Fighting Fibro

As you may have noticed in my blog info, I've got fibromyalgia.  In a nutshell, fibromyalgia sucks!

There's no definitive test for it, but if you don't have everything else it mimics, it's probably fibro.  There's also no definitive treatment for it.  There are some medications and treatment options that work for a good portion of us, but for the most part, it's a guessing game and a bunch of trial and error to find the right mix of behavior changes, diet changes, medications, alternative medicine treatments and exercise to make you feel better...sometimes.

I don't mind sharing that I've found that acupuncture, aerobic exercise, and Cymbalta to be the best mix for me.  But even that doesn't always make the cut.  Advil is probably best for the pain, but did I mention yet that I only have one kidney?  That's a story for another post, but needless to say, the one thing I'm supposed to stay away from to keep the remaining bean healthy is Advil.  Go figure!  So then, I get low-dose narcotic prescriptions, which work, but have the dangers of addiction, tolerance and that pesky little problem about not driving or operating heavy machinery after you've taken them.  That wipes out the work day!

Some nights I don't sleep at all; others it's up and down with crazy cold sweats and hot flashes.  And let me tell you...the idea of spending the next 50 years of my life with menopause symptoms is not exactly what I had in mind.  Some nights I'm so tired the only thing I can do is lie in bed with my eyes closed...not sleeping.  And then the nights where sleep would come if it weren't for the pain.  Sorry...not trying to gain sympathy.  I don't really like complaining

I'm no doctor and I don't know all the science behind the pain, but from my understanding, there's nothing physically wrong with me, my brain just interprets nerve impulses as pain.  So, today I tried a new thing.  I like to call it "Get over it and just walk already!"  See, the last couple weeks, my knees hurt so bad that I end up limping and hobbling around.  However, I had the insight that if it is based on bad brain signals, then maybe I could override them with good signals.  I mean, if there's nothing physically wrong with me, I can't do more damage by walking or climbing stairs, right?  You see my logic.

The verdict: it kind-of worked.  So it still hurt some, but it did seem to wane after awhile.  I'm not sure if it was just the normal ebb and flow of my daily pain or my new brain power, but it's worth another try.  Next stop...hypnosis.