Another Year...

It's been an interesting one, for sure. I discovered that the change in my commute since buying my house last December made a huge difference in how much the driving messed with my body. And then come May, I got displaced. Summer was great, but then the new school -- with no commute at all -- started out with so much stress that my health took a major downturn. I've been learning to deal with the new school better, but it's continuing to be a challenge. 

So next year, I guess it's time to explore some of the alternative options that are out there. I have tried some in the past, but had been coasting along pretty well with my 'minimal risk' path -- getting exercise, eating well, trying to keep a positive mental attitude, keeping my sense of humor. Spoiling myself a bit helps too. But the new job and stress levels have me needing more healing than my home-made holistic approach can handle. So, keep watching this page for updates -- Wheeee!!!!

Typical Day in the Fibrohood...

So, I got a canned juice out of the refrigerator, and then stared at it. I still knew that there was juice inside. I knew I wanted to drink the juice. I stared at the top of the can, and knew that I needed to do something with the metal tab thing that was sort of shaped like an 8. But I could not remember what it was that I was supposed to do with that tab thing in order to be able to drink that juice.

This is a perfect illustration of Fibro-Fog. The brain disconnects a memory that should be second nature. One of the more common ones involves me standing at a door holding a key and wondering how that funny little metal thing can help me get to the other side of where the door is. Not to mention the names of people I have known for years...

Making it Through November...

One day at a time.

And Today?

Woke up around a 5, and am now in the mid-4s... a much better day! I just never know what to expect...

I May Regret Posting This One...

... but I'm probably only writing it for me anyway. That venting thing, I suppose.

I can't recall if I've ever talked about the pain scale. I use the 1-6 one (there's also a 1-10 one, but that feels too much like grading). 1 means not noticing anything wrong at all; 6 means completely non-functional. I spend a lot of time in the high 3s to high 4s. 5 to very low 5s is not unusual, but a bit of a challenge.

I started the day in the low 5s.By lunch time, definitely 5.5. I faked my way through my last two classes -- luckily the librarian was sharing a lesson with my classes today. Last hour is supposed to be a team meeting, but the other teachers on the team all had other things to do. I fought my way through that period as I was pushing my way up to the high 5s. 

By the time I was walking home, I was honestly wondering if I would make it all the way there or not. I live four blocks from work. It was definitely the highest rating I've been in a few years. Scary stuff. I made it home, and made it up the stairs to my bedroom (with two rest breaks). After about 90 minutes of sleep, I woke up in the mid 5s, and oh, did I appreciate mid 5s!

So, that's my day. How was yours?

So, I did get input...

from my doctor -- he voted for acupuncture. So now I have to get my nerve up to try it, huh?

Time for something new...

Chiropractic? Acupuncture? Traction? Winning the Lottery? 

Any suggestions?

No Difference...

Nothing else to report. Still majorly tired. Still high pain levels. Still having trouble finding anything funny to write about. 

A priest, a rabbi, and a fibrodude walked into a bar... I bet it hurt me more than the other two guys.

Not so sure...

... I can put it into words. Not even sure I can try. The pain levels, the fatigue... Quick, someone come up with a way to make this funny! I'm bombing here!

Still Oooooooooppphhhhhh

Yep. More to come. I'll type it up one of these days.

Oooph...

Oooph...

School's In...

Yep, the new year has started. I am certainly enjoying my walk to work each morning, and getting into the building without the soreness from driving. But the walk home each afternoon seems twice as long -- what's up with that? hehehe

Big Surprise

I'm tired of having Fibro.


Just saying...

Another Month Gone By...

...and really nothing new to report since July 1st, that strange paralysis thing. The only difference I have noticed over the last week or two has been a few more 'sudden onset' events than usual-- one minute my leg is fine, the next it is broken in several places. Or more unusually, the muscles are suddenly incredibly sore. But that's not really funny or interesting, just tedious. So, here's hoping I have some strange, wacky things to report in August! 

And Now for Something Totally Different!

Yep, never had this one happen before...

I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like I was paralyzed. I could move just fine as long as I looked at whichever limb I was trying to move, but when I looked away, back to paralyzed. Definitely weird. It wasn't like the 'new commands' that I often need to employ to walk in the morning, it was normal commands that just didn't work when I wasn't looking. 

I'm kind of glad this one did not last long.

Ouch... (some gross stuff in this one)

Flew down to San Diego Friday morning and back home Sunday night -- and am really glad I did. However, my body has a different take on it. Pain, pain, all over, dancing around. All sorts of bizarre ones too. 

Yesterday a railroad spike kept finding homes in me. It would stay in one place for an hour or so, then disappear only to show up somewhere else later. The worst was from behind the eye socket and down through the cheek bone. The funniest was the one that was trying to hold my ankles together -- when I walked, I felt it in both separately, but when I stood still, it was pinning them together. 

Today was a lot of joints not staying together. I'd reach for something and my hand would fall off. I'd stretch my leg and it kept going. My leg popped out of my pelvis several times while I was going for my walk -- and landed on the street. I even heard it... Fortunately hitting the road like that did not break my cell phone! 

Too much fun; we'll see what tomorrow brings...

It's happening...

End of school year is sinking in... Trouble getting myself to do things. And when I don't do things, the result is more pain. So, I need to make a BIG list of jobs around the house, see if that will motivate me...

Okay, I Thought it was Funny...

Well, so did my friend, so that makes two of us. A friend and I were out for a walk, and all of a sudden my right leg started getting shorter. Within a matter of one block, it felt like it was about four inches shorter than the left. I really had to fight the urge to walk in tiny circles...

It Figures...

So, my legs were hurting so badly that I had to get out of bed. With lots of cramped muscles intermixed in the pain, I thought going downstairs to drink some pickle juice would be smart (side note: yes, pickle juice often helps ease muscle cramps). Of course I needed to use the banister as I went down the stairs. And of course, the moment I touched said banister, I broke my wrist. Fibro fun to the max!

Danger Zone...

School is out, Summer Camp is not in... this is the danger zone. I don't deal well with the time off. A week or so, sure, but a month? I have a friend coming to visit this weekend, and then a class next week for a couple of days. That will help. And LOTS to do around the house. Will that help? Keep posted!

Nothing exciting...

Just a bunch of broken bones, etc. Many typical days in the life of a Fibromaniac...

A Doozie of a Day

Yesterday was probably worth several blog entries, but I didn't feel like it any of those times...

At one point, from out of the blue, a big chunk of concrete materialized in my right hip. It was about 6 by 4 by 3 inches, and rather jagged. Moving around was no fun.

A bit later, a giant corkscrew, 5 or 6 inches in diameter, worked its way up the left side of my body. Yes, the concrete was still there.

Then I had bursts of pain bouncing all over the place, kind of like a fireworks show. Perhaps a bit faster than the usual display. 

And now, I have a cold. Okay, that part is not Fibro...

Time Flies?

Wow... I was sure I posted mid-April, but I don't see it...

Well, it's been pretty much the usual. Lots of broken bones, more than before, but otherwise unusual. And lots of stress that I've been trying to let go of. Some days I am better at that than others. And of course stress and fibro flare-ups are BFFs...  wish I could break them up.

Nowhere near as bad as the last entry, but...

...still bad enough to make sleep not work. Heck, it's just a broken elbow, why does it keep waking me up? Especially since it's a fake broken elbow! I should be able to ignore a fake one while I'm asleep, shouldn't I?

5.9... 5.8?

No, not an earthquake... 

There are two different scales for pain used in medicine. For some reason, I have an easier time understanding the 1-6 scale (as opposed to the 1-10 scale). 1 means you feel perfect; 6 means you absolutely can't function. 3-4 is the average range, pain, but whatever. I spend a lot of time in the low 4's, and am okay with that.

Very early Friday, I had one of my Charley Horses, but one of the worst I've ever had. I was incapacitated. Technically, I suppose I should call it a 6, only I was capable of forming words. True, only ones with four letters... but words, just the same. So I'd call it a 5.9. But it was for a relatively short period of time. Once I got it under control, I was able to drop back into the low 5's, and eventually felt like a nice 4.8 for much of the workday, thanks to an ace bandage and some Advil.


Then, Friday night I had a strange occurrence. I went from minor winter sniffles to a knock-me-down chest cold in literally 20 minutes. I have not had pneumonia in something like 30 years, but that's sure what it felt like, except more vehement. The rest of that night, Saturday all day, and into Sunday morning I was varying from 5.6-5.8. I was in pain everywhere, and could barely get up the energy and muscle control to get out of bed or lift a bottle of vitamin water. I was capable of thinking, some. I could even type a little, once I got the laptop close enough to me. But mostly I just slept, woke up, tried to figure out if I could get out of bed to drink something, and then got back into bed, slept, woke up... you get the picture. Pain was all over -- muscle pain especially, but also joints and bones and headache. Finally Sunday, late morning, the chest cold started relaxing its grip on me. I was even able to do a short outing Sunday late afternoon, which tuckered me out big time, but felt great just the same.

It's now Tuesday, and I'm still getting over my weekend. Yesterday at work my numbers ranged 5.1 to 5.5; today, I'd say more like 4.6-5. 


Moral of the story? A minute or so of 5.9 is much better than a weekend of 5.8!

Reality Check

Okay, so I just broke my back about three minutes ago, maybe four. I can move all of my extremities, and can twist, although breathing is a bit labored while doing that. I can touch my toes... and stand up after touching my toes, again not easily. So, is it a fair assessment that I only Fibro-broke my back, not real breaking?

Ow... Ow... Ow...

Ow.

I Guess This is Good...

Four hours of dance rehearsal Saturday, and I did not end up in as much pain as I expected to. Some pain, yes, but I always have some pain. So if I danced every day for four hours, I'd still be in pain, but maybe I'd weigh less... hmmmm...

Pain, Pain, Go Away...

...nope, that's it.

Getting What You Ask For

Otherwise known as, be careful what you wish for...

Yeah, no broken ribs this evening... just both legs in multiple places and many vertebrae... but I asked for a day with no broken ribs, and I've gotten an evening with no broken ribs, that's pretty close. Such a lucky guy.

Taking a Ribbing...

Humor. Humor is the key. I keep breaking my ribs. That's been my 2012, every day so far. Different ribs, different numbers of ribs, but always ribs. Okay, to be fair, a few other bones too, but always including ribs. That's unusual. Things usually vary more. So isn't it kind of funny that I'm just hoping for a day with everything else hurting, just no broken ribs?