Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with ME/CFS

Our outcome measures were white blood cell count, protein concentration in spinal fluid, and cytokines detectable in spinal fluid. We found that significantly more CFS patients had elevations in either protein levels or number of cells than healthy controls (30 versus 0%), and 13 CFS patients had protein levels and cell numbers that were higher than laboratory norms; patients with abnormal fluid had a lower rate of having comorbid depression than those with normal fluid.

Spinal fluid abnormalities in patients with ME/CFS

The Blood Volume Paradox in ME/CFS and POTS

Kunisha Miwa has published no less than five studies on the small heart findings in ME/CFS. Now he moves onto a related puzzle – why the blood volume in ME/CFS is low? Health Rising takes a look at his present study, combines his findings with some others, and comes up with a possibility.

The Blood Volume Paradox in ME/CFS and POTS

Dylan

Dylan and his toy in the garden.

This young man, then a 10 month old Cockerpoo, Dylan, has also stayed with us on a couple of occasions already. We're proud that most of our guests become regular visitors. Dylan is a lovely, sociable lad and enjoys friendly wrestling matches with our other guests.

Dylan playing with Skie.

Friendly wrestling, even if Dylan does try some underhand moves.

I reckon Skie wins by a submission!

Jake

Jake playing with Laddie's football.

Jake is my step-daughter's dog, who you may have seen before as the poster-boy on our ads and in our marketing materials. Now, he has to be entered on the register, just like any other visitor, when he comes to stay and has to muck in with any other guests we have staying.

Jake stealing Barry's bed. Obvious as he doesn't fit. At least he looks guilty!

Jake competing in the muddyest ever Collie contest!

Mud, glorious mud! Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood.

Skie

What do you mean spare room, surely it's my room?

Skie sunbathing on the decking.

Another pretty lady, Skie, a brown spotted Dalmation, has also spent the day or stayed with us on several occasions now. Her favourite thing to do is to sunbathe on the decking.

Look for the heart shaped spot in the middle of her shoulders!

8 portions of fruit and vegs to feel happier

8-a-day can make people feel happier.

Challenging current recommendations, increasing fruit and vegs intake to 8-a-day can make people feel happier. This is based on data from 12,385 adults. By the way, did you know that countries like France recommend 10 portions of fruit and vegs a day?

8 portions of fruit and vegs to feel happier

Ollie, Star and Teddy

(L-R) Star, Ollie and Teddy.

Our second encounter with a family of three dogs, Ollie, Star and Teddy were the happiest little band of gentlemen you could ever meet, always with tails wagging and eager for a cuddle.

Three for the price of one lap dogs!

A rare sight! All three obediently went to their own beds at bed time.

Meg

Some assembly required!

Meg, a delightful rescued Springer Spaniel girl, is one of the sweetest natured dogs we've encountered. As they all do, Meg quickly made herself at home and amused us by adopting some of the most awkward looking, but nevertheless totally relaxed, sleeping poses.

Pebbles, Benji and Milli

First encounter with a feline went very well.

That's my seat. Or it was!

The ball pit was a great success!

After a hard day's play.

Our first family of three dogs, Pebbles, Benji and Milli proved to be a real joy and lots of fun. We learned that puppies have 2 settings; 300mph or off. They don't use the latter very much, but when they do, no matter how small they have the ability to expand to fit an entire sofa!

The Zinn's Find an Under-Active Brain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

If your attention span has become shorter, if you can’t remember things, if you often lose your train of thought, if you make silly mistakes, even if you’re anxious a lot or can’t move well – the good news from this study is that that’s not you – it’s probably your brain.

The Zinn's Find an Under-Active Brain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)

Sepi

Casper and Katie also came back for a return visit this spring, but our next new visitor was Sepi, a lovely Beagle lady, who I'm sure was much happier than she looks in this photo.

Summer Holidays 2016

We have bookings now throughout the whole Summer Holiday period, with only a few days here and there where we may be able to accomodate another dog. We also only have a few days available in September and October. You can check our availability, but always call to check and see if we may still be able to help.

South Coast Model Railway Club Exhibition 2016

It's been a while as other priorities have taken precedence, but here are some snapshots taken at today's South Coast Model Railway Club Exhibition 2016 at The Arnewood School, New Milton.

Wylie

Sunday mornings are often like this.

Wylie stayed with us more than once while Laddie was here.

The pair quickly became as thick as theives, conspiring along with that other well-known reprobate, Balu the cat, seen here together having a Sunday morning lie-in on our their bed.

Lining up for potential tidbits.

Room mates.

The Fatigue and Pain Hormone? Leptin Shows Up Again - in Fibromyalgia

Nobody in the chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) community had taken leptin – a hormone produced by fat cells – seriously until Jarred Younger’s Stanford Good Day Bad Day study suggested that it might be the factor driving fatigue n ME/CFS. Younger wasn’t aiming at leptin; it was just one of many immune factors he analyzed in his unusual (and intense) study examining the blood of ME/CFS patients over 25 days. Now leptin is popping out again – this time in women with body-wide pain and fibromyalgia.

The Fatigue and Pain Hormone? Leptin Shows Up Again - in Fibromyalgia

Ebony

Ebony has stayed with us a couple of times now.

Here she is again playing one-a-side football with Skie.

Barry

Barry steals the cat's cuddly toy.

Another "frequent flier" this year has been Barry the pug, who's stayed with us for several longer stretches, on and off since January while work was done on his owners' home. A proper little character: he sometimes tried our patience, often made us laugh and always stole our hearts.

Barry's best "butter wouldn't melt" pose.

After each full day of mischief, snuggling up and looking cute.

Barry would avidly watch the TV. He barked at all the animals.

Laddie

When we started this business, the aim was to board dogs about 50% of the time, but it soon became apparent that the demands are such that we've been pretty much fully occupied. We've been so busy with dogs, in fact, that I haven't even had time to update the blog with new guests, but from today I hope to get caught up with that, starting here with Laddie.

Laddie came to us in December 2015 and stayed until April 2016, when he embarked on the long journey all the way to Sydney, Australia to re-join his family already there. During that time we took him to be weighed each week, getting him back to a healthy weight, liased with the animal transport companies and took him to the vet for all the necessary tests and innoculations for export. At times this was quite hard work, but I'm very proud of the outcome.

Looks like it was a very tiring journey, but here's Laddie after he arrived home. A happy ending!

Fibromyalgia Study Points to Inflammation, Damage and Low Energy Production in Muscles

The encouraging thing about this study was not that it found some proteins but that the proteins in the muscles of FM patients found fit so well with what we suspect about it. In my experience “omics” (proteomics, genomics) studies often come with an array of factors, many of which just don’t seem to fit but most of the proteins that showed up in this study fit FM really well; i.e. they were associated with cellular stress, inflammation, muscle damage and problems with energy production.

Fibromyalgia Study Points to Inflammation, Damage and Low Energy Production in Muscles

Fresh evidence points to a cause and possible treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalitis, has been largely dismissed as psychological. But recent trials of antiviral and immunosuppressant drugs have yielded encouraging results, suggesting a complex disease mechanism at play that researchers are hopeful they might be able to treat.

Fresh evidence points to a cause and possible treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Maia

Last week I was extremely fortunate to have been able to look after Maia, the pretty blonde girl above. I've been very lucky that I haven't had a dog to care for yet that I couldn't get along with, but Maia is definately one of the special ones with the sweetest nature.

Tail always wagging, she would run around the garden like a whippet on steroids and then curl up quietly beside me or on my lap once indoors. Ate enthusiastically, slept all night, hardly ever barked and clean as whistle. Bit wary of the cat, but she wasn't going to chase him.

You'd have to go a long way to find a better companion.

Maria

And Maia did come a long way. All the way from Greece, in fact.

One of seven siblings, six of whom have now found their furever homes, this just leaves Maia's sister Maria who is looking for someone to love. And if Maria is anything like her sister in character - and I'm sure she is - she will be a real pleasure to have around.

I'll be honest, I'm sorely tempted to adopt Maria myself, but the time and circumstances are not quite right at the moment, so I'm publishing this plea in case you or someone you know is looking for a new canine friend. Do feel free to pass this on, because it would be so nice to find Maria a loving home. And if it was nearby, perhaps she could even meet up again with her sister from time to time?

Read more details about Maria here

The Exercise Intolerance in POTS, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Explained?

The study also indicated neither deconditioning or a reduced maximal effort, both of which have been suspected in ME/CFS, play a role in the exercise intolerance found. In fact, deconditioned people, ironically, exhibit an opposite finding (increased as opposed to decreased filling pressures) to that found in this study.

The Exercise Intolerance in POTS, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia Explained?