Is fibromyalgia turning you from a globe-trotter into a reluctant homebody? Having this disorder doesn't mean you’re forced to give up vacations and weekend getaways, especially around the holidays.  Read on some travel-friendly advice.

1. If you have mobility problems let your travel operator know when you book so you can ensure your needs are met.
2. If your mobility problems are severe, consider using a specialist travel company that provides holidays tailored to your needs.
3. Use lightweight luggage with wheels and pack as few items as you can to avoid dragging a heavy load.
4. Pack all essential medications and supplements in your hand luggage.
5. Pack easy access wholesome snacks when hunger hits.
6. Prepare for possible flare-ups while you're away.  Make sure you pack items you usually rely on to help you cope.  For example, relaxation tapes, movies, or favorite massage oil.
7. Avoid overdoing things by allowing yourself plenty of time to reach the station or airport.  
8. Do begin packing weeks a head of time in little spurts to ensure you aren't rushed the night before.  
9. Travel mid-week when airports, highways, and stations are less likely to be crowded.
10. Reserve an aisle seat on a bus or plane to make it easier for you to get up and stretch your legs or do simple arm stretches to ease stiffness and pain.  
11. Pop travel cushions or pillows in your hand luggage for extra support and comfort.
12. Wear comfortable clothing.  Layers are a good idea as the body thermostat isn't always on key for sufferers of fibromyalgia.
13. Allow time for differences when taking your medications.
14. Remember to pace yourself even if you feel energetic.  Alternate spells of sightseeing with periods of rest. Now take off!
    

The simplistic plot makes this thriller a natural eye-opener that keeps you riveted on the edge of your seat, or if you're like me the corner of your bed:-)  Has to be one of the late Paul Walker's best!

A father must fight for his infant daughter's life after she is born prematurely during Hurricane Katrina, and the hospital loses power while people are being evacuated. When Nolan Hayes' (Paul Walker) wife Abigail (Génesis Rodríguez) goes into labor five weeks early, the prospective parents race to a New Orleans hospital hoping for the best. Those hopes are quickly dashed, however, when Abigail dies while giving birth, and their daughter is placed on a ventilator until she can learn to breathe on her own. Meanwhile, Hurricane Katrina strikes, plunging the hospital into darkness as the staff races to evacuate the patients. With the floodwaters rising quickly and the ambulance summoned to transport his daughter nowhere in sight, desperate father Nolan faces a series of excruciatingly difficult decisions in his race to keep his newborn alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

If your job is clustered around long spells sitting at your desk, there are a few things you can do to reduce levels of pain, stiffness, and discomfort.  

1. Place documents and files that are used the most within easy reach.
2. Remind yourself throughout the day to sit up straight to avoid unnecessary muscle strain.  
3. Do consistent checks throughout the day to relax your shoulders ensuring they are not hunched.  Be sure your hands, wrists and forearms are parallel to the floor.
4. Adjust your chair so that your feet are flat on the floor.  Your knees should be at the same level of your hips.
5. Your keyboard should be at the same level as your elbows making your wrists horizontal when you are typing.
6. Your computer screen should be 18 - 20 inches from your eyes positioned  so that you're looking straight ahead.  The top of the screen should be in line with your eyes.
7. If you suffer from pain in your hands, ask for a wrist rest, and an ergonomic keyboard with a trackball mouse.  These reduce strain.
8. Keep the mouse close to your keyboard to lower the risk of shoulder and arm strain.
9. If finger stiffness makes typing difficult ask for a keyboard guard.  This makes it harder to hit the wrong keys and provides a platform to rest your hands.  
10. If you use a telephone frequently, you could ask for a telephone with large push buttons and a hands-free headset.
11. Get up from your desk and walk around at least once every hour to prevent muscle stiffness.
12. If you are not sure whether your work space is appropriate for your needs, ask your employer to check that it complies with health and safety regulations.  An occupational therapist can advise you on suitable changes and devices that can help you do your job easier.  

I have to admit I've been veering away from the genre of horror simply due to the fact it causes the nerves to fire a bit uncontrollably.  Furthermore, my youthful addiction to Stephen King as taken a decline since he became a bit more rambling in his later books.  But, this book is well-done and a respectable thriller that gets to the point and keeps it there.  

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartsfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable. - Amazon.com

Do you have issues sleeping from fibromyalgia? Most people with this illness complain of trouble sleeping. Those who experience this phenomenon state that even the smallest stress in their life can open up a complete night of sleepless behavior.  There is nothing more frustrating than hitting the pillow with an exhausted body only to find there are four voices in your head that need to be heard NOW.  Nothing you can calm that inner chatter.  It is as though your body has turned into some new being that you have no control over.

Sleep problems with fibromyalgia include insomnia or difficulty falling asleep as well as frequent awakenings that you can remember the next day. An even more common problem is awakenings that you don't remember but that definitely interrupt your "deep" sleep. Also, other sleep disorders -- such as restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea -- may be associated with fibromyalgia.

People with fibromyalgia talk about waking up day after day feeling exhausted with no energy. Usually, they feel more tired in the morning, and many go back to sleep during the day to ease their fatigue. Also, it's common for people with fibromyalgia to have great difficulty concentrating during the day, a condition called "fibro fog." 

The key component in managing fibromyalgia is to ensure you receive enough sleep.  That of course is easier said than done some nights.  After a particularly restless and sleepless couple of days due to family stress, I was at my whits ends one evening.  I kept thinking, "If I can just calm my body down before sleep, I'd be able to sleep."  But it was useless.  No matter what self-help mediation prompting I used, my body was just too out of sorts to grasp it. 

Recently, a friend wrote down a website, Gail Kenny Life Coach.  She explained her focus is on the mind-body pain experience.  She is an actual pain coach.  She specializes in pelvic pain, but I was assured this free
meditation encompasses all types of pain.  In a fit of desperation, I went to the website and signed up for her emails.  I was immediately sent a free audio "The Pain Relief Program."

I have been ensuring Gail and I are together each evening before I lie down to sleep.  The tape is approximately 20 mins. and has a residual effect the more you use it.  I also stop it before all that "blue water" invigorates me again.  Give it a try each night and see if your sleep time increases, mine has.  I can come to the bedroom all wound up and by the time I finish the audio my body is super relaxed.  

I was once told after an initial fibromyalgia diagnosis from a reheumatologist  that the illness can open up the doors to a myriad of other neurological dysfunctions.  Recently a reader, and sufferer of fibromyalgia, came up with a few new symptoms that were not on the usual fibro list. Before long, the issue became so profound that he was transported to the hospital for a plasmapheresis.   A plasmapheresis is a blood purification procedure used to treat several autoimmune diseases.  It is also known as therapeutic plasma exchange.  

I believe it is important to nourish our brains with as much medical information as possible to ensure the once obscure illnesses become common ground.  Should you experience another lesser known illness, please drop me an email so that we can bring it to the attention of other readers.  With a community of hope we can be on the offense.

Myasthenia gravis (my-us-THEE-nee-uh GRAY-vis) is characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles under your voluntary control. Myasthenia gravis is caused by a breakdown in the normal communication between nerves and muscles. There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, but treatment can help relieve signs and symptoms, such as weakness of arm or leg muscles, double vision, drooping eyelids, and difficulties with speech, chewing, swallowing and breathing. Though myasthenia gravis can affect people of any age, it's more common in women younger than 40 and in men older than 60.

Muscle weakness caused by myasthenia gravis worsens as the affected muscle is used repeatedly. Because symptoms usually improve with rest, your muscle weakness may come and go. However, myasthenia gravis symptoms tend to progress over time, usually reaching their worst within a few years after the onset of the disease. Although myasthenia gravis can affect any of the muscles that you control voluntarily, certain muscle groups are more commonly affected than others.

In more than half the people who develop myasthenia gravis, their first signs and symptoms involve eye problems, such as:

• Drooping of one or both eyelids (ptosis).
• Double vision (diplopia), which may be horizontal or vertical, and improves or resolves when one eye is closed.

In about 15 percent of people with myasthenia gravis, the first symptoms involve face and throat muscles, which can cause:

• Altered speaking. Your speech may sound very soft or nasal, depending upon which muscles have been affected.
• Difficulty swallowing. You may choke very easily, which makes it difficult to eat, drink or take pills. In some cases, liquids you're trying to swallow may come out your nose.
• Problems chewing. The muscles used for chewing may wear out halfway through a meal, particularly if you've been eating something hard to chew, such as steak.
• Limited facial expressions. Your family members may comment that you've "lost your smile" if the muscles that control your facial expressions have been affected

Myasthenia gravis can cause weakness in your neck, arms and legs, but this usually happens along with muscle weakness in other parts of your body, such as your eyes, face or throat. The disorder usually affects arms more often than legs. However, if it affects your legs, you may waddle when you walk. If your neck is weak, it may be hard to hold up your head.

Talk to your doctor if you have difficulty:

• Breathing
• Seeing
• Swallowing
• Chewing
• Walking
• Using your arms or hands
• Holding up your head

In an era where men rule, Keira Knightly gives a stunning performance of what occurs when a woman allows her heart to rule.  

Georgiana Spencer became Duchess of Devonshire on her marriage to the Duke in 1774, at the height of the Georgian period, a period of fashion, decadence, and political change. Spirited and adored by the public at large she quickly found her marriage to be a disappointment, defined by her duty to produce a male heir and the Duke's philandering and callous indifference to her. She befriends Lady Bess but finds she is once again betrayed by her husband who wields his power with the three eventually living uncomfortably together. Against this background, and with the pressures of an unfaithful husband, strict social pressures and constant public scrutiny, Georgiana falls passionately in love with Charles Grey, a rising young Whig politician. However, despite his ongoing liaison with Lady Bess, the Duke refuses to allow her to continue the affair and threatens to take her children from her.


- Written by johnno.r[at]xtra.co.nz