I am going to be rather busy over the month of May, why? A small project to raise awareness about fibromyalgia (FM) and also to raise some money for a local charity which I like to support in the process. It is also an excuse for me to get to fence a lot of people and do some good in the process, not only for myself but others as well. See you in May.
Cheers,
Henry.
Henry's Purple Challenge
Fibromyalgia the condition which
I have is identified by the purple charity ribbon, hence the name of this
challenge being the “Purple Challenge”. It also happens to be the colour for
sarcoidosis as well. The aim of this challenge is primarily to raise awareness
of people with fibromyalgia and other such similar conditions, and raise some
money for charity along the way.
The primary intent of the
challenge is to fight $1 bouts for the entire month against any combatant.
Obviously these combatants will have to have been suitably authorised in rapier
combat should they be SCA members, and suitably qualified by an instructor from
other recognised Historical European Martial Arts schools. These combats will
take place wherever and whenever I am at an event or training session by
request of the individual who is making the donation. Obviously, sufficient
time must be left in the event or training session for the bout to be
completed. Any further information can be gained by contacting me.
The money raised from these bouts will be donated to the Princess
Alexandra Hospital Research Foundation. Needless to say donations to the
Foundation will also be happily accepted. I have chosen the PAH Research Foundation because they are a local research foundation doing important research, and by all accounts, no one in Australia is doing research into FM.
International Awareness Day
May 12th 2019, is International
Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases, which
includes Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Gulf
War Syndrome (GWS), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), and Fibromyalgia (FM).
For the most part, many people will not know what many of these conditions are
or how they affect people with them. Needless to say the International
Awareness Days are designed to reverse this.
Obviously my main interest is
raising awareness of FM. Information can be found all over the Internet, some
of it is good some of it not so much. Below, is part of the Wikipedia page definition
for Fibromyalgia.
“Fibromyalgia (FM) is a medical condition characterised by
chronic widespread pain and a heightened pain response to pressure. Other
symptoms include tiredness to a degree that normal activities are affected,
sleep problems and troubles with memory. Some people also report restless legs
syndrome, bowel or bladder problems, numbness and tingling and sensitivity to
noise, lights or temperature. Fibromyalgia is frequently associated with
depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Other types of chronic
pain are also frequently present.
The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown; however, it is
believed to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with
each playing a substantial role. The condition runs in families and many genes
are believed to be involved. Environmental factors may include psychological
stress, trauma and certain infections. The pain appears to result from
processes in the central nervous system and the condition is referred to as a
"central sensitization syndrome". Fibromyalgia is recognized as a
disorder by the US National Institutes of Health and the American College of
Rheumatology. There is no specific diagnostic test. Diagnosis involves first
ruling out other potential causes and verifying that a set number of symptoms
are present.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia
