Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue/Chronic Pain Support Group

Hey Folks,

For anyone who doesn’t know, I host a Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue/Chronic Pain support group the 4th Wednesday of month in person and through out the month online.  If you know anyone with these ailments, please let them know about the group and that the can e-mail me at BalancingKarla@aol.com to join — it’s FREE!  Please put FMS/CFS support group in the “Subject” of your e-mail so I don’t delete it.  I get a lot of spam because I’m listed in so many places on the internet, including the National Fibromyalgia Associations website.  The purpose of our group isn’t to “gripe” but to share what is helping, what we’ve tried that hasn’t helped  and to ask the group for solutions if you have a problem that you haven’t found an answer to.  In addition to those things, sometimes you just need someone to talk to (or e-mail) that REALLY knows what you’re experiencing.  Here’s an e-mail that I recently sent out to the current e-mail list:

“Just a reminder that even if you can’t attend the group meeting, if you find a product, therapy, or life-style habit that is helping reduce your pain and/or fatigue, please send the info to me so I can share it with the group. If you want to remain anonomys let me know, otherwise I will just forward you e-mail ( which saves me time, energy & typing ).

Another purpose of our group is to allow people to request suggestions if they’re having a problem they can’t find a solution to — like the one I sent out earlier about the birth control issue. Again, if you wish to remain annonomys, let me know & I can forward responses back to you.

We’re all using different methods & paths to get well.   Sometimes it’s overwhelming to get so much information, but if you store it in a “folder” either on your computer or a physical folder — then you can refer back to it when you need or want to.

Here’s to feeling better! Forgive my misspelling of annonomys, I can’t seem to get it right today & my spell check’s only suggestion is anonyms! I need to get a paperback dictionary! LOL

Much Love & Many Blessings!”

Karla Setchel

(540) 366-6134

www.KarlaSetchel.com

“Healthy cookware” has arrived!

Hi Folks!

I’m happy to announce that my “healthy ceramic cookware” recommended by Dr. Mercola has arrived.  It’s bigger than my “cheap, leaching toxin” stuff.  For example, the frying pans are 3 inches tall instead of 2 inches.  No excuse for me to spill the spaghetti  sauce on the stove now!  Of course being bigger means it’s also heavier, which may not be a problem for most people — but for someone recovering (please note my positive statement ) from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and TMJ,  just a few pounds is heavy to me.  It took me 2 days to unpack the box because of the bending over & cutting through all the tape to open the individually boxed, very well protected pots & pans out of a huge box.  When it arrived my roommate brought it in and said “Your small pony has arrived!”  I order a lot of my things over the internet, so he never knows what to expect LOL!

He refused to part with his favorite teflon pan.  However, I’m sure he will soon learn to love the new pan better than the old one because when he uses it he won’t have to listen to me lecture about the toxic fumes (or give him “that look”!).  I was able to throw away 2 teflon frying pans and a teflon crock pot — 3 to 1, I won!

I’m actually looking forward to experiencing the difference in how a non-toxic, professional pot or pan cooks food compared to what I’m used to.  Maybe it will make cooking a little more fun?  To be brutally honest, 98% of the time I would rather have a professional chef come into my home & use my new cookware for me — and I will — at some point.  For now, when I do cook, I can feel good about the fact that I’m not adding any more chemicals or heavy metals to my food than what may already be there.

Speaking of food, in the near future, I will be eating at least 95% organic stuff.  I don’t do the grocery shopping at this time so I don’t have 100% control YET, but I will — eventually.  I’m told that the organic foods are more expensive but I demand that at least 70% is organic.  As my income grows, so will the percentage of organic food that I eat! The only non-organic food will be occasional treats and restaurant food — which of course with a personal chef, I won’t have to go out to eat very often .

Farewell for now — Be Healthy, Happy, & Prosperous!

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

Day 4 after 1st half of mercury removal

Hey folks,

Hope everyone is having a good day!  The right half of my mouth is almost back to where it was before having 5 “amalgam” fillings (which  all contain mercury) removed.  I think that’s pretty good recovery time considering all of my health issues– TMJ, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue to name a few.

Once again would like to thank Dr. Devening and his staff for making me as comfortable as possible. 
Check it out, I learned how to do a link!  LOL All you have to do is click on Dr. Devening’s name & it will take you to the web site — neat!

My ceramic crock pot arrived.  It’s much bigger than my last one.  I got a 6 quart because I didn’t know what size the last one was — it must have been a 4 quart!  Oh well, I guess I can cook more at one time & have more servings to put in the freezer (refer back to my older post about how to feed your family when you have FMS/CFS/TMJ).

I don’t know if I can blog every day — life has flown by since my entry on March 11.  I won a game of pool against my son & my roommate, cooked supper and now I’m wiped out.  Wonder if the dishes would magically wash themselves tonight?

Much Love & Many Blessings!

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

More info on mercury fillings

Hey Folks,

I got this from the local activist against “amalgam fillings” (the ones that look like silver).  She has loads of info and contacts about mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings and vaccines (called Thermisol).  Feel free to contact her if you have questions.

“Thanks Karla for the info. Local people do need to contact DAMS for the info packet, but I know the dentists in the area who do it safely.
It is my job to keep up with these dentists and report back to Leo Cashman at DAMS. Leo will send out a lists of dentists for VA also.
But I also tell folks in this area about one DAMS dentist in NC which might be just as close and he has good prices.

More exciting news is happening. Two of us were interviewed on the College of Wm and Mary’s radio station last week for
90 minutes about dental mercury. I am getting ready to be interviewed for a documentary that is being made on the coverup
of the FDA about these fillings. And in April I along with others will be speaking at the College of Wm and Mary’s Mercury Expo.
We will have two biological dentists, one will debate the Assistant professor from the dental school. Also speaking will be one
poisoned dental assistant, one formerly poisoned neurologist (www.scienceformulas.com), people from DAMS—me, DAMS Coordinator
from Williamsburg and the Vice President of DAMS from Philadelphia.

Why don’t you attend on Saturday and Sunday and get all the info about detox and so on?

http://mercury.wm.edu/?page_id=225 ; $40 registration. Tell your group. (April 24-25th for what you would be interested in)

Marie Flowers

(540) 890-4233″
Hope you find this info helpful!

Much Love & Many Blessings,

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

1st half of mercury removal procedure – nitris oxide? YES PLEASE!!!

Hi All!

I’m still having a little difficulty chewing on the right side — something to be expected after someone diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue & TMJ had 5 mercury/amalgam fillings removed & replaced with composite!  I am pleased with Dr. Devening and his staff, despite the discomfort of the dental work. The procedure wasn’t as bad as one of my “normal FMS/TMJ flares” so I’m pretty impressed!  Dr. Devening gave me nitris oxide before putting a topical numbing on my gums, BEFORE injecting me with novacaine in 3 places.  He and his staff did their best to keep me as comfortable as possible, but with FMS/CFS/TMJ one is rarely comfortable to begin with — sooo.  Maybe by tomorrow or Friday my right jaw will be back to the way it was before the procedure.  I definitely like the look of the new fillings, well — the fact that you can’t see them I should say!

In 3 weeks I get to do this all over again on the left side of my mouth & it will be DONE!!! The dental work part that is — I’ll still be detoxing, but at least I won’t be absorbing any NEW mercury from my fillings at that point.  I will also receive my NTI-tss at that time — it’s a little spongy-type thingy that fits on your front teeth at night rather than wearing a night guard.  It takes all of the tension out of the muscles/tendons near the TMJ — I can’t wait to get it!  Dr. Devening’s office can tell you more about it, I couldn’t find a website on the brochure.  Dr. Devening’s number is (540) 463-2134.  His office is located at 112-A Houston St., Lexington VA  24450.  I’ve been wearing the old-timey hard acrylic “bite guard” for TMJ for over 20 years & was still waking up with my jaws hurting from clenching & grinding my teeth all night.  This will end that — YES!!!

I just cannot express in writing how excited I am to have found out about the mercury filling problem and the NTI-tss device.  Recovery is a step by step process & these 2 are huge!  To find out more about mercury poisoning you can go to www.amalgam.org/ or call DAMS at (651) 644-4572.  I believe they also have a listing of Dentists who perform the mercury/amalgam filling removal properly.  If you live within 2 hours of Lexington VA, I highly recommend Dr. Devening and his staff.

Here’s to restoring our health!

Much Love & Many Blessings,

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

Mercury fillings removal has begun/began?

Hi folks,

Writing with mixed emotions today.  I’m leaving in an hour for a 45 minute ride to Lexington to have half of the mercury fillings  in my teeth removed and replaced by composite — which I’ve already been tested for to make sure that I’m not allergic to. I’m glad to finally be getting the mercury out, but who likes getting dental work done?!  My roommate is driving me because I still can’t comfortably drive more than about 10 minutes at a time YET (my “positive” word).  I go back in 3 weeks to have the other half removed because I had 9 fillings in all & that is too many to do at one time.

When I get better at this blogging thing (and have less fibro-fog), I will be able to put the little “widgets” in that make it possible for you to click on a word & learn more info about it.  Like DAMS, which is an association that helps people be aware of the medical dangers of mercury fillings — the silver looking ones.

If you have “silver” fillings in your teeth, you have mercury in your mouth & every time you eat, drink or grind your teeth, you’re releasing a little mercury vapor into your body.  According to my Dr., no amount of mercury is safe, so I’m having it removed.  You have to go to a dentits who specializes in “safe mercury removal”.  They have special machines & procedures.  You can find a listing in your area if you google DAMS (the association — I feel like I’m cursing every time I type or say that LOL ).

I’ve already missed over 11 years of my life due to fibromyalgia & chronic fatigue, more than that if you count the number of days I was bed ridden from TMJ caused migraines.  I’m ready to get healthy & enjoy life!

If you can’t find something that I’ve referred to, make a comment & I will get back to you as soon as possible.  I promise I will get more proficient at this in the next few weeks (or months!).

Much Love & Many Blessings!

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

Forgive the Fibro-Fog

Hi folks,

Just posted a blog/page — whatever you call it that I’ve been trying to post since Saturday!  Apparently I clicked on “pages” instead of “posts” and they don’t do the same thing! LOL  I don’t have a lot of time right now, getting dinner ready & then out to a meeting with Bo Short & a great group of people.

Someone remind me to tell you about the day I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t see through my contacts lenses!

Much Love & Many Blessings,

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

Is your cookware safe or leaching toxins into your food?

Hi Everyone! Well I finally did it.  I forked out (pardon the pun) money for “healthy cookware from Dr. Mercola.  As soon as it gets here I will be throwing away all my teflon coated pots & pans.  I also found a ceramic crock pot (hopefully it will be lead free).  Here’s the link for the Dr. Mercola cookware that he recommends.  It’s a little pricey but since I’m spending $1600 to get the mercury out of my mouth, I figured I should stop cooking with chemical & heavy metal leaching pots & pans.  I am going to get healthy from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, TMJ, IBS & whatever else they want to label me with!!! (hopefully without going broke!)

I plan on taking a short walk in the warm Virginia weather tomorrow — remember, baby steps in exercising.  It’s my goal for the day.  Today I ordered my “healthy” cookware, listened to 2 conference calls & I was going to attempt to learn about “aweber” — it’s an internet tool for those of you who only know as much as I did about computers a month ago LOL, but alas, I have run out of energy at 8:32 PM & will probably just watch TV, twitter & do a little facebook on commercials.

Be sure to take care of yourself!

Much Love & Many Blessings,

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.com

Keeping you & your family fed despite Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue

 Hi folks, Karla Setchel here.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  If you cooked like most people for the Holidays, you probably have “left overs”.  That’s great!  Left overs take a lot less work than the original meal and usually taste just as good. 

With Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue (CFS) it’s sometimes hard to prepare food for yourself or your family.  Before I even became sick, I read a book called “Dinner’s in the Freezer”.  It was meant for busy Mom’s, not sick Mom’s however, the results work out very well.  On days that the Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chonic Fatigue (CFS) aren’t giving me as much trouble as usual, I will make enough food for 3 to 5 meals & freeze most of it in 2 to 4 portion containers, just keeping 2 “dinners worth” in the fridge to be eaten. I try to keep ahead so that I don’t have to use the energy I have to “cook” every day.  I try to “cook” twice a week and eat left overs the rest of the week.  You can get variety by alternating  what you thaw. 

Getting better requires feeding your cells what they need (that’s right, not just for enjoyment or because you’re hungry).  So keep plenty of healthy food on hand (or I should say in the freezer) and supplement with a quality antioxidant juice, vitamins, minerals and herbs.

Until next time, take care!

Karla Setchel, www.KarlaSetchel.com

More fibromyalgia tips

Hi, Karla Setchel here.  I hope everyone is managing their fibromyalgia pain and chronic fatigue during this busy Holiday Season. FMS and CFS can take a lot of the fun out of the holidays. 

 One of the things that I have found that  helps me manage my fibromyalgia pain and chronic fatigue symptoms is to lay down every day for 45 minutes to an hour and a half.  I do this about half way through my day using soothing music and a “white noise” machine to help me relax.  I rarely fall asleep during this time, but concentrate on relaxing my aching muscles as much as possible.  I’ve found that I can get a lot more done with a lot less pain by keeping to this ”mid-day rest” schedule along with all of my other “tools” (medications, supplements, antioxidant drink, gentle exercises etc…)

So, pace yourself, rest often and don’t be afraid to ask others to help — you don’t have to do everything yourself!  Be kind to yourself to avoid having a fibromyalgia “flare” during the Holidays.

Many Blessings,

Karla Setchel

www.KarlaSetchel.org