I have a night job with hours until 6:30am. I am trying to get work as a private chef, because it will be better for my life...and I had my first job yesterday! However, it was an 18 hour work day on my feet. I already felt worn out yesterday, and today I woke up in a full blown flare. It hurts so bad I feel like a cripple! Work called me in tonight, but I said no. I took a percocet, and it did NOTHING. Even my ears feel clogged. So dizzy. My speech is messed up. This sucks! I hate being all alone! :-(
So super sorry I'm venting...
I pray you are all feeling better than me right now. Hugs.
Wow Christina....no wonder you are having a flare up. I would be a basket case after the day you had. I can barely make it through a 7 1/2 day at work. Try taking a warm bath with Epsom salts. the magnesium is good for us fibros.. light some lavender candles and relax if you can. If you can drink tea try some Chamomile with honey. It seems to help my dizzies, relaxes me and gets my brain working again.
Oh gosh, Christina! 18 hours is beyond killer with fibro. Is that typical of your work as a private chef? It's a lot to ask of someone who doesn't have fibro, let alone someone who does. And I think your body is telling you the same thing, even down to the percocet not working. I can barely stumble through a 3 hour day on my feet, so I give you so much credit for pushing through and doing this. But, oh, girl, this is just not good for you.
Yeah, it does stink to be alone. It's terrible that you have to put in days like this, given that you have fibro. I hope that bookjunkie's suggestions help you a bit. Salon Pas patches help me a bit too, and they are cheap and over the counter.
I wish I had a bath..my apt does not. I am a bartender...so I cooked then had to work my night job. LOL...my doctor told me my jobs are not good for me...but I have no other option for making money right now. I just rest as much as I can...
Hi Christina - I can't take baths anymore as I am now having real trouble getting out of one. I really miss it. I always take a shower - but when I wanted to relax - the bath was it! You really put in long hours! I agree with others, I don't know how you do it! Laurie
Hi, I finally saw salon pas on a commercial, so now I know what everyones talking about. Does anyone know if they're available in Canada? I'm trying to get off narcotics, so am looking for anything else tat will help. Sorry to get off topic, but I haven't seen them mentioned lately. Thanks, Charlie :)
Hi Christina, I'm sorry you have to work this hard with fibro, it's not fair. Do you have a heating pad? or an electric blanket? I find the heat helps during a flare, it's soothing. Hope you can get relief soon. Unfortunately taking pain meds after you're already in alot of pain doesn't work well. But, they should work if you can take more in 4 hours. I find once I'm already at that point it takes a while to get caught up with the pain. Sorry, this made sense in my head, but now that I read it, it just looks like a jumble of words, LOL. Feel better soon, hugs Charlie :)
I so wish you could find some relief. Heating pad with moist heat helps sometimes like Charlie suggested. If not just try a pan with super warm water and epsom salts and soak your feet. Sounds crazy but sometimes when I am too sore to climb in the tub I can do that and it seems to relax me. I am so sorry that you don't have the luxury of a tub.
I wish you didn't have to work so hard to get by. As Charlie says it is just not fair! Check with your Doctor maybe there is something else that will work better for you than Percocet. I am thinking healing thoughts and sending warm hugs to you. Feel better soon...
Oh, that's awful. I'm sorry. Your doc is quite right, two jobs with those kinds of hours, esp. spent on your feet, are not good for you. You might want to toss some alternative ideas around in your head: getting a roommate, getting a smaller apartment, moving farther away for a cheaper rent, etc. I suggest this because this awful illness seems to get worse, Christina. Last year it was in my back and hurt like %@# but i could walk and shop and work part time. Now it's gotten into my knees and I can barely move. Looks like my ankles are getting involved too. i never thought it could get worse but it did. So please think about possible options while you feel well enough to. If you don't need them, FANTASTIC. I hope you don't. But plan, just in case.
I am so sorry you have to work so hard. I feel lucky that my job is willing to work with me at the moment and I work 8 hour days/5 days a week rather than 12-13 hour days/7 days a week during busy season. I remember these shower tablets I put in my shower when I had a cold and thought they have to have aroma therapy ones and googled it.
I found this and you can probably get something similar at Walmart or Walgreens type store. This may help to put in your shower while you are in the shower. You can also sit on the toilet seat and close the door and the aroma and shower heat will circle around you so you don't need to stand. Hope this helps.
This web site supposedly shows you where to buy them. If you can't find them here, maybe you could look for on-line Canadian pharmacies and see if you can get them there. Or else you could try Ebay. Sellers with good reputations probably sell them online.
I am going to take the advice for the heating pads. I have been wondering about it. Also the taking percocet four hours apart. I am not prescribed many of them so I take them VERY sparingly. It makes sense the four hour thing...
Today I was still in bad pain. I took it easy. I feel as though my life revolves around saving energy to work...only now I never get energy. Before I would still have spurts and now none. I can't even communicate with people normally because I am in so much pain and I have no energy, and I feel like I am boring to new people. I also feel it has made me put up a protective wall around myself to keep from getting hurt again. I'm babbling....
Thank all of you for the good advice. I am hugging you all!
Makes sense to me, Christina. You can't give out energy to others when you're in such pain and have none to give. Also, I feel for you in regards to saving all of your energy for work, except now you have none. I hope the heating pads help some, and the Percocet too.
I am absolutely despairing after grocery shopping, as I feel as though I ran the Boston Marathon - and lost. I can't imagine getting up tomorrow refreshed and going to work. Just don't know what else to do to keep the pain at bay, as I'm swathed in Salon Pas patches. So sorry to be such a Dora Dpwner - it's this d@mned pain.
I've never heard of these tablets but I want them. Instantly. LOL. They sound fantastic, DLP. Thanks for mentioning them, even though I'm butting in and answering this when it's not addressed to me.
I have the highest regard for Chefs, I have always admired them so! Their creations are like a skilled artist, besides the beauty of the fare, they can create tastes that go beyond the imagination. I loved working in Chef run restaurants. The incredibly long hours on concrete floors in searing heat and high stress make it a profession for the well.
I hope you can accomplish all that you desire in the profession that you desire, and I wish you well, feel better, my friend!
Hi Christina, please don’t apologize for venting !!! My gosh women… 18 hrs, I remember those days I had to work 12 hrs and I was so sick, only to try and conserve every ounce of energy to make it another day … Finally it turned into every other day & only 3 days a week… And still it made me so sick, I have not worked in 6 months and now my knees & ankles hurt …on top of everything else. I ponder everyday how can it get worse, how can we make this better ? That’s another discussion…
for me it was the realization I couldn’t be on my feet and push & push myself … You have to listen to your body !! It does seem like at some point even resting every min your not working, there is just no energy left to save … And it’s hard to wrap your brain around it !!
I know it feels like your alone, I think we all feel that way at some point, but we are here for you !! And we so totally understand what you are going through.
I pray you find the right solution for you, and that something opens up.
Big hug & blessings
dee
Petunia Girl...I hope you feel better! Maybe try getting to bed early tonight? I always try to psych myself out and think when I wake up I am going to feel amazing. I also try to be thankful for all the blessings I have in my life and appreciate them. When in so much pain, it's the small things that help me get through it. I hope this helps you too. Hugs