Genetic Research Sheds Light on Chronic Pain

THURSDAY, May 6 -- Chronic pain, which often occurs without an apparent cause, may be the result of accidental reprogramming of more than 2,000 genes in the peripheral nervous system, new research suggests.

The finding may someday lead to new drugs that treat pain by correcting the activity of specific genes, a method called transcription therapy, the researchers said.

In the study, published online in the

How I Differ From You - Awareness

How I Differ From You - Awareness

For anyone who suffers, or know someone who suffers, from Fibromyalgia:

1. My pain - My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me. I can not work my pain out or shake it off. It is not even a pain that stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or gone. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain , possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood , but it is real.

2. My fatigue - I am not merely tired . I am often in a severe state of exhaustion . I may want to participate in physical activities , but I can' t. Please do not take this personally . If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can' t help you with yard work today , it isn' t because I don' t want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability .

3. My forgetfulness - Those of us who suffer from it call it fibro fog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don' t have any short - term memory at all.

4. My clumsiness - If I step on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd , I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stair wells one step at a time.

5. My sensitivities - I just can' t stand it! "It" could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors . FMS has been called the "aggravating everything disorder."  So don' t make me open the drapes or listen to your child scream. I really can' t stand it.

6. My intolerance - I can' t stand heat, either. Or humidity. If I am a man, I sweat . . . profusely. If I am a lady, I perspire. Both are equally embarrassing, so please don' t feel compelled to point this short coming out to me. I know. And don' t be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it's cold. I don' t tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

7. My depression - Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of Dr. Kevorkian' s patients suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression . Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink . Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge.

8. My stress - My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I'm not lazy. Every day stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely .

9. My weight - I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not by choice. My body is not your body. My appetite is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it.

10. My need for therapy - If I get a massage every week, don' t envy me. My massage is not your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out was very painful, but it had to be done. My body is knot-filled. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily.

11. My good days - If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don' t assume I am well or that I have been cured . I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no cure. I can have my good days or weeks or even months. In fact, the good days are what keep me going .

12. My uniqueness - Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike . That means I may not have all of the problems mentioned above . I do have pain above and below the waist and on both sides of my body which has lasted for a very long time. I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain, but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else.


I hope that this helps you understand me, but if you still doubt my pain, your local bookstore, library and the internet have many good books and articles on fibromyalgia.


Author's note: This letter is based on communications with people throughout the world, males and females, who suffer from fibromyalgia. It does not represent any one of the over 10, 000, 000 people with FMS, but it can help the healthy person understand how devastating this illness can be. 

Please do not take these people and their pain lightly.  

You wouldn't want to spend even a day in their shoes . ..or their bodies!

 Do You??

~Author unknown

God Has A Purpose!

Do you ever wonder why you are facing all the heart aches, challenges and difficulties in your life? 

Watch this Butterfly movie! It has a SIGNIFICANT message for you. 

Nothing in life is a coincidence. God has a purpose.

Change the World

This is a very unique video, please watch it all the way through....

You will understand it better once it is completed!!

Lyric Contest!!

I know there are some very talented people out there, and I wish I were one of them....but, I'm not, so I am turning to you!!


If you, or someone you know, can write lyrics - you are gonna want to read this!!


I am holding a contest for someone to write lyrics for my radio show as a theme song! If you have never listened to my radio show, here is the link: www.rsdcoachlive.com go on over and listen to a few of the previous shows and you will know in what direction you will need to go when writing those lyrics. The name of my radio show is: "Winning Life Through Pain" and every show is full of helpful information for so many.


So now I bet you are wondering what kind of prizes are there for this contest, right?

Well, that's a real good question and one I would be curious of as well, so here ya go:

1st Place:
One Month Coaching -$100.00 Value

2nd Place:
Gift Card for Amazon - $50.00 Value

3rd Place:
Gift Card for Amazon - $25.00 Value


****UPDATE****

There has been a winner named as well as the 2 runner ups....Thank You ALL for sending in so many WONDERMOUS suggestions....I was right....there are LOTS of talented people out there!!!! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, etc.!!


So get your pens or pencils moving and write up some lyrics that would fit with what my radio show is all about and send it to me at: winninglife@rsdcoach.com

Contest starts July 22, 2009 until August 5, 2009.

I am so excited about the possibilities you all will be sending me....it will be so much fun for all of us!! SO put those thinking caps on, write down your thoughts and make the best darn lyrics you can!!


Looking forward to reading your lyrics....I know they will be absolutely fabulous!!

"If You Only Knew Syndrome" - Do You Have It Too?

If you are someone living with a chronic illness that nobody can see, you know what "If You Only Knew Syndrome" is!

When people say things like: "Wow, you are really looking good, things must be going well with you" or "So you must not be ill anymore because you are so active again, and you're looking better", that is when you just want to sarcastically say to those people: "If you only knew!" Right? Sometimes you just want to scream: "Buy a vowel already because you DON'T have a clue!"

But you hold that sort of response inside, biting your tongue so hard that you could draw blood, and smile and say something like: "Thank You! I'm doing pretty good 'today'!" or maybe: "Good thing I don't look like I am feeling inside!" and you just laugh it off. While in the back of your mind you are feeling frustrated, discouraged or you're fighting the urge to shake that person and explain how ignorant they are!!

You have felt those things, or worse, haven't you? Sure you have, all of us who are living with a chronic illness that doesn't show itself on the outside where everyone can see, goes through situations like that, it's inevitable! It's going to happen!

But....do they really mean it as a compliment with some understanding or knowledge of what you're going through?

How could you know this for sure?

You can't honestly think they are saying it to be mean or hurt your feelings can you? No, of course not!

So why is it that we take such offense to those comments?

I know, for myself - and many others, the answer to that question is because we are getting 'sick and tired' of being 'sick and tired' and we long to be "NORMAL" again.

We really don't want to park in those handicapped spaces. I mean, sure they are closer to the door and real convenient. But you feel a bit "guilty" when you get out of your car and people look at you like: "What the heck? That person can walk, there's no reason for them to be parking there" or they have an angry look on their faces as they watch you walk in the store. Ever experience one or both of those?

You also feel 'guilty' because of what you perceive to be your limitations. (e.g. cleaning, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, making the bed, cooking, etc.) Right?

I remember life before chronic illnesses and pain, and how much I loved it. So when someone looks "down" on me because they 'assume' I don't do anything except sit around all day eating bon-bons and watching soap opera's, it would really upset me to the point of causing much undo stress and my slithering into depression over it. I use to think to myself, "Man, if this is how the rest of my life is going to be, then God....Take me now!!" And I know I'm not the only one who experiences those types of feelings, Am I?

With a chronic illness that is invisible to the eye, all you want is for people to understand how dramatically your live has been altered by what is causing your illness or pain.
You just want "Empathy" not "Sympathy"!!

How do you ever get that "empathy" that you want and need?

Unfortunately, to get the much needed support and sense of understanding from others, you first need to "accept" things as they are and begin your journey into wellness!

You are probably sitting there asking: "What does she mean by that?", aren't you?

Well, can you honestly say you have "accepted" the fact that you are in chronic pain, or you have a chronic illness that only you can see because you feeeel the affected area.
But to those who have never felt the type of pain you have, it is incredibly difficult to describe what or how you're feeling. Should you even try making them try to feel it? No, probably not. Why? Because unless they are diagnosed with the same illness, they will never come close to even imagine the things you go through on a daily basis!
So what then are you to do?

Share some of the things that have helped you "accept" things and move 'forward' in your journey and find that much needed sense of understanding and empathy!

Here are just a few of the things I have done when I sincerely didn't think there was anything that could get me to the next level of the relentless agony I was feeling each and every second of each and every minute of each and every hour of each and every day!!

1. Realized nobody could help me any better than I could, so it was completely up to me how my life would go, and I chose to Live!

2. Learned how to meditate and visualize my journey being in a much happier time and place.

3. Learned how to 'breathe' correctly so I could get the full benefit of all those deep breaths I had been taking.

4. Learned how to 'relax'! This one of the most important things you will ever do for yourself! I invite you to find a way to unwind and enjoy the beauty God provide for you each and every day!


Ok, your turn... =)


Looking forward to reading your tips that has gotten you to where you want to be....And if you aren't where you want to be, ask me, or someone, how you can!


~God Bless~
Coach Marla