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.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Are We Halfway There?

It is so hard to believe we are halfway through the year already. This has not been a good one for our country and not so hot for me either.

I am still battling this foot problem, but the doctor told me yesterday to try some new stretching exercises so we'll see. He did say that the elevated pain is more than likely caused from fibromyalgia but with a sprain or whatever I might have now it would depend on how bad it is and he doesn't really know without an MRI.

I am trying to get over a terrible sinus infection that must have started some time ago as I haven't really felt well for months.

I went to the Urgent Care Facility on Saturday and was given a Z-pack and a prescription for Prednisone. I have finished the Z-pack and still have headaches and fevers so I am now on the prednisone.

On top of that I seriously burned my wrist with my steamer. How you say? Well, it's really a clothes steamer that I use to put some steam into the air for my sinuses. I turned it on and added some scents and then went to reach for something just when it decided to steam and spew out boiling hot water. UGH, I shouldn't be let out alone anymore.LOL

I certainly hope the next 6 months are better as I don't think I could make it as I am worn out.

Until next time. :)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

You Have to See This!

I don't know how many of you watch "America's Got Talent" but this video of these two sisters who have Cystic Fibrosis is so heartwarming that I just had to share it with you.

It is so wonderful to see people, especially children, that some how just move past all the pain and misery and find the silver lining in life.  Their song choice was moving and perfect for their situation.




Definition of Cystic Fibrosis from the Mayo Clinic:

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disorder that causes severe lung damage and nutritional deficiencies.

An inherited condition, cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices. Normally, these secretions are thin and slippery, but in cystic fibrosis, a defective gene causes the secretions to become thick and sticky. Instead of acting as a lubricant, the secretions plug up tubes, ducts and passageways, especially in the pancreas and lungs.

Cystic fibrosis happens most often in white people of northern European ancestry, occurring in about 1 out of 3,000 live births. In the past, most people with cystic fibrosis died in their teens. Improved screening and treatments now allow many people with cystic fibrosis to live into their 50s or even longer

Until next time :)

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Is Fibromyalgia Causing This?

Most of the time I can deal with the pain that I get from having fibromyalgia.  I don't like it.  It has certainly affected how I live my life, but I am beginning to get a handle on what will make it worse.  Or so I thought.

I have been dealing with the after affects of fracturing my foot for nearly 4 months now.  I still can't walk and beginning to wonder if I ever will again.

My doctor told me that the tendons may need to be stretched after wearing the boot for 3 weeks, but even he thought there was no way I could have that much of a problem in such a short amount of time.

Now I am wondering if the fibromyalgia is causing this horrific pain.  I don't say that lightly either as I have worked every day on stretching out the tendons on the top of my foot as well as the one running up the back of my knee.  I used to be able to sit on my legs and now I can't as the pain sears through me.

The pain is so intense that if I work on my foot for too long I actually get physically sick.  I have had lots of pain in my life, but nothing that compares to this and no matter how much I work at it I still can't walk.  It feels like the tendon is so tight that it's going to snap in half.

I went to my chiropractor the other day and he did adjust my ankle and told me the tendon was very rigid.  I felt instantly better for about 10 minutes then it tightened back up again.

I believe that there is a very good chance that the pain is increased considerably because of fibromyalgia.  There is no other explanation for it that I can see.  Who has this much pain from wearing a "boot" for 3 weeks?  I hope to find out when I see my doctor on Tuesday.

I don't know what I can do differently and the pain is still very real to me even if it might be magnified by my illness.  I would like to think I might walk again.

Until next time :)

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

How Would You Describe Yourself?

I am following a lovely blog called Seeking Equalibrium and Rosemary was posting a sort of game where you describe yourself (as of this moment) using 25 adjectives so I thought I would give it a try, just for fun.
It definitely opens you up to being honest with yourself and puts it all out there.

Tired
Heartbroken
Angry
Frustrated
Lonely

Scared
Faithful
Loving
Kind
Compassionate

Caring
Distrustful
Hopeful
Thoughtful
Cynical

Talkative
Perfectionist
Creative
Helpful
Depressed

Funny
Deep
Nervous
Dry Humored
Passionate

Well, that's a little scary.  It is the truth, for today anyway,  so I shall leave it alone.
Anyone else want to give it a try? Let me know if you do.

Until next time :)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Swimming Anyone?

I have decided to swim each night since walking around the neighborhood isn't working for me as my right foot still isn't 100%.

I used to swim everyday when we first moved here 7 years ago and loved it.  I still do love it, but my body screams the next few days.  It is amazing that a little paddling around can cause such a problem now for my body.  I used to do an entire workout routine and hardly feel anything.  I know, we all used to do so much more, huh?

Fibromyalgia is a tough illness because you can't feel what you are doing to yourself at the time.  It's only over the next few days that let you know you may have overdone it.

I suppose if you were to swim every single day and gradually build up to a routine that your muscles wouldn't complain as much.  It's kinda scary to think that something so minimal can cause such grief.  Even my pain pills can't eliminate all of it.

I am not giving in to it though.  I will continue to swim until I can walk again as I refuse to let this illness dictate to my life any more than it already has.

Exercise is recommended for fibromyalgia patients and I know in the long run it's better for the body.

Until next time :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

OK, This is Getting Scary

Is it me or can I blame it on the Tramadol?  I am sure I am losing it.

I have another blog called Chris' Comments that I post about my mosaic business as well as a variety of other topics.   Anyway, I had just completed a very long post about tips for people who are new to cruising and when I went to my blog this morning it wasn't there.  The reason it wasn't there was because it was on this blog instead.  How scary is that?

I accidentally published under the wrong blog.  For those of you who have more than one blog with Blogger, you know that they come up together on the dashboard so I obviously hit the wrong one.  Honestly sometimes I'm afraid to even go out of my house. LOL

I truly do see a significant change in my memory and I recognize that as we get older our memories fade, but good grief I'm only 53.  At this rate I will be mindless by the time I'm in my 70's, if the good Lord allows me to go that far.

I just placed a hold on a brain teaser book at the library hoping that using some of the exercises in that book will improve my memory.  I do know that once I started taking the Tramadol I could see right away that losing some memory was going to be one of the side affects, however the upside was just too good not to stay on it.

I was in my Dr's office the other day to do a follow-up on a dexascan and she told me that Tramadol is now noted for causing depression.  Just great.  Truthfully, I am not worried about that as I have been on it for nearly 3 years and do not see any connection at all.  Of course my body generally acts oppositely to drugs so maybe that's the reason.

By the way, have any of you had a dexascan?  I had one due to the fractures in my foot but was a little scared it was going to come back that my bones had turned into crackers and were falling apart rapidly as it seemed I kept getting more fractures.  Turns out I am borderline from normal to osteopenia which is the first stage of osteoporosis.   I am pretty sure the reason for that result is because I was vitamin D deficient at my last physical which means the calcium I was taking wasn't working either so I am hopeful that my bones will get stronger now that I have boosted the vitamins.

I will let you know if the brain teasers work, that is unless I forget where to post again. LOL

Until next time :)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Where Do I Go to Complain?

 I am still dealing with the after affects of this darned fractured foot and have been more than a little frustrated lately so where can I go to complain?  I mean it.  I wish there was some place a person could go just to complain about life once in a while.

I was put in a "boot" several weeks back because the first fracture (from March) had caused a stress fracture in my little toe due to the unusual way I had been walking and now that the boot is finally off I thought I would finally be able to go out and walk the neighborhood again.  Not so.

I now have to stretch my tendons on the top of my feet back to normal as the few weeks of not using them has caused them to shrink.  Very weird, but OMG, the pain is worse than the the fracture.  I have to literally push my weight onto my right foot and just stretch it back out and it is excruciating, but I don't want to hobble anymore as I desperately need to get back to the business of walking again.  I have gained 8 lbs in the last 3 months from not walking so I really recognize how beneficial it is to maintaining my weight.  Nothing fits and I feel bloated and awful.   I do keep up the stretching exercises every other day though or I would completely lose my mind. 

This hasn't been a picnic with my fibromyalgia either.  I have been getting an adjustment at my chiropractors and a massage every week just to keep my body aligned.  The boot ads  inches to your height on one side and it's hell (sorry, no other word for it) on the body.  I am just grateful I can get a massage for 30 bucks, but even at that price I can't be going forever.

OK, I am finished complaining and feeling much better. Thanks.

Until next time :)