Dancing/Cold showers: I’ve just been reminded that Lady Gaga uses ice baths… Praps we could sing & dance like her then too… (But again I think I couldn’t manage more than 2-3 mins. there and in a cold shower you shower your parts alternately, which might be more helpful. At least at the moment cold showers are I think helping me more and longer than the whole body cryotherapy, I think due to the cold outside.)
Dependency: I like to keep the flat in order in short stints, but now I’ve started work it’s even harder. My wife’s suggested someone to clean for us, even tho she has a bit of a problem with that.
Distance: I’m going to write a mail to my colleagues (incl. other things).
New Mask: Now I’ve aired it, it’s OK. Washing would’ve probly helped, too. It can only be washed cold, without rubbing etc. and only 30 times, once a week. So Sunday. That’s OK. Today I’m trying without the nose strip under it. Having forgotten one anyway…
Yep, gonna be a good day. Yours too I hope. 
Day 16 - Tuesday - Mask without nosestrip
only new ideas/solutions (my focus). (Perhaps above too).
= “worked”
Thanks to acupressure Slept very well again! Up 3x, 20mins, no cold shower necessary.
Try using cold showers against the myofascial pain now (after table tennis etc.).
(Loud TVs made me change rooms. )
In the last few days sleep is only light/drowsy after 6am, doing autogenic training or body scans and pre-thinking work. But it seems better to stay in bed and use the time for this. Also it is astonishing, and something I have to talk about more: Studies have shown that people dream that they are feeling awake! Mate says: Drowsing is sleep, full-stop. So I count it full.
Morning back ache: yoga helped the back, but I think it made me wider awake at 6am.
I’ve been lax with the intensity of my ‘not-yoga’ back exercises - they are much more effective if I tense my behind and press my hollow-back straight, plus press my wrists down on the bed.
(Only one of 6 physiotherapists showed me this in the 80s, now it's standard here)
(When I learnt them in the 80s, only one of 6 physiotherapists showed me this, which immediately gave me muscle ache, and I realized that is what I need, I am *very thankful to that woman. Nowadays every aerobic course etc. seems to teach it, but at the time it seems it was not well-known at all.)
Seeing as I’m doing this first thing again, with no distraction any more, it’d be sensible to do them properly… As…:
A stitch in time saves nine. One of my fibro-mottos, in case you didn’t realise…
Another: Do it now and if it works, make it a habit immediately. So:
If I don’t write any more about anything, then you can bet I’m keeping doing it, and it’s helping.
Try back exercises before going to bed.
Pain before peeing: better with almost no pressure? 
No, worse!
Acupressurist suggested putting feet on a pedestal. Nope, worse too.
New mask without nosestrip has worked all day. Even cycling. And talking loudly for 60 mins.
Breath-holding all day is becoming normal and is still very effective.
Acupressurist worked especially on cold feet today…
Plenty of energy, 4 games of table tennis in 30’!, without any breaks! (6 weeks ago: 75’!)
Just a little feverishness afterwards from time to time.
taking Sinupret for my stuffy nose in the evenings now. Let’s see.
9pm Aching & tired. Yoga for the night. Wisdom tooth hole is hurting a lot again, tried Marigold & cold.
…
Just reminders for me
(Continue cryo-post.)
We don’t have anyone helping with the cleaning right now, but, in the past, a lady or her daughter would come twice a month just to polish the living room and clean the bathrooms. It wasn’t very expensive and it was a great help! You should definitely try it - What do you have to lose?? 
Day 17 - Wednesday
Good sleep 10:15pm-5:30am, then drowsing, self-hypnosis & autogenic training till 7:10am: 8h20, not quite enough.
elbow arnica
sore throat Marigold, warm toes acupressure
tooth crater Marigold arnica? relax jaw
thumb arnica
anus witch hazel
back tensed evening exercises
IBSD psyllium
cold toes acupressure
nose ? Sinupret
5:30am woken by blinds opposite. 
left eyebrow aching (= trigeminus) relax face watch out which blinds (4th balcony, 2nd storey?). ask in our house. ask TVs too.
Self-hypnosis effective plus AT.
6:30 hungry 
eating 8pm 
7pm.
Where to keep the mask, so I don’t forget it: fastened to rucksack, away from floor.
Chemical smell in new office from paint & carpet might be bad for my body.
've put all my stuff flying around in the new office, even a keyboard & loudspeakers. Making it home.
1pm Angiologist (blood vessel doc): Legs are OK, but if they do swell use elastic compression stockings & lymphatic drainage, good that I put them up often. It’s mainly the carotid artery that needs watching, December. OK to leave the statins at 20 if my muscles hurt more watch this.
4 games of table tennis without breaks, but like last time: I lose then. But not as much myofascial. Granddaughter’s was great. Dead tired at 7, managed to eat then.
Itchy arm. Toes were cold only twice today, got to get that down more (e.g. warm them after showering, with heat or movement.)
I’m walking with shoulders back and head up, with posture, as if I weren’t ill any more. O.o
I think it’s from the new body heat/energy from the TCM/acupressure
Day 18 - Thursday
Talked to Mme Boots: she’ll ask the neighbour opposite (knows who & knows her & is woken up too).
TVs & army boots were strangely much quieter, altho I didn’t even ask about her TV… sly me… 
Drinking late got up more & a thought (unjustified reproach) at 4:45 disturbed c-w-cold shower.
Sore throat Marigold & hot water bottle, but take Marigold to/at work.
10am: Feverish Ache=5 after 40’ off an on loud talking. Without nosestrip: Nosestrip. deep breathing.
1pm: Cold shower. Ache=1. 5x table tennis with stopping but also breaks Ache=5, bit too much.
7pm: Ache, feeling ill most of the day, but keeping my posture.
9pm: Still hurts, hurts, hurts, Why didn’t I cold shower directly after tt, like I’d planned? Cos I forgot, it felt wrong, counter-intuitive. Tried heat = spelt cushion. Only helped for a few minutes.
try 2nd cold shower again. It won’t harm. I can always add a breathing exercise. It helped. While doing it I pondered/meditated how it was washing away the pain & bad stuff. Got to get it more into my system, like having learnt to love rain for it’s freshness. Earlier! Always directly after tt!
Bought & wearing new organic pure woolen socks like acupressurist suggested, 1 cotton sock under left, 3 under right one. Left feels OK for starters.
Yoga isn’t that necessary any more since I’m doing the back exercises in the evenings additionally.
Lady Gaga takes ice baths??? LOL - Maybe you could sing and dance like her after that, but I’d be too hoarse from screeching while turning into an ice cycle! 
The “dancing” part is possible, though - I’d have to do something to warm up!!!
Your self-discipline is mind boggling, JCS. Are you sure you aren’t a robot??? Really really sure??? 
Love having a look into your thoughts and ideas each day! 
Yup - one of our celeb “representatives” along with Morgan Freeman and Sinead O’Connor - don’t know the rest ‘on the lists’, probably too American? Only Florence Nightingale, but she definitely wasn’t diagnosed. But if she had it, at least she died old but bed-ridden, while the others are apparently able to work again - more than me praps, let’s see…
Me - a robot? 
Un/fortunately I definitely wasn’t born that way. Partly influenced by my dad’s Protestant work ethics. The rest is energy and determination against all the weaknesses of my body and mind - which has been do or die since I was young… Hard life. 
… 
Thanks for the encouragement of getting someone to clean…
And of the writing… so I know it’s worth sharing… Any suggestions?
Day 19 - Friday - What a weird start…
5am: waky, pee, hit shin (in daze) on the same spot as Tuesday, it took 5mins to stop ‘cutting’ my brain.
Hungry… lot of soy… (stopping drinking at 4pm means starting at 5am anyway).
? ? Cold-showered, maybe helped - drowsy dream/stream of consciousness.
Too tired for autogenic training or self-hypnosis or getting up.
Thought up a new array of my office furniture, cf. below.
Lots of small things - itch here and there (because of this 3rd cold shower?), losing & finding the hot water bottle, pins ‘n’ needles, small short stabs, bit cold, put a third blanket, all not worth mentioning, but in the sum tedious, I kept it up=down till the alarm went at 7:25. So all in all some how successful…
Nephro yesterday evening - all OK, no Sjögren’s-symptom found from their side.
Time I checked why my lip biopsy result isn’t there yet! Did, result is being sent… Warily excited.
My tooth ache is probably a filling, half come out, pressed back Phoned for appt.: Monday.
A CoVIdiot-storm from my brother-in-law this morning may stop us from going to a funeral tomorrow…
Toenail: Phoned skin doc: Appt. will take too long, ask GP.
An hour of talking off and on at work went Achy/Feverish 4.
Moving furniture out of my office
Chucked the sideboard & the desk out of my office, leaving only a drawer unit for the keyboard and the window sill for monitor, loudspeakers, amp and praps laptop. Yes, I’m a minimalist. (It took my wife a few weeks to get me to allow a sofa in my room, which only only contains my bar table & stool, keyboard, a box and paintings.) Did I tell you my 2 new (garish almost-neon-) red bar stools arrived for my office and I put them together yesterday. Good, very easy to put together, and still pretty solid, considering how cheap they were. I’m considering a bar table for work too, but the window sill may be good enough. The two outer windows are for opening wide and I’ve put everything in front of the one in the middle for starters and can even hide them using the curtains. Next to the door I’ve left and decorated a pin board and behind that I can hide stuff, like my ‘bed’.
with both windows open was quite good 2.
Cryo+acupressure was great 0, but 4 games of table tennis with only 1x2’ break 5. Since I shouldn’t cold shower for a day after acupressure, I’ll have to try the Wim Hof breath-holding exercise now…
No real suggestions today (Brain fog and tiredness are weighing on me)- Of course it is worth sharing! Your ways of coping with the pain caused by FMS are valuable to this community.
I’ll write more when I am up to it. Trying to struggle through my work day - Friday’s are often difficult, as my body just wants to rest.
I would like to know - How do you deal with brain fog - Do you have this symptom of FMS? Can’t remember if I ever asked (Strike that up to brain fog -LOL)…Thanks, JCS!
I’m not sure, I’ve had to think about brain fog. but something I read jogged my memory that I didn’t have a clear head when taking CBD oil or amitriptyline or not being able to get enough sleep. In my case it was tiredness and numbness a lot of the day. When trying out CBD oil shortly before starting work I decided that I wouldn’t continue taking it, even if it were helping sleep or pain!!, which it wasn’t: Amitriptyline was even worse, so I’m glad I’m off of that.
If I had more numbness or tiredness, I wouldn’t capable of the self-discipline and self-care which I’ve found more important, because it’s been a key to getting the pains down quick/er.
So I’d suggest that meds are the biggest problem and finding alternatives for them the best solution, starting with the med you suspect the biggest brain fog from (research can help more than the package insert). Also a healthy life-style…)
Because I generally do a lot, incl. multi-tasking (or quick-task-switching if you prefer), whether work or interests, I’ve need my pda to get memory problems down (which I have anyway, except names and people, which is good in my job). Instead of these I’d use bits of paper or a notebook, like I used to. But I need it digital for the amount & speed of my activities.
And if necessary I’d try brain exercises too, but your work is probably a lot of brain exercise anyway, I’m not sure whether that’s helpful. I used to play table tennis with my left hand quite a bit, that is one hell of a brain exercise, I could often feel it lurch (but my mates prefer losing ‘properly’ )
Is that any help?
Day 20 - Saturday - Time to portion myself, no social control 
- managed!
Slept well, no noise, 6 - but only short - breaks …
Wife’s got a bit of a cold, that was the last reason for leaving me at home.
Started off with reading and writing fibro-stuff I’d wanted to the whole week, mainly lying down. Rather like taking a day off, too …
1pm Table tennis 6 games with breaks (breathing with legs up) and stooping was OK - without work… No shower or additional breath necessary afterwards! Good to know!
Finished writing at 3:30, now I want to really a lot of things done. Eating for a start…
Multi-tasking i.e. quick-switching is good for stopping before limits. I hope.
Eating, blow-drying my hair (hint of the length…), pruning brussels sprouts, taking my morning medication at 4:30pm - really great, good boy! - filling the dish washer, sorting litter, listening to new music of all styles on bandcamp (stuck on Satie-like Mompou after a bit of hardcore punk), all at the same time.
See how far I get fibro-wise. 4:40 no hand pain despite the sprouts, but back pain starting. OK, I think half the sprouts’ll do. What’s the best activity for my back short of lying down? Praps litter? Some movement with integrated yoga. OK, but now my neck’s got tense - heat, Traumeel.
2 new bills: osteopathy, which I’ve broken off because the acupressure is working even better & dentist: the 2 tooth inflammations which were causing jaw pain I thought was fibro and/or trigeminus. Interesting to see in the report next week whether it really is Sjögren’s causing my dry mouth & probably some of the tooth problems of the last few years…
OK, who loves just getting back to the brussels just in time to have them slightly burnt as much as I do? And getting fingers burnt altho it *was just in time, really it was.
OK, back’s had movement, does need rest now. Managed rest getting my home-inbox fairly emptied and then another stint of housework, really everything I wanted. Everything a bit later of course, but still OK, I’m pleased
Day 21 - Sunday: SWEET SPOT VS. REMEDY - "Overdoing it on a Sunday afternoon"
Praps I should back-edit a little, with main subject-titles for each day, if possible?
Slept well. No noise. Carried on with my song.
Pain before pee: As it’s not there 1 out of 5, I’m still looking for a pattern. Pain only under pressure?! try going regularly, not in, but before time.
OK, I have to test the double remedy: I’ve deliberately overdone table tennis.
Wasn’t feeling good even before (? bc. of song production/moving 1h & swivel-sitting during zoom-service 1h?), had difficulty after climbing 2 flights of stairs and back and my arms weren’t good. Felt like 3 games and did 5, with stooping and only moderate breaks, yoga, no breath-exercise.
So here goes: (2nd) shower & 1st breath-exercise, 1x3. (Didn’t in the tt-breaks.)…
15:45 Worked, just the shower already! Imagining how it was soothing & healing, longer, praps 2’. (=6x4’’ per body part, with “breaks” bc of alternating.) Felt a bit chilly around the nose after.
Try cold washing at a basin at work, since there are no cold showers anymore.
Warm up quicker afterwards (feet & face).
16:30 Slow walk, slow yardwork, stiff but no pain or Ache feet straight up.
17:45 Arms weak again. Live evening service: I’d never realized that the “soft cushioned” chair was too hard for me put my 2 hoodies under good! Softly singing with mask on was no breath problem, but yawned 6x. 3x almost seizure before / in / after. No pain, but very stiff & very weak. A bit of breathing didn’t help, but perhaps I should have done it properly and should do it more in time, dunno. Just want my bed. So this is the outcome of remedy instead of sweet spot?
Day 22 - Monday - 4th week of work at 20%, next week 40%. 3rd blanket unstuffs nose
Slept very long, +20.
Stuffy nose: Nosestrip was makeshift. 3rd blanket from 6am on completely unstuffy nose for quite some time, helped ‘over’sleep, but made me groggy and overheated.
Lower tonsils aching & cold feet: +1, Back to +2=4 pairs of socks. Gone! Better nose too?
Back ache: Seem to have forgotten back exercises before bed. Don’t. 1pm: Making up for it.
Pain before pee: Seems to hurt more when under more pressure, but praps not just that. Remember when tensing the other muscles it’s less/gone. Tense legs?
9am At work: I feel weary. And this is 20%. Still upright.
10am Talked off and on 20mins. Cold washed hands and wrists. better, even my mood.
11am Mask-talked 40’, with nosestrip and did the breathing-exercise with the people I was talking to (& they want to do it regularly.) Good feedback altogether.
Feel pretty OK… but: cold wash again? Couldn’t, but cold air helps too: gloves on and sleeves up
Nosestrip good 30’ after mask-talking, but not long outside/cycling: feels good, but too fresh.
I’m struggling for each cm progress, but it’ll all be worth it in the long run, esp. if I stop work.
As it has always been up to now.
After having written to an acquaintance of mine (who is trying a supplement-guru) after a long break, I have just read his answer after having written the above… telepathy…:
"I don’t think much of your approach of finding a single solution for every symptom; furthermore, you get bogged down (my opinion) and make life even more exhausting by taking many individual measures. But everyone must know for themselves."
His expression “don’t think much of” is making me a bit hurt & angry. Is that just me?
Should I answer? Probably not...
“I don’t think much of” his supplement-guru either, having tried it for 2 months without the least success. But I don’t know if I want to answer at all, nor fight his opinion with the same weapons. I think he’s holding on to very slant hypotheses and will always answer any thing I say with guru-follower-type arguments: You’re not doing it enough, you’re not doing it right, etc. As he has also now suggested… I’ve learnt that you don’t change running systems (much), but also that “more of the same” is not sensible, if it isn’t working… OK, I’m putting it into my health-folder and forgetting it for now…
Arrhg, what’ve I done wrong today, getting bashed by another fibro-sufferer too, who’s claiming that I’m suggesting I’ve found a quick fix?? 
Table tennis 4 games with stooping but breaks was completely OK!
JCS,
Re: Brian Fog AKA Fibro Fog
Honestly, I don’t think it is my meds causing it - I really do believe it’s the FMS And it is worse when I’m tired, for sure! Sadly, some of the symptoms of fibro fog, such as short term memory loss, are much like Alzheimer’s disease, which both of my parents lived with for several years prior to passing. (I do NOT want my family to go through that with me - nor does my sister!) This often scares me - I think “How will I know, when I’m older, if it’s the fibro or Alzheimer’s.” I try not to dwell on it… Actually, people with Alzheimer’s know that they have confusion, but, because they unconsciously insert their own fabricated stories into the blocks of memory loss (confabulation), they don’t realize the extent of the problem. My mother swore that the neighbors next door showered on their porch and that that man down the street molested my brother (NOT true). My father (also experiencing Alzheimer’s) believed everything my mom said, and those “memories” became his own, as well. We only realized how dangerous it was becoming when mom mom mentioned that daddy could go down the street and shoot the “molester.” Of course, we (unbeknownst to our parents) removed the guns from the house and started making arrangements to have them diagnosed and eventually moved to a memory care facility - A terrible time in our family’s life, to say the least. (My dad even went to find his guns, when we told them they had to move, and I knew that if we missed even one firearm, it could turn deadly.)
I do agree that some meds cause the same brain issues. If I’m ever on a certain anti-viral med, long term, I experience severe confusion, which can be pretty scary! Thank you for the reminder that we should be vigilant in identifying any symptoms brought on by medication!
JCS: You have found that listening closely to your body, and finding solutions, puts your mind more at ease, rather than exhausts you. I do see why his choice of wording could cause you to be a bit hurt & angry. The words “I don’t think much of your approach” are hurtful. It may just be that it would cause him more time and energy to actually address each of your symptoms and help you in this way. At least., he did add “But everyone must know for themselves” - perhaps added b/c he was aware his comments might be hurtful…idk.
You are WISE to not answer right away - I often have to stop myself and do this very thing (having learned my lesson the hard way!). After you’ve had time to get past the hurt, you can answer (if you like) in a kinder fashion.
Even your doctor, recently, remarked on your incredible energy! That doesn’t sound like you are making your life more exhausting, as the supplement-guru suggested…
Just my thoughts… 
Oh, wow! - When I had the genetic test for my hyperlipidemia the doc offered to test for Alzheimer’s too, because it was in there too, but warned me that it’s not good for sensitive people to know whether they have it or not. My dad sort of I died from dementia, if you can say that - every time he fell over he got worse… Would you have done the test? O.o
Re: Alzheimer’s test
Would I do it? idk. It’s like - I want to know, but I don’t want to know. 
How’s this: Just went to the supermarket, 7pm and saw & said hello to my dentist who I was sposed to have been at at 5pm, which I’d re-appointed my singing lesson for. Fibro-fog?
BTW I could just see you edit a post and that you were writing.
And your pic is going famous, seen that? - well deserved…!
JCS - Lol I don’t know if fibro fog or maybe you are juggling too many things at once! 
That pic is my Toy Aussie, Bella, when she was little! When I signed up as “AussieMom” didn’t realize at the time that everyone would assume I live in Australia! well…duh! Maybe I should change my Avatar name to AussieTheDogMom (Haha I’m cracking myself up here!) 
That was my OCD kicking in - I needed to add one word - LOL. 