My health has improved tremendously since I found and read the book Chronic Fatigue Unmasked 2000 (3rd edition, 1999, Humanitarian, available from booksellers, $15) by Dr. Gerald Poesnecker, ND, DC, and began to follow the program. He had me use a hypoglycemic diet, eliminate caffeine, rest and take his nutritional supplements as directed.

 In addition to the lifestyle changes required to manage this illness (particularly rest and stress reduction),  I now take raw adrenal, raw spleen and raw thymus, a multivitamin, DMG (dimethylglycine), calcium, B-12 injections, amino acids (particularly L-serine and Lysine), and adrenal cortex extract.

As long as I keep to this program and get plenty of rest and avoid stress, I feel very well. If I don't follow the program or live within my envelope for even a few days, I relapse.
Molly Austin-Flaherty, Denver, Colo.

Home care tips for the brain-fogged: mark thick rubber bands with the names of chores. Put the rubber band with the name of the chore you are going to do that day on your wrist (make sure it fits loosely), and wear it until the chore is finished.

When you cook, set up a timer for each burner or oven you turn on. Set it for as long as the food should cook on that burner. Then lie down on the floor in front of the stove with a pillow and blanket and wait for the timer to ring. Put the timer by the burner so you can tell which one to check. Don't leave the kitchen until the cooking is done.
Robin Keys, Baltimore, Md.

I' m responding to Carrie Potts' letter regarding canker sores. At the end of my third year with CFIDS, I developed a terrible problem with canker sores and sore spots on my tongue such that I was unable to eat or speak and could barely drink. I spent a week in the hospital being treated with anti-viral medication for herpes, and my mouth cleared up but quickly flared up again. Finally, a doctor suggested the simple treatment of antacids. I noticed a remarkable difference in 48 hours. The pain rapidly decreased and the sores were healing quickly.

To avoid exceeding the recommended dosage of antacids, I switched to a more natural alternative called Prelief, and I started on    a low acid/high alkaline diet. I also stumbled upon an article recommending Tom's of Maine toothpaste, which contains less of the foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate, a contributing cause of canker sores. After my sores were under control, I stopped taking Prelief and began taking Echinacea only when I'd have a flare-up. The ulcers seem to flare up only when I allow my diet to slip too much or when I stop using Tom's of Maine toothpaste.
Erin Patterson, Ellwood City, Pa.

The best thing I've done for my CFIDS is to watch articles in the Chronicle until I read about a treatment that was successful for a PWC whose age, gender, length of illness and worst symptoms were the same as mine. Then I tried that treatment (CoQ10), which increased my day-to-day functionality by almost 40%. Also, when I need to walk through a revolving door, I try to time my arrival to be directly after a person with lots of energy. This way, I have to push very little, if at all.
Susan Chapman, Chicago, Ill.

Dealing with CFIDS isn't easy. I have tried it all and what has had the most impact on improving my condition was learning to adjust my thinking. Two books that I have bought on tape have helped me do that.

In The Power is Within You, Louise L. Hay suggests that the way you think about illness has a tremendous impact on your health. In Why People Don't Heal and How They Can, Caroline Myss, PhD, explains her theory that some people carry their illness around and use it to "protect" themselves. Some of her ideas are a little "far out," but I agree we sometimes use our illness in a negative way without realizing it.

Also, a tape called "Ken Cohen's Guide to Healthy Breathing" (available in bookstores or at 800/333-9185) has been a great help. 
Andrea Chervenak, Longwood, Fla.

The success of this section depends on you. If you have a coping tip, a favorite quotation or a self-care treatment that has helped you, share it with others. Mark notes "One to One" and please include an E-mail address or a phone number.