5FF: Forgetting

*Five things. Every Friday. About Fibro*

Hello, Brain Fog!

The upcoming holidays seem to be highlighting just how awful my memory is. Sometimes, I am amazed that I manage to get myself to work at all, let alone get to work appropriately dressed and with everything I need for the day. So for today's post, I thought I would highlight the five things that most frequently bypass my brain.

1. My purse. I don't go far to get to the gym or work, and I generally don't stop at any stores on the way home from work. This means for the most part, I can get by without my purse. However, it is where I keep my padlock and music -both essential components for working out at the gym. I keep these items in my purse as the my current gym bag has no pockets, and I hate having to pull everything out just to find these tiny items. Sometimes, I merely forget my purse in the car at the gym. This is easily fixed by a quick trip out to the parking lot. It is not a quick fix when I manage to leave my purse at home. When this happens, I can write off working out before work.

2. Work clothes. I pack my gym bag the night before. I just don't always remember to pack everything I need to change into post-workout. I can get by with casual work attire, but sweaty t-shirts are just a tad too casual. Not to mention, uncomfortable.

3. My lunch. Again, I prepare my lunch for the next day when I get home from work. I don't always remember to take it out of the fridge when I leave for work.

4. My vitamins. I am horrible at remembering to take my vitamins, and medicine in general. This pre-dates my Fibro diagnosis, but is noticeably worse these days. It is a bit ironic, as some of the vitamins are supposed to help my brain function better.

5. My blog. Don't think I didn't notice that this Friday post is going up on Saturday! I am stuck using an app to post on my blog, and there is no feature to schedule posts in advance. There is also no feature that smacks me upside the head to remind me to post something.

There you have it -my forgotten list. What do you struggle to remember?

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5FF: Comfort and Joy

***5 Things, About Fibro, Every Friday***

This week I had the pleasure of being stricken with a case of the stomach flu. Yay.  Surely, I should have expected my fibro to flare with this viral attack on my body. But frankly, I was a little distracted by all the time I spent making deposits to the porcelain bank. As I ponder over the experience, I have to wonder what I could have done to make myself more comfortable during the process. Basically, I want a Stomach Flu Emergency Kit to have on hand for when it happens again. And when you work with young children, it will happen again.

1. A soft heat source.  I love my heating pads to bits. However, when I get the stomach flu I tend to experience excruciating lower back pain. Add fibro pain on top of it, and it was unbearable. My heating pads are filled with rice that I heat in the microwave as needed. Not at all comfortable to have under a sore back, and resting on my stomach was out of the question. So I will get a stack of the "peel and stick" heat thingies. I'm a little freaked out about chemical reactions creating heat so close to my skin, but at least there should be no chance of my burning down the house because of them.

2. Pedialyte that hasn't expired. I keep Pedialyte on hand. Unfortunately, what I had was already expired.  I wasn't willing to experiment with expired Pedialyte and my upset tummy. Once I was able to get some down (hooray for DH!), the tender skin sensation subsided.

3.  Peppermint tea. I usually have some on hand, but naturally I am out. Even when I couldn't actually drink it, it would have been nice to be able to rinse my mouth out with some minty goodness.

4. A sleeping mask. Bright lights felt like sharp knives in my eyes. Even lights that I wouldn't normally consider bright seemed to set me over the edge. I made a mask for DH, looks like I need to make one for myself!

5.  Coloring books to keep Turtle entertained. Due to DH's work schedule, I spent of majority of the illness on my own with Turtle. Thank goodness she can entertain herself! Give her a new coloring book and you won't see her for hours. I didn't have any new books on hand for her, but I did let her dip into my art supplies. Friends and Family of Turtle: you can expect original Turtle paintings for Christmas!

Fortunately, neither DH or Turtle are showing symptoms, so if I could cross my fingers right now I would, in hopes that this is the end of the stomach flu at Casa C-Joy.

What do you like to keep on hand during flu season?

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MIA

I suspect that I am not the only one to suffer from MIA (Monday Induced Anxiety). This seldom-discussed ailment strikes at various times during the weekend, but tends to peak on Sunday evenings. The cause is stress incurred from the anticipation of the upcoming week. Symptoms include:
* irritability
* insomnia
* fatigue
* changes in appetite

Severity of symptoms increase in direct proportion to the amount of time taken off before returning to work on Monday.

Speaking from personal experience, I am usually stressing about the vast amount of work I have to do, the questionable amount of energy I have to do the vast amount of work, changes to the routine, preparing for upcoming events, and the details involved with managing a home. It may not be just a coincidence that a majority of my flares begin on a Monday!

I wish I could be Zen and just let go of all these expectations and pressure I put on myself to get stuff done.  Then maybe MIA wouldn't bother me so much. I know during the summer, I rarely suffer any MIA symptoms!

These are the things that I do to help alleviate the symptoms:
* Have my classroom completely ready for Monday morning. That way I don't have to rush to get to school early to finish anything needed for the day.
* Packing lunches the night before. I ALWAYS tell myself "I can do this in the morning." And I ALWAYS kick myself the next morning when I didn't do it the night before.
* Packing the gym bag. On Mondays, that means having yoga clothes ready.
* Having my purse/bag full of stuff needed for class on Monday together so I can just grab and go
* Locate my keys. They always seem to take trips on the weekend when I'm not looking.
* Take a few minutes to just focus on breathing.

Once I get going at work, I am generally so busy that all the things I was anxious about fade to the background. Until I get home on Monday evening.......

Do you suffer from MIA? How do you treat it?

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Relief

I made it through the day! I also managed to stay awake until after Turtle went to bed, without having a tantrum (from either of us).

One thing is for certain, my job offers a lot of distractions which helps keep my mind off of my symptoms. Being prepared for the day was also a huge help. I just may have to create a file full of work ready to go to use for the next of one of those days.

Now there is just one more day without my assistant, then I get a few days off.

I can do this!

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One of those days

No matter how much I exercise, how well I stick to a healthy diet, how much water I drink, I still have bad days.

It's very frustrating.

Today is one of those days. It is not a high pain day, but the fatigue is overwhelming. It also couldn't have come at a worse time. I truly can not afford to be less than 100% today, and I can not take the day off. If I push myself too hard, I will pay for it later and longer.

The only way I can get through this day is to move gently, and trust that everything that "needs" to happen today will get done. Let go of my expectations. Put out extra coloring work, be generous with snack servings, speak less. Most importantly, remember to BREATHE.

How do you deal with work obligations when Fibro symptoms get in the way?

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5FF (5 Fibro on Friday): Worst Fibro Hobbies

 5 things. About Fibromyalgia. Every Friday

*************************************************************************************

Hobbies are a great way to distract yourself from whatever Fibromyalgia symptom is bothering you the most. However, not all hobbies are created equal. Before you try to help a friend by suggesting a hobby as a distraction technique, I thought it would be helpful to take a look at what at what could be the worst possible hobbies to take up when you have Fibro.

1. Spelunking: OK, being  in the dark could be quite peaceful. But then there would be the crawling over hard surfaces, the cold damp, and the ear-splitting echoes. I'm sure I would have a choice word (or ten) for the unfortunate soul who happened to mistakenly blind me with their little head lamp.
2. Rock Climbing: This will break my nephew's heart, but I think clambering over rocks above ground would be just as painful as exploring underground rocks. A lack of energy would probably prevent me from leaving the ground, not to mention the trust issues I would have with the equipment to keep me safely suspended above the ground.
3. Parkour: According to Wikepedia, "effective parkour techniques depend on fast redistribution of body weight and the use of momentum to perform seemingly difficult or impossible body maneuvers at great speed". I try to keep this in mind when I pick myself up from the ground after avoiding a collision with another person, while trying to answer my cell phone and walk at the same time. I didn't trip, I just performed a spontaneous act of parkour.
4. Ice Hockey: It doesn't matter how much padding is involved, you still have to stay upright on slim pieces of metal on a slippery surface while crazy people brandishing sticks are racing around you, trying to knock you over by slamming their body into yours. On the plus side, any injury sustained could be immediately iced.
5. Roller Derby: Similar to ice hockey, except on wheels and without the sticks. Or the padding.

There you have it. Be a responsible friend, and don't let someone you love (who happens to have Fibromyalgia) take up any of these hobbies!

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Off like a herd of turtles

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Yes, I know - I'm the Queen of Irregular Blog Posts. I have the best of intentions, but somehow always manage to not blog. Sigh.

But at least I can report that the school year has begun! So far I have been able to get myself up and to the gym before school four mornings a week, plus once a week after school to work with my trainer. This has helped tremendously with daytime pain and energy. However, I am discovering that I am completely out of energy by 5:00. Then I struggle for another 2 hours until I can put Turtle to bed. Since I'm getting home from school between 4:30 and 5:00, I don't have much functional awake time available during the work week. The weekends are becoming full with the things I can't get done during the week. Thank goodness this is a holiday weekend so I have an extra day to get things done!

It is most definitely time to tweak my Fibro Action Plan. I have an idea (or two) up my sleeve to put in motion that may help enhance my awake time. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy that I am able to sleep (mostly) through the night. I would just like to enjoy the hours I have between work and bedtime. I'm sure my family would agree that Wet Noodle Mommy is not much fun to be around!

Rebalancing Act

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I had a hunch that I would see an increase in symptoms once I started back to work. I was not prepared for how quickly and how forcefully the symptoms would flare. OK, I get it Fibro! You are still here, waiting for me. I have already lost a day due to pain. Time to rebalance, readjust, refocus, so I don't lose any more time.
 
I've been off my meds for awhile, so I'm starting up again. I should have started a couple weeks ago- the beginning of the school year is NOT a good time to feel groggy. Not only will I be groggy while I readjust to the meds, it will take some time for the medicine to get into my system to help control the pain.  Oops.

On the bright side, I think I may have figured out how to continue on with my Personal Trainer after the start of the school year, and it doesn't involve being at the gym at 5:30 in the morning! What a huge relief. I have also made a plan with DH so I can go to the gym before school most mornings. If I don't go when I get the chance in the morning, the deal will be off. I know from past experience that going after school is not going to happen -there just isn't enough energy left by the end of the day. Keep your fingers crossed & send me a good thought (or two) that I can get my groggy bottom to the gym in the mornings!

Uncomfortable in my own skin

Todd  Goldman

Things have been going well on the Fibro Front. Not only am I still standing, but I'm still nailing those workouts at least 5 times a week! As long as I really protect my neck I can do some strength training as well as cardio work. I found out from experience that over-using my neck and shoulders cause a flare up. Ooops. My darling trainer has adapted some Pilates moves for me so I can work my abs without straining my neck. I also love doing a bit of Yoga with weights -it feels really good to combine the two!

Although the pain is pretty much under control for now, I'm bothered by a few other symptoms. Namely, blurry vision, sound sensitivity, and skin sensitivity. The blurry vision makes reading frustrating. But at least if I am reading on my Nook I can adjust the font size to help me see more clearly. The sound sensitivity is a little more difficult to tackle. It has been so hot and humid that the source of most of the noise has not been playing outside as much this week. It is to cool off next week, so that should give me ears a welcomed break.  The worst is the skin sensitivity -I hate it! At least I can be at home, where I can say "Don't touch me! Use a whisper when you talk!" and have everyone respect my wishes. This is much harder to pull off in the classroom.

I wish I knew what was aggravating these symptoms. My guess is food. With the holiday, I've eaten more processed meat (mmmmm, sausages -bratwurst!) and potato chips than I normally do. I know it has affected how much water I retain! Perhaps there has been too much dairy consumed as well (darn you, DH and your current obsession with making Orange Julius! Oh, and the pizza! Processed meat AND cheese!!) I'll clean up my food act and see what happens.

Until next time, stay joyful!