When I hear of OSHA, I normally think of a government agency (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Osha is also an herb, which is used to fight colds and viruses. It has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It is said to be especially good for upper respiratory infections, and it helps oxygenate the blood.

I had never heard of Osha until the other day, however. I had just moved across three states and was run down and experiencing some symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. It could have been a cold, or even allergies, but I was just bone tired and feeling like a truck hit me. Even though I do holistic healing, I forget sometimes to take care of myself using the tools available. I remembered there was a health food store across the street from my new apartment complex, and I went there to get some natural remedies.

Here's an email I received that I think many of us can relate to:

I truly love life and am so grateful for where I am today and at the same time I feel like I am constantly treading water. After all the positive changes I've contributed to my life I still feel like life is so hard and I can't catch a break and all I do is work and I am so physically tired cannot afford health care and make to much too qualify for assistance, I am mentally and emotionally drained and tired all the time yet continue to think positive and always smile ~~ what to do... Carol, Austin, Tx.

Boy, do I ever know what it feels like to tread water. It sucks, big time.

Carol, I am going to give you some extremely radical advice - stop smiling all the time! Go hit a pillow and cry for a bit.

Don't get me wrong, positive thinking can be very powerful, and we are often in a much more empowered space when we utilize positive thinking, but it's not the be all and end all.

As a woman, I have been absolutely shocked and dismayed at how Democrats have been responding to Sarah Palin. Hammer her on her pro-life stance if you will, but to go on and on about Palin's newborn child and insinuate that it was her daughter's is beyond tabloid - it's absolutely crazy!

I guess it's true that we often become that which we hate.

What really got me yesterday was when I read a comment in an article mocking the idea that Bristol Palin could have been out of school five months with mono.

I got mono when I was 17, Bristol Palin's age. The mono is what triggereed my chronic fatigue syndrome. I had to drop out of band camp when the mono hit. Then, it ruined my senior year of high school. I dropped out of the high school musical, I didn't perform in my yearly saxophone competition, and I had health problems my entire senior year.

Hey Stephanie.

Are you better? I've been floored with CFS for over 2 years now. I just began seeing an acupuncturist for about a month and taking chinese herbs for about 2 weeks but I can't say I see any significant difference. I was just wondering how you are feeling and how long it took for you to get better. This is very depressing. I have begun to feel a bit helpless. Any input/advice you could give me would be a great gift....

Thank you....

Thank you for the email. Yes, I know all too well how frustrating and depressing chronic fatigue syndrome can be. But don't give up! Two weeks is not long enough to see any significant progress from acupuncture treatments, if you have a very debilitating form of CFS.

OK, I usually don't do commercial advertising here, but I must share. A lot of people who know me don't realize that in order to be healthy and chipper, I have days where sometimes I need 10-12 hours of sleep in order to control my chronic fatigue syndrome.

So when you need to sleep a lot compared to regular humans, what's the first thing to go out the window? Cleaning, especially the floors. What's important to do when you have CFS? Vacuuming regularly, to remove dust and allergens. Because if you don't, you might feel more tired...which ends up making it hard to vacuum...and thus a vicious circle is born.

Enter the miraculous labor saving device!

My friend got me a Roomba in thanks for helping her with something. A Roomba, in case you hadn't heard, is a robotic vacuum cleaner that sweeps your floors all by itself.