Shirley 

Almost one year on guai...(pic: Aunt Shirley and Grandniece)  I seem to have had fibromyalgia for about 25 years but am now speeding toward complete healing. A flare-up jolted me into disability 2 1/2 years ago with severe symptoms. It took almost 2 years to finally get a correct diagnosis from a  rheumatologist.   He recommended physical therapy, which I couldn't tolerate, but the physical therapist told me about Tamara, who had completely recovered from fibromyalgia.  I spoke with Tamara, knowing from my mother's more than 40-year struggle with the disorder that a reversal treatment was unheard of, let alone a success rate of over 90%. As soon as Tamara described how "guaifenesin" had given her back a normal life, I knew I'd be foolish not to try it. 

In mid-December of 2004, I started taking guaifenesin. I'm aggressive with the treatment regimen and am experiencing unusually speedy results. I compare notes sometimes with a friend I met in church who is also on Dr. St. Amand's guaifenesin protocol. Although I've experienced "miraculous" healing through prayer and faith, I know that guaifenesin is the Lord's way for me to eliminate fibromyalgia. I pray that many others will find out about guaifenesin and will choose to end their fibromyalgia struggles

 Shirley Burris

Elaine 

7 months on the guai...My guai journey actually began late last year.  I hung out on the guai
protocol group for several months before making myself know and eventually began the protocol in late February, '05.  A little bit about my history and then I'll tell you why I chose Dr. St. Amand's Quaifenesin Protocol as my choice for remedy.

I am a registered nurse who was very active until a severe illness struck me in January, 1997.  At that time I began having a sore throat and on Monday of that week I called my physician and told him I'd fought it as long as I could and that I needed help.  I got on antibiotics.

On Wednesday of that same week I was out-of-town staying in a motel.  During the night I woke up and knew something was very wrong.  I knew where I was and that I needed to call downstairs and ask them to call for an ambulance.  I couldn't move.  I guess at some point I either fell back asleep or something worse happened.  I'll finish this in a bit.

On Thursday I got up, got ready and went to my meeting.  I knew something had happened during the night but could not remember what.  I was in a board meeting for a couple hours before I began feeling very ill.  I called one of my physicians in that town and let the receptionist tell me they were booked up and could not see me.  Major mistake.  So, I called my secretary some 75 miles away and told her she was going to have to come get me.

By the time we made it back to my hometown I was having mild seizures.  My fingers were blue to the first joint, as were my toes and my mouth.  My doc met us outside and instructed my secretary to take me immediately to the ER.  By Friday night my 02 SATS were in the 70's (not good).  They shipped me back by ambulance to the state capital where I was originally the day before.  I was in ICU on a ventilator until the next Wednesday.

To make a very long story shorter, I was diagnosed with bilateral viral and bacterial pneumonia complicated by meningitis.  Several people died during that time from the pneumonia alone.  By the Grace of God, I managed to live through it but for the next two months every day I awoke I was amazed that I was still alive.  And my first thought was, "Well, this will be the day I die."

It was the next year that I was diagnosed with FMS although now I can see that I've had it since my earliest childhood memories.  I cannot tell you how many doctors I've seen over those years.  The only treatment offered was to treat the symptoms.  During this time my second neurologist discovered from an MRI that I'd had an "old" stroke.  "Old" being defined as farther back than the past six months.  Now I know what happened to me that night in the motel.  I have since lost a tremendous amount of muscle mass in my legs which the neurologist says I can't get back.

I began doing my own research last year, at my wit's end.  It was through an Internet search that I found "The Protocol."  After much investigation, reading and lurking in the guai listserv I decided that Dr. St. Amand's theory and history of treating FMS patients was the only thing that made sense to me.

I ordered and read "The Book."  I was convinced this was what I had to do.   While reading the book I started purging all the sals out of my house.  My daughter-in-law was the grateful recipient of all my tons of makeup that I could no longer use.  In late February I began the protocol.

As is said over and over, this is not for the faint of heart.  I have struggled mightily identifying and ridding myself of blockers.  Today I have that pretty firmly in my head.  These months I have seen tremendous and sometimes horrific changes in my life.  But today I can hear what my body is telling me which I could never did before.  I know my body better now than I have ever in my life.  I faithfully keep a detailed symptom journal and take it to my physician when I visit him (or them).  I call it my "Everything you ever wanted to know about me but were afraid to ask" journal.

How do I know The Protocol is working for me?  Because I already see some improvement.  Small little steps along the way.  The key word here is "improvement."  Most of my days I still have to mark as "Poor" or "Fair", but I do have some "Good" days interspersed throughout my journal.  Small victories.  I know I'm reversing and this will be a lifelong endeavor.  I have well over 50 long years to reverse.

About 3 years ago I had to give up my nursing career because I became totally disabled.  In April of this year I began working just a little at a local nursing home.  I am delighted to be back in nursing even if for just that little bit.  It takes me a week to recover from working my 3 night shifts but I am and always will be a nurse.  If I can never work more than this then this will have to do.

Why do I do this beyond the obvious reasons?  Because I now have three young grandsons who are the lights of my life.  Because I have a Dear Husband who deserves a wife who is not in constant turmoil and pain. Because I have three children whom I adore.  And, because I am fantastically enjoying the Empty Nest experience.  I married at age 18 in 1966 (you do the math).  Next year I will be married a whopping 40 years to the same guy.  I'm the only one in my entire graduation class who can make that claim.  I want our last years to be in peace and to be as active as possible - together.

Newbies (of which I am still one) please hang in there.  Life does get better on The Protocol even if ever so slowly.

Elaine M. Burchfield , RN
The Great State of Mississippi

6 Months   2 Years  3 Years    4 Years    5+ Years

Read about many other success stories:

http://fibromyalgiatreatment.com/board/viewforum.php?f=10&sid=d76e95e303e097a2eb7d3402d01dffb3

and

http://www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com/team.htm