Vanish Despair

Essential oils have been used for beauty and medicinal purposes for centuries. The practice of aromatherapy dates back before 1500BCE. Egyptians used them in cosmetics, wrapping mummies & embalming process. And essential oils such as frankincense and myrrh are mentioned in the Bible. Modern Aromatherapy began in 1910 when a French perfumer and chemist burned his hand in his lab. He immediately stuck his hand in a nearby vat of lavender essential oil, which he mistook for water. When there was no pain, swelling, or blistering after what was expected to be a serious burn, he began to investigate and observe aromatherapy. During WWI, essential oils were used to treat solider’s wounds, and it encouraged others to follow suit.

In order for an essential oil to have a therapeutic effect on the body, the quality of the oil must not be compromised in any way. Many oils are misleading-some are diluted with castor oil or other carrier oils without the consumer knowing. Some are extracted using chemical means which breaks down the essential oil making them less effective. Then the company masks these issues by calling the oils “therapeutic-grade.” When this is done, it is the same as a chemically based skin care line using the words “natural” or “organic” which can legally be done due to non monitoring of personal care products.

Chemistry is involved in determining the therapeutic value of an oil. This is an important fact when using oils to treat fibromyalgia symptoms and other ailments. Notice the following examples:

Eucalyptus Globulus Therapeutic Effects
General: fevers, insect repellent
Muscles and Joints: good for the treatment of muscular aches and pains; rheumatic pains
Respiratory system: may be used for asthma, bronchitis, coughs, sinusitis, throat infections
Viral infections: may be used for the flu, measles, chickenpox, and shingles
Skin: can be used for wounds and skin ulcers

Lavender Angustifolia Therapeutic Effects
Respiratory: good for hay fever, viral bronchitis, ear infections, dry cough, tonsillitis
Digestive system: good for viral enterocolitis
Muscles and joints: rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis
Peripheral nerves: good for neuralgia
Skin: helps acne, eczema, severe burns

Of course, one would need a good aromatherapy guide and/or take a basic course in order to use these oils safely. But, it is worth the effort and you can have fun in the process.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to remind you of the Blog Talk Radio Show scheduled Thursday, May 6th in honor of Fibromyalgia Awareness Day-May 12th. If you want to learn more about essential oils and how they can help your symptoms, please join us on this free call. The details are below.

Blog Talk Show Reminder: Thursday, 7:30 PM Central/8:30 PM eastern
Topic: Relief Never Smelled So Good
Learn the basics of fibromyalgia and how essential oils can provide relief.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fibro-herbs

I hope you can listen in!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted everyone to know that I am starting another basic aromatherapy workshop beginning June 13th. This course is different from the last one because the supplies are included in the price of the course. Also, you will see pdfs and videos during the webinar. If you would like to become certified as an aromatherapist in addition to your herbal certification, taking the basic course is the first step. You will receive 75 hours credit toward your professional certificate.

This course is also for anyone who would like to practice aromatherapy on themselves and their family, to make recommendations to clients, to sell aromatherapy products, or just for the fun of it.

This course is regularly $275, but the Mother’s Day special is $147 (a $128 savings), plus 2 different payment options. The teleclasses will be recorded each week, so if you have a vacation scheduled, you’ll be able to listen to the replay before the next class-which will delete the previous one. This course is 6 weeks ,with 4 sessions (we’ll have 2 weeks off for you to complete the projects and not fall behind and one week is a holiday weekend).

I know some of you are with Nature’s Sunshine, and if you prefer to purchase the essential oils and carrier from them, I will adjust the price to $100 . But, the oils that I’ve chosen comes from a reputable supplier and the bottles will be bigger than Nature’s and you’ll also receive 5 additional samples in your kit.

In a nutshell here’s what you get:

(1) The course handouts and information (Value: $500)
(2) 5 Essential Oils (10ml bottles) (Retail Value: $57.00)
Lavender
Lemongrass
Eucalyptus
Tea Tree
Ylang Ylang
(3) 5 or more sample essential oils (Value: $10)
(4) 1 Carrier Oil (Value:$12)
(5) 1 Aloe Gel (Value: $12)
(6) 1 Aromatherapy Recipe Book (Value: $14)

All for $147.00!

To hear the details of the program, please listen to this blog talk show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fibro-herbs and visit http://www.mao.mdsalliance.com to purchase the course.

I hope you can join us!

Veronica Easterling-Thomas

Direct selling has taken a credibility hit over the years. Often, people associate direct selling with “scams” and “pyramid schemes,” which has let to distrust in the industry. Also, product and service claims expressed either from the company or their representatives, has increased the distrust level. Perhaps a lack of research or pressure from a recruiter with a “desperate” compensation plan, led you to join a company that was not quite right for you (I’ve had a few of those), and it left a bitter taste in your mouth, so to speak. With these factors in mind, who would want to add an additional challenge to the physical challenges we already face!

Many direct selling companies are reporting an increase in sales and representatives within the last 2 years due to the nationwide job losses and declining economy. As we all know, many who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia or CFS/ME has already experienced a personal recession. With these statistics, is it possible for someone with physical challenges, such as fibromyalgia and cfs/me, to generate income from becoming a distributor of a direct sales company? Are there any other benefits from joining the direct sales ranks? Let us examine three major reasons why direct selling may be ideal for you.

1) Free and Discounted Products

Putting the business aspect to the side, many join direct sales companies just to take advantage of the discount. When I first entered the industry 18 years ago, I was a newlywed with a home that I wanted to decorate but had a lack of funds. A friend invited me to a home decorating party so that I could buy a few things to decorate. I watched the demonstrator and thought how fun it would be to demonstrate products and earn enough money to decorate my home. After joining, I was hooked! Of course, fibromyalgia had other plans for me, and I left that company and joined one that was more “fibro friendly”. But, it didn’t matter which company I joined; I always had extra cash in my pocket, purchased my items using my discount, earned free products and prizes from the company based on my activity, and my husband’s favorite, the tax benefits. It was really a win-win situation.

2) A Stepping Stone to Bigger and Greater Things

One of the advantages of being in a direct sales company is the free educational and training system. With each company that I have encountered over the years, I have use bits of information to improve my business to the level that it is today. Physical challenges can cause an individual to change careers because of the inability to keep up with the demands of the job. Some are forced to go on disability or just struggle on a spouse’s income. Direct sales can change that! Becoming a representative, distributor, or consultant for a company can give you an advantage over the ones that you may have left behind in that corporate office. Not only can you earn immediate funds from the sales of products or services, but you can also earn residual income from those who you mentor. There is nothing scandalous about the network marketing or multi level marketing side of this business. The company is paying you to train others to market their products. It’s no different from the actors, authors, or musicians that earn residual income from the reruns of their tv shows (actors), the sales from books (authors), or the sampling of tracts (musicians). Multi-level marketing is an excellent way to earn money while you sleep.

After gaining education from the direct sales company and combining it with you’re their own experience, many have become coaches or consultants either in the direct selling industry or in a different field. As a coach, there’s the opportunity to sell your expertise through books, cds, and membership services. Regardless of the avenue, direct selling can increase your revenue.

Working from home is a possiblity if you feel well enough and ready enough to do so. But ME/CFS and FMS affects every individual differently. If you are severely affected or have severe brain-fog for example, then working from home probably won’t be for you.

But if you do feel well enough to work from home, then request more information about free or low cost business opportunities.

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/02/new-challenge-to-chronic-fatigue-virus.html

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/01/06-01.html

When you were first diagnosed with either Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME) or Fibromyalgia, did you feel as if something invaded your body and took it over? Was it sudden-feeling normal one day and feeling terribly abnormal the next? I always had a gut feeling that it was possibly an underlying disease causing my body to go haywire. In fact, scientists had suspected a possible virus causing CFS/ME called the Epstein Barr Virus. Many CFS/ME patients tested positive for this virus, yet many others were left in the lurch still without answers.

New research has alerted the fibromyalga and CFS/ME community of another virus as a possible cause of our illness, XMRV, a type of Retrovirus. What is XMRV? According to the Dr. Robert Silverman, XMRV is a human retrovirus similar to HIV and HTLV-1. Retroviruses are responsible for some forms of cancer also. Dr. Silverman discovered XMRV “in prostate cancer tissue of men with a specific genetic defect in their antiviral defense pathway.” ( -Researchers at the Whittemore Peterson Institute)
This virus interested this institution since XMRV was found in over 95 % of blood samples taken from patients in their study group. So they partnered with Dr. Silverman’s Cancer Institute to compare their research. The Frequently Asked Questions page on their website will provide you with full details.
Click Here

This is one of those subject that is still new, and I really do not know if this is the answer we’ve been waiting for. First, it was the Epstein Barr Virus; then some doctors suspected the Herpes Zoster virus; now we have XMRV. If a virus is the cause, why do some people develop fibromyalgia after a car accident or slip and fall? Or why do CFS/ME symptoms occur after a hormonal change such as pregnancy or menopause? Or why do persons develop symptoms as a result of a secondary illness (secondary fibromyalgia) such as thyroid disease, sleep apnea, lupus or polymyalgia rheumatica? If it’s only a virus, why do people, such as myself, improve after physical therapy, herbal therapy, or other bodywork therapies? In retrospect, if in fibromyalgia it’s only a virus, then the makers of Lyrica, Cymbalta, and Savella are in big trouble or disappointed, to say the least. However, it really does offer a better explanation for CFS/ME. For years, several viruses have been named the culprit. Is this new virus just another one to add to the list or have researcher finally found the right virus? Only time will tell.

According to the article Chronic Fatigue Syndrome A New Explanation by Dr. Gabe Mirkin, XMRV caused nerve damage in animals. Epiphany: Did we all start off with CFS/ME which is possibly caused by a virus that allegedly cause nerve damage thus resulting in Fibromyalgia which is now known as a central NERVOUS system disease?

I’m definitely book marking these sites; it will be interesting to see how this develops.

Here are a few websites that I have found. What is your conclusion?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Community

Virology Blog

CFS/ME and Retroviruses

Recent Articles

Is It Depression or Sadness?

Book Review: Living With Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia and Weather

Ultrasound Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Enjoy!

As the editor of the Bella online site, I receive requests from individuals that want to know what works for me. Many people don’t realize that some of the fibromyalgia symptoms can be treated with natural remedies. Why take Ambien when Lavender essential oil dropped on your pillow or a drop on the wrist can do the trick for most people? Why not take White Willow Bark instead of asprin?

Of course, not all products are created equal, and it can be a headache trying to determine which brand is quality. In light of this, I’ve decided to create a website that offers the products that I use on a daily basis-Fibro Herbs.
This site will provide you with information regarding alternative treatments and herbal solutions to fibromyalgia, CFS/ME, and the associated illnesses. Our monthly newsletter will feature an herb, essential oil, and a treatment each month. The newsletter begins September, so please visit the website and sign up, so that you won’t miss a thing.

The shopping site is under development, and the initial products will be featured by August 16, 2009.

So stay tuned!

Check out the latest Bella article.

I don’t care what anyone says: I loved me some Michael Jackson! I can’t believe he’s gone. I really hope that he’s not labeled a drug addict at death.

I remember one of my favorite singers Gerald Levert’s death. His was not a drug overdose, but from a drug interaction. I can’t begin to tell you the times that I felt funny or had to call the pharmacy after noticing that my pills were “different”. In one case, it was the wrong dosage. The physician wrote the prescription for DOUBLE the dose! After taking it as prescribed on the bottle, I noticed my heart was racing. So I called the pharmacy and we went over the medication. They had filled it exactly how it was written. They suggested that I call the doctor. When I did, that’s when it was discovered that the dosage was doubled. Needless, to say that was my last visit. The second occasion was when the pharmacy claimed that the prescription that I had a reaction to was correct, but in a smaller dosage than usual. To this day, I believe that it was the wrong medicine altogether. Too bad I didn’t think to keep a pill or two.

Whatever the case with Michael Jackson, either verdict will still make it difficult on those of us with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain. It’s rumored that he was taking a “cocktail” of 7 different medications. I guess when a person with fibromyalgia dies, people will say the same about us.