The Doylestown Hospital Fibromyalgia Support Group is comprised of people who have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (A syndrome consisting of wide spread chronic body pain and fatigue).
The main purpose of the group is to provide a supportive, non-threatening environment in which participants, and their families, can learn to cope with FMS. They receive practical help in dealing with the problems that FMS presents on a daily basis.
Individuals with FMS learn through education, printed information, and invited medical and health professionals. Through sharing, the members understand that there are others, who have similar symptoms, experiences, and feelings, and that those feelings are normal reactions to a chronic illness.
The FMS Support Group is an all-volunteer organization, and is open to anyone who has something to share. The group's membership covers a wide age range, and geographical area of the Delaware Valley including Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties, as well as neighboring New Jersey.
The Doylestown Hospital provides meeting room services. The group is formally associated with The Arthritis Foundation.
The group generally meets on a quarterly basis, throughout the year, at 7:00 to 8:30 PM at Doylestown Hospital. Some meetings may be held at the Health & Wellness Center. See Support Group Schedule for details.
Humor, Hope, and Health
Humor
We all need a good laugh! :-) Author, Norman Cousins was famous for describing the healing power of laughter. Fibro is no fun, but we can all benefit from related jokes and funny stories.
Hope
Sometimes we all need a dose of inspiration to keep us going. Poets and authors can provide us with the courage and hope to get us through the day. Please supply the source of the quote, if known.
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha
"Success is not measured by the heights one attains, but by the obstacles one overcomes in its attainment." Booker T. Washington
"Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained." Marie Curie
"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." Samuel Johnson
Things To Think
Think in ways you've never thought before.
If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message
Larger than anything you've ever heard,
Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.
Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,
Maybe wounded and deranged, or think that a moose
Has risen out of the lake, and he's carrying on his antlers
A child of your own whom you've never seen.
When someone knocks on the door, think that he's about
To give you something large: tell you you're forgiven,
Or that it's not necessary to work all the the time, or that it's
Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.
Robert Bly
Health
Although there is no cure for Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndromes, there are some things that can help. We know this help is rather illusive. What works for one person, may make another person worse. What helps one day, may not work the next. As a caveat, The Doylestown Hospital can take no responsibility nor liability for what is presented here. It is for your information only. Consult with your doctor before trying any new regime.
Other useful links:
American Academy of Pain Medicine
http://www.painmed.org/
American Chronic Pain Association
http://www.theacpa.org/
American Pain Foundation
http://www.painfoundation.org/
National Pain Foundation
http://www.painconnection.org/
Arthritis Foundation
http://www.arthritis.org/
Save Your Joints (Arthritis Foundation)
http://www.saveyourjoints.org/
Fibromyalgia Network
http://www.fmnetnews.com/
Fibromyalgia Resource Information
http://www.fibrofactpage.com/
Healthfinder
http://www.healthfinder.gov/
Healthopedia
http://www.healthopedia.com/chronic-fatigue-syndrome/
ImmuneSupport.com
http://www.immunesupport.com/
Managing Fibromyalgia Pain and More, ImmuneSupport.com
http://www.immunesupport.com/library/bulletinarticle.cfm?ID=5893
MedlinePlus
http://medlineplus.gov/
The CFIDS Association of America
http://www.cfids.org/
National Fibromyalgia Partnership Inc.
http://www.fmpartnership.org/
National Fibromyalgia Association
http://www.FMaware.org/
The Oregon Fibromyalgia Foundation
http://www.myalgia.com/
Fibromyalgia Information
http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/fibromyalgia
International Myopain Society
http://myopain.org/
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD
http://www.endfatigue.com/
Devin Starlanyl, MD
http://www.sover.net/~devstar/
Dr. John Lowe
http://www.drlowe.com/
Drug Company Resources
http://hometown.aol.com/lkhix/page44.html
Approved Physician's List (Arthritis Foundation)
http://www.arthritis.org/Communities/Chapters/PhysList.asp?idchap=18
A New Disability Determination Process
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disability-new-approach
Rheumatology Fact Sheets
www.rheumatology.org/factsheets
Rheumatology Link List
http://cmbi.bjmu.edu.cn/medweb/medmark/rhe.html
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