We were delighted to inform Montana resident Catherine Hanson that she'd won a gift certificate for $250 of ProHealth supplements in our subscriber drawing on Monday, April 9. And Catherine was delighted as well. She responded:

The drawing was our way of thanking subscribers for adding ProHealth's newsletter address (wellness@prohealth.com) to your e-mail address books or contact lists. But for those of you who have not yet completed this task, please do so now - then click "reply" (no message needed) at the top of the newsletter to confirm. This is a simple but crucial step to help ensure that you will continue receiving the newsletters you have requested, despite your local Internet service providers' constant changes.

Win $100 Gift Certificate by Helping Other Patients

Our Letter of the Week winners have been so pleased to win $25 gift certificates for ProHealth supplements that we decided to make the experience even more fun. From now on, we'll be selecting one ME-CFS/FM "Letter of the Month" instead of the weekly letters.

The writer of the month's winning letter will receive a $100 ProHealth gift certificate. More importantly, however, sharing is caring - you are helping others by expressing your suggestions, ideas, and observations. Plus, it feels pretty darn good to do something nice for someone else.

Your letters help us too, by letting us know that we are working as your partner in health, keeping you and the CFS community well informed and supported.

We each have something valuable to contribute; so we hope you'll show that you care by writing to us. And remember, brevity - say 200 words or less - is brilliant.

Warmest Regards,

Rich Carson,
ME-CFS Patient and ProHealth Founder

Please rate this Founder's Corner

Holistic Specialist Dale Guyer, MD, on Treating CFS & FM

Dr. Guyer updates us on the unique blend of traditional and integrative therapies he employs with CFS/FM patients. His holistic, evidence-based approach may include selected pharmaceutical drugs - but as an additive to nutritional support and other measures "to normalize a complex internal bio-chemical milieu."   more

Why Doesn't My Doctor Know This?

Endocrinologist Kent Holtorf, MD, explains that the medical community lags in adopting new 'best practices' as new information becomes available - by as much as 17 years, according to a 2003 report from the National Institute of Medicine.   more

The Problem of Disrespectful Medical Treatment

An experienced nurse's insights into the problem of disrespectful medical treatment - past or present - and tips for dealing with your doctor.*   more

The Stigma of Neuropathic Pain

A doctor's view on why having chronic pain issues may become a stigma that "can considerably alter a patient's pathway of care."*   more

Female volunteers sought for study of ME-CFS

An ongoing NIH-funded research project is exploring the theory that malfunctioning cytokines in the blood of CFS patients are responsible for making them sleepy during the day and "wired" at night. A successful outcome could lead to corrective therapies.   more

• Low-dose DHA (omega-3) supports lower blood pressure in middle-aged
  
  
• Dietary soy isoflavones (in soy protein) support 'bad' cholesterol reduction
  
  
• Low blood ferritin (iron-storage) linked to depression as well as RLS
  
  

• Acquired" thyroid resistance may explain much in CFS, other patients
  
  
• fMRI finds CFS brain activity higher than controls' during memory tasks
  
  
• Perceived pain greater in twin with CFS than the one without
  
  
• Mild orthostatic stress = abnormal cardiovascular regulation in CFS teens
  
  
• CBT improved CFS self-reported cognitive function; not test results
  
  
• Serotonin-related gene variant linked to TMD, as with CFS, IBS
  
  
• Anxiety-associated immune activation in diarrhea-predominant IBS
  
  
• Can botulinum toxin put Restless Legs Syndrome to rest?*
  
  
• International study of novel sleep drug concept highly promising*
  
  
• CFS, IBS, IC, depression more frequent in endometriosis patients
  
  
• Aerobic exercise improves pain perception, mood in chronic pain patients*
  
  
• Depression & pain as product of immune-response cytokine activation*
  
  
• Controlled-release tramadol (opiate) improves drug's pain relief*
  
  

It goes without saying that you should never have more children than you have car windows - Erma Bombeck

All We Can Do is Try

We will come to realize after attempting to manage our pain that an attitude of "I must do it right or else" will not not suffice. All we can do is try. Nothing more, nothing less. When we attach right and wrong to managing our pain, we have set ourselves up and given ourselves permission to give up without even trying.

All that is asked of us today is to put our best foot forward. To truly know that we have given all possibilities a sincere effort. This, however, does not guarantee every effort we put forth will have a successful outcome. But this must not stop us from continuing to try. We must remember today that if we do not try we are sure to accomplish nothing.

From Living With Chronic Pain One Day At A Time, by Mark Allan Zabawa

Published by ProHealth, Inc., ImmuneSupport.com is the Web's largest resource for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Since 1988, ProHealth has raised and donated over 2.61 million dollars to CFS and FM research and advocacy groups seeking a cure. We believe in "commerce with compassion."

Every purchase made at ImmuneSupport.com funds research - as does every purchase made from ProHealth's Health Resource catalog.

Visit ImmuneSupport.com

Our Mission: Empower patients to take control of their health by providing research & treatment information, advocacy & targeted health products. more

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