Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression, and anxiety.

Friday, January 15, 2010

The Frustrations of Living with Fibromyalgia

I wasn't planning to post again before we left for vacation but yesterday I experienced a small setback with my fibromyalgia and it's times like this that frustrate me more than others.

I am not always sure whether it's the fibromyalgia or other problems I have with my neck and back, but either way, they can certainly get in the way sometimes.

Yesterday I sat in the hair salon for 3 hours. I knew when I made the appt. (something you learn when living with fibromyalgia) that I shouldn't have made it so close to the time we were leaving town, but the stylist who cuts my hair wasn't going to be in that week except for yesterday. Anyway, this is a fairly new salon for me and she was still trying to understand what it was I wanted done with my hair, so that took quite a bit of extra time(in the chair).

When she was putting the highlights in my hair she kept telling me to put my head back and then she was putting unusual pressure on my neck and now I am paying for it.

Last night I could tell things weren't right. I don't know if you experience this or not but you can just tell that either your back is on the verge of "going out" or something's going to give real soon.
I felt a pull from my lower right side of my back all the way up my neck into the base of my skull. Nothing real major, but from experience I knew to treat it carefully so I used my electrode machine on it as well as a heating pad for a while, then did my stretching exercises very carefully.

This morning I wake up and now I am trying to decide if I should make an emergency appt. with my chiropractor or wait and see what happens today.

As I have mentioned before, for me, the sitting too long is a killer especially in a hard chair. Having sat for 3 hours in the salon chair was a definite mistake and now I am looking at around 3 1/2-4 hours of traveling in a car.

If I weren't going on vacation I wouldn't stress this as I have the resources available to me here at home if things don't get better, but when you are in the middle of the ocean you don't have a lot of choices.

I would love to know if anyone else ever experiences a sudden kick up of their fibromyalgia and what triggers it for you.

Living with fibromyalgia certainly changes everything. You get so used to working around it you don't really think too much about it until something like this happens. Normal people don't have to worry about sitting in a salon chair for too long, nor do they suffer after affects from holding their neck a certain way.

One time I had such severe problems smack in the middle of a cruise that my husband and I spent all day in one of the ports (fortunately it was a U.S. port) looking for a chiropractor that would take me at the last minute.

I did find one eventually, but that is a story in itself.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry you have to suffer like this. Fibro is not an easy thing to live with and my thoughts are with a fast recoup!

Unknown said...

oh no - I know just what you mean about sitting too long - maybe the steam rooms helped!! I go to a dental clinic where the cleanings can take a lot of time - but I tell them I have to get up and stretch now and then - students do the cleanings - and they are usually very accomadating, fortunately! I'm trying to recoup from my 2plus weeks in Co. and then a 6 hr bus trip home! and now I'm off to take a nap! Hope you enjoyed the cruise!!!! :-) those steam rooms sound wonderful.

Jess said...

that's so great you have yr own electrode machine! i hope the chiro worked, too. the only relief i've received at the hands of any professional has been a physical therapist trained in manual release therapy. helps break up those bound/angry muscles.

Christine Burgess said...

Lisian-A 6 hr bus trip? OMG how horrible. That may take days to truly recover. Take care.
Fox-yes having my own machine is fabulous and it really does work-fast!
I went to a PT and learned stretching and it has helped me more than any chiropractor or doctor.
I am glad you found a good one.
Thanks MTBO for your well wishes.