Wordless Wednesday: Fibro Cannot Find Me!

Brain Crashing in 10...9...8...

My brain will be crashing in 10...9...8...better make a mad dash under the covers! Even though I was having a great time tonight writing blog posts and working on a compilation of short stories, I’m on my way out, folks. My fibromyalgia was acting up with severe itchiness over my entire body--like it likes to do every now and then. I was forced to take two pills of Benadryl, and that stuff always throws me for a loop!

I’m seeing every color of the rainbow. My eyes are trying to wander off in different directions. I can’t even type the right keys because I can’t concentrate. Oh, and don’t get me started about how my head is buzzing like I drank WAY too much tequila.

I’m trying to push through it a tad bit longer so I can wrote a little old post stating that I’m thinking of and praying for all my fibro warriors tonight. My road is horrible right now. My symptoms are on a major flare up because I’ve already overworked myself and it barely is Thursday.

My friends, may the rest of your week be fruitful but still allow you rest. May your happiness be plenty and your symptoms few. May your body act as strong as I know you are in spirit. And may life surround you with blessings from above. Take care, everyone, and keep fighting the good fight!

Weather Woes

My poor body is in total shock. It has been sunburned, then frozen, then soaked, and finally roasted--all within a matter of two weeks. (And now it looks like it will have to deal with scattered thunderstorms again for the next few days.) The weather has been completely bipolar this month, and my body is suffering.

As many of you may already know from experience, fibromyalgia doesn’t like extreme weather. And it especially hates sudden and drastic changes in weather. These changes make the body severely sore, stiff, and unable to regulate its body temperature. And the worst part is weather is a fibro trigger that we can’t do much of anything about.

You may argue that we can always move to a more tolerable climate or simply stay in the house. However, weather can be pretty unpredictable anywhere you go. And hiding indoors does little to silence the chaos outside our door.

In the end, we are forced to muddle through the best we can. When we experience a weather flare we should try to get plenty of rest. Also, stocking up on anything that helps soothe our flared symptoms is a must. Finally, we can’t allow ourselves to do too much. Pushing ourselves when we are already under a lot of strain from the weather will only makes things worse. Using common sense and pacing ourselves during these difficult times could be the difference between a flare that lasts only days to one that goes on and on for weeks.

Which one would you prefer? I, for one, would much rather spend as little time laid up as possible. Because of this, I’ve learned to listen to my body and only do what it is capable of doing at the moment. If it says to sleep, I sleep. If it tells me that I’m pushing myself too hard, I take a break and later return at a much slower pace. Ultimately, we must all learn to listen to our bodies. That, my friends, is the best treatment we can prescribe for ourselves!

T...The Terrible Twitches

As I sit here writing this tonight, I’m wrestling with my sanity. No, I’m not worried that I’m literally losing my mind. But I am aggravated and frustrated beyond words. My left eyeball has been twitching all day long and I can’t seem to find anything that will help. The twitching is so intense that I keep checking myself in the mirror. With how much it is interfering with my vision, you’d think it would be visible externally. But like most of my twitches, it is just another hidden symptom of fibromyalgia.

Before I started taking magnesium, vitamin B, and vitamin D supplements, I was wracked with twitches throughout my body on a regular basis. For those of you who rarely or never suffer from twitches, you may not realize how difficult such a symptom is. Actually, I’ve had more sleepless nights due to nonstop twitching than I’ve had because of my pain. I learned early on how to take the edge off of my pain. So unless my pain is severe, I can still get some rest. But with twitching, my brain stays continuously engaged. I can literally see the movement of my twitching and throbbing inside my head. And of course, all this twitching and throbbing is not at the same time. As a result, my body can have quite a lot of commotion going on when I’m trying to sleep. At times, it feels as though I have an army of microscopic tap dancers having a ball on my body.

I have always been a light sleeper. My brain stays active if there’s too much light, noise, or even smells. And internal movement is just as bad. My doctor put me on muscle relaxers to try to lessen my twitching and muscle spasms. But even at the maximum dosage, my symptoms did not improve. I was beginning to think I’d be stuck with twitches and muscle spasms for the rest of my life. Imagine my surprise, the severity and frequency of these issues greatly improved after starting the supplements that my doctor recommended.

I highly doubt I’ll ever be twitch and cramped free. Still, it’s a relief to know that the symptoms are not nearly as bad as they used to be. It sure means a lot less sleepless nights and aggravation.  If you suffer from twitches and muscle spasms, I highly recommend that you speak with your doctor about if these supplements are right for you. Getting enough vitamins and minerals is an important part of getting and staying healthy.

R...Regular Rest and Relaxation

Normally, I’m true to my word. I say what I mean, and I mean what I say. I am one of those people who always tries to practice what she preaches. However, when it comes to ensuring that I have enough rest and relaxation I have a hard time following my own advice. From all the research I have done on fibromyalgia over the years, I know how important sleep is, especially with those suffering from a chronic illness. In fact, I know that overworking myself and getting an average of 4 to 5 hours of sleep a night during my college years is part of why my fibromyalgia is so active. A person cannot go through life getting little sleep and working too hard without there being consequences.

Yet, lately my sleep schedule is chaotic and my amount of sleep is too low. April has turned out to be a hectic month. I underestimated the strain of doing the A to Z Blogging Challenge with three blogs. I didn’t foresee several family emergencies. I didn’t make a concrete schedule until this week, so I failed to visualize just how overbooked I was becoming this month. It didn’t take too long before I realized I’m in over my head this month.

I am not one to give up. I don’t back out of my promises and obligations. Thus, until this month is over, I will continue to skimp on my rest and relaxation. But beginning next month, I plan to be much wiser with my schedule. I’m going to write down every single appointment, assignment, obligation, and event from now on. That way I’ll be able to see when I start putting too much on my plate. Furthermore, I guarantee I will be getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night. I haven’t felt this tired and overwhelmed in a long time, it is never going to happen again!

If we don’t take care of our bodies, who is going to do it? We’re stuck with the same body our whole lives, so why do we treat ourselves with such disrespect and disregard? I promise myself today that my physical well being is and will stay a top priority. I will stop treating my body poorly, while expecting it to function normally. I will find ways to nourish, refresh, and support my body. I will do more of the things that make me happy, healthy, and relaxed. And I will do less of the things that leave me stressed, exhausted, and sick.

Will you do the same? Will you promise today to start taking care of your body? Will you join me now and begin really considering what is best for your health?

N...Naps Are a Lifesaver

If it wasn’t for afternoon naps on my most difficult days, I would be a fibromyalgia zombie. As a writer, I tend to be a night owl because I can think best during the late hours of the day. Additionally, I have a lot less distractions during the night. I cyber school my children though, so sometimes I get too wrapped up in my writing and before I know it, morning is only a couple short hours away. The show must go on, so I go to sleep for that short time and pray that I can get a nap later on in the day.

On top of this, my pain sometimes makes it too difficult for me to sleep. The aches and pains of fibromyalgia can keep me up for hours. If I can fall asleep, my body usually wakes me up multiple times during the night. After nights like these, naps are truly a lifesaver. Without them, I realistically would not be able to function properly.

Most afternoons I am usually dragging and fighting exhaustion by about 3:00 pm. But when I spend much of my night awake I literally feel as though I’m going to pass out. I get all lightheaded and dizzy. The room starts spinning all around me. Unless I go to lie down and get some rest, I can no longer do anything.

I really hate when my body gets like this. It makes me feel so weak. On the other hand, I am very thankful that I have found a solution for when this happens. I am thankful that something as simple as a nap can replenish some of the energy that was lost during my day.

Sometimes we must give in to our weaknesses and admit that we need a break. Admitting that we can’t go on for now doesn’t make us weaker. In fact, it makes us stronger. It shows that we’re willing to do what it takes to deal with our weaknesses, so later we can get the most out of our lives. It demonstrates that even though we must back down for a moment, we’re only a regrouping to return and fight wholeheartedly again.