I can’t believe 2015 is already almost over!!!! There are 3ish hours left, and a few minutes (number will continue to change until I publish, so no point haha).
Let’s take a quick look back at my year, if my brain fog will let me.
Monthly Archives: December 2015
Sometimes Complaining Happens
Sometimes you just need to get it off your chest. I’m desperately hoping it’ll help.
For some reason, this flare just won’t go away. I feel as though I’m 60+ years old: limping after I get up, unable to bend, getting stuck when I do bend… It’s awful. I think it might be the weather and lack of exercise, but I’m miserable. I really hate admitting it, because I feel so whiny when I do and the people that love me hate knowing I’m crappy (hate in the same way you hate watching a loved one with the flu). Something just isn’t right in my body.
I did discover from Joleen that apparently some of my nerves are being compressed by my spine, causing compression all along them, causing my never fibers to shorten, causing me pain. My medial and ulnar nerves (two main ones in the arms) are extremely tight… She could only stretch then about 50% of the range of motion they should have. No idea why this happened.
My allergies are randomly going bonkers. I think my allergy shots are maxing out my system so that the exposure I’m getting at home just instantly puts me over the edge. They aren’t helping with the flares though.
I’m really wishing that we can figure out a way to get the tub to hold water for a bath… That’s the only thing I can think of that might help, well, that isn’t a pharmaceutical.
I’m going to be trying a new Pilates class next week. If I like it and it seems easy enough, I might add it into my routine so I’d be doing two a week. Maybe that’d help.
I’m writing this post at almost 2am because my eyes and body are so irritated I can’t get to sleep. I really hope the meditation can help, because I might go crazy if I don’t get sleep.
Good news though: progress is being made around the house this week! It’s awesome and I plan to update you soon on some of the changes!!!
New Venture
Hey everyone! I decided to try to start a Zazzle shop, in the hopes that I’ll be able to actually make some sales with my photography that way! I haven’t finished customizing the storefront, but I did get one item up for sale. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Red Panda Puzzle – Lounging by FindingTheSilverSun
Browse Zazzle for a different jigsaw puzzle
What other kinds of images and products would you like to see? I have a lot of ideas, so what things would you like to see first?
Tips for Supporting a Chronic Partner
Last night I stumbled upon a post on Pinterest that made me cry. It made me cry because it is fantastic, so it was tears due to a display of true love. It was written by a guy who has been married to his wife for almost 14 years, and his wife suffers from chronic pain. He gets it. He gets it in a way I never thought anyone other than the sufferer could get it. The article gave me a lot of hope: It just takes time and patience but the two of us (Dan and me) will learn to conquer this together.
23 Tips For Men – On Supporting A Partner With Chronic Pain
The article isn’t just for spouses. Really, it isn’t. It has perfect tips for any support person. It works the same if the roles are reversed (husband has chronic pain), if it’s a parent/child relationship (either direction), if you’re the best friend of a single friend, etc. Anyone that has to take a primary, or even secondary, caretaker role can benefit from reading this article.
The Difficulty of Chronics vs Being Sick
Since I got diagnosed with all my Chronics (see the sidebar for the list), it is very difficult to determine when I’m sick. Why? Well, let’s break that down, shall we?
First, the symptoms of the common cold (source: Mayo Clinic):
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Itchy or sore throat
- Cough
- Congestion
- Slight body aches or a mild headache
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Low-grade fever
- Mild fatigue
And the symptoms of the flu (source: Mayo Clinic):
- Fever over 100 F (38 C)
- Aching muscles, especially in your back, arms and legs
- Chills and sweats
- Headache
- Dry, persistent cough
- Fatigue and weakness
- Nasal congestion
- Sore throat
Those seem pretty straight forward, don’t they? Well, unfortunately, my Chronics make it anything but.
It’s Christmas Eve!
Tons of cooking to do today 🙂 we’re hosting my in-laws for dinner today! I love making holiday dinners.
Unfortunately, my back is doing the same thing it did a few days ago. Breathing hurts, being upright hurts. I had Dan put on a lidocaine patch for me, which I’m desperately hoping works. I can’t take both metaxalone and Tramadol today, or else I can’t hang out with everyone! 😦 I really hope this will get better.
Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!
Happy Holidays!
Sometimes, There are Bad Days
Today is a Tramadol and Metaxalone kind of day. Tramadol is a strong pain medication (synthetic), and Metaxalone is a muscle relaxant. I can take them together, but ugh, the side effects.
Tips for Winter Pain Flares
The links in this article are not affiliated links, they’re just so you can find things quickly if you are interested. I literally get nothing from them being in my post (sadly, hehe).
I’m sure many people with fibromyalgia (and probably other chronic pain conditions) experience discomfort when the weather changes. For me, cold weather causes a lot of discomfort: extremely overstimulated nerves, painful joints, muscle stiffness, muscle aches, extreme fatigue, etc. I think part of the overstimulated nerves comes from the dry skin I get in the winter.
Even though I only got officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia in January 2013, I have been having symptoms for most of my life. Thankfully, having symptoms most of your life helps you come up with some tricks. I’m still working on an effective routine, but I have a few things that will help when I need some relief.
Chronic Pain Relief in Winter – at Home
Finding Life's Silver Sun 