Chronic Pain

A 51 year old female living and dealing with lumbar back pain and fibromyalgia. Sharing things I do for relief, reduce stress and control weight gain.

Monday, November 10, 2014

I MADE IT!

After what seemed a life time ( reality..2months) I'm finally free of pain medication running my life.  It's true, it did.  Everything I did was planned around when or how long ago I'd taken my pain medication.  It was never questionable.  If it had worn off, and wasn't time for my next one, I couldn't do it.   I don't regret having to take it as long as I did but I do regret that my doctor didn't encourage me sooner to see what would happen if I stopped taking it.



My rheumatologist had mentioned in the past when I would complain about the various FM drugs I've tried not working that it could be the narcotic blocking it.  No pressure, just information.  You never could have convinced me that I could function without it.  

Wednesday will be one week completely free from a pill doing me more harm than good.  I think each two week step down was just as, if not harder than,  the first 3 days of being totally off.   

Wednesday:  I awake thinking OMG how am I going to get through this day?  Nothing for relief.  I AM NOT a bed person.  How in the world will I manage?  No NSAIDS allowed.

Text message from my husband: How u doin?
Me: Brave of you to ask.....then a list of complaints 
Him: no, your brave!

 My first accomplishment was to take a walk, which I done 43 out of the 58 days I've been on this journey.  During the summer I was swimming and walking in the pool for exercise.  Don't get me wrong,  this is excellent exercise.  Everyday that I was in there I was praising God we were fortune enough to work out a way to have a pool for me to exercise in.  All of my doctors have said, "KEEP MOVING".  Walking was a different story.  I had slowly worked up to walking short distances after my first stimulator surgery.   Several months later I was walking a little over a mile and increased to a good pace for me.  After I had the revision surgery a year later as soon as the doctor gave me the ok I got back to it once
more.  This time I couldn't keep with it.  I couldn't walk through the pain.   I stuck to swimming, walking, PT stretchs in the pool and riding my recumbent bike for exercise.  

A week before I started the tapering I made up my mind that I was going to walk it out no matter what.  10 minutes, 20 minutes, whatever I could do was better than staying inside and fighting this battle with no other help.  Once I made up my mind I was able to do it.  I had to do it right away or I'd let the pain take over my mind and win.  After the walk I did a 25 minute stretch routine that consisted of all the back and core strengthening exercises that my physical therapist taught me.  It took and is still taking commitment to get it done. If I had an appointment I got up early enough to do beforehand.  I knew that if I could get my back a little stronger would help me in the end of this process. 

Thursday:  Each day will be a little better.  Not day 2 though...it was worse than day one. 
During the time of day that I usually took my pain medicine my body was screaming at me. My back hurt so bad.  I just couldn't imagine how this was going to work.  I reminded my self I trust my doctor.  Why would he just torture me for nothing.

Text message from my daughter: How r u?
Me: A bunch of nonsense about how it has to get better than this : < (   A comment my PM doctor said to me on Monday when I saw him. ( you'll find after about 2 months your pain will level off to a lower degree and mostly stay the same.  90% of people find they feel so much better in the end)  I go on with my nonsense to text, " he obviously forgot I live in the 10%". 
Her: Well you've had victory with every other med step you've taken so we'll believe you will here too!! Take it easy.


doing a lot of soaks with this
It's that kind of support that helped me through some though days.  There are very few people who understand what I've been through I have many who care.  Even some of my readers have checked on me.  Thank you, it means the world to me to know you understand and support me.  

Unfortunately when Friday rolled around I had an added discomfort jump on board.  It started as a flaming throat and nose.  At first I just thought it was allergy but by Sunday it involved my ears and chest.  I feel like an moose is sitting on my chest.  I'm hanging in there since I have a doctor appointment Wednesday anyway.   Of course my old friend "the hives" have been lurking around just to make thinks a little more uncomfortable.  A few days I didn't have any but most days I had at least one and at most four.


I hate these buggers :-(

They'll never leave me!

I've been out very little ( besides my walk ) A trip to the fruit stand, very close to my house.  Saturday evening went to eat at some friends house and watch the LSU-BAMA game.  I really wanted to get out of the house and knew my friend would keep me laughing which would be so good for me.  I was right about that too.  I was happy to see my husband getting to watch the game with friends.  We used to always do something for the game but this season we've been right here.  Today I tackled getting gas and going inside Wally World for a few things.   I can tell you I've spent quite a bit of time soaking in the tub but it really helps.  

In conclusion I feel like when this allergy/sinus issue is better I can really tell how I'm feeling.  I feel like my back is getting stronger and when it does start to hurt from activity it's a totally different pain.  There is a constant "soreness" more than "pain" from the start of day that turns into a medium grade pain.  When I'm over this I can't wait to see how I really feel.  I'm quite surprised at how my back felt today and praying it continues and is real.  I guess what I mean is sometime when something else is hurting you can put your chronic pain at the bottom.  I'm not saying this a good situation but just how it can be.  I plan to update you in a couple of weeks to let you know how I feeling.  For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to each coming day.  



Live in Peace not in pieces
Iylana Vanzant



My big princess

P on his 5th birthday

My little princess