1. < Chronic Pain

What Distracts You From the Pain?

Posted by Jen, Alumna Mentor @sandytoes14, Oct 4, 2016

Hello!
We share what works (and what doesn't) for us as far as medicines and surgeries,etc.
What works for you to give yourself a little break? I'm presently researching family history from the comfort of my recliner.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 13, 2017

Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go to a woman in her office. The woman is an RN, a physical therapist, and a licensed massage therapist. She does cupping, as well as quite a number of other things, based on what one's condition is. My primary care said that this isn't like regular physical therapy. I won't have to keep on going back and back and back. One or two visits should suffice.

I had been pretty much pain free for two weeks (yay!), but the TMJ pain started up again yesterday. First it was just a little bit, and I ignored it. I've had some breakthrough pain during the pain-free times, and it's gone away. But it continued, and I reluctantly took half of a tylenol + codeine tablet; the ones I have are 5 mg. That helped, and at least I didn't wake up in the night in agony, which has happened way too often. But as soon as I eat breakfast, I'll be downing another half tablet. The pain has moved from my jaw to my ear, and that pain is probably the worst, at least for me.

I was so (over-optimistically) hoping that, after two weeks or so without (much) pain, the TMJ pain would go away completely. Hah! It's interesting: you'd think that the pain would kick in when I'm stressed. I've had a VERY stressful two weeks, and little pain. As soon as the stress lifts, then the pain zings in. This has happened a number of other times. I don't know why this is, but perhaps you folks can tell me.

Anyway, off to send email to my primary care's wonderful receptionist and make an appointment with the RN/LPT/LMT. So glad you got relief from the cupping!

Hazel

REPLY
3 replies
sauvee | @sauvee | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go to a woman in her office. The woman is an RN, a physical therapist, and a licensed massage therapist. She does cupping, as well as quite a number of other things, based on what one's condition is. My primary care said that this isn't like regular physical therapy. I won't have to keep on going back and back and back. One or two visits should suffice.

I had been pretty much pain free for two weeks (yay!), but the TMJ pain started up again yesterday. First it was just a little bit, and I ignored it. I've had some breakthrough pain during the pain-free times, and it's gone away. But it continued, and I reluctantly took half of a tylenol + codeine tablet; the ones I have are 5 mg. That helped, and at least I didn't wake up in the night in agony, which has happened way too often. But as soon as I eat breakfast, I'll be downing another half tablet. The pain has moved from my jaw to my ear, and that pain is probably the worst, at least for me.

I was so (over-optimistically) hoping that, after two weeks or so without (much) pain, the TMJ pain would go away completely. Hah! It's interesting: you'd think that the pain would kick in when I'm stressed. I've had a VERY stressful two weeks, and little pain. As soon as the stress lifts, then the pain zings in. This has happened a number of other times. I don't know why this is, but perhaps you folks can tell me.

Anyway, off to send email to my primary care's wonderful receptionist and make an appointment with the RN/LPT/LMT. So glad you got relief from the cupping!

Hazel

Jump to this post

St first I thought I was imagining things but I actually had a day without stiffness where I could move fluidly and stand up straight! But back to the meds today. Have had a lot going on and live with a complete nut. Looking forward to my new home in South America!

REPLY
HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go to a woman in her office. The woman is an RN, a physical therapist, and a licensed massage therapist. She does cupping, as well as quite a number of other things, based on what one's condition is. My primary care said that this isn't like regular physical therapy. I won't have to keep on going back and back and back. One or two visits should suffice.

I had been pretty much pain free for two weeks (yay!), but the TMJ pain started up again yesterday. First it was just a little bit, and I ignored it. I've had some breakthrough pain during the pain-free times, and it's gone away. But it continued, and I reluctantly took half of a tylenol + codeine tablet; the ones I have are 5 mg. That helped, and at least I didn't wake up in the night in agony, which has happened way too often. But as soon as I eat breakfast, I'll be downing another half tablet. The pain has moved from my jaw to my ear, and that pain is probably the worst, at least for me.

I was so (over-optimistically) hoping that, after two weeks or so without (much) pain, the TMJ pain would go away completely. Hah! It's interesting: you'd think that the pain would kick in when I'm stressed. I've had a VERY stressful two weeks, and little pain. As soon as the stress lifts, then the pain zings in. This has happened a number of other times. I don't know why this is, but perhaps you folks can tell me.

Anyway, off to send email to my primary care's wonderful receptionist and make an appointment with the RN/LPT/LMT. So glad you got relief from the cupping!

Hazel

Jump to this post

Sauvee, yes, such days are indeed possible, and I'm glad you had one!!!!! I had over two weeks of little to no pain, and it was a thrill.

Can you possibly ditch "the complete nut"? That might ease a lot of your pain!

And where are you moving in South America?

My husband and I have been exploring other countries in which to live. We were in Canada, in Nova Scotia, for ten days a couple months back, and we loved everything about it and the people we met. (One was a friend from a knitting list, and we'd chatted only online. Meeting her and her daughter and their lovely cat face to face was such a thrill!) We'd have to learn Gaelic, which would be delightful. And learn to dance so that we could go to ceilidhs. (We went to several, and the dancing was amazing.) And/or learn to play the fiddle. I'm up for all that!

A number of our friends have moved to or are moving to Panama, so we're thinking of exploring that, too. The heat is a big negative factor for me. But one of our friends lives in the mountains in Panama, where it's windy and much cooler. And I love learning languages. I've studied Spanish before, and I can read it, but speaking and understanding what's being said to me are something else, again. Would definitely need to enroll in Spanish classes. I'm fluent in German, but that, alas, would be no help in Panama.

Hazel

REPLY
sauvee | @sauvee | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

Sauvee, I'm so glad to hear about this. My primary care has recommended that I go to a woman in her office. The woman is an RN, a physical therapist, and a licensed massage therapist. She does cupping, as well as quite a number of other things, based on what one's condition is. My primary care said that this isn't like regular physical therapy. I won't have to keep on going back and back and back. One or two visits should suffice.

I had been pretty much pain free for two weeks (yay!), but the TMJ pain started up again yesterday. First it was just a little bit, and I ignored it. I've had some breakthrough pain during the pain-free times, and it's gone away. But it continued, and I reluctantly took half of a tylenol + codeine tablet; the ones I have are 5 mg. That helped, and at least I didn't wake up in the night in agony, which has happened way too often. But as soon as I eat breakfast, I'll be downing another half tablet. The pain has moved from my jaw to my ear, and that pain is probably the worst, at least for me.

I was so (over-optimistically) hoping that, after two weeks or so without (much) pain, the TMJ pain would go away completely. Hah! It's interesting: you'd think that the pain would kick in when I'm stressed. I've had a VERY stressful two weeks, and little pain. As soon as the stress lifts, then the pain zings in. This has happened a number of other times. I don't know why this is, but perhaps you folks can tell me.

Anyway, off to send email to my primary care's wonderful receptionist and make an appointment with the RN/LPT/LMT. So glad you got relief from the cupping!

Hazel

Jump to this post

You are a knitter??? I am too but kind of a newbie. Yes, going completely nutless.

I like Brazil from what I have seen but not sure about the safety aspect. Do you know about it?

REPLY
HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 13, 2017

Sauvee, yes, I am an obsessed knitter! Learned to knit when I was a little kid and found it the most boring thing ever. When I lived in Germany, though, everyone was knitting, and I took it up again. And haven't stopped since. I make up my own designs or borrow bits and pieces from patterns. Sometimes I do follow patterns, but not often.

Being a newbie is good. It's exciting. It's fun. And it'll become so soothing and such a way of life. And you will develop a Stash Beyond Life Expectancy, if you haven't already. 😉

SO glad you're going to go away nutless!!!!

I, alas, know nothing about Brazil. Except that Portuguese sounds amazing to me! A friend has lived all over South America. Let me send her a note and ask her if she's lived in Brazil, and how she liked it if she did.

Hazel

REPLY
2 replies
HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "Sauvee, yes, I am an obsessed knitter! Learned to knit when I was a little kid..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

Sauvee, yes, I am an obsessed knitter! Learned to knit when I was a little kid and found it the most boring thing ever. When I lived in Germany, though, everyone was knitting, and I took it up again. And haven't stopped since. I make up my own designs or borrow bits and pieces from patterns. Sometimes I do follow patterns, but not often.

Being a newbie is good. It's exciting. It's fun. And it'll become so soothing and such a way of life. And you will develop a Stash Beyond Life Expectancy, if you haven't already. 😉

SO glad you're going to go away nutless!!!!

I, alas, know nothing about Brazil. Except that Portuguese sounds amazing to me! A friend has lived all over South America. Let me send her a note and ask her if she's lived in Brazil, and how she liked it if she did.

Hazel

Jump to this post

My friend who's lived all over South America wrote back really quickly. She has never lived there, alas. However, my husband and I are going over to her house this afternoon to watch "Dr. Strangelove" with a bunch of other folks, one of whom is from Brazil. So, I will ask him all about it.

Hazel

REPLY
sauvee | @sauvee | Aug 13, 2017
In reply to @hazelblumberg "Sauvee, yes, I am an obsessed knitter! Learned to knit when I was a little kid..." + (show)
@hazelblumberg

Sauvee, yes, I am an obsessed knitter! Learned to knit when I was a little kid and found it the most boring thing ever. When I lived in Germany, though, everyone was knitting, and I took it up again. And haven't stopped since. I make up my own designs or borrow bits and pieces from patterns. Sometimes I do follow patterns, but not often.

Being a newbie is good. It's exciting. It's fun. And it'll become so soothing and such a way of life. And you will develop a Stash Beyond Life Expectancy, if you haven't already. 😉

SO glad you're going to go away nutless!!!!

I, alas, know nothing about Brazil. Except that Portuguese sounds amazing to me! A friend has lived all over South America. Let me send her a note and ask her if she's lived in Brazil, and how she liked it if she did.

Hazel

Jump to this post

Thank you very much for that! I like Purl Soho and now have a nice book that has patterns for making knitted cloth. My arms get tired pretty quickly though and have to pile pillows on my lap for support.

REPLY
HazelBlumberg | @hazelblumberg | Aug 13, 2017

Purl Soho is wonderful! There are so many terrific online sites. Churchmouse Yarns and Teas on Bainbridge Island is wonderful, as well. Grand River Yarns in Canada. Knitpicks. The list is endless! A local yarn store (LYS) is also a wonderful things, so that you can fondle the yarn beforehand. We're fortunate enough to have two yarn stores in Tallahassee (love Yarn Therapy!), one in nearby Thomasville, Georgia (Fuzzy Goat), and my all-time favorite in Apalachicola, Florida (Purl, inside Downtown Books)--if you're ever in this part of the world.

REPLY
Jen, Alumna Mentor | @sandytoes14 | Aug 14, 2017
In reply to @sandytoes14 "@marieheld65 Marie Let me first wish you a happy birthday and happy anniversary! It is so..." + (show)
@sandytoes14

@marieheld65
Marie
Let me first wish you a happy birthday and happy anniversary! It is so difficult to lose the active life we once had. I used to feel guilty about the limited things I could do. Like you I heard the ‘shoe on the other foot’ theory. As time passed I felt more depressed. Then my sweet husband said to me that he was grateful for the days I could do something fun outside the home. I realized I wasn’t feeling as much guilt as I was loss of what I had, who I was. I mourned the loss and began self- affirmations at the end of each day and soon began to feel better.
Phrases such as:
• Yay! You took a shower today!
• I’m proud of you for getting dressed/making dinner
• I walked the dog to the corner!
It was around that time I was introduced to the Spoon Theory. Simply put, we start each day with a number of “Spoons”. We use the spoons for everything we do. For those of us who are limited, not by our mind but by our bodies, use ‘spoons’ at a faster rate and run out. Here is a link to The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino
https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

One of the things I love about our community on Connect is the cyber friendships we develop. I’ll bet you don’t give yourself credit for what you contribute to these boards. Each of us is learning by sharing. While it may not be face to face contact that you are used to by going to the pool, dancing, or aerobics I think it is better than walling yourself off from the outside. Is there a local library or daycare where you could go and read to children? Or maybe a Veterans home to go to visit those who have no one?

Jen

Jump to this post

@marield65 Marie I am so glad your spirits were lifted! Did you have a good time? I know just what you mean by sitting with the laptop. When I am on Connect I use a tray on my lap with my laptop. One time I wrote a post on my iPad and lost it! Usually I'm very good on the computer.
We are all in this together!
Jen

REPLY
Jen, Alumna Mentor | @sandytoes14 | Aug 14, 2017
In reply to @ayankeeinnm "Hi, Jen, Like your posts a lot. My partner has MS and introduced me to the..." + (show)
@ayankeeinnm

Hi, Jen,

Like your posts a lot. My partner has MS and introduced me to the Spoon Theory. She reminds me of it when I nag her to do something. Mostly, I remember. Thanks again. Michael

Jump to this post

@ayankeeinnm Michael Thank you so much! That is very kind of you to say. How are you feeling? I remember reading you have spinal stenosis. Have you ever had any steroid injections?
Jen

REPLY
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