What Distracts You From the Pain?
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 group.
Hi Sandytoes thank you for the good wishes. And you are right, I don’t give myself enough credit and I never thought about my contribution to these boards. I am on my iPad a lot to write on these boards when I could do them so much easier and faster on my laptop. But to sit at my laptop for any length of time pushes on my sciatica and the pain is terrible. See, I don’t even give my self credit for that.
You have enlightened me so much that you lifted my spirits because we are going out to dinner for my birthday tonight and I am always afraid that something is going to happen and I am going to disappoint my family.
Do you know that I celebrate my birthday in honor of you and the fact that I went through more than my allotted spoons this year. I am sure I used up more than 4380 spoons this past year. Because I can do so much more than I give myself credit for. Thankful I am and thanks to my cyber friend. When I can figure it out I will put my picture in the circle instead of the pink. Again thanks! Marie
Thank you hazelblumberg,this is Marie. Over the years (I am 72) I have been very active and did every kind of thing you have listed except for the braiding which I will look into and the gym I belong to has everything you mentioned but I have to get motivated. Most things are in the morning and my bones have to get well oiled. But I will kick myself in the butt to get going. I used to do these things but I think I got kicked with some kind of surgery and lost my momentum every time I did something. But I am a much stronger person and I will do it. Check on me later and hopefully I’ll have good news. Thanks Marie
I know what you mean, Marie. It’s hard for me to get going, too. I used to be a morning person, and then I got fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The fibro has, thank goodness, mostly faded, except that I do get pain in my legs in the winter. But the CFS has remained the same. I used to be so energetic!
Anyway, my husband and I were going out to lunch, and we passed a shop I’d never seen before. They offered mosaic, pottery, and glass fusing classes. WOW! So, I went in and signed up for the glass fusing class. I’ve taken one class in making glass beads, and it was probably the most exciting, fascinating classes I’ve ever taken. Not that I made beads again, but I learned a lot! So, today was the last day to sign up for the glass fusing class, and I did. It meets during the week, once, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Now, those are hours I can deal with! AND it’s not too far from my house, either. Being chronically fatigued, on top of everything else (just took my first pain pill, tylenol + codeine, in about two weeks!), doesn’t leave one wanting to do much.
I hope you can find some afternoon or early evening classes!
Hazel
Hi everyone – I had an experience last week that provided temporary relief. A cupping massage. It was amazing but I was not stiff the following morning! Sore in certain areas where the focus was with the cups but did not feel the overall stiff, flu-like feeling the following day.
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
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!
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
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?
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
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
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.
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.