FCI Member David Newton Featured in St. Joseph News-Press

On July 20, 2004, FCI member, Dr. David Newton, was featured in the Healthy Living section of the St Joseph [MO] News-Press. Reporter, Danielle Zielinski told about David’s illness which keeps him from participating in sports and from practicing as a doctor of chiropractic. Dr. Newton says, “I was constantly going to the gym, running, lifting weights, everything” and then one night he went to the emergency room because he could feel his heart skipping beats. Dr. Newton began experiencing colds, allergies, and a cough that wouldn’t go away. He was constantly tired and began to ache all over. Soon after, Dr. Newton was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, and his life began to change drastically. He became intolerant to heat and sensitive to chemicals in perfumes, common household cleaners, and fabric softeners, but he adds, “There is hope. There are people getting well.”

The article also included comments from Dr. Jeannie Drisko, Director of the Integrative Medicine program at the University of Kansas Medical Center and from FCI founder and executive director, Yvonne Keeny.

Kansas Governor Signs FM/CFS Awareness Day Proclamation

In a signing ceremony in Topeka, on April 29, 2003, Governor Kathleen Sebelius proclaimed May 12^th Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in Kansas. Attending the ceremony were Dr. Nancy Russell, MD, Dr. Bill Mikklesen, DDS, Mary Moeller, LPN, Phyllis Woolard and Yvonne Keeny from the Kansas City area and Dr. Fe Villarante, MD, Lerma Boise, RN, Jeanne Mann, MSN, BS Psych, Marjorie Mueller, PA and Sue Werth, MICT, LEO of Hays, Kansas. FCI founder & executive director, Yvonne Keeny spearheaded the event. The proclamation was unveiled at the annual FCI conference.

Fox-4 News Health Reporter Interviews FCI Founder and Support Group Members

Members of the Getting Well support group, a division of Fibromyalgia Coalition International, were featured in a Fox- 4 News report. In a news spot entitled “Walking and Talking” Susan Hiland, Fox-4 health reporter, conduct the interview in connection with a study completed in 2000 at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Researchers compared drug and non-drug treatments by analyzing 49 separate studies involving 2,066 fibromyalgia patients. The study indicated that exercise and talk therapy provides more symptom relief than antidepressants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or muscle relaxants. The interview included two support group members along with support group leader and FCI founder, Yvonne Keeny.