@lioness, @kach Hello, all. Well, we all know this crazy fibromyalgia is a tough one. Like you, lioness, I was diagnosed with fibro in the dark ages, when I was in my 30's and the doctors had no idea what was happening.

Well, last year I saw, a Mayo YouTube of a Fibro convention in Ireland. I learned it is real, extremely painful all over, never goes away and seems to resist almost everything we try for relief.....and, I learned they now know we have painful related issues...And, because of fibromyalgia, we feel more intense pain than other folks. It's amplified. What an eye opener for me. I knew from experience, but I never believed it was real, thought I was imagining

I'm 74 now and recently learned to do what you mentioned, lioness. I'm taking control of my body, of my life, listening to what my body says. I've all my life pushed to go far beyond the point my body began screaming at me with pain and exhaustion, wasn't going to let this pain stop me! It seems we're always in fight mode with this illness, aren't we. Fighting against having it, against the pain and to keep going.

Well, if we stop fighting and let our body speak to us, we'd slow down, rest, take a day off to recuperate from over-doing the day before I'm resting today, after doing too much and I didn't stop when I should. I have a small fridge in a 2nd bedroom, a coffee maker, microwave, and keep cold diet coke/water/green tea and whatever, with yogurt and fruit and other foods so I can stay upstairs. I have 14 steps to climb. When I need to take a day off or can't function well, I stay upstairs. At first I thought I was giving in to the illness. I felt defeated. NO. It's listening to my body and helping myself heal. Doing what's good for me.

It took me 40 years to admit that I can not do what I want. I refused to be defeated! I'm not defeated. I'm surviving.

Several years ago, my shoulder began hurting. I have a torn rotator cuff. Don't know how or when, but it was painful. No surgery, so, I worked w/PT for a year. Same with my elbow. Wrist. Hands. Legs. Back. and more.

And, a PT therapy pool is my salvation. with warm water, exercise in the water for 1 hour. No more. I must be careful not to overdo and undo the benefits. I urge anyone w/fibro to ask your doctor re this therapy. Insurance covers the cost. For me, no other exercise or pay dearly in long-term pain. Just the pool. And walking, very carefully w/my walker and just until I begin to tire. Massage is wonderful, but costly.

I take Robaxin for muscle relaxation as my muscles are tight and fight all the time. That helps. Cymbalta is one of the best meds for me for the firbo pain. As is MMJ. I use 1:1 tincture nightly for anxiety, pain, insomnia, and sleep well. Requip for dopamine enhancement for RLS. And, a b-pap for apnea. And, I sleep. Good rest;

Now, it has taken me all these decades to get here. These are some of my answers for these issues. I'm living, surviving, and healing at times now. All because God finally got through to me, I got Mayo Clinic help, I'm on Connect and have my friends here to keep me going and help me grow. And, I'm working like a trojan to accept my body as it is and life as I can have it. Still hurt. Still have down days. Still get worse, then better....I'm thankful.
Blessings to you on this crazy journey of ours. elizabeth

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