Beyond the winter solstice

Now that winter has officially arrived in the northern hemisphere I'm wondering how everyone is doing.  The changing seasons and weather extremes are known to increase Fibromyalgia symptoms and pain.  Couple the colder weather with more activity than usual through the holidays and the result can spell disaster in the weeks following.  Even if you paced yourself the disruption of your usual daily schedule may lead to increased pain and fatigue.  I'm thinking that most of you are probably wiped out.  In addition, the shorter days have an effect on our bodies as our brain receives less daylight, which triggers a hibernation response.  When shadows grow long a sort of melancholy sets in.  The lessened daylight signals to the brain has an effect on neurotransmitters, those chemical messengers responsible for our feeling of well-being.  I am reading more and more research studies involving the neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are the focus for so many chronic illnesses, which may be the critical key that will unlock the mysteries associated with chronic illnesses that currently have no cure.  Meanwhile, we must manage our daily symptoms during these bleak winter months that follow the winter solstice.

Male Northern Cardinal

I have always celebrated the winter solstice with great enthusiasm.  Despite the fact that winter is in its full glory there will soon be signs that spring is emerging, promising new life.  In the northland where winter is long it is especially important to watch for those subtle signs of spring.  In late January the male cardinal begins to sing his song in the tallest treetop perch, already staking out his territory.  He is easy to spot in his lofty perch since all the trees remain dormant and are leafless . . . and after all he is a brilliant scarlet bird that dares to taunt the predator hawks and kestrels while in such a vulnerable position.  He sings urgently

The New Year 2013 begins with cars flexing their motor muscles!

Mike Hayden

Mike and his Pit Crew

A New Year's Day tradition that started as a small event hosted by Mike Hayden and The Shafters Car Club kicked off today at 10:00 am.  Over the past several years this event has quadrupled in attendance and the enthusiasm just keeps growing.  Mike builds race motors and he just happens to have a 600 ft drag strip at his house.  This is what you call a hard core car guy!  This event has grown to include a pit crew, an announcer and DJ, and lots of great food cooked outdoors on site.  In addition, the passion that many in the community have for our military men and women has been included in this event as a fund raiser for the Wounded Warriors.  Today $1,700+ was raised to support these courageous men and women.  Last but not least, people bring their cars to flex motor muscles on the drag strip.  This results in lots of smoke, lots of noise and lots of cheers too.  Several guys brought their drag cars, but no nitrous was used this year so we didn't have any wheels coming up off the strip.  A number of people smoked the tires of their family car and that always results in a good laugh too.

MOPAR Danny

There is nothing as rejuvenating as pretending that you're a kid again.  Many of the drag car drivers today are in their 60's, but they have no intention of slowing down yet.  That spark and spirit is what truly keeps people feeling and acting younger than their biological years.  And acting like a kid again helps to ease chronic pain and boost the spirits of those people with chronic illness.  The looming fiscal cliff and all the past year's worries and concerns of a sluggish economy have taken it's toll on people.  People all over the world are feeling a financial crunch, because we are globally connected to one another.  There is only one

Your spirit, essence and intention lingers in all those things you touch

This Christmas is so different from my Christmas in 2011.  Last year the house was decorated and the atmosphere was festive.  Multicolored lights twinkled on the tree and greenery boughs gracefully drooped around each side of the overhead kitchen cabinet.  The table was set with red Dansk Nordic Knits dishes and minature lanterns lit each place setting.  It took me several weeks to complete the decorating, but I was relaxed and enjoyed every moment of the holiday season.  This year is different, because there are no decorations and in their stead are stacked boxes of the belongings that will be moved to Arizona.  The excitement of the move has been replaced with the arduous task of packing dishes, glassware and other breakables with extra care that a long distance move requires.  As I pack each piece I think about the journey and wonder if I have packed it with enough care to ensure its survival.  I had special concerns with Sid's mother's antique ink well collection.  A good friend of ours, Bob, has his own moving company -- Bald Eagle Movers.  Bob will be moving us into our new home and will be the first of our friends to be stepping across the threshold of our front door.



The gift of carefully folded paper

A couple of days ago Bob dropped by with previously used empty boxes and a large box of neatly folded packing paper.  Bob had obtained the packing paper and some used boxes from someone that he had just moved.  It was so remarkable that each sheet of packing paper had been folded with great care -- all the edges were lined up and the crinkles in the paper had been smoothed out as if each sheet was an expensive linen being prepared for placement in a linen closet.   The tall stack of folded paper fit neatly inside a large box as if this box had been specially selected for a custom fit.  The packing paper I had purchased and had been using for packing was a rather monotonous task.  Today I

Willis-Ekbom Disease (restless legs syndrome) research may lead to better zzzzzzz's

Willis-Ekbom Disease (restless legs syndrome) is a serious movement disorder related to Parkinson's Disease.  This disease causes significant impairment in many people's lives and affects children and adults.  It is well-known that WED/RLS has a major effect on the ability to get a restful night's sleep, which is the most prominently identified WED/RLS symptom.  The Willis-Ekbom Disease Foundation (formerly known as Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation) is an excellent information resource for people suffering with this disease, and for medical professionals too.  The Web site may be located at www.rls.org; I encourage you to check out the Web site and consider joining this organization to give WED/RLS a strong voice.  Their publication, Nightwalkers, is always a resource of helpful, up-to-date information that includes some of the latest research.  Nightwalkers is published quarterly and I recently received a hard copy of the Fall 2012 publication.  There is an article, Exploring the Role of Glutamate in WED/RLS, in the Fall 2012 publication on page 13 that discusses recent research containing valuable information for people with WED/RLS . . . and possibly fibromyalgia.  Many people with fibromyalgia have WED/RLS.  This research may provide clues that connect these two illnesses and explain the sleep disorder that is prevalent in both.

The new research featured in the WED Foundation 2012 Fall publication is a study conducted by a Johns Hopkins team of scientists.  Dr. Richard P. Allen, the principle investigator, stated that glutamate-hyperarousal (glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter) would be a third major area of documented brain abnormalities in WED/RLS.  The three brain abnormalities are dopamine, iron, and now glutamate, if this research confirms the glutamate connection.  The most commonly used

Life is so fragile and each day is a gift

So many things in this world are difficult to understand, but none is more uncomprehensible than the senseless taking of a human life.  We all struggle to make sense of the seemingly random acts of violence that have occurred in our schools, shopping centers, restaurants, theaters and other public places and in our homes too.  We experience an array of emotions in response to these acts, including anger, sadness, grief and loss, and frustration.  We feel the tremendous grief and pain these families are in and wish there was a way to ease their pain.  In response to these emotions we search for remedies so this never happens again.  Psychologists attempt to identify the "warning signs" that indicate the breaking point of a human mind, but there are no easy identifiable signs.  The isolation and powerlessness that people may feel can push the limits of the mind, but each person deals with life's challenges differently.  When attempting to identify the cause of such violent acts, people tend to focus on the obvious "problem":  availability of firearms or possibly the prevalence of violent movies and video games in the U.S..  Conneticut has one of the stricktest gun laws of all the 50 states and it happened there today.  Twenty-seven precious lives were lost.  So what is the real problem that results in so much tragedy?  To identify the real

When "stuff" invades your space

Arizona mountain sunset

Most of us in the U.S. have way too much stuff.  I was thinking about that and it is such a curious thing to me that we hoard stuff that is actually quite insignificant in the whole scheme of our lives.  Some people get tired of their stuff and change it out for all new stuff.  I'm wondering why all that stuff plays such an important part in our lives.  Are we so weary of our lives, ourselves and our environment that we encumber our lives and waste our money on things we don't really need?  When I see a homeless soul walking on the side of the road I am in awe of their small pack that holds all their earthly possessions.  These resourceful people have perfected the art of limiting their stuff to a few priorities.  I have a good girlfriend that packed up her Ford Pinto with her stuff and drove across the country in the 1970's to live in another state.  That really impressed me.  She was able to put everything important

Kaleidoscopic possibilities and perspectives

How are you doing today?  I so rarely receive a comment and I am really wondering how things are going for you.  I'm a little rough around the edges, but with the support of my husband and some good friends I'm actually doing well.  We are leaving for Prescott, AZ in a few days to look for a new home.  Big life changes can certainly create a measure of stress.  Throughout this life journey I am constantly amazed at the kaleidoscope of possibilities and perspectives that change the fabric of reality from moment to moment.  When I let go of the power and control I try to have over unfolding life events, I discover the superficial and monocular view I had held so dear begins to dissolve.  In its place appears a brightly colored stained glass pattern of reflected light representing all the opportunities before me.  Seemingly dead ends become a multitude of doors leading to new adventures and sometimes unexpected outcomes.  As these adventures unfold there are more possibilities as the kaliedoscope continues to turn.  I just have to let go and be willing to move forward into the vastness and uncertainty of the unknown.  It's a leap of faith that keeps me moving forward.  The alternative is to remain stuck in a place that becomes dark and dreary, predictable and

How slow can you go??

Martha Stewart's Woodland Christmas

This time of year has been a source of dread for me in years past.  Visions of the "perfect" holiday appear on TV specials, in holiday magazine editions and everywhere in stores.  The perfect table must be set with food served that rivals the head chef's entrees at the Hilton.  Delectable goodies must be made and served on just the right plate.  The images of people giving and receiving expensive gifts with delighted, joyful faces complete the perfect holiday picture.  But those images are based in fantasy and aren't grounded in reality.  The most memorable holidays are those that had their share of disasters, like the year we went to put the turkey on the grill to slow cook for hours only to discover that the bird was still in the freezer.  Over the years I have found that each holiday season can be whatever I want it to be and as a result each year is different from the other and that's a wonderful thing.  By listening to the pulse of each season and accommodating whatever life has presented at that time, I have found that all my life experiences are fond memories, because these

In awe of the living things with which we share our planet

The President in Sequoia National Park courtesy of Nat Geo

Sequoia National Park by Nat Geo

Whenever I become too focused on my own concerns I like to remind myself there are other people that have concerns too.  I also like to refocus my attention to the amazing living things that share our planet with us.  Today I received the December 2012 issue of National Geographic.  On the front cover is a picture of The President: the giant sequoia that has lived in Sequoia National Park in California for the last 3,200 years.  When this tree was born there was no National Park and there was no official California.  Just the pristine land and the trees and all the living things that benefit from these magnificent giants existed at that time.  The President is not the largest tree on Earth; it is only the second largest.  It isn't as tall as the giant coastal redwoods in northern California or Eucalyptus regnans in Australia (highest reported tree was 375 feet tall and was felled in the late 19th century), but it is far more massive.  The President reaches for the sky at 247 feet tall, its four largest limbs are as big as large trees, and it has a thick crown that holds an estimated two billion leaves.  The only tree that has a trunk of greater bulk is that of The General Sherman; a tree that is also in Sequoia National Park.  (2012, December.  National Geographic, pg 28 - 41).  If you have never seen these magnificent trees I would urge you to make the trek to 7,000 feet where these trees thrive despite the rugged conditions in the Sierras.  Standing next to one of these giants is truly a spiritual experience and in doing so we realize that we are just passing through a world that belongs to them.  They are tough survivors that have seen so much in their long lives.  They are an ecosystem unto themselves and provide a home for so many of Earth's creatures both plant and animal . . . and insects too.  I have never felt so insignificant as the moment I stood next to The President and The General Sherman.  It was a lesson in humility for me and I have never forgotten that moment even though it was many years ago.  That moment of humility reinforced that those things that I believe to be important and urgent only belong to me and are ultimately of little consequence or importance to anyone else.

Your pain experience is unique and personal

Pain is a poorly understood phenomenon.  Pain has been treated and studied for so long, and Western medicine has made extraordinary advances in so many areas,  but we still have only a fundamental understanding of pain's mechanism.  Pain is a complex mechanism that involves physiology, spirituality, emotions, and perceptions.  As in all health issues, it involves the mind/body connection.  When people are in pain it is a completely subjective and personal experience.  Pain makes people feel emotionally out of control, which increases anxiety levels and increases the intensity of the pain experience.  That is why lavendar aromatherapy decreases the perception of pain; lavendar is a calming herb.  When I was working with an Interventional Radiology Department I observed that women experienced more pain than men when a chemotherapy port was placed in the upper chest.  When I presented that information to the port placement team it was decided to give women a prescription for pain medication before they were discharged back home.  In my follow up calls women reported they didn't fill the analgesic prescription, they still had pain, but they tolerated that pain better because they knew they were in control and could opt to fill the analgesic prescription if they wished. I have also observed from my own experience that the more pain medication I use the more I seem to have a rebound increase in pain.  Therefore I use pain medication as judiciously as possible.  That rebound pain experience