Healthy Living

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A friend called me all excited about a support group she’d been to for Fibromyalgia. IT was a true support group. No one had an agenda. No one was selling anything. They even gave a free book to those who attended. The title was “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Fibromyalgia” by R. Paul St Amand, M.D. and Claudia Craig Marek. Dr. Amand is an MD from California and he wasn’t selling anything either.

Chris had called me because she was encouraged and some of the symptoms they had mentioned reminded her of some of my issues.

OK, I am an RN. I look at much in the field of medicine with a raised eyebrow. I should have been from Missouri because “show me” is my flag. I have seen too much and heard too much over the years which was well, so much hot air, ideas that took your money and made you jump through a bunch of hoops with no results.

A day later I am visiting with a friend who is a licensed massage therapist. Apparently there are 18 points where someone who knows (like my massage therapist) can apply pressure and someone who has fibromyalgia will respond with pain and discomfort. She poked all over my body (at my request) and I got so I could tell her which were the specific fibromyalgia points before she confirmed it. She also had two clients who had read the book and followed the protocol and had gotten pain relief and other symptoms were minimized. She could tell a difference in their muscles and the “lumps” that become typical with fibromyalgia.

Those lumps I thought were where my cats back claws had dug into me as they launched off and away from ‘mommy” – except how did I get one in the middle of my back by my spine?

I got home and found the book online for a penny plus shipping and handling. My hubby asked “what did you pay for shipping and handling, $20?”
No, the total price of the used book through Amazon came to $4.00 – which was a good price to satisfy my curiosity.

Within the next few days I am going to read and write a review on that book. I will be looking at it with the nurse’s raised eyebrow. I am hopeful with the good reports so far that it will bring many of us some ideas for much needed relief.

I HAVE NOW READ THE BOOK.

To say that I am encouraged and impressed would be a complete understatement. Have you ever wanted a doctor who listened and actually tried to get down to the cause of what was ailing you instead of throwing a whole pharmacy at your symptoms? Dr. St Amand is that kind of doctor.

He has worked with people exhibiting the symptoms of Fibromyalgia before that name even existed. The book was written in 1999 and at that time Dr. St Armand had forty years experience with patients having the FMS problems. He also had that diagnosis himself. Parts of the book would be great to share with an MD who is a listened and open to hearing from you, his patient. It is understandable but definitely shows scientific deductions and how Dr. St Armand reached some of his conclusions.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the tie in between diagnoses which have overlapping symptoms yet separate diagnosis. The treatment and protocol he proposes in his book, that thousands have done and had a successful relief in their symptoms, seems to work on several of these diagnosis.

Even if you aren’t going to try his suggestions the book had invaluable information for those with any of the following diagnosis/symptoms: muscular pain, fatigue, bladder infections, insomnia, hypoglycemia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel or bladder syndrome, chronic candidiasis, interstitial cystitis.

He talks about what happens within your body and why it happens and gives some practical solutions to the problem. He also goes into commonly used treatments and what to expect with those. The book is interspersed with notes and letters from his patients giving snap short of their struggles and victories. You will find that you are not alone and that there is, indeed, hope!

The drug he has used with great success is no longer a prescription drug. Guaifenesin can now be purchased over the counter and when used with the protocol described can be very effective in a remission of symptoms.

There are also support groups all over for help with this as outlined in his book.

I am hoping and praying this will lead to literally a renewed life for many. I had lunch with Chris yesterday (she has been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and hypoglycemia) she is doing the protocol and taking
Guaifenesin – the book mentions that you will get worse before you get better and that is an indicator that you are on the right track…. She was going through that but with a smile on her face because she was finally, after years of suffering, finally on the right track! This RN doesn’t even have raised eyebrows, it was a wonderful and thorough book with much anecdotal evidence!

(C) Marijo Phelps all rights reserved. Use with proper credits.

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