Tag Archives: fibromyalgia resources

Sue E. Ingrebretson’s FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the Ten Root Causes of Chronic Illness Restores Chronic Wellness – a TTD Review

FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the Ten Root Causes of Chronic Illness Restores Chronic Wellness — Susan E. Ingebretson. Published by Norse Horse Press 2010.

The One-Minute TTD Review

Sue Ingebretson’s new book, FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the Ten Root Causes of Chronic Illness Restores Chronic Wellness * is a must-have addition for any fibromite’s library. Ingebretson’s personal history with the illness illuminates with good humor and compassion a difficult topic for all chronically ill people: the role of personal choices in the recovery process. Packed with solid scientifically-supported advice wrapped in a common-sense approach, FibroWHYalgia will help any fibromite thrive.

About the Author

Sue Ingebretson’s bona fides to write this book are solid. Her involvement in the fibromyalgia community extends back fourteen years. She’s the Director of Program Development for the Fibromyalgia Research and Education Center at California State University, in Fullerton, CA. Sue’s also written for the NFA’s FibroAWARE publication. And, of course, she has fibromyalgia herself.

Overview of the Book

Sue tells her own story through the first three chapters, illustrating the path so many of us tread on our way to diagnosis and treatment plan success, through humorous and sometimes maddening accounts of the endless parade of doctors with varying degrees of insight into her worsening health.

Chapters four through eight cover different aspects of Ingebretson’s philosophy of treatment: diet, exercise, stress reduction and emotional balance, plus strategies for meaningful change. The last chapter summarizes what Sue calls the “ten root causes of chronic illness” — genetic predisposition, physical trauma, emotional/mental trauma, malnourishment, external toxins, internal toxins, inflammation, infection, hormonal imbalance and thyroid dysfunction.

The Extended Review

Sue’s hit this one out of the park, for the most part. My shelves are overloaded with books promising a variety of fabulous outcomes – promising mind you – but never quite delivering. I came to the conclusion after deep and thoughtful study of this subject for over ten years that (A) there is no cure for fibromyalgia and (B) any successful treatment plan must be simultaneously comprehensive and flexible.

Sue’s approach confirms my own suspicions about this illness, and outlines a workable get-tough plan that’s both realistic and ambitious. Ambitious because any change will be hard for us mortals; realistic because it doesn’t require massive doses of questionable supplements and radical overhauls of lifestyle.

Well, back up – I suppose that depends on your definition of “radical.” For some, undoubtedly, the changes Sue advocates for diet and exercise will seem radical. But Sue’s writing style has a relaxed, reassuring tone to it — rather like having a long heart-t0-heart with an older sister who’s been down that road you’re walking for the first time and knows just how to navigate it.

There’s nothing revolutionary here – but that’s a good thing in my opinion because it reflects reality. There is no magic pill — no one treatment to rule them all. The implications underlying Sue’s book suggest that maybe there is no such treatment out there waiting to be discovered, because the systems and mechanisms at work here are way too complex to be resolved by a single approach. I think she may well be on to something.

But even if there is such a treatment out there, just waiting to be discovered, we still deserve to thrive while we’re waiting. FibroWHYalgia presents a compelling argument for one approach to getting there. Easy? No. But simple, and practical.

Bottom line: Buy it. Read it. Reread it. Take it to heart.
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*Remember: all links to products are affiliate links. Costs you nothing extra, but helps me keep this site afloat!

FMAware, the NFA Magazine for Fibromyalgia Patients, Is Now Available Online – FREE

Snapshot Image of the Cover of Fibromyalgia Aware Magazine I know, I know.

I SUCK. I haven’t blogged here in … what, millenia? Seems like it. I swear I’m getting back into it, slowly but surely. There’s been … stuff. Going on. And now it’s starting to come to an end. But I’ve abandoned y’all in the meantime, so – yes, I know. I reiterate: I SUCK.

You know what doesn’t suck? The National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA). Know why? ‘Cause they made their rockin’ mag for fibromites, Fibromyalgia Aware , available online. For FREE.

Yep, you read that correctly. How cool is that?

What Is the NFA?

The National Fibromyalgia Association or NFA is a nonprofit group dedicated to helping people with fibromyalgia raise their quality of life through lifestyle changes, medical treatment, and other mechanisms. As a secondary purpose, they’re also into raising awareness of fibromyalgia nationally in the political, social, and media arenas.

FM Aware: A Great Resource for Fibromyalgia Patients

To kickstart that mission, they’ve developed this magazine, FM Aware, that costs about thirty-five bucks per year for a subscription. The magazine, published quarterly, covers all kinds of topics relevant to the fibro community, such as:

  • Recent research and developments in understanding the causes and new treatments for fibro;
  • Improving quality of life and well-being in fibro patients;
  • Understanding and researching all available treatment options in an objective manner;
  • Managing symptoms and pain through health care and lifestyle changes;
  • And more

So, in order to increase readership and help foster a greater sense of community among fibro patients online, NFA has made the magazine freely available to everyone.

April Blounts, a fibromite for ten years (hey, like me! 2000 was a very … interesting year) is a volunteer with NFA and kindly alerted me to this great news. April stated in her email:

I am excited about the magazine going online for free, because the print version retails for $9.95 an issue. The cost of the magazine helps the NFA continue its mission, but I think that putting it online for free allows so many more people to read it and feel connected to the fibromyalgia community.

It’s great news, indeed, and I’m very grateful to April and the NFA for letting me know about this awesome move.

So, everyone, go read FM Aware! And while you’re at it, take a moment to drop a line to the kind folks at NFA and let them know how much we appreciate them making this amazing resource available to us all.