Category Archives: Chronic Illness

P.O.T.S and the Process for Someday Getting Pregnant

I went to see a high-risk obstetrician today for a preconception consultation. I AM NOT PREGNANT!!! ⇐ Just needed to throw that on there so people wouldn’t freak out 😛

Why did I go see the high-risk OB? Because of my POTS.

Someday, and someday hopefully fairly soon, I want to be a mother. To me, this is not an optional part of my life. I have wanted to be a mother more than anything for as long as I can remember. I would play house with my friends, and always be the mother (or father, since I was so tall). The only thing I know for sure that I need for myself out of this life is to be a mother and loving wife.

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Yoga and Painting = My Saturday

Yesterday, was a lot of fun! Exhausting, but definitely worth it 🙂

First, we did restorative yoga. Over the course of an hour, we only did about 6 positions, holding each one for quite some time. Apparently, it’s supposed to be good for fibromyalgia sufferers because of the use of props and such (according to The Chopra Center). restorative-yogaUnfortunately, my body didn’t seem to like it much. I think it’s because my body hates staying in one position for very long, and that always aggravates my fibro. It was, however, good for my P.O.T.S since it was all done lying down and there was no physical exertion. Well, I was having to spend a lot of physical and mental energy relaxing the muscles that my body refused to relax (new ones would tense up during poses and so it was a constant game of tag around the muscles). It was nice, however, because being on the floor and using all of the props made some positions a lot easier. I just wish my body was okay with holding positions for long periods of time. I’m definitely feeling it today.

Then…

Saturday Nerves

Saturday (today) is a bachelorette party for a friend of mine. We’re going to be doing restorative yoga, dinner, then Picasso and Wine (do a guided painting and you can get a drink while you do it if you want). It should be a lot of fun!

But…

The Fight Against The Invisible

 

There is a problem with chronic depression.

Well, there is more than one problem. There are several.

But you know what a big problem with it is?

It can honestly be 100% random.

Seriously.

One minute, you can be happy and smiling.

The next minute, you just want to curl up in a ball on the couch and disappear. Sometimes, you’ll even start crying.

Usually, it isn’t quite…

The Snooze Button

When I wake up, I hit snooze until I get out of bed. The amount of times I’ve dozed off and missed something is embarrassing. Today, I’ve hit snooze for almost two hours… Oops. But it goes to show how much energy chronic pain can take out of you. I’m exhausted. I got over 9 hours of sleep.

Crazy Weather = Crazy Body

I’ve been in a LOT of pain recently (see “Why Today is a Bad Health Day“). I thought it was from the nerve massages and being far too busy, but now I don’t think so. I’m still in a lot of pain, and my appointment with Joleen on Monday was really gentle, and I slept most of yesterday.

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Why Today is a Bad Health Day

I’ve still been having nerve pain in my arm. Joleen worked on it a ton on Friday (I had to reschedule because of the bronchitis, I didn’t want to get people sick since I was still coughing Monday). I thought it’d be okay, but I should have known better; nothing good can come of an hour of nerve massage on a fibromyalgia patient. My muscles feel bruised (she had to work out some knots she thinks are being caused by the nerve pain), my ribs feel bruised, and I vaguely feel like I got bruised in general.

Last week, I also did too much. Way too much! (read more)

My Last First Day – complete

Yesterday, I mentioned how having my last first day of school is a complete mixed bag of feelings. Well, I realized that because I was talking to Dan about it Monday night and ended up in a giant puddle of tears. It’s very complex.

First, I am THRILLED I’m going to be done! I have been in college since August 2008, with only one calendar year off, and in school since I was 5 (20 years now). While I do love to learn, I have grown to really hate school. At the same time, however, school is familiar and safe and it’s going to be really weird not going anymore. I’m not big on rigid schedules, and now my health isn’t either. School definitely requires a rigid schedule. college_textbooks-480x280I also can’t stand homework. I know, I know, nobody likes homework. But I loathe it. I have an almost impossible time sitting down to make myself do it. If there is ANYTHING (including cleaning) that I can do instead of homework, it’ll get done. Dan will just say “I need to study” then sit down and do it; while I say “I need to study” and then the house becomes spotless and then the photos on the computer get organized and then my closet is organized by color and then I’ll maybe do the studying I need. I cannot stand homework. Instead of a “graduation party” I’m going to be having a “no more homework” party. Seriously.

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Albuterol Jitterbug

Because of my asthma, I always have had a rescue inhaler… Since I was about five. Thankfully, I don’t have to use it often anymore. Throughout school I had to use it quite often because my asthma is mostly exercise induced and we had to do a weekly mile (two in high school) in physical education. I also got sick a lot in school, and illnesses love to settle in the lungs if you have asthma.

asthma-airways

 

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How I Know I’m Sick This Time

flu2

Fever, check. It’s been bouncing between 99 and 101 (though, the 101 was shortly after finishing tea, so I think that was my dysautonomia not letting my body stay consistent) today.

Dehydration, check. My lips are as cracked as a typical “desert floor” photograph. I’ve been doing nothing but drinking fluids for two days, or so it feels.

Head full to bursting, check. Nose is also trying to escape… If it wasn’t for the fact it’s attached to my face it’d be on the opposite side of the world by now.

Gnarly cough, check. I haven’t coughed like this since I was a kid. Very tempted to send a sound clip to my parents just to be sure I don’t need to go to the doc ASAP… They should recognize this cough. By the way, Robitussin (cough syrup) isn’t stopping it.

Inability to sleep, check. I took Tylenol PM, but I can’t breathe thru my nose and I can’t stop coughing… It’s really hard to sleep, even with drugs, thru coughing fits and a thoroughly plugged nose.