A Glimmer of Hope

In my quest to return to my normal way of life, I have been doing everything imaginable to try to get better.  Water Aerobics, Chiropractic, Massage, Therapy, you name it, I am doing it!  Along with resting a lot, eating right and trying to move around as much as possible, I hope these positive changes will make a difference in the way that I feel!!

Today, I found out that I am severely Vitamin D deficient, and that possibly could be contributing to my increased pain and fatigue I have been experiencing the past few months.  My doctor prescribed me 50,000 IU of Vitamin D for the next 8 weeks, so hopefully that will get my levels where they should be, I will have more energy and less pain, as long as I continue everything else that I am doing as well.  

Hopefully this new information will be key on the road to recovery and getting my life back so that I can focus on my goals again!

When Life Gives You Lemons...

Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life, and when it comes, hold your head high, look it quarely in the eye and say, 'I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.'--Ann Landers

It's been a rough few days dealing with the Fibro monster.  I have barely been able to get out of bed due to the stiffness, pain and constant migraines. But, I must go on, I cannot let this disease defeat me! 

My brain is telling me to do more, to clean, to try to regain some normalcy in my life.  But my body is resisting. It has been a month since this recent relapse, and I am still no closer to finding out the exact cause.  Was it the medication increase, then withdrawal, is it just the fibromyalgia flaring up, or is there something else wrong?? All I can do at this point is keep exercising, watch what I eat, rest as much as possible and try to keep a positive outlook on my situation.  

Although I am ill, I am thankful for the ability to move around, for a loving, caring husband and family and supportive friends. Some people have none of these!  I thank God everyday for all that I have been blessed with and giving me the strength carry on! I pray that one day soon, they can figure out what caused this illness and put me on a path to recovery!

Hurts So Good!

Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, mental) has a message. The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories: "We would be more alive if we did more of this," and, "Life would be more lovely if we did less of that." Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away.    --Peter McWilliams

I am determined to regain my strength and get back to my normal routine as soon as possible!  I am making some progress, if not just one step at a time.  I had a neurologist appointment today and thankfully there is nothing more serious wrong than mild neuropathy and the fibromyalgia that has plagued me for years.

After a medication reaction sent me that sent me into a month long downward spiral, I am slowly but surely regaining some of my energy.  I think that moving around and getting regular exercise has helped quite a bit, even if I am in pain afterwards.  I walked 17 city blocks today in some pain, and I am proud of myself! I also managed to complete the second class of Water Aerobics, also swimming a bit before and afterwards.

I know that exercising makes me feel good  and that no matter how much it hurts, is something I need to do every day, even just for a little bit!  Now, I have to get the eating in check. Because I have not been feeling well enough to do much of anything, we have been eating a lot of fast foods, which defeat the purpose of this journey.  This weekend I will attempt to make some healthy meals for next week.

I feel good about the progress that I am making so far and feel confident that with each day I will become stronger!  I still have a lot to work on, but my health is my main concern at this moment.  Once I have that in order, hopefully everything else will fall into place!

Working Through the Pain

"No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, 

positively do have the power to change."

~Bill Phillips~

Last night was my first water aerobics class. I have been in so much pain lately that I have not been able to do much of anything, let alone exercise! But in an effort to get my strength back, to start moving again, and to help me feel better, I started water aerobics!

There were several flights of steps to get to the lockers and changing area, which aggravated my injured hip and knee, but I made it!  The class is from 5:45-6:30 T, TH.  Another woman and my self were probably the youngest in the class, early thirties, and the rest of the class was early 40's-70's.  If an older woman with a cane could keep up, so could I!

The class was enjoyable!! The instructor played hip hop music, which I like to work out to.  We did a lot of stretching, jogging, weights, etc.  I felt good while I was exercising.  But when I came home, that was another story!! I was so stiff and in so much pain, I was miserable!

No matter how much pain I am in, I have to keep moving!!  I am not going to give up! I am going back to WA tomorrow night, but I am going to go to class early to swim first and get my muscles and joints loosened up. I know that diet and exercise will help me relieve stress and cope with my illness!  This is for my health and I need to be able to walk and move around!  I know that I can do this!!!