I haven’t been around for awhile, especially not posting for a very long time. I send hugs to you all, because despite the suffering and struggles we have, Fibro survivors are so supportive of each other. And it is this support that inturn helps us in managing this disease.
I have been struggling with an increrase in symptoms over the last six months. It has become a steady challenge to work every day (single mom, I have to), and to do the most simplest of chores, like sweep the kitchen floor or stand and cook, never mind dishes. Mornings have become a major issue, in just getting out of bed and dressing myself. I have found a trick that is providing some relief in the morning. I wake up 2 hours or so before I truly have to get up out of bed, take my pain meds(which I have cleverly put on my night stand with water),and go back to sleep. Voila, two hours later I am not so stiff or sore. This is helps me in not dreading getting up so which before reduced me to tears almost daily, now I feel like I have some control over this.
My knees and toes that have never really bothered me have become evil monsters of swollen pain. So I am trying to loose some weight in hopes that this might alleviate some of the stress that I have put on them. I used to walk a lot but now I am lucky to walk 10 minutes slowly. I am so scared I will loose my mobility, it maddens me as I am still young. But I won’t give up on me. I will keep trying to find ways to make this work. My hands that aren’t affected by extra weight are becoming worse too. I am not sure what to do about them at all, just yet. I am thinking of getting a hot wax machine to soak them in. It might get some healing heat deep into the joints. It might be my Mother’s day gift to me.
I am starting wonder if gluten or some other food is triggering these flares. I don’t know if I can put into words but it feels like there is something causing an inflammatory reaction in my joints and my intuition says it is a food product. Gluten is such a culprit for many fibro sufferers, so I might give it a break and see if there is some releif. Does anyone know how long some one should refrain from the food product before you notice a change?
Anyway, thanks for listening. My doctor suggested I share some of what I am going through with others, instead of bottling it up inside. It feels good to share and I know I am in such good company of people who understand the ups and downs of this disease.
Hugs to you all. ST
Good to see you back! Several months ago I started putting my meds on my nightstand and setting my alarm 2 hours early and it had worked for me as well. In fact, now I take my oxycodone every 6 hours, so I take one at midnight, my husband sets his alarm for 6am. When his alarm goes off, which I rarely hear, he gets up, comes around to my side of the bed, calls my name and says it's time for your pill, without even opening my eyes, I open my mouth, he drops a pill in my open mouth and gives me the drink. I swallow a bit of the drink, he takes the glass back and I lay down and most of the time I go right back to sleep! I am sure any bystander would think we are crazy! But you are correct, it does work! I hope others let us know if they have done this and if it worked for them or not.
As far as the glutton thing, a couple of years ago, out of desperation, I decided to go glutton free so I did. I did this for 3 months and I did not have any relief at all. I shared my experiment with my doctor and he said well now we know you are not allergic to glutton.
If you don't have an allergy or a sensitivity to glutton then it probably won't work for you either. Not trying to burst your bubble just passing on what my Dr said.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It is comforting to know there are others out there who have thought outside the box to bring some relief to their lives. Awesome husband in being your support for the early morning med dispenser. I have to give some thought to when to start the gluten free experiment. Maybe I will just keep a food journal for the next couple of weeks, to see if there are any increases or decreases related to eating gluten. I so appreciate you sharing your own gluten experiment. Hope you are having a great day.
Good Morning! Sorry you are hurting so much. Your doctor gave you good advie - share with us!
I think you should try the Gluten free solution. It does work for so many other illnesses like MS. Diet is more important than we realize.
Sorry to hear you are no longer walking. As I write this, my husband is waiting for me to get my sneakers on and go for our walk. I am hurting so much right this second and really don’t want to walk – but I willl. I know it will make me feel better in the long run. Whether you walk 2 blocks or 5 miles - get up and get outside and walk. Release those endorphins! Smile, too
Thank you for sharing…gentle hugs to you. Have a fun day!
Jane
Please keep us updated on your gluten free experiment. Good luck in whatever you decide to try!
Jackie S
Singingtrees said:
Hi Jackie,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It is comforting to know there are others out there who have thought outside the box to bring some relief to their lives. Awesome husband in being your support for the early morning med dispenser. I have to give some thought to when to start the gluten free experiment. Maybe I will just keep a food journal for the next couple of weeks, to see if there are any increases or decreases related to eating gluten. I so appreciate you sharing your own gluten experiment. Hope you are having a great day.
hello, singing Tree what a beautiful name ! I haven't been a member for long. the understanding of other who've been bitten by fibro bug is great for comfort and info. about the gluten issue, I'm to go gluten and lactose free because every time I ate, ifelt awful. I have to do it gradually as iuse up my food. I did find out I'm Lactose intolerant but just started on the gluten free diet. found some side effects for both. depression, fatigue and others, on different sites. Oh, brother, we don't need more of that ! please let us how it goes. by the way, my cat is lactose intolerant! I looked it up and it occurs in his breed sometimes. No more dairy for my companion cat. I've strayed off subject, sorry. wishing you luck !
I'm sorry you are going through a hard time right now *Hugs*. My husband and I have started eating Organic. We didn't necessarily go gluten free, but I have noticed a HUGE improvement in inflammation since I started eating better. My joints are less swollen. One night last week, my husband and I decided to splurge and order a pizza. That was a mistake! The next day I could literally feel the inflammation in my hands, elbows, knees and joints. It was horrible. We have since gotten back on the Organic track and the inflammation decreased significantly again : ) I've also purchased books on Anti-Inflammatory diets and foods that help reduce inflammation. It has been very helpful.
Thanks for your comments and hugs right back to you. Two thumbs up for getting up and getting active even when you are sore. My doctor told me not to walk so much and to find other ways to exercise. I think I have an awesome Doc, but this is one thing I don’t agree with her on. I am a true believer in, if you don’t use it you loose it. So I will walk a little on the days when my knees cooperate. I take my dog with me to work so at lunch we go for a leisurely stroll. Movement to lubricate the joints. Jury is still out on the gluten experiment. I need to research it more. But I appreciate your support and comments. I hope you have a great day. Hugs!!!
Jane said:
Good Morning! Sorry you are hurting so much. Your doctor gave you good advie - share with us! I think you should try the Gluten free solution. It does work for so many other illnesses like MS. Diet is more important than we realize.
Sorry to hear you are no longer walking. As I write this, my husband is waiting for me to get my sneakers on and go for our walk. I am hurting so much right this second and really don’t want to walk – but I willl. I know it will make me feel better in the long run. Whether you walk 2 blocks or 5 miles - get up and get outside and walk. Release those endorphins! Smile, too
Thank you for sharing…gentle hugs to you. Have a fun day!
Hi hrhboris, thanks for your comments. Welcome. I love this place, a real santcuary with such wonderful people. Fibro survivors seem to have an ability to be supportive without judgment, and they just understand, how cool is that!
All the best with your gradual transition to adopt a gluten and lactose free diet. Let me know how it goes for you. And I am sorry to hear that your cat is lactose intolerant too. What kind of breed is your cat? I hope you have a great day and thanks for your kindness andd support.
hello, singing Tree what a beautiful name ! I haven’t been a member for long. the understanding of other who’ve been bitten by fibro bug is great for comfort and info. about the gluten issue, I’m to go gluten and lactose free because every time I ate, ifelt awful. I have to do it gradually as iuse up my food. I did find out I’m Lactose intolerant but just started on the gluten free diet. found some side effects for both. depression, fatigue and others, on different sites. Oh, brother, we don’t need more of that ! please let us how it goes. by the way, my cat is lactose intolerant! I looked it up and it occurs in his breed sometimes. No more dairy for my companion cat. I’ve strayed off subject, sorry. wishing you luck !
Hi Sara, thanks so much for the feedback on your organic eating plan. Some days I feel worse than others and that made me wonder if it was something I was eating, and I wondered about gluten, but maybe it is something else. That would be a sad day when I couldn’t eat pizza every once in a while, but pain or pizza, maybe I could give it up. I appreciate your sharing, more food for thought, …slight pun intended, LOL! Hugs!
SaraZ553 said:
Hi ST,
I’m sorry you are going through a hard time right now Hugs. My husband and I have started eating Organic. We didn’t necessarily go gluten free, but I have noticed a HUGE improvement in inflammation since I started eating better. My joints are less swollen. One night last week, my husband and I decided to splurge and order a pizza. That was a mistake! The next day I could literally feel the inflammation in my hands, elbows, knees and joints. It was horrible. We have since gotten back on the Organic track and the inflammation decreased significantly again : ) I’ve also purchased books on Anti-Inflammatory diets and foods that help reduce inflammation. It has been very helpful.
Hi ST, nice to see you! I haven't done any personal trial of any particular diet so I am sorry I can't offer personal feedback on that. I am proud of you for wanting to stay active, it doesn't matter if it is 10 minutes of slow walking, any activity is good in my opinion. The hardest part often is just getting started. I have been trying to find a good balance between sitting, standing, and walking. My job requires all 3 and it is hard some days to strike a balance. When I do too much of any of the three it usually makes things worse. I am still working on figuring out how to do this each day. Have you tried soaking your hands in Epsom salt? Maybe that would help, I know Epsom salt helps me, at least for a little while. Please continue to post when you feel up to it, we are always glad to see you :-). Hugs.
