DATE: 8/9/2004 09:44:00 AM
Dear Sweet Shelley,Wow, did I feel kinship as I read your posts; I have Fibromyalgia and Myofacial Pain Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue and as a result depression.RA & lupus were ruled out in finding my diagnosis at age 35.I awake stiff and in pain and thaw out a bit during the first hour of the day and then I face my day still in pain which is constant from tightened & spasming muscles, and crazy nerve signals of pain like my body is a pinball machine (that's the myofacial part)I have learned that spacing and pacing: spacing activities apart and pacing myself can help prevent flares. And then again I can have a flare for no reason at all that I'm aware of, so sometimes I choose to overdo for family, weddings, vacation, etc. and pay the price I've budgeted into my time.I was so surprised about your 3 mile walk into town. You mentioned the wierdos, but what about your body? And you going fishing is like an activity I'd do knowing I'll pay the next day. Reading your posts you had a flare the day after your fishing and I don't think you saw or at least you didn't write the connection to your activity the day before. And the weather, OMG, changes in the barometric pressure seem to really aggravate joint pain and stiffness don't they? And when the pain is worse I too get nauseated, I hate that feeling...crackers, meds, heat and ice, and quasi-flat 7up (don't know why, Mom just always gave that to me & it helps)...I'm not selling anything...and I'm sure you've tried just about everything. There are a couple of topical analgesics which actually help my worst pain... the actual 'Blue Stuff' or any of the spinoffs and AVON has a lotion, Celadrin, that goes for $7.99 I think and it makes it through my somewhat ample rear to the bursitis and sciatic points and stops the pain, enough so I can go go sleep (you can visit my place at My Life with Fibromyalgia to visit my journey toward trying to sleep). (Don't have an AVON rep and want to try it, goto www.AVON.com and ask to find a rep in your area.)I have a dear friend who has RA and puts baggies of crushed ice on her knees to get some relief so she can sleep, as shocking and uncomfortable as the ice is to her body, the pain is worse. I've learned to make friends with ice too. Heat is more comforting, but ice relieves pain or at least freezes the nerves for a bit!You are among friends here and I look forward to staying connected with you.Hugs, Judy (btw I learned fly fishing one day at a fishing workshop, before I was ever dx'd, and I literally could not move my left arm the next day! but I did qualify one of my catches that weekend, bait fishing, for the fishing derby. My pic is on a wall somewhere in the White Mountains of AZ, looking messy and ridiculous and smiling and holding my fish. Oh boy..but that was a beautiful day!)
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TITLE: Dealing with the Pain
AUTHOR: Shelly
DATE: 8/3/2004 03:01:04 PM