Fibromyalgia

I thought it appropriate to pick up my blog where I left off over 7 years ago freshly into a fibromyalgia diagnosis. For clarity, fibromyalgia as defined by Mayo Clinic is ‘a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues.’

For me, I believe there were several factors that set off fibromyalgia and being in a car accident, an unhealthy relationship and suffering from other health issues were contributing factors.

Fast forward here are some updates.

If you haven’t read my original post on Fighting Fibro Fabulously, please do! It will shed some perspective on how I have managed this disorder for almost a decade in a state of feeling, dare I say, fabulous! Is every day full of fabulousness, absolutely not! But read on for practical information on how I live well with fibro.

I am not a medical professional, nor do I provide medical advice via my posts. Simply, I want to share my personal experience with managing fibromyalgia symptoms daily.

Every day, I awake and will continue to wake up with this condition for the rest of my life. I planned then and I continue to plan now on living a balanced and fruitful life despite fibromyalgia. Therefore, you will find me here sharing what has worked with my symptoms. I’ll continue to share tried and true recommendations as a person who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in her thirties living her best life in her forties.

In my original post, I shared everything from tips to rituals, web links and even my Pinterest board with information I personally found useful. My doctor then gave me the best advice which was to learn as much as I could about fibromyalgia.

These days, I am so proud and thankful that I wrote that post. Not much has changed to my heart and souls satisfaction. I am currently taking OTC ibuprofen or a migraine specific pain reliever as needed. I found that Gabapentin worked best for me when it came to prescribed medication. Happily, I can’t even remember the last time I had a prescription filled. That’s not to say I won’t take/get a prescribed medication if needed. This is not to suggest you need to be off your medication(s) or prescribed care. Keep in mind this information is based on my own experience with fibromyalgia. Following a treatment plan designed for your specific symptoms is key!

Massages (and facials) are still part of my rituals. I love facials and massages as they do a lot for my physical and emotional well-being. I try to have them often and highly recommend finding a local therapist that understands fibromyalgia trigger points. Having a professional massage can help stiff joints, sore muscles, inflammation and overactive nerves. For me, routine massages have been paramount to my management of flare-ups.

Human connections with professionals who treat fibromyalgia, support from family and friends is also important for long-term care.

I say this because I had to inevitably, cut out people from my life that were unhealthy and therefore, toxic to me and the fibro. If you believe we are all energy, and everything around us emits some sort of energy, consider quiet time, self-care and healthy boundaries as part of your wellness plan.

Some things I found that have been wonderful for alleviating my inflammation and swelling are drinking fresh ginger and turmeric pressed juice shots. These can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores or you can make them yourself. Having pineapple peel tea is great and I will share information about it below.

Believe it or not, those detoxing foot pads that used to come on TV infomercials help with my ankles, calves and knees when I am have aching and swelling. Some people have found no benefits from these at all. I have found they help alleviate restlessness and swelling in my legs. Huge tender points for me are my ankles, knees, wrists, shoulders and hips to name a few.

We hear this all the time and you have to hydrate and drink lots of water. I particularly find alkaline water and sports drinks with electrolytes and low sugar are my favorite.

As far as foods are concerned, limiting sugar and carbs overall. Generally, foods with gluten certainly mark the difference in bloating, swelling and fibro flare-ups. Dishes that include turmeric, ginger and even carrots all seem to alleviate digestive ailments and my inflammation. I am still adding a collagen powder to my morning coffee and currently taking a supplement called, Fibralgia.

Movement is important for managing fibromyalgia symptoms. Stretching, walking, and low impact exercise are my preference. Light weights you can find almost anywhere these days are a great option. I recently purchased a rowing machine which is my favorite piece of equipment right now. I recommend slowly building resistance, start with few reps and going super easy on the joints to build tolerance.

Lastly, I’ll add that listening to frequency and meditation help with insomnia, restlessness, anxiety and brain fog.

All in all, I would say that the managing of my fibromyalgia symptoms goes like this:

Detox– Massage therapy, drink tea and stay hydrated. Foot detox pads and light-moderate exercise. Manage who you surround yourself with! Detox your body and your soul. Your fibromyalgia will thank you.

Nourish– I watch what I eat. It’s that simple. I don’t deprive myself because I do find comfort in food. Be mindful of what is in the food. Stay hydrated and take supplements that include magnesium. Add a collagen protein powder to your fave drink. Foods with ginger and turmeric are diet staples.

Exercise– Low impact exercise like walking, rowing and stretching as with yoga or Pilates.

Soothe– Over the counter pain reliever such as Ibuprofen and of course don’t discard the basics, like the occasional warm bath to help soothe flare-ups. There are some really good sound frequency and meditations out there for soothing relief.

Heal– Striving for some manageable goals allows for the micro-wins that sustain the healing journey. Celebrate the small successes you’ve planned out for yourself and achieved. Even if that is just getting out of bed 3 days in a row! Try to create rituals or routines. Having some sort of a constant with a disorder that you cannot control can make a difference. Pivot and remain flexible in your health goals and wellness journey.

In summation, the best thing I can share from my own experience is try “learning” your fibromyalgia and listen to your body. It takes effort and intention and it will be so worth it! Find support in the people and things that align with your entire being.

Fabulous can be defined as something extraordinary. If you have fibromyalgia, it may not be your adjective of choice to describe life with this disorder. However, I am blessed to be here living a pretty balanced life, blogging about it and also working a full-time job close to a decade since diagnosis. It will be a continuum and a priority to be intentional about the quality of life I want live with fibromyalgia. That in itself is fab and extraordinary to me. You are fabulous and extraordinary. I hope you find some comfort and insight from my story.

Here are some resources and references:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibromyalgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20354780

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/getting-the-best-treatment-for-your-fibromyalgia-2020091020905

https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/more-about/treatments-worth-trying-for-fibromyalgia

“As soon as healing takes place, go out and heal somebody else.”

― Maya Angelou

On my previous post, I talked about being diagnosed with several health concerns among which my primary physician at the time, an internal medicine doctor found I had fibromyalgia. I had been in the emergency room which is how I found this doctor, purely by chance. He was highly recommended and he did do a good job ruling out everything else before making a diagnosis. That was almost 2 years ago and since, I’ve made it my mission to find out everything that I could about this illness and how I can live with it and be who I used to be. My doctor then said to me (and he was right) “the first thing I want you to do is research everything you can about Fibromyalgia.” Yes, he gave me homework. Amidst all of my pain, anxiety and confusion he said “fibromyalgia is not curable and you need to learn to live with it.”

I was dealing with other health issues and taking it all in seemed impossible. I was later diagnosed with having spinal stenosis which is simply put, arthritis of the spine. I also had fibroid tumors, at least one the size of a tennis ball. My doctor’s main concern, however, was that I had severe anemia. My iron levels were so low, he considered a blood transfusion and I had some decisions to make. The first thing I told my doctors is that I did not like taking painkillers. I refused to live drugged up because I had a full-time job as a personal banker, I am the mother of three young girls and my life had to go on.

The reason I write my doctors “then” is because I had to see more than one doctor as I had more than one issue going on at the time. I use “then” in the past tense because I NO longer see any doctors.

Please read on because I am not selling you anything and I am not promoting anything. I am just documenting and sharing with you how I became my own guinea pig to help myself live with fibromyalgia.

Some of the links I will share are resources that I legitimately read or followed and engaged at some point in my desperate pursuit of options, tools and answers. I am not a doctor so please, use these as a guide to help on your own pursuit.

Medication

One of the things my doctor prescribed was a serotonin uptake inhibitor to help me with my anxiety, stress and depression. I also had panic attacks often and at one point, my husband had to take me to a doctor in tears hardly moving and gasping for air after retrieving me from my office because I was having a sort of breakdown. At that point, I was prescribed Valium. Now, while some people might like to a ride on the Great Space Coaster, (respectfully) I do not. I felt my life slipping out of my hands. I was alive but barely there. There was no thriving. There was no enjoyment. There was only pain, sadness and confusion as a sidecar to this cocktail of supposed relief. Other medicines I was taking were Gabapentin and Tizanidine. These were medicines to help me sleep and to relax my overactive nerves and muscles spasms. In addition, I was getting steroidal injections in my spine, hip and joints with the most pain. This was my treatment for more than a year. I’d had enough.

Detoxing

While I won’t say that I did not appreciate the temporary relief that I got time after time from those medications, the side effects were making me the most depressed I had ever been. I knew when I started getting thoughts that my life was meaningless, that I should probably end it and that I was never going to get better that something had to change or I was gonna die this way. Detoxing my soul and my body became my priority. My detoxing started with what I ate and what I drink because those were things that I had to do anyway, exercise was hardly on my agenda. If you have fibro getting out of bed is a feat…exercise is not even an option. Besides, at that point I had gained so much weight I was very reluctant to work out because I knew it was gonna be a tough battle. I would get back to that at some point, I had to. Movement and warmth are two things that I noticed that fibromyalgia loves and needs. I’ll get to those later. I started detoxing by reading everything that I could about removing toxins from the body. I was almost sure that if I was able to remove the toxins I had accumulated from medication, stress and the environment out of my body, I would then be in a better place to do exercise. I love Dr. Pepper and coffee but those were two things that I had to control. While I have quit soda and sugary, caffeinated drinks from my diet, coffee is a work in progress. I had to do it little by little so I started to look for teas that I could turn into a cold drink or a tonic that I would be motivated to drink. I also incorporated an apple cider vinegar detoxing drink that helped me lose weight and cleanse my body. How’s that for a cocktail with a side of awesome! However, it is not enough to detox your body from the inside alone. I mean when you’ve got fibromyalgia, you can use all the help that you can get! I found there were some beauty rituals that did the deed. That was exciting to me because I had long-lost beauty regimens to pain and hopelessness. I found that dry brushing my skin helped detox the lymph nodes and taking baths with ginger, turmeric and bentonite clay was a God send. I noticed how uplifted and comfortable I felt after a warm bath or after having made a mask with the clay and some essential oils. The rituals were working! They changed my whole state of being not only because I was doing something wholesome for my body, the regimens made me feel (and look) good. I had finally had some level of control over the onslaught of symptoms.

Fibro can be very sensitive to scents and some people have found that their sense of smell is heightened and can even stimulate a flareup, so choose your essential oils wisely. I prefer lavender of course. Lemon, orange scented oils and clove are in my arsenal as well. If you suffer with fibromyalgia, consider if possible detoxing your body. I detox the inside and the outside which helped me leave behind all medication I was taking and set the stage for more wins!

Nourish

I love this word nourish don’t you? I believe a huge part of living with fibromyalgia is learning to care for and nourish yourself. There is no one who can understand how you feel and what you’re truly going through unless they have fibro as well. That’s not to say that those around you should not or will not make an effort to be as empathetic and sympathetic as possible. However, it is you that has to lead by example. If it is necessary, make a mantra for yourself that is going to help lift you out of the pits of despair when you’re feeling at your lowest. Nourishing myself and caring for me became a practice daily in every moment, in every way. I had to truly think deeply about what I was going to eat. We should all be eating mindfully but eating the wrong things with fibromyalgia can be the difference between a flare-up or a good day.

Remember you get out of your body what you put into it and if you want to be strong enough to exercise, to go out, to look good, to work, than you have to eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. That applies to everyone and fibro sufferers are no exception. I know you’ve heard that time and time again and while I still have my chocolate cake, I make sure that I eat as many organic protein, fruits and vegetables as I can. Think Paleo or even Vegetarian diet. Fibromyalgia is unique to each person who has this illness so while I want you to eat healthy, I want you to eat happy. Food can be comforting so yes, have your burger and mac & cheese. Try to make your own versions that are healthy and inspiring. When you have fibromyalgia you feel like you lose control and coming up with healthy recipes or researching some of your own based on your likes and dislikes is a way to take back control and nourish yourself.

You’re probably wondering how I’m able to deal with my fibromyalgia symptoms and not take pills or have injections. The answer to that is mostly due to detoxing, nourishing and I’ve added supplements. In short, controlling what I can control. Fibromyalgia like much else is a balancing act.

For example, I was always a great sleeper. My mom used to joke that I would go with her to visit family or friends as a child and I would fall asleep under their tables or just about anywhere! My husband was always jealous that I could sleep during the day like I was a bear in hibernation. You can imagine how nerve-racking and depressing it is to have so much pain that you can’t sleep at night for a natural sleepyhead like me. One thing I did is that I make sure that I reset my body’s clock to wake and sleep mode again. This is still a work in progress. I take melatonin and have a cup of warm tea to get my body to consciously and subconsciously recognize where I am in the day. When I need that burst of energy which is every single day in the morning I recognize that having a good dose of vitamins in my system is crucial. Some people who don’t have a chronic illness may not need to exercise every single day. They may not need to take vitamins every single day or scrutinize every single activity in their daily lives. God bless them! That’s a blessing many take for granted. We are going to celebrate and embrace the challenge. I recommend that if you have fibromyalgia you make at least an effort to have a conscious regimen. What I mean by that is that I don’t want you to get stressed out over every detail of your day but, I do want you to consciously and purposefully live your days knowing what you need to get you to the next step. I love taking a B 12 vitamin complex with vitamin D to give me that healthy boost of energy that I need. I take two doses of these in the day along with magnesium. I have tried-and-true methods that help me make gradual steps of awareness when I am too tired or too weak to do what I “want” to do. That is when you stop and become aware of what you need to do to carry through and being tuned into your limits.

Excercises

I know exercise sucks. There I said it. There are some people who love working out and they are addicted to it blah blah blah, blessings to them! Fibromyalgia needs movement. If you can still have a decent workout routine with fibro you are my hero!! If you don’t or you have gained weight in an unprecedented way like I had from the steroid injections and medication then a balance ball is your new friend. I purchased one of those huge bouncy balls with the workout DVD in it and little by little started to stretch on it and follow some of the tips and exercises on the DVD and it helped me tremendously. I also have a stationary bike and treadmill but you don’t have to have these to do the exercises that will bring benefits to you. Relief from exercise can come from yoga, tai chi or simply a walk outdoors. There are really light weights that you can buy to help you do some strength training and please ask your physician what would be the best for you. Each person’s resistance, skill level and tolerance is different and as unique as fibromyalgia. I recommend that you do exercises that help you stretch and strengthen your body. If you were able to work out enough to break out into a sweat by God you’ve hit the jackpot because you will be detoxing as well.

Soothe

Ahhhhhh. I love soothe that word is part of my genetic make up I swear! When you detox, when you wean yourself off medicine or even if you’re on medicine, if you work or you can’t work. If you exercise or you don’t, soothe is something for everyone living with fibromyalgia. The word soothe means: to calm or placate something and if you have any or all of the array of symptoms fibromyalgia brings to your life, trust me, soothe and placate are it!

Things that are soothing to me and keep me balanced, in control, that help me calm down and placate some of my symptoms are getting a massage, meditating and reading. For you it might be different. Look for those things that bring you peace and calm. Praying, watching a movie or listening to music may be your way to soothe. Coloring, drawing or just being still may be your thing. Your ultimate goal with fibromyalgia is to soothe your mind your, body and your soul. You might find your inner peace by changing those who you surround yourself with. Read that last line again.

You might end up finding it in writing, photography, or crafting. Whatever your peace is, that is what will soothe you time and time again.

Heal

Finally, nothing says I want to live a healthy life like actively looking for healing. You have to want it!

If you had a broken ankle (which I have had by the way), rash or a broken heart (I’ve had those too) you look for healing right? Healing comes from many sources but your best medicine is You. Think of autoimmune diseases and how people living with those diseases live. If you want to truly live a fulfilled and purposeful life with a chronic illness like fibromyalgia, you have to make a conscious effort to visualize yourself better. Go after it! I know how hard it is to do, to grasp the reality of taking charge of your circumstance with such a tough disease like fibromyalgia but, you can do it. The reason I know you can do it is because I’m doing it now, every day. I consciously make an effort to learn more and to do more. Whether it’s through a book that teaches me how to self-help or through the Bible that fills me with encouragement. You might decide at some point that you want to replace all of the negative things in your life with positive ones whether that’s changing your job, ending a relationship or breaking old habits. I currently use self help hypnosis methods for example and a visualization board to continually manifest the good things that I deserve in my life. It is an act of materializing those things through action. I deserve to be more than what fibromyalgia can make of me. I want to live my life fabulously and I want the same for you.

I believe in my heart that God doesn’t make mistakes. So I wish you a lifetime of balance, peace, joy and comfort as you fight fibro fabulously!

I welcome you to follow my fighting fibro fabulously board on Pinterest.

Additional links include support for your own journey to fabulous.

https://www.patientslikeme.com/

https://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/video/video-fibromyalgia-overview