Hey guess what?! I am doing so much better on my pain and fatigue. Last week was a very bad week for both. I worked on Wed and paid for several days. Luckily one of my Dr's took me out on med leave. Thank God for her!
Anyway here's the good news! Pain is better, fatigue is a lot better. I wake with some pain in my knees and sometimes hips but I just take 1 Ultracet and I'm OK. The trick for me is exercising. I know what your thinking....How could you ever exercise in the pain you're in. I thought that too! So last Sat I just took a little walk in the mall. Sun I went swimming. I had to rest several times due to the fatigued muscles but, Monday the pain was not as severe. Mon, Tues, Wed we went biking. Not that far but I got my heart beat up to aerobic treatment. Thurs I didn't do anything because I wanted to cook a good dinner for my husband, so we just rested. What you know Friday was not as pain free and I didn't have any energy. So Fri night we went swimming. Today just pain in my knee area.
My point is even just a little movement may help you. I did not believe it either. My Dr just said just start out with 1-2 minutes and work your way up so that's what I did.
I guess my second point is DON'T GIVE UP!! A better quality of life may be right around the corner! Hang in there guys and gals!
I also think that a little time off from work has allowed me to reflect on myself and really evaluate my life and how I'M GOING TO MAKE IT BETTER! My husband said to me one day when I was sobbing crying that I need to look at this as a turning point in my life. He basically wants me to do whatever it takes to feel better and happier. Whether that means eating better, exercising, yoga, changing jobs, changing majors in college, etc. He's supportive in whatever I decide. Yes he's just as scared as I am but, he's supportive. I know your husbands and wives are also supportive. Appreciate them! They obviously love us!!!!!!
I'm so glad to hear you're doing so much better. I believe in the exercise too. You just have to really listen to your body so you don't push it. I'm glad it's going so well for you. I really think coming to the board helps a lot too because attitude is everything. Being housebound and feeling crappy and alone is bad for you immune system. I know my life has been more positive since I started coming here.
GOOD FOR YOU! Excercise is great but sometimes it is so hard when you're not only in pain but just have this sick - yuck feeling all over. But you are so right about exercising being great. I stated before - for me something strenous works best liking "digging" in the flower beds or pushing the lawn mower. Only problem is that now we live in condos where the yard work is provided. I found another thing that worked great and that was the BODY FLEX but I popped a hernia and now I face surgery for that (but I am proned to hernias as this is my third repair job so don't let that scare anybody). My drs do recommend water aerobics but I just don't take the time
For me, getting plenty of the "right kind" of sleep aids as much as exercise and in some ways it is even more beneficial. For me that was tough finding the right kind meds for sleep - either I was wide awake all night or too drugged the next day. But when they discover my real sleep problem was restless legs and prescribed me something for that, I started actually getting sleep and my FM improved tremendously. So PLEASE don't give up finding what works when it comes to sleeping and if you are able to sleep, then that makes exercising a lot easier.
Just hope that this is an encouragement to someone.
I HAVE BEEN COMING ON THIS BOARD OFF AND ON FOR OVER 2 YEARS, IT REALLY HELPED ME SO MUCH TO KNOW I AM NOT ALONE AND I THINK SAVED ME AT A REAL LOW IN MY LIFE BACK THEN!
MOLLY, I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU, I REALLY AM. I HOPE YOU KEEP GETTING BETTER, I AM TRY TO EXERICE I DID TODAY BUT ARE IN REAL PAIN RIGHT NOW, I WILL SEE HOW I FEEL IN THE MORNING, THERE ARE SOMEDAY I JUST CANT MOVE AND MY WHOLE BODY ACHES AND IT IS UNBEARABLE AT TIMES I JUST CRY!
YOU JUST DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO, MY HUSBAND TOLD ME TO START TAKING POSTAIUMM PILLS(WHATS IN BANNANAS) CANT SPELL RIGHT NOW I SMACKED MY HEAD TODAY AND HAVE A REALLY BAD HEADACHE, HE WAS TOLD IT HELPS LEG PAIN, LET ME KNOW HOW IT GO'S FOR YOU KEEP IT UP!
RITA B WHAT ARE YOU TAKING FOR YOUR RESTLESS LEGS CAN YOU TELL ME HOW YOU FEEL, WELL WHAT IT FEELS LIKE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING THAT IS CAUSING YOU NOT TO SLEEP. I KNOW THAT MAY BE HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT I THINK I HAVE IT! I HAVE BAD LEG PAINS THAT I CANT STAND AND SLEEPING PROBLEMS BIGTIME, I CAN NEVER FALL ALSLEEP STAY SLEEP AND I HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING OUT OF BED ONCE I DO, I HATE IT, MY PAIN IS UNBEARABLE, AS I KNOW WE ALL SUFFFER IN PAIN BUTALL OUR PAIN IS DIFFERENT!
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HELPS YOU, THANKS SO MUCH!
I know how hard it is to keep moving. There are days that I just want to cry too! Is there ever going to be an end to this? That's what I keep thinking. My depression is quite severe since all this started so crying seems to be the standard. For the pain, I take magnesium/calcium 1 333 mg tab in the a.m. and one in the p.m. I don't know if it helps but, I'm willing to try anything. The main thing for me right now is to cut down on the stress level. I'm off work right now due to medical leave for the depression but, some day I will have to go back. I just have to find a way to deal with the stress. My biggest fear is that I will go back to work too early and not be able to deal with the stress and I will go back into a big flare up. OH goodness....please NO! So, I'm working on alot of things to make me more happy and more fulfilled. I hope it works.
I find that moderate excercise helps me, but when I don't sleep well or something it doesn't matter what I do--the pain is that bad.
I've tried some things that have just caused me more trouble than good.
Yet---after reading your post I might try a few more things. I'll try just about anything and I can swim at the club.
I wasn't all that encouraged by the FM doc who jokingly said 'OK, Ed--you can now give up on aerobic dancing'. I never did that, but he told me to slow down.
I asked for nerve blocks and he said it wouldn't help FM and as for injections into trigger points he said he'd have to inject me in every one 'head to toe' as he put it.
Coming from multiple tick bites of Lyme---I am just so thankful I'm off of the walker and cane. It is a relief to be able to get around. Compared to the way I was it's been a real turnaround.
Ajijaak also suggested some excercises: I'm gonna try a few more from my book 'The Wharton Book of Stretches' and see how I feel. And I'll go to the club for swimming and give some aquatics a try.
I bought a pedometer many months ago so I could assure myself that I was getting so much exercise done daily. I do in-home walking program. However, I note that I can judge now by distance traveled if I am going to pay for it big time because I overdid it. This gadget has helped me tremendously as it makes me accountable to myself. (TT)
hi Starr - about Restless Legs! Yes, it is very hard to explain and hard to relate to the "technical" or medical definition. I have been trying to explain to the dr (actually 3 different drs) and I can only imagine what I sounded like b/c restless legs wasn't even on my mind much less the drs. On a message bd, someone commented that I sound like I had RLS so I asked my dr if that could be the problem and he said lets try the medicine. I am now on Mirapex (2 or 3 tablets around bedtime, maybe a little before) and now I sleep. The first few nights I would wake up every couple of hrs or so but fall right back to sleep and I would feel more rested in the mornings than normal. Now I sleep all night (except to get up to go to the potty).
I would get this sensation to constantly to want to draw my legs up and squeeze or flex them and hold. I would wake myself up just tossing and turning and throwing my legs over on my husband and wanting just squeeze my legs. In the day time, I sometimes get that same sensation but almost always at night. And during the day, I am constantly moving my legs.
There is a message board for restless legs. What not describe your symptoms there and see what happens.
My rhuemy has been pounding it in my head since I was diagnosed to exercise. Her words were "vigorously", but I don't think I'll go THAT far. It's true, tho,exercise helps with the fibro, raises the serotonin, you get more sleep, blah, blah, you know the routine. I do exercise when I can. I have a recumbant bicycle and it works great and I try to lift little 5 pound weights. My only problem are the 3 herniated discs and spinal stenosis, which kinda limits my movement. But I agree, do what you can, and you will notice a difference. If only for some sort of self esteem!
You certainly make a good case for exercising. I've been so reluctant to do more than stretching out of fear of doing something harmful that will cause more pain.
When you're in the pool do you do aquatics or regular swimming.
I haven't gone to the swim club yet and wanted to see if you could offer an opinion about which is the best way to approach it.
Hey it's working 
HE WAS TOLD IT HELPS LEG PAIN, LET ME KNOW HOW IT GO'S FOR YOU KEEP IT UP!
