Don’t Give Up! You Can Feel Good Again.

Someone once said, “Anyone can give up; it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” Battling fibromyalgia—the pain, fatigue, low moods, weight gain, insomnia—can be a real test of one’s willpower. It’s hard to be positive even when we feel our best, but it’s almost impossible when we feel bad. And unfortunately, with fibro, more days are bad than good. It’s easy to understand why someone with fi bro could become discouraged, bitter, and hopeless. Its chronic symptoms test the strongest optimist. If you’re battling fibro and feel discouraged, please don’t give up. You can reverse fibro—I didn’t say cure it, but reverse it. You can feel better. You can get better. I know, because I’ve been fortunate enough to have helped thousands of difficult-to-treat fibro patients over the last eighteen years.

Don’t give up.

This book isn't about coping with fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (sometimes called myalgic encephalopathy). It’s about conquering these illnesses and feeling good again. It’s not about how to hide from the rain the rest of your life. It's how to get through it and come out smiling on the other side. While fibro can take away so many things—good health, your social life, your ability to work, your marriage relationship, and more—it can’t take away your greatest asset: your will to thrive. You decide to keep going, to keep living, to keep fighting, to do whatever it takes to get better, be proactive, be healthier. I’ve helped thousands feel good again. I want you to be next.

Jan

One of my heroes is Jan Sanderson, a single mom with three children, ages four through eight. The youngest, Sam, was born with mild autism. Jan tragically lost her husband, Mike, three years ago in an automobile accident. But despite working full-time, raising three kids alone, and battling periodic fibromyalgia fl are-ups, Jan rarely complains. Jan’s budget is tight, so she doesn’t have a housekeeper. No maid, no nanny. Just Jan. She wakes up each morning at 5:30, gets the lunches packed and the breakfasts made, and then wakes her children. It’s hard for me to imagine doing all the things Jan must do each day just to get her kids dressed, fed, and off to school. Dressing three children can be a chore, and with Sam, it is often a real challenge.

Like in many households, the mornings are usually a whirlwind of activity. I know they are with my three children at my house. But unlike Jan, who does it all by herself,my wife and I share the morning chores. And anyone with school-aged children knows that the work doesn't end when the children go to school. The kitchen must be cleaned, the house picked up, and then there’s the mad dash to get to work on time. Jan teaches third grade, and her students are counting on her. She has the patience of a saint. After school, she picks up her children, taking John, the oldest,to soccer practice.

The other two play nearby while mom grades papers and chats with other parents. Welcome to the single mom’s social life! Then it’s a quick stop by the grocery store to pick up milk. Then home to fix dinner, help John finish his homework, bathe the kids, clean up the bathroom, lay out the clothes for tomorrow, do a quick load of laundry, and return phone calls. Time to get the kids to bed! Pajamas on, teeth brushed, read to Sam, then to the middle child, Annette. Lights out. Then clean up the kitchen and answer a few emails from her third-graders’ parents. Make sure all the doors are locked and the alarm is set. A quick shower and—fingers crossed—a good night’s sleep. Because at 5:30 the next morning, it all starts over again.

Jan was in a great deal of pain and on eight different drugs when she first consulted me years ago. She’s worked hard to get healthy and now takes only an occasional sleep aid (Ambien) and Advil. Her fibromyalgia still fl ares up, especially when she doesn’t get enough rest. But Jan never gives up. She does whatever it takes to care for her precious children and herself. Thank you, Jan, and to all of you who do what it takes to be the best parent, friend, worker, citizen, and fibromyalgia conqueror you can be. You are the reason I do what I do. Here’s another story, this one from Jennie Ault, in her own words.

Jennie

Dr. Murphree has helped me tremendously in the process of getting my health back on track. For about seven years, I had not been feeling well and had gone to numerous doctors trying to get some answers to my health ailments. My symptoms included extreme fatigue, bursitis in my hips, and general pain all over. I went to many different doctors and had multiple blood tests done, all of which I was told were normal. I knew something was drastically wrong with me, but the doctors didn’t seem to have a clue. I

n October of 2011, I became deathly ill and was totally bedridden. For the fi rst time in my life, I wasn’t sure I would pull through. I lay in bed and felt like every organ in my body was being attacked. At fifty-two years old, I didn’t want my life to end yet. I again went to my family doctor who just smiled at me and said,”There’s nothing wrong with you, but if you like I can put you on prednisone.” I politely told him no thank you! I then set up an appointment with my rheumatologist, thinking maybe I had a bad case of arthritis. In January of 2012, because my rheumatologist couldn’t find anything wrong, she diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. She wanted to put me on Cymbalta, but again I refused, since I wanted to treat things as naturally as possible. That is when I decided I would do my own research. I am a strong believer in God and the power of prayer, and so I asked the Lord to please direct me to the right doctor who could help me.

Soon after that, I came across Dr. Murphree’s videos online and watched the whole series. Everything he was talking about sounded so much like what I was going through. I just could not lick this thing that was in control of my body. My husband and I set up a phone consultation with Dr. Murphree and took a step of faith, believing he could help me. It is now six months later, and I myself can’t even believe how much better I am than when I fi rst met Dr. Murphree. He did thorough blood work and actually knew what to look for, and he prescribed my vitamins according to my blood work. He told me that he felt my symptoms were more that of chronic fatigue syndrome but that the symptoms are very similar to fibromyalgia. I did everything to the letter that he asked me to do. I was determined that I was going to get better. I had already lost about twenty pounds before the diet, just from being so sick, but on the diet I lost another forty pounds. I have energy, and can make it through the day without going back to bed, whereas before, I could only be up for a short time before lying down again. The pain I was in is about 95 percent better. I still have to be faithful to eat properly and stay on my vitamins and most importantly, stay rested.

When I don’t, I can tell it right away in my body, so I instantly pull back. I am doing everything I used to do again. In fact, we have been on vacation in the mountains this month, and I have done everything from hiking to biking to canoeing! My husband and I have commented over and over about how different things are from just a few months ago. I highly recommend Dr. Murphree. Your health is so important, and it is worth every penny to get a doctor who truly cares and can actually do something to help you.

**It’s not about coping anymore! It’s about overcoming fibromyalgia and CFS/ME. You can feel good again!**