The Northern Virginia
CFS/FMS
Support Group

 SELECTIONS From Our EMAILS and NEWSLETTERS

June 2000

LTD Speaker Bill Dale
Drug Info Added to MEDLINE
Let's Chat
Drug Info Online
Disability Atty Davis
Fame 2000
I am Thankful...
Life Instructions
Support Hose 

SPEAKER ON DISABILITY INSURANCE FOR JUNE MEETING

Attorney Bill Dale (Speakers-Prior/Dale), whose specialty is Long Term Disability (LTD) or private disability insurance benefits will be speaking at our June 17th meeting.  He works in tandem with Mitch Lambros (Speakers-Prior/Lambros) who does represent Social Security claimants.  If you are applying for employee disability benefits or being reviewed by your insurer, bring your questions to an expert.  Several members have been assisted by Mr. Dale. 

William P. Dale, McChesney & Dale, PC,
4000 Mitchellville Rd., Bowie, MD 20716; (301) 805-6080;
bill@dalelaw.com, www.dalelaw.com

EXTENSIVE DRUG INFORMATION ADDED TO MEDLINE PLUS

The National Library of Medicine has enhanced its consumer health Web site, MEDLINE plus, with extensive information about more than 9,000 brand name and generic prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The site (at http://medlineplus.gov) gives information about side effects, dosing, drug interactions, precautions, and storage for each drug.

04/06: The specific site for drugs, supplements, and herbal information is
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html

LET'S CHAT

As you may have noticed if you have visited our email list website at Yahoo Groups, we now have our very own support group chat room. We hope this will be especially useful for members who are homebound or otherwise too ill to attend our monthly meetings. Here are some tips for using communicating online:

    * You'll be able to see some representation who else is in the "room" at any time.  "Rooms" on the internet should not in anyway be considered private.

    *  Please show courtesy for others chatting with you, as well as those who are not there. Treat people you are chatting with as though you were speaking to them face to face. Do not talk about members who are not in the chat room.


Note: Chat was discontinued as of April 2006. See our May 2006 Group News about using Yahoo! Messenger to connect with other.

DRUG INFO ONLINE

OnHealth has (had) an online drug interactions checker at:
http://interactive.onhealth.com/conditions/resource/pharmacy/checker/index.asp

04/06: While not sure if has anything to do with our original tip above, OnHealth.com now brings you to a"healthy living" page on MedicineNet.com. You can look up Medications, Conditions, Diet and Much More. http://onhealth.webmd.com/script/main/hp.asp

DISABILITY LAWYER SCOTT DAVIS

The complete transcript of Lisa Lorden's May 9, 2000 chat with disability attorney Scott Davis is online at About.com's CFS/FM section at .....(no longer).

For many great disability articles by Scott Davis, see Scott's two articles at NFA/FMAware's Disability Information section and http://www.scottdavispc.com/articles.htm

TRANSCRIPTS FROM MAY 2000 FAME CONFERENCE

FAME (Fibromyalgia Awareness Main Event) 2000 International Conference was May 19-21 at the Sheraton Universal Hotel, Universal City, Los Angeles, CA.  The goal of FAME 2000 was to increase the public's awareness of factual Fibromyalgia (FM) information, make the latest research and treatment information available to people with FM, educate and motivate the medical community, and make individuals aware of salient issues and lobby for legislative reform that will benefit FM patients. Robert Bennett, Lin Chang, Dan Heffez, Stuart Silverman, Steven Katz, and Jacob Teitelbaum were some of the doctors speaking.  The CFIDS & FM Health Resource / Immunesupport.com was the sponsor of FAME 2000, and has transcriptions from on-line chats held during the conference at:
http://www.immunesupport.com/fame/

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM MARY MUNSON

I AM THANKFUL

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS NOT DOING DISHES BUT IS WATCHING T.V., BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE IS AT HOME AND NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES THAT I PAY, BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG,
BECAUSE ITMEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE.

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING AND THAT
I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH THAT SINGS OFF KEY,
BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY,
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, BECAUSE IT MEANSTHAT I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY.......

FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL, BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS
WHO ARE THINKING OF ME. :-)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

  This is what The Dalai Lama has to say on the millennium, all it takes is a few seconds to read and think.

    I N S T R U C T I O N S     F O R     L I F E

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three Rs:
      Respect for self
      Respect for others and
      Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back,
        you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. 
        Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds
        your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

SUPPORT HOSE

For those with the poor circulation part of chronic fatigue syndrome, NMH, POTS, or other orthostatic intolerance, dysautonomia, or leg aches or fatigue, etc.:

The best, most affordable and effective all around support hose to help our legs from being so tired and to keep the blood moving back up from legs to our hearts and heads that our group has found, factoring in ease of acquisition and use, is from AARP Pharmacy Catalog.

No membership is needed and you can be any age! The main number is (800) 456-2277. You can request a free catalog or ask for help ordering. They also have a hosiery hotline! You get a card in each pair you order telling you about the hotline.

Their website is www.aarppharmacycatalog.com and this is the main hosiery page.

The Firm support hose are 15mm Hg and come in sheer beige, smoky taupe, and off black in sizes S, petite, med., tall, xtra tall, queen and queen +. In the year 2000, 1 pair is $10.99 and 2 pair are $19.98.

The surgical support hose are 25mm Hg compression (still not prescription, but what Elly wears daily with noticible benefit) are $15.99 or $27.98 for 2 pair. They come in beige only in S, P, M, Tall, XTall and QUEEN. The way they determine size now is by a chart with height of knee to floor vs calf circumference. I just guessed that tall and xtall is what I would like. I think tall works best for me. People with CFS may need a little bigger size to offset the difficulty of putting the "correct" size on.

Hose strategy is like a new drug strategy. Start weak and /or too big and the increase the squeezing as ready to. Remember to snip the wastebands if bother tummy and start with a low dose (Legg's active support in grocery store) and work up to Firm, then surgical. Trying snipped, then get used to unsnipped before moving up a "dose".

Hose can be covered by Flexible spending accounts and can be a deduction for medical expense if you itemize.

Yes, they can be warm in summer, but that is also when needed most because the heat makes blood vessels dilate and circulation get get worse. Wetting them down with the squirt bottle, in the tub or with the hose outside is GREAT for keeping cool if have to be outside walking dog or at someone's house that doesn't have enough a/c.

Men or women, if not up to the waist high hose, can try support socks in light and firm, also available at AARP.

Links updated 02/07. See also our new page dedicated to Support Hose.

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