least 6 months.
That time will be spent rebooting the white blood cells in your body so that
they do not attack you all of the time. You will also be put on a vitamin C
flush once a week in order to flush all toxins out of your body. You will do it
once a week for 2 months, then every other week. He will explain it to you, or
I can at any time.
He will also suggest
a detox bath nightly. I use water as hot as possible. 1 cup Epson salts, ½ cup
baking soda, 1 tsp ginger, soak at least 20 minutes. Make sure you get to
sweating stage. Leave bath, wrap in blankets, and continue sweating. I do these
at night because they make me sleepy and I sleep like a baby. The more you
sweat, the better. It rids your body of toxins and gets magnesium into your
body.
He may suggest that you take the vitamins and supplements
that he carries. I have researched them. They are extremely high quality, and
the best on the market. I buy straight from him on several items. His number is
219-531-1234. If you call him, tell him I sent you and that you have similar
symptoms as me. After the initial 2 visits, I have done everything by phone or
email.
Find a General Practitioner. I use mine to make sure my
vitamins and supplement intake is ok, blood tests to check vitamin D levels,
general checkups, etc. I go once every 4 months.
2. Start taking vitamins, supplements, and minerals. I will
list all that I take. I have done massive amounts of research on this subject.
All help FM symptoms greatly.
·
CQ 10
·
Complete B complex
·
D Ribose
·
Calcium citrate
·
Cat’s Claw
·
Magnesium Malate
·
Mg Plus Guard (from McGuckin)
·
B-6
·
Pain Guard Forte (from McGuckin)
·
MSM
·
Magnesium Citrate
·
Triple Magnesium Complex
·
Probiotic
·
Evening Primrose Oil
·
Potassium
·
Acetyl L-Carnitine HCI
·
Turmeric
·
Curcumin
·
Black Cherry
·
B12
·
Ubiquinol
·
Folic Acid
·
D3 (Many people with FM are extremely deficient
in this one)
·
Vitamin A
·
Potent C Guard (from Dr. McGuckin, in powder
form)
·
Choline Citrate (from Dr. McGuckin in liquid
form)
I take the above list every day. I can really tell if I skip
a day. I know it seems like a lot of pills and very expensive, however it is
less money than pharmaceuticals, and is not harmful to your body. It is
actually helping your body, building up and strengthening your body.
Get enough sleep. You will need to take steps to ensure at
least 7, if not 8 or 9, hours of sleep. FM patients are notorious for not being
able to sleep, either from insomnia or pain. If just insomnia, I take 3 mg of
melatonin. If there is pain, I take an advil pm. This and the hot detox bath
work almost every time.
SLOW. DOWN. In order to restore your health, you MUST slow
down. Most doctors say FM is incurable. My team says to give it 5 years. I am
one year into it, and I am doing SO MUCH better. It is worth the effort it will
take you to slow down.
Don’t keep your FM a secret. Allow people to help. You do
not have to do it on your own. Learn to use the aids such as a cane or
wheelchair if needed. They will help your body rest.
Learn to just sit. Pray, meditate, do nothing. Just sit,
consciously relaxing your body and resting.
Before you get out of bed every morning, stretch. Lay flat
on your back. Point your right toes down and stretch the leg down as far as
possible and hold for 5 seconds. Push heel down as far as possible and hold for
5 seconds. Repeat with left leg. Do the
same for your arms. Roll your neck. Wiggle your toes. You will be amazed at how
much this helps.
Get a “Bed Buddy.” They sell them at Walmart I believe. It
is similar to a large sock filled with grain. You place it in the microwave 3
minutes, then use it to lay on aching parts. I use mine the most at night, as I
fall asleep.
I use essential oils as well. Mainly peppermint and
wintergreen for pain. Rub a few drops on the area that hurts. It helps
immensely. Use peppermint only during
the day, as it will wake your brain up at night. I use lavender to help sleep
if needed as well. Two drops pf Frankincense under the tongue is very
beneficial if you can handle the taste.
Stop ALL intake of sugar and sugar substitutes in any form.
They exacerbate FM symptoms greatly. Stop all intake of caffeine. It was the
same effect.
Please do not hesitate to call, text or email me with any
questions you might have. I took the radical approach with this, meaning I was
all in from the start. That is why I am doing so well. The more “cheats,” the
longer it will take to feel better.
I hope this helps. I don’t mean to sound harsh, it is sadly just
our new reality.
Take care of yourself. I am praying for you.
~Annie
