Posted by Heidi on behalf of Mermie It was an indescribable sensation that threatened to upset the carefully crafted balance of work vs. rest that enabled me to function in all the roles that are so important to me. After months of frustrating visits to various specialty doctors, I was able to get confirmation of what Dr. Bell had initially suspected: I was having daily migraine symptoms. Early on, I had noticed fluorescent lights made the dizziness worse. I became excruciatingly aware of how frequently we encounter fluorescent lights in our daily lives. My husband had to take over the household shopping, (one more thing he had to take on) since stores are lighted with fluorescent lights. I work in a school, where there is an abundance of fluorescent lights. I was determined to keep working. I took floor lamps into my office and kept the overhead lights off....what a relief. But much of my work is done in other areas of the school building. One day I casually mentioned to my principal that the fluorescent lights bother me. She immediately stood up, walked over, and turned off her office lights. She has an inside office with no windows letting in natural daylight, so we sat there talking in the dark. It brought instant relief for me! (If you've never experienced the dizziness, nausea, and headache caused by migraine triggered by fluorescent lights, count your blessings!). Not only did I have the relief of not being under the fluorescent lights, but I also knew I didn't have to pretend to be feeling okay. I felt valued as an employee and respected as someone who has something to contribute even if I have a special need (for the lights off). Not only does my principal turn her office lights off, but she makes it a routine to adjust the lights in other rooms if I am present. It may not always be practical to have all lights off, but she makes sure they are adjusted as much as possible. I have tried to articulate to my principal just how much her casually flicking that light switch has meant to me. She waves away my comments, saying, "it's nothing" or "don't mention it". What it means to me is this: a chance to keep working at a job that means a lot to me; I'm able to provide financial support to my family; I'm able to continue the important social contacts in my workplace; I'm able to have the intellectual stimulation of working; I'm able to feel like a productive member of society. This isn't meant to be a criticism of anyone who has chosen to seek Disability benefits. Those benefits serve an important function for many people. I just wasn't ready to seek those benefits yet. Thanks to my principal making a simple accommodation - just a flick of a light switch - I can continue working, with all the many benefits that provides me. Jean Gargala Lyndonville Research Group Report The Lyndonville Research Group is beginning to get going again. For those of you who are part of the group, this is your official notice. In the book that is now coming out, Cellular Hypoxia and Neuro-Immune Fatigue a mechanism is described relating to the cellular production of energy. Now, people casually assume that a few vitamins will correct this and I do not think that is likely. What we are going to try and do is a thorough reading of the literature on cellular energetics and mitochondrial energy production to see if we can find areas where specific interventions may be useful. Ultimately we are trying to identify specific types of ME/CFS that might respond to certain treatments. Here is an example: full thiamine deficiency is rare because of generally good nutrition, but some persons have a defect in the enzyme system that uses thiamine and as a result have dysautonomic symptoms.
on 8/23/2007, 8:30 am
Just about a year ago, the symptom that began torturing me on a daily basis was dizziness.
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