ME :: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
CFS :: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
FM :: Fibromyalgia
ME/CFS/FM Support Association Queensland Inc..Tropical North Queensland Support Group
Newsletter.
No 10, Nov/Dec 2005.
Greetings.
Here we are, getting closer to the end of another year. It seems just a short time ago we printed the first Newsletter, and here we are at issue number 10!.
Life can be difficult with our condition, and relapses in energy and cognitive function can test our resolve to the extreme. Yours truly can bear testimony to that battle during the last 6 months!
THANKS- Thanks again to the The Atherton Neighborhood Centre for ongoing support, and continued use of their meeting room.
- Thanks also to our local Politician for generous amounts of photo copying. We could not survive without this support.
- One of our long-term Atherton contacts, Davina Jackson, has had to move back to New Zealand. She decided to go back with just ONE suitcase, and has donated her entire book collection to our support group. Quite a few of her books were already on my “wish listâ€, waiting for funds. Now we have an expanded library for loan. THANKS, Davina! A booklist will be out at the Nov/Dec meetings.
- Thanks to all the organisations that have donated the use of their meeting rooms.
- Thanks to the media who gave us free publicity for our group and our meetings.
· Gwen Hemmerton has stood down from her proactive involvement in the Innisfail area. She has agreed to be a contact person, and to share her expertise with fibromyalgia.
· The Townsville group are having their annual wind-up at their meeting on 17th November. The meetings will change to monthly, and resume on the third Thursday in February. Please feel free to contact Mara or Ashley if you need information or social interaction.
· The Cairns meetings have been moved. Our use of the Earlville library meeting room has terminated. We will try using the Stratford Community Centre, adjacent to the Library, for a time. This may cause travel problems, so please advise us if you will need transport to the venue.
· The Innisfail meeting, for December, will be at the Brothers Leagues Club, in the upstairs Boardroom. The club is the only venue offered to us for free in support of our group.
BOOK REVIEWS:- Carol Sinclair’s book about starch and IBS, and its effects on the human body resulting in Spondylosing Ankylitis. We have prepared a pamphlet covering this subject, and is a “must read” if you have back, hip, and gastric problems.
- We have finished our review of the “Olive Leaf Extract” book, and are trialling the product. For anybody whose original cause of CFS was viral, this also is a “must read” book. Early indications are amazing reduction in symptoms. Better than anti-biotics!
- We have been loaned a copy of The CFIDS/Fibromyalgia Toolkit, by Bruce F Campbell. The Townsville group have been using this book as a study guide, and have commented on the practical self-help subjects discussed. They certainly offer tips for making life easier.
- “Take control of your health”, by Elaine Hollingsworth. Promotes radical views on many health issues, and the failures of the health industry.
- We have just reviewed the VHS video called “Healthy at 100” made by Phillip Day during a recent tour of Australia. He covers all the important issues about health, doctoring, nutrition, and diet supplements. We will try to make this video available during this next round of meetings – technology permitting.
Bulk billing doctors in the far North are very scarce. Those of us on Centrelink payments cannot afford to pay the fees some doctors are charging. Getting effective medical treatment is proving to be almost as elusive. Some of our people attended our local Public Hospital to try and get treatment, but after a few clinic appointments were told to “Go to your GP!”. So much for our former Minister’s advice.
One lady complained to us about CFS treatment from a particular doctor, so we visited there to get the story first-hand, and to negotiate a better deal. After explaining the situation, the doctor was happy to read our CFS Practitioner’s Kit, and on subsequent visits has provided improved treatment options!
We wrote to another large medical practice manager about CFS treatment, and requested bulk-billing. This certainly raised management’s awareness of our condition, but were unable to “negotiate” a deal with the medical centre about fees. The practice policy is NO bulk billing except for aged pensioners. It seems the Government payment to bulk-billing doctors of $7 or $8 above the going rate is not enough. Why do they want more? Are they in business, or are they there to promote health?
“Munchausen syndrome by proxy”. Finally the originator of this barbaric practice against parents of sick children has been brought to account. Professor Sir Roy Meadow has been deregistered for “serious professional misconduct” because of tendering “misleading” evidence in a Court case.
MEMBERSHIPThe Queensland Association needs our support.
They can only operate successfully if we join with them as financial members.
This Newsletter continues to be posted out to you using subsidies from the State office. Otherwise postage costs would have to come out of my pension payments, or we would have to charge a fee to pay for postage of the Newsletter. We have enclosed another Membership form with this Newsletter for those of you who have not yet joined. It is only $20 a year!
ARTICLESOur library continues to grow each month.
We are continually gathering interesting health information and articles available for your use. Some of these may not be copyright, and can be reproduced. The rest can be borrowed for short periods.
As mentioned previously, our ever-growing BOOK library has become too large to carry to every meeting. We propose to have Library lists available at every meeting, and Area Contacts will also have copies. Books are available for lending, but borrowers must pay for postage.
PRESENTATIONSWe have developed a number of Power Point presentations suitable for showing at meetings. At times, these will be publicised in advance for your convenience. If there is any particular presentation you would like to see, please phone the presenter, Neil Reynolds, to ensure he brings the Laptop and Projector to the meeting! Subjects available at present:
- Health and the environment
- CFS: causes and options
- Stress management
We have difficulty keeing up with all the needs of coordinating this growing support network. We already have lots of Area Contacts, and a Webmaster. But we also need help with the Newsletter, and the mailouts, and collecting and collating new info and books. Any Volunteers please?
MEETING PUBLICITY:The support group, and the CFS movement, needs your help! Enclosed with this Newsletter, please find CFS Meeting Posters. Can everybody please find a suitable place near where you live, to display them? In most communities there are Notice Boards that can be used. Meeting Calendars are on the site's calendar page or attached to your email.
CONTACTS:Please feel free to call local contacts:
Atherton: Neil Reynolds 4091 2970 email reynoldsn@dodo.com.au
Ravenshoe: Les Buglar 4097 0132
Smithfield: Peter Cummins 4057 5920 email cfs_me_tnq@yahoo.com.au
Lake Eacham: John Cuff 4095 3063 email cufflink@tpg.com.au
Cairns: Neville Pedler 4053 6187 email bronev@austarnet.com.au
Mourilyan: Gwen Hammerton 4063 2334 email farnthqldfibromyalgia@westnet.com.au
Gordonvale: Irene Murgatroyd 4056 1148
Mossman: Sue Dennis 4098 1637
Helen Steley 4098 8143 email steley@austarnet.com.au
Cardwell: Joy Dickson 4066 0178 email rdickson@qldnet.com.au
Townsville: Mara Hogan 4779 2478 email mara.hogan@bigpond.com
Mareeba: Chrystel Venturi 4092 3287
EMAIL RECIPIENTS:
People receiving this Newsletter by email: To help transmission, this Newsletter is in "plain text" format, without the logo and original formatting. If you would like the full version, please ask for one at the meetings.
Disclaimer: Please note that any information provided is given in the interests of sufferers. No liability can be accepted, as we do not intend the information to replace professional medical help and treatment.
Copyright: Information provided and distributed by this group has been given for the education and training of the disabled. This material may be subject to copyright, and as such the user is only permitted to retain documents for their own use. Any other use must be approved by the copyright holders.
Chemicals: Many people attending meetings are sensitive to chemicals and scents. For the comfort of others, please refrain from wearing perfume, strong scented soaps, or agricultural chemicals to the meetings. If you need to smoke, please leave the smell at home, and don't bring it with you on your clothes.
Newsletter archive | Feb 2005 | May 2005 |August 2005
2004 Newsletters still avialable on our old site.
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