How A Woman with Illness Can Romance Her Husband

"Hot and bothered!" For most people these words create images of being twisted up in sheets, breathlessly reaching out to the one you love. For those with chronic illness, however, "hot" is more likely to refer to one's thyroid condition, night sweats, or a heating pad on high. "Bothered. . ." Well, let's just say when your body aches, everything makes you feel bothered: a cat that won't move off your leg, a joint that continues to throb, and a husband that is able to snore through minor earthquakes. It can be hard to be romantic! Nearly 1 in 2 people live with a chronic illness in the U.S. which means that a lot of marriages are disrupted by this uninvited third party of illness, often including mental illness as well. Seventy-five percent of marriages end in divorce. But romantic ideas don't have to be used just on Valentine's Day. So! How do you get the spark back? Here are some creative romantic gift ideas and ways to say, "I love you." Make an effort. Stop with the excuses. "I'm tired, I don't feel good. I am in so much pain." I've said them all. Guess what? You'll probably always be tired. Put on some music, sit back and relax. You're in pain? If you can push past some of the physical pain you'll soon be distracted and forget at least a good part of it. Make romance a priority. That means not spending the whole Saturday cleaning your house and then being exhausted. Rest up, even if it's just so you can have a conversation without falling asleep. Be enthusiastic during your romantic evening. Even if you're just going out for dinner, don't say, "I'm doing this just for you. I don't really feel like it." (Oh, yeah, that will turn him on.) Smile and talk about pleasant memories or dreams you have. Promise yourself not to talk about your illness for just one night.You don't have to write romantic love poems. Just put together a mini-album of your favorite photos and include notes about your memories and how much he means to you. Make a list of all the things you notice he does that you don't usually thank him for: taking out the garbage, getting you medication in the middle of the night, giving your child a bath, cleaning out the litter box. Type out a sheet of all of this stuff in fun fonts and different colors. Women, get over feeling self-conscious and buy some underwear that doesn't look like your grandmother's. Text message him something daring or outrageously romantic that you would have said when you first fell in love. Back before text-messaging existed. Give him a home-made coupon for something he would like but doesn't splurge on very often such as, "Good for 5 guilt-free hours with your friends watching football." Avoid making him feel guilty whenever he wants to do something you can participate in (like going hiking or riding a roller coaster.) There is no such thing as a perfect marriage. But a marriage where both people are involved in keeping it alive, despite the existence of a chronic illness, can be one of the most rewarding joys in your life. Romance comes in many forms. I loved my husband more than ever the night I literally could not move because of a rheumatoid arthritis flare. I "slept" sitting on the couch and he slept on the floor beside the couch to comfort me every time I moved and screamed from the pain. Love comes in many forms. One of the books I've bought all the couples in my life is "Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires, the Respect He Desperately Needs" by Emerson Eggerichs. Men often feel loved when they are respected, women want to feel loved. Usually we are offering our spouse what we want, not what they need. Being aware of all of the little things we do each day that give one another love and respect, add up to romance when you least expect it.

Lisa Copen
January 14, 2008

Coenzyme Q10 distribution in blood is altered in patients with Fibromyalgia

OBJECTIVE: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ(10)) is an essential electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and a strong antioxidant. Signs and symptoms associated with muscular alteration and mitochondrial dysfunction, including oxidative stress, have been observed in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). The aim was to study CoQ(10) levels in plasma and mononuclear cells, and oxidative stress in FM patients.

METHODS: We studied CoQ(10) level by HPLC in plasma and peripheral mononuclear cells obtained from patients with FM and healthy control subjects. Oxidative stress markers were analyzed in both plasma and mononuclear cells from FM patients.

RESULTS: Higher level of oxidative stress markers in plasma was observed respect to control subjects. CoQ(10) level in plasma samples from FM patients was doubled compared to healthy controls and in blood mononuclear cells isolated from 37 FM patients was found to be about 40% lower. Higher levels of ROS production was observed in mononuclear cells from FM patients compared to control, and a significant decrease was induced by the presence of CoQ(10).

CONCLUSION: The distribution of CoQ(10) in blood components was altered in FM patients. Also, our results confirm the oxidative stress background of this disease probably due to a defect on the distribution and metabolism of CoQ(10) in cells and tissues. The protection caused in mononuclear cells by CoQ(10) would indicate the benefit of its supplementation in FM patients.

Clin Biochem. 2008 Dec 25. [Epub ahead of print]

Article Courtesy of http://www.co-cure.org/

New Public Service Announcement about CFS from CDC to Air on TV

I hope this finds you doing well, better, or at least as well as can be expected!

As a part of the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Public Awareness Campaign they will be airing a TV spot on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and how it robs us of our lives. Hopefully people will come to see that we are genuinely afflicted with this horrible Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and be more understanding. More importantly, maybe the doctors out there that don't believe in CFS will start seeing that it is real and start trying harder to help their patients. On the CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/awareness.htm , you can view the commercial as well as a brochure, booklet and various articles you can print off to show your doctor, or anyone close to you that may not fully understand but are interested in learning more about CFS. In the CFS Booklet, they discuss how CFS may be related to specific genes, virus', and other findings. They also have a great CFS toolkit with different articles relating to specific areas like managing activity, provider resource guide and diagnosing CFS to name a few. Go check it out at http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/awareness.htm .

Link to TV spot: http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/PSAs/MissingMyLife.mov
Link to CDC CFS awareness website: http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/awareness.htm

Sheri Davis