Register for Monday's Support Group Meeting

FAMily Living

December 2020

Our Next Support Group Will Be:

December 14, 7-9 PM ET, on Zoom

Join us for a group discussion led by FAM President and Founder Sharon Waldrop. What would you love to ask someone else living with fibromyalgia? This is your opportunity. If you are interested, think of one or two products that make life easier with fibromyalgia. We will share these and assemble a "wish list" for the holidays.

Your first meeting is free. Membership is just $16 for the year. Memberships available online.

To attend the Zoom meeting, simply register and you will receive an email link to the meeting. You also will receive a reminder closer to the meeting. If you have any issues registering for the meeting or using Zoom, please contact Sharon. We will do our best to help you. We want to stay connected with you.

Email us to confirm American Sign Language Interpreting Services - Must confirm services 24 hours before the meeting - thank you!

President's Message - Happy Holidays!, Holiday HOOPLA Party, Thanks to Donors, Mental Health Help

Hello!

A huge thank you to everyone who donated to our year-end fundraiser. I am so happy to report that we surpassed our goal of $600! We raised $950 and maybe more if we learn that Facebook matched our donations on Giving Tuesday. This money will support our 2021 programs and services. If you would like to donate, it's not too late. Please click here to donate on Paypal. You can also support us by becoming a member. Your membership includes all of our monthly Support & Education Group Meetings on Zoom. Did you know that you can participate on Zoom with only a phone? Participating via computer is optional. Renew your membership or become a member today for just $16.

Normally we would be gearing up for our annual Holiday Dinner in January. While this is not possible this year, we are planning our first Holiday HOOPLA Party for Monday, January 11, from 7-9 PM ET:

Holiday

Outrageous

Online

Party w/

Laughs

And more.

The night will feature optional ugly sweaters, games, prizes, and laughs. The cost to attend is just your membership. If you are not a member or need to renew, please complete your membership prior to the party (January 11, 2021). We will be discussing ideas for the party at our Support & Education Group Meeting this Monday.

For those of you who attended our November meeting featuring Rae Gleason, Executive Director of the International Myopain Society, please see the article below that shares more information on Chiari and Cervical Compression. These were the neck disorders she discussed that have symptoms similar to fibromyalgia and may be treatable. If you have head and neck issues, I encourage you to read this article.

The holidays can be a stressful time. Couple the holidays with COVID and the stress is multiplied. Mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression and other mental health disorders. If you need help or someone to talk to please contact NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness, at their 24-hour helpline: 800-950-6264. Please know you are not alone. Join our monthly meetings to connect with others and learn about resources. Check out more ideas for coping with the holidays in the articles below.

On behalf of FAM, we wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and very happy holidays!

Wishing you less pain, more understanding, and a better tomorrow!

Sharon Waldrop

President & Founder, FAM

Help us improve lives by making a donation today!

Tips and tricks icon. Tips and tricks website button on blue low poly background.

Tips for Coping With Holiday Stress and Depression - COVID Edition

The Mayo Clinic has put together a list of ideas to prevent holiday stress and depression this holiday during the age of COVID. Read the article to learn more about these ideas and more:

1) Acknowledge your feelings

2) Reach out

3) Be realistic

4) Set aside differences

5) Stick to a budget

6) Learn to say no

Click here to read.

Neck Pain, Chiari Malformation & More

Rae Gleason, Executive Director of the International Myopain Society, shared how some people with fibromyalgia also may have Chiari Malformation or Cervical Spinal Cord Compression. These conditions may be treatable but it takes a very specific MRI and a knowledgeable doctor to detect these conditions.

People with a compression often have:

Decreased memory, poor concentration, disorientation
Blurred vision, photophobia
Weakness (ie, decreased, asymmetric grip strength)
Gait instability, clumsiness
Limb numbness, paresthesias
Perception of temperature fluctuation
Cardiovascular issues including POTS, palpitations
GERD, IBS
Urological issues
Psychological issues

Please note these symptoms are also very common with fibromyalgia. So having these does not necessarily mean you have Chiari or a Cervical Spinal Cord Compression. If you believe you may be a candidate for these conditions, please read the following articles.

Using Dynamic MRI to Diagnose Neck Pain: The import of Positional Cervical Cord Compression (PC3)

"At least for the FM cohort, these findings have been supported independently. Hryciw found that 54% of her clinic patients with FM had PC3by flexion-extension MRI. She also reported that 50% of those with PC3

had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA),

a linkage of the cervical myelopathy

with OSA also suggested by others.

Parenthetically, 7 months after surgical

decompression for Chiari malformation (without FM), the apnea hypopnea

index was reduced significantly (80%) in

16 patients with a comorbid mixture of

central and obstructive sleep apnea."

Treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome: outcomes and implications

"The surgical treatment of cervical myelopathy due to spinal cord or caudal brainstem compression in patients carrying the diagnosis of fibromyalgia can result in a significant improvement in a wide array of symptoms. Minimizing those symptoms translates into a measurable improvement in the quality of life. A detailed neurological examination should be incorporated into the evaluation of every patient considered to have fibromyalgia. The finding of cervical myelopathy warrants radiological investigation to exclude a treatable cause. More intriguing, in view of these results, is the possibility that, in some patients, cervical myelopathy may be the underlying cause of fibromyalgia syndrome. A large-scale study to determine the prevalence of cervical myelopathy in a randomly selected group of fibromyalgia patients is warranted."

Fibromyalgia during COVID-19, Anxiety and Pain

A new study shines a light on why some people with fibromyalgia may be feeling more pain during the pandemic. It also serves as a reminder that we may need to take extra steps during this time to take good care of our mental health and find ways to reduce stress.

"The researchers concluded that pandemic anxiety is present among fibromyalgia patients, and it is also associated with an “amplified self-assessed chronic pain.” The daily psychological fluctuations of the fibromyalgia patients, the team wrote, were one of the leading determinants of fibromyalgia pain. The team wrote that this study “confirms the previously raised concerns that the ‘new normal’ introduced by the pandemic may qualitatively differently impact vulnerable populations.” It also confirms the “relationship between mental and physical wellbeing in FM pain.”

Read the full article on News-Medical.net.

Holiday Mindfulness

From Duke Integrative Medicine, "The holidays are sometimes a challenging time comprised of both happiness and sadness and frequently, a time of increased stress. As we think about both the gifts and the losses in our lives, we can be left feeling emotionally drained and, at times, as though we’re just waiting for the holidays to be over.

So, what can we do to respect the place we find ourselves in and to also nurture our own hearts and spirits?

Mindfulness, or the practice of opening ourselves to life just as it is without judgment or self-criticism, can make a difference. Read the full article at Duke Integrative Medicine. It also shares a quick practice you can do anytime.

For Your Calendar