Taking it as it comes-Fibro Flares

I'm well into my fourth day with no central air/heat/FAN and it's not the best time I can think of. The ac unit shuddered it's last on Thursday, and I can't say as I blame it after seventy-plus years in service. Before you scream "she's never changed that unit???" out loud, here's the thing: I'M A RENTER!!! It took a day to get Jose out to look at it, and andther two to discuss it, take pictures, etc. I maintained throughout, and prayed that the cold front was still coming. It did, and we were fine through the weekend, except for the hideous allergy related migraine I got from sleeping with the windows open. Friday brought more I'm An Adult Now bliss with my monitor blowing up, never to restart again. Happily my neighbor loaned my an extra he had, and I paid up one more week on the rental CPU.

What does all of this have to do with fibromyalgia? Fibro Flares, that's what! Stress can precipitate a nasty melange of symptoms that range from mildly annoying to incapacitating. Muscles ache and tighten up, fatigue makes every step seem like a mile, and a thick veil of "fibro fog" settles on the brain, making the simplest tasks and errands herculean in the ammount of effort taken to complete them. Depression may worsen, old surgery sites may become inflamed and damage nerves irratable. Fibro flares will get your full attention(what's left of it anyway)and demand that you deal with it PDQ!

If you are lucky anough to have a spouse and family, they can cushion the blow a great deal by simply understanding that you aren't functioning at 100 percent. Your kids will still come up with heinous forgotten homework assignments at 10pm. Hubby will still bitch and moan about having to put a load in the washer. You will still have to do most of the things you do to keep them going, but a little communication and planning ahead will go a long way in helping you get to the other side of a fibro flare. Posting a chart on the fridge of chores to be delegated when mom isn't feeling well will take some of the load off. Again, in concert with the theme of this blog--we aren't looking to cure Fibromyalgia, just trying to learn how to get through the day, so sitting down with your family before you have a flare will go a long way in helping you and yours survive and thrive.

If you live alone and have no family support, you need to be that much more prepared than our friends with families. How the heck am I supposed to do THAT? If you're reading this now while in the middle of a bangin' fibroflare, you can't imagine preparing for anything at all--but you can. I have a little notebook that I carry around with me and I make lists in it. Grocery and household lists, passwords, errands, people I see, their names and details about them to prompt my memory. At the top of each page I put down: Grocery, Dog Park People, Bills Due, so when I'm out, I flip thru before I get out of the car and it remindes me of what I need to pick up, etc. Finish your rounds by checking your pharmacy page, and seeing that you have ALL of your scrips. I picked up all of my meds today. I can't afford them, so it will be scrappy eating this month, but better that than scrappy eating and constant pain. Make sure you have comfortable clothes to change into that are attractive enough that you don't feel like a total schlep. I never feel good when I feel unattractive. Drag your butt in the kitchen, make the coffee for the morning, and have your meds ready. Mornings are 99% hell, especially when you are going it alone, so do what you can to ease the pain. I remember asking my rheumatologist what I was supposed to do, when "they" had officially deemed me disabled and I have never forgotten her response: "when you feel bad, rest and try to take care of yourself, when you feel good, enjoy the day and get ready for when you will feel bad again".

I'm sure this sounds a little more than remedial, but when you are completely on your own you can't wait for someone to save you because it just ain't gonna happen.

You have to save yourself.
You can save yourself.

I do it every day.