Fibromyalgia tends to be associated with muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue. The truth is that there are numerous other symptoms that also exist. Based on my own experiences, I have compiled a list of another 8 symptoms that are part of my Fibromyalgia.
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Last year I was at an ultimate low point. I was incredibly overweight, constantly in pain and struggling to get by each day. It all came to a head while on holiday with the children in August 2015. I was out of breath, I looked like a beached whale in all of the photos, I struggled to walk to the beach from the caravan and more importantly I couldn't participate in all the fun stuff the children wanted to do. When I got back from that holiday I knew that I needed to get in control of my condition. I had long suspected that food and exercise were the key to my improved health and I had been doing more exercise through walking, but I had not changed anything about what I was eating. Yesterday, I talked about the salad jars I had made for my work day lunches and how well they had gone. I also promised I would try and make up some more, perhaps with a Mexican theme. This evening I have done just that and it's looking delicious. I find it difficult some days to have the energy to stand in the kitchen and make the healthy lunches I know I should be eating. I am trying to eat more green vegetables and reduce sugar and carb intake, but cheese on toast or a sandwich and crisps is often much easier and much less effort on the days when I am tired or have more pain, even though those sort of meals are contributing to my weight gain, my pain and my fatigue. Relaxation techniques have often been advocated for Fibromyalgia treatment, due to the conditions association with stress and depression. Meditation has been shown to reduce symptom severity, reduce stress and sleep disturbances in Fibromyalgia patients and is certainly a technique that can help you to slow down, to rest and to relax. [Source: Natural Health Advisory] I know that mediation is a powerful tool in assisting with relaxation, but I struggle to get into the right mindset without some form of assistance - or rather guidance. Guided meditation is my solution and although I still find it difficult to ‘get into’, once I allow the guidance to transport me, I find meditation incredibly helpful. I spent my entire life with a dog in the house until 7 years ago. Due to various personal reasons, I ended up living in a rental property where I was not allowed a pet of any kind. As I discussed in my post Walking With Fibromyalgia, I started volunteering as a dog walker to help me get out and about again and improve my fitness, but what I also discovered was how much I missed having a dog in my life and how happy being with Sadie made me. I am constantly frustrated by my foggy brain; the inability to string a sentence together, when I forget the word I need to say, when I get confused and forgetful. It’s hard sometimes to accept how I have gone from an organised and effective person all of the time to an often confused and forgetful mumbling mess. It really has knocked my confidence. Once upon a time I could remember when someone’s birthday was, I could multitask at work and at home, I was organised, methodical and totally in control. Now I struggle to remember most things; what day my daughter has PE, where I put my keys, friends and family’s birthdays. I even forgot parents evening once! As I have previously discussed in my post Taking Time Out When You're Super Busy, to get through a busy day I need to take regular rest breaks. One of the activities I like to do while resting is colouring. There is a boom at the moment for adult colouring books and everyone who is anyone is reaching for the colouring pencils and a stress busting colouring book. Colouring in a beautiful picture really is a therapeutic exercise. It helps me to concentrate on a simple activity, rather than worrying about what I feel I should be doing instead of resting. It gives me an escape from the pain and allows me to focus my thoughts and feelings. Colouring has been proven to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety [Source: Medical Daily] and I can verify this really is a benefit to me. Every day there is pain, I can’t remember the last time I had a completely pain free day. I have good days, bad days and terrible days, but every day involves some level of pain. Most of my pain is in my leg, knees, lower back, shoulders, neck and hands. Sometimes it is a headache, other times stomach cramps and every now and then somewhere totally new and unexpected. I learnt very early on that I didn’t have time to wallow and moan about my pain. Fact was, I was going to be in pain all of the time and so I had to make the decision to be in pain and miss out on life or be in pain and get on with it. I chose the latter. I deal with pain in a number of ways but these are the 3 strategies I use when I am having a really terrible day and I need some relief. After my diagnosis, I was looking for help, support, advice and encouragement. I felt alone, un-educated about Fibromyalgia and desperately trying to find a way to live a happy and fulfilling life. All I could find were places that seemed to constantly reinforce how terrible things were and repeat over and over what the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are ... like I needed reminding. In a bid to bring more positivity to things, I launched Sheffield Fibromites; a Facebook page designed to bring together the Sheffield Fibromyalgia community in a more positive and healthy way. Sadly, I haven't maintained and updated it as much as I would have liked and it has had very limited reach. It remains active and I have now started updating it with my blog posts. |
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