Do you believe you can make a difference?

Published at January 21, 2009 in My Own Experience. 0 Comments

Hello Everyone,

I start off my post with a question because I was so moved by watching the inauguration and listening to our new President’s speech.  I believe everyone in society has a purpose and somehow makes a difference in one, two, maybe several lives. The key is to find that purpose and accept it, share it and stand by your work and word.

I feel good today and have accomplished some chores.  On Sunday I was able to make it to my church, Santa Barbara and attend mass.  I had prayed to my Lord to give me the strength to wake up on time, get dressed and attend.  Well, he answered my prayer.  It was interesting because I am not easily awoken.  I do not get restful sleep without some type of medication.  So, I am either tossing and turning or taking medications that help me sleep.  I have tried going without the medications and lasted for a short period of time.  Inevitably, I end up requiring the medications or end up experiencing extreme pain and fatigue.  Adrenaline can only take me so far.  I am still experimenting by trying to eliminate medications and it is not an easy road to take. I don’t apologize for requiring them, but want to someday be free of them.

I hope and pray that sharing my information helps someone today.

Fibro Viv

Sunday (New Series)

Published at January 18, 2009 in New Series. 0 Comments

Times before were so different, it has all sunk in, I feel different in many ways.  Every day is a better day, yet I long for the past and at the same time look forward to today and tomorrow.  It was difficult to move on, after all life does go on.  There is no going back to that person I once was. The key was to hang onto my faith and to remember my blessings.  You see the journey is not over, and it is just another chapter in my life.

Please share your thoughts.

Swollen throat glands, chronic fatigue, sensitivity to light, sound, etc.

Published at January 17, 2009 in Tools to Creat & Use. 1 Comment

Swollen throat glands and severe sore throats, Fatigue (sometimes chronic), fever, muscle pain, aching joints, headaches, night sweats, stomach aches, sensitized skin, eyes sensitive to light, cold hands and feet.

While I cannot provide you with an answer as to what your next step should be, I can share my own experience and what works for me.  Please remember everyone is different.

The doctor never found anything wrong with my throat but did feel my swollen glands.  Tests have been taken, and nothing comes up.  The fact is I have been to the doctor for all of these symptoms.  He has tried various medications and treatments.  I honestly do not know the answer.  I do know how I have dealt with it and continue to work toward taking control of my daily challenges.  The good news is, I feel much better.

I suffered from chills, fever, muscled pain, everything you listed.  There are various things I do to help alleviate those challenges:

*    I used to go through and still have some spirts of swollen throat glands and a severe sore throat.  I lived on cough drops for a long time, it seems to alleviate the swelling and pain.  It probably isn’t good to ingest as much as I have and do.  So, please talk to your doctor about this.

*   Deep heating of the muscles can be obtained by taking a hot bath or shower. The heat relaxes muscle spasms and makes you feel better for a few hours.

*   There are a number of lumbar cushions, cervical pillows and certainly heating pads that will help alleviate the pain.

*   Posture scans are important.  I list some on my site.

*   I continue to be sensitive to light and my hearing at times becomes magnified, so I turn lights very low, wear ear plugs to help with my sensitivity to sound.
* My skin requires loads of lotion, Shea butter helps my skin.

*  The stomach aches have been alleviated by eating small portions of food.  I have eliminated some dairy products.  Start off by eliminating some food and re-introducing it.  This will help you find out if she has food allergies.

*  Massage her body gently to help with the joint pain.  Movement is necessary, so slowly introduce stretching exercises and my prayer position stretch; I do this several times during the day. It helps, so please try it.

1. Start by holding your hands in a prayer position.

2. Raise your arms over your head keeping your hands together in a prayer position.

3. Turn your palms outward (the front of your hands are now placed together in this position).

4. Stretch your arms downward as you separate your hands bringing your elbows down and place your hands back into the prayer position.

5. Repeat (2 to 3) two to three times.

Note: Please make sure to perform this exercise within your pain-free range of motion.

Quiet time and nice soothing music helps me forget about the symptoms I experience.  I hope and pray my own experience and prayers will be helpful to everyone.

God Bless,

Viv

Muscle Spasms Head to Toe..tips on what to try

Published at January 17, 2009 in Viv's Tips. 0 Comments

Spasms are not new to me.  Try to take the stress off your muscles and correct imbalances from head to toe. Stand up and try to stretch out the spasm, I know,  easier said than done.

* Slow down, pace activities and rest during the day, even lie down for your two 15-minute rest breaks.

*  Try to balance your body, front to back and side to side–so that weak muscles don’t have to fight gravity to keep you upright. Painless posture is crucial, whether sitting, standing or walking.

* I have some posture scan tips on my site that will also help.

* There are a number of lumbar cushions, cervical pillows and certainly heating pads that will help alleviate the pain.

* Personally, heat is more helpful for spasms than ice. After a hot bath a gentle massage with heat feels great.
* I have a long massage pad that was given to me years ago, it heats up and gentle massages different areas of my body.  Unfortunately, it does not massage my hands and feet.

* Deep heating of the muscles can be obtained by taking a hot bath or shower. The heat relaxes muscle spasms and makes you feel better for a few hours.

I pray and hope you have a pain and fatigue free day.

Viv

Central Sensitivity Syndromes

Published at January 17, 2009 in CFIDS/FMS Information. 0 Comments

I would like to share some information I found on another site.  To read more about this post, go to:

Wellsphere comments by Sandy R.

Several years ago Muhammad B. Yunus, MD reported that ME/CFS & FM and other conditions such as IBS, migraines and multiple chemical sensitivities were all part of a larger group he referred to as “Central Sensitivity Syndromes.” He said that all of these illnesses have one factor in common - central sensitization. This is when there is an exaggerated response of the central nervous system to stimuli.

Fibromyalgia is a malfunction of the central nervous system that causes disordered pain processing, and results in pain amplification. The primary symptoms of FM are:

* Widespread chronic pain
* Extreme fatigue
* Sleep problems.

Other symptoms that may occur include: allergies, irritable bowel, irritable bladder, headaches, migraines, dizziness, numbness and tingling, sensitivity to cold or heat, depression, restless legs syndrome, chemical or environmental sensitivities, impaired balance or coordination, dry eyes and mouth, vision problems, or problems with memory, concentration and cognitive functioning.

NOTE:  I reference Sandy’s material for the information listed above.  Please take a look at her site.

This part is mine:  I have experienced all of these symptoms at one point or another and have been able to manage or alleviate some of them.

I pray and hope you have a pain and fatigue free day!

Viv

Answers (New Series)

Published at January 17, 2009 in New Series. 0 Comments

I shared my thoughts and feelings and received some responses via my email. It is interesting how some people feel better knowing there is someone out there that feels as I do. There are others who try to reach out and help and those who wish for this time to pass for me. Isn’t life interesting and of course people are always interesting?

I am sorry I missed posting yesterday, I was ready to do so, however my blog was not cooperating with me! Or perhaps my brain was all fogged up and unable to function.

I woke up this morning and opened my mind and eyes and my first thoughts were “Thank you God for allowing me to be alive.” My dear husband quickly went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of hot chocolate for me and heat up my rice pad for my aching body. It seems each morning as I first awake with no feeling throughout my body, all I can do is take my medication and supplement. The whole ritual is a way of awaking each morning and my body temperature is very low. I kiss my husband, drink my cup of chocolate and get back into my bed with my pad to warm up. You see, my body has started to awaken and feel pain and cool all over. It takes about an hour for my body to recover. When I start to recover, I slowly force myself to stretch while in bed, then I stand up and walk around and try some yoga moves. I do not know exactly when, but my body starts to feel better. You see I can deal with the pain simply by stretching, yoga, tools and tips I have shared with all of you. The fatigue is more difficult to deal with, but I have found ways to deal with the fatigue. As I have always stated “pain is easier than fatigue.” I can now get on with my day.

I felt better today. Why? Because I shared how I felt with my family, perhaps with some remorse, but somehow the thoughts and feelings I had, seemed to have disappeared. What do you think about that? Some people do not like to share because they believe they are showing weakness. I believe we are being honest with ourselves and our family. It is all a part of healing. What do you think? Please share your feelings by posting. I will continue to accept emails from anyone that does not feel comfortable posting. However, I want you to know that sharing is healing.

I pray and hope you have a pain and fatigue free day!

Fibro Viv

Oh, about my moment of weakness

Published at January 15, 2009 in New Series. 0 Comments

I felt weak yesterday when my husband came home. I told my family I felt overwhelmed and needed to spend some time by myself away from home. My Mother has never and would never say those words to her family. I cannot be as perfect as she is, I believe she is a saint. I strive to be as kind, loving and caring as she is. She is one of the strongest women I have ever known. Anyway, back to my weak moment in time, I cried and apologized for feeling this way. Of course they understood how I felt, were supportive and gave me my space for the evening. How blessed am I?

All I could think about afterwards was my mother, brother and sister’s. They are all strong individuals that deal with more than I ever have. I am blessed to still have a husband alive and by my side. They are not so lucky. So, how could I have felt that way? Why did I speak those words? I had started to focus on getting organized and actually made some progress. What happened? What caused this weakness? Was it the presence of my supportive husband? I am sharing this with all of you because I believe our illness causes us to feel this way. What do you think?

I pray and hope everyone has a pain and fatigue free day.

Fibro Viv

Starting a “New Series”

Published at January 15, 2009 in New Series. 0 Comments

Hello Everyone,

I thought I would start a small series of thoughts and perhaps moments in my life. Some comments will be random and hopefully gains your interest. Here goes . . .

I always thought of myself as a strong individual able to handle anything that came my way. I have been a shoulder to friends and strangers have had leadership jobs most of my life until I first started feeling all sorts of symptoms. I simply do not like the thought of feeling weak. Have any of you felt weak for any reason? We all have moments we don’t want to think about fear, weakness, sadness, is anyone willing to share? I’ll post tomorrow.

I hope and pray you have a pain and fatigue free day.

Fibro Viv

So how did your year start off?

Published at January 14, 2009 in My Own Experience. 0 Comments

Hello Everyone,

I hope your year started off great. Personally, mine has been a bit depressing. My husband’s breathing has not been good. I took him to the emergency room on January 8, and he has had a tough time of it. The good news is he comes home today!

As many of you know, I suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I know how to deal with those health challenges and pretty much have them under control. I personally do not like cold weather for many reasons, my pain is worse, I am cold, I do not like to wear long sleeves, sweaters or coats. So, I basically avoid getting out of the house and sleep in late. This is followed by ignoring shores, the budget, etc. I simply try to survive by ignoring what may be happening with me by focusing on my family. I did go visit my twin grandchildren and enjoyed the visits, when it was warmer. I grew up in Amarillo, Texas, the Panhandle area gets quite cold and I did enjoy the snow when I was younger. Here in Austin it does not get that cold, but I am just a big baby! LOL

After my husband was admitted to the hospital I went home and slept. The next morning I decided I needed to take control of not negative, rather an uninterested feeling I was experiencing. I woke up, took a hot bath and got dressed. I like to hang around the house in comfortable pajamas, T-shirts, pants or shorts. I then proceeded to go take care of the laundry and other household shores. Little did I know my youngest son had a nice surprise awaiting, the living area, dining area and kitchen were spotless, it brightened up my day! I cooked breakfast, started working on my long overdue laundry and even tackled my disorganized closet. I feel better when my house is clean and organized.

Somehow my bedroom, the bathroom counter top and closet had gotten disorganized. When I mention my bedroom, it specifically includes piles of bills and paperwork I put aside. I pulled one of those, I will do it tomorrow until it got out of hand, which in turn depressed me. The next day I continued on my laundry, created a “To Do List,” and started to prioritize it. The key is to create a “To Do List,” prioritize it and plan on only completing a few of the tasks per day or you will get overwhelmed. I had to call the dealership and take the car in for a diagnostic check (during cold weather), among other tasks.

Sometimes we just have to force ourselves to sit back, take a deep breath and realize it is not the end of the world. I tend to place all shores and challenges on myself, when indeed my son’s take care of their own laundry and are here to help. I place those pressures on myself. At least that is what happens to me, I get overwhelmed thinking about the piles of mail (mostly junk mail) and tasks. I create this giant monster that truly does not exist! Do not get stuck in that trap and if you do, step back, breathe and give yourself time to clear your mind of all the clutter you have created.

Sorry for the long post, I guess I am making up for lost time. I hope you learn from my experience and yes I feel better, accomplished a lot and my husband is coming home today! Oh Yeah!

I hope and pray you experience a peaceful pain and fatigue free day!

My Old Project - Starting Again!

Published at January 14, 2009 in My Book and My Own Experience. 0 Comments

Hello Everyone,

I have decided to continue on my book project. Many things have changed and I still have prior items to change. My book will include my own experience, tips, forms, tools and suggestions on how to stay comfortable. My dream is to complete it, publish it, and the whole ideal is to help me heal emotionally. I will share the beginning of my journey as well as the path I have walked with fibromyalgia and chronic illness. I will start categorizing posts I plan on incorporating into my book under “My Book.”

So what you do think about this? Any suggestions? Any comments? I welcome anyone’s feedback.

I hope you have a pain and fatigue free day!

Fibro Viv