Francis has battled pain, fatigue, and frustration for nearly 10 years. "It is like a fog had descended and a fog in which I was literally living like a vegetable in pain." She has chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia -- two conditions Internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., says are hard to overcome.

"It devastates them," Dr. Teitelbaum, of the Center for Effective CFS/Fibromyalgia Therapies in Annapolis, Md., tells Ivanhoe. "Picture having the average 32-pound weight gain, total exhaustion, brain fog with no energy, widespread pain, and you basically feel miserable."

To offer relief, he targets four areas. First, maximize sleep -- eight hours a night. Then, correct thyroid, estrogen or testosterone deficiencies. "Any of these hormones can, when they are deficient, cause fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome," he says.

Next, heal the infections. Sinusitis and yeast infections are most common. Finally, get a good mix of nutritional supplements. Dr. Teitelbaum says when you treat all four of those, people get well. The fuse goes. The circuit breaker comes back on, and they feel well. A recent study shows the approach works for more than 90 percent of sufferers.

Francis takes a page full of supplements every day and has her hormones and infections under control. She says: "I look forward to each day. I know that I am getting better." And that it's paid off to finally live where pain is not at the top of her list.

Specific treatments will vary from person to person. There are dozens of nutritional deficiencies that people can suffer from. Dr. Teitelbaum says proceeds from his products go to charity