[January]

My pain has increased dramatically last night and today. I keep holding on to hope because I see the rhuemy on Tues. Pray that she will really listen to me and help me.

[sabby]

((((((((((( Jan )))))))))))

What can help with your doc is if you can keep a diary of sorts. Keep track of how you are feeling, the weather, where it hurts the most, that kind of thing. It can also help to keep track of your other medical issues as well. The doc may be able to see a pattern (or not), but it's worth a try! Wishing you good luck with the rhuemy!

Not flaring today but too tired to walk from insomnia last night. Think I'll go for a walk on Wednesday. Just grateful I'm not flaring. That is horrible.

[lizardlady]

Newgal, I wondered the same thing as Sabby, maybe it was weather changing, not exercise that triggered your flare. Have you considered just walking until you build up some strength if it is from the exercise?

[lizardlady]

Am so frustrated with myself. Am sure others here can relate.

I had a bunch of things that needed to get done this weekend. Some were scheduled events, others had to take place on certain days because of the MLK holiday today. I ended up jamming all the physically intense stuff into Friday and Saturday. No I'm flaring. I know better. I know if I do too much I'll pay for it. Still I go ahead and do it.

Originally Posted by lizardlady

Newgal, I wondered the same thing as Sabby, maybe it was weather changing, not exercise that triggered your flare. Have you considered just walking until you build up some strength if it is from the exercise?

Yes, the next time I exercise I will walk. I think that will be Wednesday morning. Maybe I should try jog/walking in the spring when it warms up?

[sabby]

I was flaring a bit over the weekend with the nasty weather we've had. The temp came up a little bit so I think that may have helped, even though I adore the cold it can be bothersome.

I did 2 loads of laundry yesterday, another 2 loads today. This entails packing it up and bringing it down 14 steps and walking to the laundry room. I can only carry one load down at a time. This meant 5 times I had to go down and up the stairs. Ugggh. But it's done and we only have one more load to go tomorrow.

We took our Christmas decorations down 2 weeks ago and the boxes of stuff were piled in the living room. Most of it goes into my bedroom closet. Well, my bedroom was a mess and had boxes and clothes and my big roasting pan that get's stored in my closet as well all out and stuffed everywhere. So, I cleaned up my room, put stuff away, hung up all my laundry I did today, folded and put in dresser, carried all the boxes into my room from the living room and packed them away. Finally, done!

Now, my back and shoulders are kind of screaming at me and I'm willing to bet that tomorrow I won't be moving too many muscles. *sigh*

So, liz, I'm like you, do what needs to be done and just suffer from it afterwards for who knows how many days. I totally understand!

Think I may be in a very mild flare: legs sore, kind of tired, headachy. Nothing compared to what it was last time.

[sabby]

I'm glad it's just a mild flare. Those we can get through like troopers most times.

I'm feeling a bit better today as far as aches and pains go but my brain feels like scrambled eggs at the moment. lol

[lizardlady]

Sabby, your brain feels like scrambled eggs and mine feels like pudding. Maybe we could come up with an entire menu!

Cold front moving through today on top of doing too much over the weekend. Have struggled to string words together coherently all day.

[sabby]

That would be some good eats!

Try to float through it Liz.....that's what I'm trying to do. But if you can't, I can tell you that I am very fluent in gobbledygook.

[January]

I went to the rhuemy today and she really listened to me. Well, I ended up with her PA, but I really liked her and she and the nurse agreed that I never complain about anything. I ended up in tears explaining that I can't live in this amount of pain.

I have fibro flare, bursitis flare in both hips and stenosis of the lower spine. I had cortisone shots in both hips. She's going to put me on an anti-inflammatory med that you take twice a day instead of "eating" advil every four hours. I have to call my pdoc tomorrow and see if she will trade out my zoloft for Cymbalta, which is used for fibro. She said if this doesn't get the pain down to a manageable level, she may have to send me to a pain specialist to deal with the pain radiating from the spinal stenosis down into my hips.

I'm not to walk much for the next couple days and if things don't settle down, I'm to call and come in before my next scheduled appointment. I am so thankful they listened to me. I feel validated.

[sabby]

((((((((((( Jan )))))))))))

So very happy to hear that they listened to you and you now have a plan! I'm also glad to hear that they want you to try to get off the Zoloft and onto the Cymbalta. It did wonders for me for a long time and then I had to add Lyrica, but it's all good. I pray that your system can handle the change and that the Cymbalta doesn't upset the apple cart too much so to speak.

Glad you got the hip injections and I hope they give you some relief. Has an orthopaedic ever seen you for the stenosis? Is it something that can be surgically alleviated for awhile?

So glad you got an anti-inflam as well....eating advil is not good for the tum!

[~Christina]

I am dealing with pure hell in Therapy things from my childhood have clawed into my current day to day .. So of course it has my Fibro so damn bad I wanna scream 24/7 . but No ! That isn't going to help anyyyyyything. So I am focusing on reaching out to members on PC that need a kind word a hug or whatever... I have to take my mind off of me ! I have too!!!!

[January]

I was being treated by a physiatrist for the stenosis. When I lost my other Drs in June, I lost her, too. The entire practice was purchased by a company from Canada and all the Drs' jobs were terminated.

I really, really don't want to have back surgery! I really, really don't want this pain, too, so it's going to be an interesting ride.

I slept poorly last night. It hurt to lay on my sides and finally, I gave up and got up. Maybe I'll have that new anti-inflammatory tonight and can take it and get some sleep. I hope so.

Thank you for always answering. It means so much.

I decided to hold off until Friday to go for a walk with a couple short jogs mixed in with it. I think I should be okay with that, but if I do flare, I can afford to do that beginning Friday/over the weekend but not yesterday, today or tomorrow. Today instead I just went for a straight walk, about a mile. I want to try to do at least some walking or walk/jogging 3x/week.

Sorry to hear about those of your flaring. I know it's a horrible place to be.

[lizardlady]

{*{*{*{*Christina*}*}*}*}

offering gentle hugs hun.

Today my legs were a little sore when I first woke up but I wouldn't call it a flare. I need to be grateful for non-flare days. I remember how awful that was and really feel for those of you struggling frequently.

[sabby]

Glad to hear the legs are only a little sore newgal! I would think that wouldn't be out of the ordinary for anyone who is trying to do more and exercise more than they normally do. Keeping fingers crossed for you!

[angelene]

Feeling ultra-fatigued. Gentle hugs to all.

[January]

I am in so much pain. They tell me it will take a few days for the Naprosyn to start to work and in the meantime I can't take anything else. I still don't have my Cymbalta. My pdoc is on vacation and I have to wait on her to give it to me. I can barely tolerate sitting, standing or laying down. This too, shall pass. This too, shall pass...

Today's the day that I incorporate a couple of short bursts (maybe 1 minute each) of jogging into my walk. Hoping to God I can do that without flaring. I should be able to.

Editing to say that because I enjoy the jog portion so much, I went ahead and did 3 bursts of jogging, one minute each. Really not sure how many days to do that before I increase to 4 bursts. Maybe 3 or so?

[sabby]

Instead of planning how many days, why not play it by ear and see how you are feeling each day? Listen to your body and what it's telling you before making a decision.

Good idea, sabby, thanks. No flare despite that short jogging yesterday. Legs are pretty sore and maybe chest a little bit, but I don't think it's a flare. No tell-tale fatigue and lightheadedness.

Gentle hugs for those of you who are flaring today. Take good care of yourselves.

Well, I went on about a 2-mile brisk hike yesterday and was worried about flaring but so far nothing. Legs were pretty sore when I got up this a.m. but after moving around a bit aren't too bad.

I had planned on going jog/walking this a.m. but because of the leg pain will hold off until tomorrow. Still going to take the dogs for a moderate paced walk, a little less than a mile. I feel so much better after I get a bit of exercise.