Little Sister to the Rescue

Ugh I have been sicker than I have been a very very long time... 

Major asthma attackS - as in multiple knock-me-out-cant-breath attacks a day!
Severe bronchitis
Strep throat
Double Ear Infections
Nose Bleeds
Vomiting
Diarrhea 
Blah!!!!

I missed three whole days and two half days of work - which NEVER happens with me!  I am almost always at work :(   Luckily, I was at home and Jennifer was there to take care of me.  :)  


It may have went a little bit like this... 

.....and then this....

... but its the thought that counts!!  Right??

In all seriousness, I couldn't make it through a normal spoonie day without her love and support, so her willingness just to be there was key to my survival of this ordeal.  

Thank you Jennifer, I couldn't have 

gotten through any of it without you.  

Worry About Yourself.

I am definitely having one of those days!  I just want to tell everyone "No thank you, just worry about yourself."  I'm not referring to friends or family members who genuinely care about me and are sincerely checking on me - but for everyone else...  

I'm fine.  Family is fine.

Work is good, just keeping me really busy.  

Thank you for asking.  

Worry about yourself, please.

It's not that I don't care that others care or I mind - its just.... I don't have time to stop and think about how I am and I don't have the energy to try to put it into words so someone else can comprehend.  I just... I do better if I can just keep going.  One foot in front of the other, one day after another.  Healthy or not - I don't know yet.  But thank you for your concern, just worry about yourself :)  

It is time to plant your garden!

It is time to plant your garden!

How To Plant Your Garden, my friend!

First, you Come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. 

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING: 

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS : 

1. Peace of mind 

2. Peace of heart 

3. Peace of soul 

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH: 

1. Squash gossip 

2. Squash indifference 

3. Squash grumbling 

4. Squash selfishness 

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE: 

1. Lettuce be faithful 

2. Lettuce be kind 

3. Lettuce be patient 

4. Lettuce really love one another 

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS: 

1. Turnip for meetings 

2. Turnip for service 

3. Turnip to help one another 

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME: 

1. Thyme for each other 

2. Thyme for family 

3. Thyme for friends 

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love.  

There is much fruit in your garden 

because you will reap what you sow.  

Life is too short for drama!  
Laugh insanely, love truly, and forgive quickly. 

Not by Strength - but by Perseverance

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, 

the stream always wins -
not by strength 

but by perseverance. 

- H. Jackson Brown

I've heard this expression a dozen times but this morning something inside of me clicked.  The rocks of my path lately have been holding me back, when what I need to do is relax and allow myself to flow around them.  Yes the barriers may slow me down but eventually I will get around them... 


So now I am going to try to breathe through the stress, relax during the drama, and imagine myself - my true self - flowing around these issues, skimming past the flare up pains, slipping past the work headaches... to pool back into myself on the other side... 


Will keep you posted on its success.  

Attempting a Mental Escape

Like many others with chronic illnesses, I am struggling to make it from day to day.  Juggling responsibilities, trying to manage my care, racing home to try and rest/relax before the next round that begins the following morning.  As others may or may not know, stress can make a chronic illness (like fibromyalgia, lupus, diabetes, PCOS, etc) worse.  All of which are ganging up on me.   

Once upon a time (in college) I studied meditation and it helped manage my stress (and relax me) tremendously.  Today I find myself reaching back into my memory to try and bring some of that calm to today’s storm. 

First thing I tried was closing my eyes, taking several slow deep breaths.  I imagined my worries/problems leaving my body with each deliberate and slow exhale.  Blowing out my worries over money, my fear of not doing well at work, etc...  Each breath in, I imagine a warm light that fills my entire body, slowly at first, pushing out the darkness that symbolizes discord.  Picturing negativity leaving my body each time I expel the breath from my lungs, leaving more room for the calm. 

Go ahead and try it, I’ll wait.

Are you back?  How did it feel?  Did it help?  Normally it works for me, but today not-so-much.  So then I thought I would add the muscle relaxation technique I learned. 

Starting at the toes, squeeze your toe muscles tight for a few seconds (I tend to do 5-10 seconds) then relax them.  (I try incorporate the breathing technique here too, squeezing muscles as I breathe in and relaxing them with each exhale).  Move on up to your feet muscles, squeeze and hold for a few seconds.  This goes on up the body, from muscle group to muscle group, so on and so on.  For me, it ends in a slow circling of the neck, rotating from left to right then right to left.  Most of the time, if the breathing imagery doesn’t work this will work.

Not today.

So taking it a step further, I began to try and convince my senses that I was on a hiatus.  One of my favorite “go to places” for a mental vacation is the farm I grew up on as a child.  I imagine myself laying in the crisp grass, a gentle breeze arousing a dance of tree limbs and calming caress of my hair against my forehead.  I remember the scent of the corn and tomatoes that lingered that summer, the harvest coming soon, everything in full bloom.  If I listen close I can hear my Grandfather talking to the cattle as he goes about to check on th---good grief!  What is that?  Something is biting my back – please don’t be a tick.  Squirming and reaching around me to scratch at that place – dang Fibro and your nerve twitching!  ~Ugh!~  Fibro even distracts me from a mental vacation!

Lets try my second favorite spot, the beach.  Small splashes of salt water on the breeze that sweeps across the ocean, cool kiss of it upon my skin.  Warm sand shifts beneath me with each lick of the surf that comes up over my toes, color of my polish glitters beneath the foamy surf under the bright sun.  I love the smell of sunscreen as it dances with the distinctive aroma of saltwater.  Quiet chatter of children building sand castles in the distance, as I become lost in the tide.  Breathing in time with the roll of the ocean, feeling my body grow heavier and heavier... anchored in the tranquility of the – that almost worked but I think I took it a little far.  Face is feeling warm, color rushing to my cheeks as the fibro delivers on a headache strong enough to rip me from the beach! 

  

Ok, switching tactics.  

Stretching.  When I was getting regular massages I used to stretch a lot and it helped me relax.  Let’s try that!  I’m going to walk around a bit, using this opportunity to stretch my large muscle groups and then try my smaller muscle groups when I get back. 

I’m back!  What began as an (imaginary) errand turned into about 25 minutes of power walking.  The more I thought, the faster I walked.  The more I stressed, the harder I stomped.  The more I worried, the more I pumped my arms.  Ooohh!  This seems to help!  I’m going to take a few minutes and retry the beach scenario now that I have most of my nervous energy out.  

While I’m doing that, here is more information about creating your own mental vacation.  Please take a moment to let me know what you think.  I love getting comments and am interested in your take of things.  Good luck, let me know please in the comments if you found something to work for you and what you thought about it :) 

How to take a mental vacation.

Six ways to take a mental vacation.

A one minute mental vacation using self hypnosis.

PS  I think I will play boxing on the wii tonight, it helps me get aggression out safely and might wear me out the rest of the way for some peaceful sleep tonight! 

Sickie Challenge: Two Recipes

Thank you Monique for developing the 10 Day Sickie Challenge! For more information on how you too can take part in this experience, get more information here.

Day Nine: Two Recipes!

These are two of my "go to" recipes for when I'm having a fibro day.  Its very little cooking, easy peasy, throw together delicious.  And they can be converted into a healthier option!

Fibro Friendly Chicken Salad 

Yield: 6 cups of chicken salad.

• 3 cups cooked chicken breast
• 1 red apple and 1 granny smith apple (doesn't matter which kind of apples, as long as there are 2)
• touch of lemon juice
• 1 cup sliced, seedless grapes
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup Craisins
• ½ cup to 1 cup of light mayonnaise (to taste)
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped (or can use toasted slivered almonds)
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop both apples into small cubes, and place into a bowl. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over apples, this will help them from turning brown. Add chopped chicken, chopped celery, grapes and craisins. Mix well. Add 1 cup of light mayonnaise, and stir well. Depending on how the salad is coated, you may want to add an additional 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper. Allow flavors to marry in the refrigerator in a covered container for about an hour before serving.

I love it on bread, toast, crackers, and even just with a spoon some days!

Fibro Friendly Chicken Alfredo

• 1 lb dry pasta, any kind
• 1 ½ cup Alfredo sauce (small jar) 
• 2 cups of broccoli florets
• 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breasts
• garlic powder to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to instructions.
2.  Steam broccoli according to instructions.
3.  Drain pasta. 
4.  Drain broccoli.
5. Combined cooked pasta, Alfredo sauce, chicken breast, and broccoli. 
6.  Heat and serve.  Flavor with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.

Sickie Challenge: Four Tips

Thank you Monique for developing the 10 Day Sickie Challenge! For more information on how you too can take part in this experience, get more information here.

Day Seven: Four Tips

Learn to listen to your body.  I think the hardest thing about having fibromyalgia is not the pain, discomfort, low immune, or even the hot flashes... it is that so many people, even respected medical professionals, do not believe in it!  I have been told that my solution lies in a husband, a makeover, a new job, and that I would find healing if I moved to another state.  

Accept that sometimes, everyone needs help.  In the beginning of my illness, I was embarrassed to use a handicapped parking place on a bad fibro day.  I knew in my head that it was ok because I needed to be closer, but I was humiliated with the thought of someone seeing me using it... until a good friend pointed out to me that it might be even more embarassing for someone to find me passed out in the middle of the parking lot or clutching to a stray buggy as I grew violently sick by pushing myself... Now I park in those places and consider myself blessed to be allowed that support when I need it. 

Embrace who you truly are, down in your soul.  And do not let anything or anyone change that. Having an invisible illness is extremely difficult, it can be frustrating, exhausting, and has made me question my very sanity at times... but I was blessed in that I have an amazing support system that always brings me back around to being me. Quote of the day - "Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile!"  

Keep some sort of record/journal, for the good days and the bad.  Some place where you can be 100% brutally honest about how you feel and the thoughts that keep you company...  I have discovered a lot of strength and learned a bit more of myself by being able to go back and read some of my previous entries.  

Bonus Tip:  Like it or not, this is the new you... take the time you need to learn to love yourself and it is ok to grieve for the abilities you may have lost... The important thing is not to dwell on this loss, but to pick up and keep moving forward.  


Just Keep Swimming

Sickie Challenge: Fibro Friendliness in Nine Products

Thank you Monique for developing the 10 Day Sickie Challenge! For more information on how you too can take part in this experience, get more information here.

Nine Products that Make my Life Fibro-Friendly

1. Handheld showerhead – for days that I need a hot water massage on my back or am too sore to bend very much.  I love how independent I feel using the hand held, even on bad pain days.

2. Crest Spin brush – for days my shoulders/hands/back hurts too bad to brush my teeth on my own.

3. Easy Feet foot scrubber/massager – This feels amazing no matter how I’m feeling! Sitting on the side of the tub, this dandy little thing scrubs my feet from tiptoes to the back of my heel.  Absolutely worth more than the $10 that it sells for!!

4. Blackberry / Google Calendar – Not only does this keep up with work deadlines, family birth dates, and my schedule, it also keeps me in contact with my coworkers, family, and friends via text messages, twitter, facebook, email, etc. I feel totally lost without my blackberry.

5. Icy Hot Spray and Banana Boat's Spray on Sunscreen – Thank God for these inventions!  I am single, so I don't have the helpful hands of a spouse at my disposal when it comes to either putting on soothing muscle rub on my aches and pains, or even protecting my skin in those places pain will not let me reach with sunblock.  While some say aresol sprays are bad for the environment, they are a welcomed assistance in my world.  

6. Canvas Tote Bags for groceries – Find out more here

7. Facial Wipes – I try to be as skin-health conscious as possible, which includes not going to sleep with a dirty face. This wipes are a blessing! Even on bad days, I can save some pain by cleaning my face with a wipe.

8. Electric Blanket – I’m a good sized girl, tall and curvy. So an average heating pad will not cut it during muscle spasms that last all night long. I have discovered that an electric blanket is an excellent alternative!

9. Post it Notes – Fibro fog anyone? These little miracles save my life at work! This may not be a product I use at home very often but from grocery lists to reminding me to stop by the bank, they are amazing!

I Promise Myself- The Secret

I Promise Myself

To be so strong that nothing can

disturb my peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person I meet.

To make all my friends feel that there is

something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make my optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for

the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the

success of others as I am about my own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and

press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and

give a smile to every living creature I meet.

To give so much time improving myself that

I have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger,

too strong for fear, and too happy to

permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of myself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on my side,

so long so I am true to the best that is in me.

-Christian D Larson

Turning Straw into Gold

I was brought up to look for the bright side of life.  I've always been one of those annoying "it could be worse" kind of girls.  Even now, with chronic illnesses, being the primary care giver for my Mom who has chronic illnesses, I am still thankful for what I am able to do and constantly looking for the silver lining.  Imagine my happy surprise when I ran across this article that truly spoke to the Pollyanna side of me!


Turning Straw into Gold: Illness through a Buddhist Lens by Toni Bernard, J.D.  


Ms Bernard offers 10 lessons she has learned during her 10 years of living with a chronic illness.  She offers a refreshing perspective of looking back at years past and gleans uplifting insight for the years ahead.



If I had to give the 5 lessons I have learned over the last 5 years of my own condition, here is what I would list.


1. I have learned that everyone needs help at some point and am grateful for those in my life that help me in a hundred small ways. 
2.  I have learned that naps and resting are important and are not time wasters.  I am grateful that I have a job that allows me to work from home when I need to.  
3.  I have learned to have patience with myself. 
4.  I have learned that there is more to me than what I can do for others. 
5.  I am learning to listen to my body and its cues that something is not right. 


I truly enjoyed the article and the fresh perspective it has given me!  Please consider taking a minute, dear reader, to see things through this lens.  
Turning Straw into Gold: Illness through a Buddhist Lens by Toni Bernard, J.D.

Sweaty Spoonie Cheating the Heat

Summer is here!  It is beautiful outside, even though temperatures are already scorching.  Suddenly I am missing those weeks of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures.  (I know I know, I'm never satisfied! lol)  But I have to make happy, at least for the next few months, so I wanted to share my cheats for surviving the heat. 

I used to think it was just me, but recently on Twitter I met others who sweat like crazy!  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not happy that anyone else is experiencing it but I’m so relieved to find out I’m not alone.  Because of that, I thought I would share my not-so-secret ways that I try to live as normally as possible during the sweatiest time of the year. 

Here is my top five ways to stay cute and as mobile as possible during the summer.

 

1.  Sunscreen!  I burn like crazy!  I could watch commercial on TV for a beach resort and get a little sunburned.  I use Gold Bond Ultimate Protection Skin Therapy Lotion with SPF 15 Sunscreen from head to toe.  In my opinion, this is much easier than applying moisturizer and then sunscreen, I get the benefits of both with one lotion.  So even on low-spoon days, I can make sure I prepare my skin properly for the heat.

2.  Equate Baby Powder.  Don’t scoff, hear me out!  I wait about twenty minutes after I apply the lotion/sunscreen combo and let it soak in completely.  Then I take my generic baby powder and dust my body from my chin down.  Not heavy, just a thin coat of baby powder all over.  I tend to sweat less and smell better when I’m sweating after putting on the baby powder.  I don’t know about anyone else, but my sweat tends to have a bitter medication smell to it. (No wonder I’m single, eh? lol)   But the baby powder seems to cancel out that aroma.  I’m not sure if it really cancels out the med smell or if I just get so much of the baby powder ‘in my nose’ (expression) so that it’s all I can smell!  Either way, it helps me stay confident when I’m around other people and helps me not stress as much about the sweating.  Speaking of sweating…

3.  Power Aid can be a muscle saver!  As you know, when you sweat you lose electrolytes, particularly sodium, which is the most critical electrolyte lost and a key component of the hydration process.  Yes this tends to be “common sense” to most with chronic illnesses, but to me it makes a little more sense as to why I have more leg cramps and charley horses during the summer.  Last summer, I started drinking at least 16 ounces of Power Aid or Power Aid Zero every day.  I sip it slowly over the course of an hour (so it doesn’t upset my stomach).  Proper hydration is important, especially when it is hot.  I tend to avoid sugary carbonated drinks and stick more with kool-aids, lemonades, and water.  But I definitely have at least one Power Aid every day.

3.  Men’s deodorant.  Hello my name is Amber and I wear men’s deodorant.  Currently I am using Degree’s Men Stick.  I sweat much more than the average person (especially the average woman because I sweat like my skin is a sprinkler system!) and need the extra protection.  So far it is working.  But I end up changing brands of men’s deodorant about every three/four months, it seems to stop working as well for me so I go to the next one. 

4.  Sunglasses.  Not only am I sensitive to temperature but I’m also sensitive to light.  I have several pairs of sunglasses I keep in my vehicles and purse.  Don’t panic, every pair is from the Dollar General Store so they were cheap.  But the shades have varying degrees of tint, from a gentle color that deflects rainy headlight glare to a very dark color that blocks the blaring sun during high noon.

5.  Hairspray.  I am not the most feminine person in the world, I don’t spend hours getting ready or fixing my hair.  But when I’m already sweating before I even leave the house, I will take my hairspray and spray it through my hair, towards the root before I pull it up into a ponytail.  My Beautician said that the alcohol will absorb sweat and keep my hair from stinking and looking as greasy.  Because of this and the sweating, I have to wash my hair every day.  But my trusty two-in-one shampoo conditioner combo helps make that an easier process too.   

Thought this was interesting:

The Fibromyalgia Network released study results of Sun Therapy for Fibromyalgia. http://www.fmnetnews.com/basics-news-sun0511.php  The article is interesting and something I have always found to be true.  The "study shows UV rays may also reduce fibromyalgia pain by triggering your skin cells to make more vitamin D".  For me, time in the sun helps my mood, increasing my happiness/smiley chemicals and reducing my I'm-pitiful-in-pain tears.  I found the study interesting and reassuring as to maybe why I feel better after spending some time in the sun everyday.  Please don't forget your sunscreen if this is something you wish to experiment with!  

No more spoons? Fork it.

The last few days I have been extremely tired.  Beyond sleepy, completely fatigued.  Yet nothing has slowed down, if anything it is picking up speed!  There comes days where I have so much to do and I don’t have any more spoons that I just have to say fork it and get it done.  In my head I know that I need rest, honest sleep, and major downtime... but I don’t have the lifestyle that will allow for that.  I have responsibilities at home and work that need me to actively complete my to-do list.  Yet when I have time to catch a nap, my brain keeps reminding me of everything else I need to do.  

I used to have a nature CD of a thunderstorm that helped me rest when my mind wouldn’t slow down enough to allow me to sleep.  Here are a few more I am looking at purchasing: 

Healing Sounds of Nature - Thunderstorm, Rain and Ocean Waves
Sleep Solutions (The Calming Collection)
Ambient Music for Sleep
Music to Promote Sleep

Revealing Your Baggage: Chronic Illness Edition

Baggage is a game show that Jerry Springer hosts, it is a dating show crossed with To Tell the Truth - sorta. The point of the show is that the contestant is presented with three possible daters who have three pieces of "baggage" (unflattering secrets) to reveal.  The contestant will then decide who will be eliminated based on their baggage (or ugly truths)  The secrets range from mild to wild, with each reveal, the baggage gets worse.  Once the contestant selects his/her pick of the available daters, then the contestant reveals a big piece of his/her own baggage and the chosen dater gets to decide if he/she can accept the contestant's baggage or not.  This afternoon's episode of Baggage got me thinking... what would three pieces of my baggage be? 

The first suitcase is always a some-what minor yet important thing.  I think I would use the first piece of luggage to reveal that I live with my Mom.  Yes I am independent, I financially contribute to the household and I have responsibilities that come with having your own house.  I also take care of my Mom and she helps me on bad days.

The second piece of baggage I would open, would be that I have a chronic illness.  Not that my condition is something that I am ashamed of, but it is something I like to put on the table before I become emotionally invested into something or someone.  Call me cynical, but not everyone can handle a potential partner with a condition.  I would rather put my cards on the table in the beginning, that way no one feels tricked later on.  Plus that opens a door for me to talk more about my symptoms and what things I am able to do on my own and what things I can find a way to do.

The biggest suitcase that is revealed in the very last round of questions/answers is the whopper of secrets.  So now it is time to reveal my biggest piece of baggage.  I am emotionally fragile.  Not really a big surprise eh?  Once upon a time I was confident and not easily shaken, but since my diagnosis I have really grown to doubt myself.  Things effect me in ways now that they never have in the past.  Commercials that once made me laugh for how sappy they were now make me teary eyed.  Perhaps it is the wild roller coaster that my hormones have been on since the addition of hundreds of medications over the years.  Or maybe it is the way that my sleep is interrupted frequently from pain, I can't remember the last time I had a night of good honest sleep that was not medically assisted.  Then again, maybe it is because of the rejection I have gone through (doctors, friends, bosses, employees, family members) who didn't believe in my condition or felt that I was "putting on a show" to gain attention.  Not to mention that I'm not able to trust my body anymore, I have no way of knowing if tomorrow will be one of energy, pain, tears, or an exhausted emptiness that I can feel down in my toes.  If I can't trust my body then how can I trust my emotions? 

I understand and admit that everyone, healthy or chronically ill, has baggage.  Someone once said "No baggage means you haven't been anywhere."  Yet I wonder what does a person with chronic illness bring to the show that someone without might not have?  I have friends who have similar insecurities yet they are perfectly healthy.  Now that I think about it, my issues have always been my issues ~ I think my condition has just made me more aware of them. 

These books have helped me so very much put events and hurts of my past in the past so that I can open my heart up again.  It is a work in progress but this book is amazing. 
  

More Information for dealing with emotional baggage:

• The Frailty Of The Human Condition (And Other Emotional Baggage)
• Letting Go of Emotional Baggage - Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT)
• End Negative Emotions - Release Emotional Baggage Subliminal Cd

Secret Weapons, tucked away

I've got dreams in hidden places and extra smiles for when I'm blue.  ~Author Unknown

I stumbled across this quote today while I was at work and tucked it away to blog about later. I think this is something that everyone days, with or without a chronic illness. A song that makes me dance, a joke that makes me laugh, a ringtone I can sing along to ~ all of those are small ways that I bring some happy back into my day. Someone told me once in high school, that the best way to live is to live in charge. When things don’t go my way or seem to be falling apart, I try not to give control of my entire day up to those few minutes. I refuse to let traffic on the way to work or burning my lunch ruin the whole 24 hours!! OK So work was difficult, driving home with the windows down lifts my soul. Yes I’m fighting with my Mom, but I’m so blessed to have her in my life!


If everything else fails, playing with my Puppy always does the trick! That’s how I want to be, no matter what else is going on when I hear the squeak of my favorite toy (or first beat of my favorite song) I want my world to light up and be all smiles and happy barks.


I have a few movies that guide me through either emotions I need to express (tear jerkers) or can captivate me so I forget my problems (usually romances or fantasy) or can even lull me to sleep with the safe familiarity of a movie I've seen a dozen times (like Shrek or Ever After).  If I need time just to clear my head and think but not think ~ I color.  I have books of large pictures without a lot of detail so I don't have to focus much, I'm able to lose myself in the way the crayons transfer onto the paper with each stroke.   Another guaranteed pick-me-up is messing with my flowers during the spring, or my bird feeders.  Its all about finding what works for you. 


If you aren’t sure what your little perk is yet, I’ll share one of mine! It always makes me smile and sing along. Craig Morgan's: Redneck Yacht Club.













If country isn't your thing, here's my second favorite song to pep me up! Sister Sledge's 'We Are Family'!

Blessing in Disguise

Inspired by Sick Momma's blog carnival, I would like to post about a Guilty Pleasure that my condition has blessed me with!  Personally I think the perspective is brilliant and is something that should be considered more often.  But then again, I was always a silver lining kind of girl. :)


I started helping out in the yard as soon as I was old enough to understand the concept of picking up sticks and rocks and carrying them to the ditch.  As soon as I was mature enough, I was mowing and then eventually weed-eating.  Needless to say, I've never enjoyed it.  But since my diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I don't have to do it anymore!  I don't do well out in the heat/sun for long periods of time so that rules out the actual mowing and the fatigue is too much for me to be carrying around that weed-eater and trimming up the edges.  While my condition has taken many things away from me, this is something I would have happily donated for the cause!  The best part is that we were able to hire this really nice guy at work to come and do it, he has his own small business on the side.  Not only do we get a great looking professionally done yard but secretly the best part is that I don't have to do it!

I have become a text-a-holic since my diagnosis.  I save spoons by NOT having long emotional conversations with everyone who contacts me every day, texting is so much easier!  I also have become a major fan of twitter and facebook, using them to stay in the loop.  Of course my blog is another thing I allow myself to have, all of which encourage me to rest while keeping my mind active...both things that are needed when one has chronic illnesses.  At least that's how I justify my social media dependency LOL 


Another guilty pleasure that I freely partake in is lazy days in bed, watching digital cable's on demand selection.  I try to take at least one day a week to rest as much as possible for maintenance rest, even if I don't "need" it as much as I might at other times.  I don't fake pain or pretend to be stiff, but I do chalk it up to something required in order for me to keep balance in my world.   

Getting A Fibro Friendly Makeover

In the earlier part of February, Extreme Home Makeover came to the Chattanooga Tennessee area to grant the wish of a local family who were in desperate need of a new house! The family selected truly needed the home makeover; the son is adorable and so upbeat – despite having extremely fragile bones. Traffic on that side of the city came to a screeching halt as the entire city and surrounding areas were abuzz with the opportunity to help this deserving family.

This got me thinking... if I could give myself a complete home makeover (with unlimited funds), what I would request to make my house fibro-friendly? At first I wanted to suggest things I always wanted: Olympic sized indoor heated swimming pool, a gazebo under a big shade tree with tons of bird feeders, a domestic staff to allow me to rest, a beautiful lush backyard for Molly to run openly and wildly in, and of course a hunky yard guy to tend to the outdoors. But then I got to thinking about what I truly needed, that would help with my most frustrating symptoms.

 Here is what I came up with:

1. A larger bath tub with a hand railing so that I could take a hot bath and long soak on days I need it. 
2. A very powerful air conditioning unit that also has the ability to heat. 
3. One room in the house with sound proof walls, so outside noise is blocked out, dark curtains to keep the light out, and a small fridge of my favorite beverages.  I would also want the phone extension in the room to light up instead of ring so if I'm asleep I'm not disturbed. 
4. A doggy door that leads into a large fenced in back yard so that my babies can go in and out as they need to and please without me having to carry them back and forth on bad days.  
5. A roomy kitchen with a fridge that has an ice maker, a bottom shelf freezer, and a microwave that is on the counter and not overhead.
6. A large heated indoor pool for when I need to stretch and work my muscles out, water therapy is the best way (and most fun) to accomplish it safely.  

As I have been thinking about this, I began to realize the adaptations I have made to my current house to make things more fibro-friendly.

1. We have a rolly (office) chair in the kitchen that makes it easier to do everything from dishes to preparing food while in pain. I cant stand for long periods on bad days, and thanks to the smooth floor and rolly chair, now I don’t have to.  
2. I have blankets hung up over my windows in the bedroom to block out the chill of the night and the brightness of the sun.   
3. I have a back scratcher that allows me to either scratch an itch, or brush the cool bamboo over a part of my back that is alive with nerves.  I can also put a sock on the end or wrap paper towels around the end to apply lotion. 
4. I am addicted to Icy Hot in the spray can, it soothes sore muscles without stretching me out too much trying to apply the cream.  For large muscle aches, the patch works too 
5. I use an electric blanket as a full body sized heating pad.
6. I have small red wagon outside, to help get groceries and supplies in the house when I’m not able to do a lot of lifting/carrying.

I am truly blessed because my employer has also given me tools to help me continue to do my job, no matter what my health brings. I am granted the honor of working from home on days I am unable to go into the office. I am so very thankful for that.

So all in all, I didn't really need an Extreme Home Makeover, I just needed A Perspective Makeover :)

Here are a few things that make my life a little more fibro-friendly: 

• HON Height-Adjustable T-Arms for Volt Series Task Chair, Black
• 17.5" Bamboo Back Scratcher Backscratcher
• Icy Hot Medicated Pain Relief Spray 4 fl oz (118 ml)
• Icy Hot Medicated Patch, Extra Strength, XL Back & Large Areas, 3 Patches (Pack of 2)
• Sunbeam Full Imperial Nights Electric Heated Warming Heating Blanket Marine Blue
• Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon
• DII Natural Canvas Grocery Bag, Set of 3