Fibro Future

It's all in God's hands...only He knows what the future holds for me and for each of us Fibro Fighters who are dealing with the many aspects of this disease. I am finding out more and more each day there is so much more to it than I ever even thought existed. I went to the doctor again with new problems arising this week with chest pains and shortness of breath. I had a Spirometry test to measure lung function and didn't do too well....so now am referred to yet another specialist... a Pulmonary Doctor since I may have a Pulmonary Obstruction. I came home thinking to myself...what now??? Can anything else go wrong in this body of mine???? I am so tired of being sick and tired of going to the doctor...tired of tests...tired of trying new meds....but I know that there has to be a reason ....if nothing else, maybe just because it is good for me to just to have to sit and rest, and reflect on God and His promises to me. I know He knows all about what I am going through and knows all about my body. If I didn't have to rest, I wouldn't have met so many sweet friends. If I didn't have to just rest, I wouldn't be doing what I love to do ...write....and I am finding that the more I write, the more I have to write about. This morning, as I woke up at 3:00 am, and not able to get back to sleep, my thoughts went once again to ..."Be Still and Know that I am God....."        Just rest....and trust that He knows, cares, and is with you!

Fibro Frustration

Today is my day...I get to go to the doctor today and try to explain how I am feeling. Isn't that fun? For all of you with Fibro or any other Chronic illness you know it is NOT !  " On a scale of one to ten what is your pain scale, and where are you hurting today?"  What kind of a joke is that? Some days it tops the charts and the pain is in so many places it would take me too long to explain! Then the strange looks that come over the nurses and doctors faces as you do try to explain.....as if what you are saying to them makes absolutely no sense, and it just cannot be possible for one person to have so many ailments all at once! This is how it has been for me for about the last fifteen years or more every time I have been to the doctor,...and many times  have come away wondering to myself if I was just plain old crazy. I am so thankful though, that finally I have a group of doctors who have worked together on my conglomeration of ailments! They have put their heads together, so to speak, and are communicating to each other concerning my treatment. I have a Primary Care Doctor, a Neurologist, and a Gastroenterologist that all work with the same Health Care group so all of my medical information is shared amongst them. I highly recommend this to anyone who has Fibromyalgia since you will be seeing a doctor for so many various symptoms and at this point all they do is treat the symptoms as they occur, basically. It seems that when I have this thing all figured out or so I think, then some new symptom appears out of nowhere to surprise me. I suppose it is a good thing I am going today since I have not been feeling the best for the last few days. Nothing majorly new...however when they ask me, "how do you feel today?"  " Well......Let me see...
My knees are aching, My ears are ringing, My toes are tingling, My head is spinning, My eyes are burning, My body's chilling, My nose is running, My chest is caving, and I wish whoever is stabbing my legs with needles would quit!! Oops!..forgot to mention...I just want to sleep!! So I hope my poor doctor can make heads or tails out of all of this!

Fibro Flare

This is about what I have felt like for the last few days! Only I didn't have the luxury of laying around on a limb! I, of course had things to do, so as usual, pushed myself beyond exhaustion. You would think I would learn by now not to do that. I always pay for it when I do. I pay the piper with painful achy muscles and extreme fatigue; and then comes the headache, migraine, numb feet and whatever else decides to act up all at the same time....maybe throw in some chest pains..........good grief, no wonder the poor doctors don't know what to do with us Fibro patients! Anyway I guess the point I am trying to make to you is that you and I might actually be able to prevent some of these flares if we would really learn to pace ourselves and learn to pay attention when our body is saying slow down and quit pushing. You are not being lazy....you have an illness and it does limit you in some ways from maybe doing everything that you were used to doing. Accept the things that you cannot change and make the most of the good days.

Fibro Facts

One of the many facts of fibro that I deal with on a regular basis is muscle spasms, which can be quite painful. I never realized they were all a part of this disease until recently but I have dealt with them for a long time. I get terrible muscle spasms in my neck, back, legs, and especially my hands and feet. I can be sitting watching TV, minding my own business, when out of the blue, my foot will curl up in an excruciating position and stay that way for quite awhile. My hands do the same thing and look like something out of a horror flick! Thank goodness for my neurologist who prescribed me Tizanidine....it really does work!! It helps to relax the muscles, and since I have been taking it three times a day, the muscle spasms have reduced in frequency.  When they do occur, they are less intense. I have found that relaxing in my hot tub with the jets on really works too, but if you don't have a Jacuzzi tub you could still just soak in a regular tub and get some relief. A heating pad is great on the back and neck too and actually I use it every night for a little while just before I fall asleep. There are so many facets to this Fibromyalgia....muscle spasms are just one little part, but if it is something that your doctor hasn't helped you with yet, you should ask about Tizanidine for real because it really does help!

Fibro Fibs

As I look at this picture and carefully study each word that describes the many faces of fibromyalgia, I realize that over the last fifteen or twenty years that my doctors have been totally baffled as to what in the world was wrong with me... if they would have looked at the whole picture they would have easily seen it....Fibromyalgia. I should have kept a journal of my symptoms and problems along the way to take to the doctor perhaps and then maybe they would have been able to piece it together.  The Fibro Fibs come in when other people think that Fibromyalgia is no big deal and that it is not a real disease! Tell me....if you experienced all of these symptoms most all of the time would you then say that it is not for real?? Granted, there have been some respite times in my life when I was with Less symptoms ..but I won't say I have ever been symptom-free! Whenever I have been through any kind of stressful times in my life, which  have been many, then the symptoms have been at their peak! There is some connection because the stress affects our central nervous system which in turn affects these symptoms. Family and Friends are the hardest to convince that this is for real and even though you may look fine you are not fine!! When you feel lousy you usually hide out and don't show yourself for days to the world because you just cant!! Then when you finally manage to make it out of your house and feel good enough... people think you are a Fake! They don't realize that you just spent 3 days laying on the couch with aches and pains that pain killers hardly touch! I have had family members and friends both say to me, things like.."Oh, you have Fibromyalgia, that's  no big deal!" Do they even know what it IS? Please read the symptoms and educate yourself!! Please stop believing the Fibro Fibs out there that it is NO Big Deal!! It is a big deal to those of us who have it and have to deal with it on a daily basis!

Fibro Funnies

Dr. Seuss entertained us all with many books over his lifetime. At the end of his life when he spent much of his time in doctor's offices and had numerous tests, he decided to write a book for adults about his medical experiences, that many of us Fibro Fighters can definitely relate to. It is called, You're Only Old Once.  Read it if you get a chance...it will give you a good laugh! After all, laughter is the best medicine! Here is a small portion toward the end of the book:
"For your Pill Drill you'll go to Room Six Sixty-Three, where a voice will instruct you, "Repeat after me...This small  white pill is what I munch, at breakfast and right after lunch, I take the pill that's kelly green before each meal and in between. These loganberry-colored pills I take for early morning chills, I take the pill with zebra stripes to curve my early evening gripes. These orange-tinted ones,of course, I take to cure my charley horse." "I take three blues at half past eight to slow my exhalation rate. On alternate nights at nine p.m. I swallow pinkies. Four of them. The reds,which make my eyebrows strong, I eat like popcorn all day long. The speckled browns are what I keep beside my bed to help me sleep. This long flat one is what I take if I should die before I wake."
When at last we are sure you've been properly pilled, then a few paper forms must be properly filled so that you and your heirs may be properly billed.~~~From: You're Only Old Once~ Dr. Seuss~

Try to have a good day everyone...whether at home, work , or  at doctor's offices. Find something to laugh at...it does help to laugh a little!

Fibro Friends

I have already said that I have been sick for years with whatever this disease IS...my kids can attest to that... but recently was given the name attached to it as Fibromyalgia. Since my diagnosis though I am just overwhelmed with the amount of support of other Fibro Fighters that have literally just come out of the woodwork so to speak like a bunch of little termites!! O my gosh...I had no idea that there were so many people all over the world affected by this disease! When we all compare the symptoms that we have all been through and what we "Are" currently going through ....wow...there is absolutely no way that this is just a fluke of a disorder! The medical professionals need to get it together and find a cure! I am so thankful for my neurologist who actually has done research on this disease and believes in it, however she did not study in the U.S.! Anyway, my thoughts this morning are more toward my dear Fibro Friends!! I am so thankful for each of you!! Thanks for adding me as your Fibro Friend and for sharing info with me and I hope we can keep encouraging each other. It is so much easier to go through this when you know other people are dealing with it and can give some insight as to  how to deal with it...so thanks to all of you.!