Hello!
I know I have a problem with not updating my blog very often, I attribute that to being busy and forgetful! I have good intentions but when it comes down to it I falter.......I'm sorry for that, I really am!
So, it's been a year since I had my thyroid removed and I can tell you that I notice nothing different. My levels are still wacky, I'm losing hair by the handfuls, I still lack energy and god forbid I want to lose a little weight - it takes an enormous amount of effort and it always comes right back. So, having my thyroid removed didn't help me with any of my major issues. At least I don't have growths anymore but my levels still have not leveled out. I started on 150 mg of Synthroid last year and am now on 100 mg - I continue to be adjusted to lower levels without it helping.
So since it's been a bit since I've updated let's see what's been happening:
January-March 2016 - I started back to college at an online University - Ashford University. It's been 7 months and I'm doing great! I have straight "A" grades and just last week was invited to become a member of Alpha Sigma Lamda Honor Society. This is an honor society for exceptional adult learners. It was such a great surprise and honor. So being that I have such great grades should also tell you I spend a lot of time with my schooling. I haven't had time to be sick or tired or sore or anything other than focusing on school. My intention of going back is to complete the degree I started right out of high school - which was a long time ago.........I'm studying "Social and Criminal Justice" and will graduate with my BA in 7/2018.
Regarding my FMS and CFS I'm still holding steady. I haven't had any major flare up of either condition. I have learned to just listen to myself and if I'm tired, I go to bed. I still have issues with my hips being achy and locking up after sitting down for a bit but overall I can't complain. I have a lot of contact with people who have FMS really bad and I feel terrible for them but at the same time am grateful I have been able to reverse a good majority of my issues with FM and keep it under control.
April - July 2016 - I ended up in the ER on my birthday, April 5th - with what I thought was chest pain - it was bad, had me convinced I had a blockage - after a night stay and many tests that came back negative I was sent home and referred to a cardiologist. A few more tests and nothing. I still get these weird chest pains but haven't gone back to the cardiologist because he already determined it's not my heart but of course, as with most things they don't know why I'm having these pains. I thought maybe heartburn but I really don't think so since I never get it. So chalk it up to another strange thing related to FMS I guess.....
I was just talking with my mom about when I first got sick back in 2010 and took up juicing to get better. It definitely worked after a period of time - between juicing AND taking many supplements I brought my nutrition levels back to where they needed to be and was able to reverse a lot of my symptoms that had me bedridden for several months. Everyone also is different so what worked for me may or may not work for another - but it's all worth a try! In fact, coming back to my juicing information I've decided to juice a metabolism boosting juice and see if it helps me shed a few lbs like it says it does.
In other news, I've been off work since the first week in June and it's been great! Since I work in a school, I have the same schedule as the kids do and it's fantastic. We go back in just 3 wks from now......summer vacay goes way too fast! But it will be good to get back on a schedule. When I have no schedule not much gets done because I don't have to....it's bad.
My daughter is going into her senior year of high school - I can't believe in just a short year she will be going to college. My "baby" girl is grown into such a beautiful young woman. Makes me sad that she will be leaving but I know it's coming quickly. My son is starting his sophomore year - he is another one that I can't believe has grown so much both physically and mentally. The past several months have been big in the growth area for him. My daughter will be playing volleyball with the school over the next few weeks leading up to try outs - in fact next week we go to a big college camp with some girls who were invited from the school - should be fun!
I hope this update has found you all well! I would like to say that I will update in a month but, I've said that before and 7 months later I show up ...... I know I suck at this but I'm trying! I will be back soon, how is that???
Showing posts with label Pain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pain. Show all posts
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
More on Teeth, Thyroid surgery
Hello everyone!
I have some updates for you since my last post (note that I'm really trying to stay on top of this blog! Today is May 3rd.....) Just a small victory in my world of many set backs!
So for starters, I got my new crown placed - that was all great but the dentist informed me that I still need a lot of work in my mouth - 3 crown replacements and one of my molars has a crack and needs a filling. My priority is dealing with the cracked molar so I don't end up losing it too! That appointment has been made although now that I'm looking for the date I don't see it on my calendar so I'll need to call and make sure I really made the appointment. Gotta love the fibro brain!
I saw the surgeon on Thursday last week. He said because one of my many goiters is 6 cm in size, very large for a goiter, the thyroid should come out. He explained that with goiters 4cm and larger they automatically want to take it out due to increased risk of cancer. He said even though my biopsies have been benign, there still is the chance of having cancer cells that either were not captured or will develop. He followed that up with telling me that those cancer cells may never do anything but they prefer to get rid of any potential of having cancer. I agree with that! We discussed what that means for me - basically taking a pill everyday for life, a scar on the base of my neck and possible issues with calcium which would be treated with high doses of calcium. He did discuss with me the possible risk of vocal cord issues or voice box issues to which he said the risk is only about 1% and usually temporary in nature. He said it doesn't mean my voice would be lost but that I would have a hoarse sounding voice for an unknown length of time that generally fixes itself unless there is nerve damage. Hospital stay over night and potentially a drain for a week. He said the drain will help fluids that might want to accumulate due to the large vacancy that will be left from the 6cm goiter.
So I have that surgery scheduled for June 26th. Due to the continued growth of goiters on the thyroid I feel my best option is to remove it to stop the growths. Taking a pill forever is an easy fix and I won't have to deal with the painful biopsies every year anymore.
According to research, there is a link between fibromyalgia and thyroid problems. There are a lot of thyroid diseases so I personally find it hard to make the connection especially if the hormones are within a normal range when tested. I have tried for years to tell my endocrinologist that I think I have hypothyroidism but she insists that my blood work proves otherwise because all my numbers fall within the "normal" range.
(Note that I started writing this on May 3rd, today I am finishing it and it's June 23rd - I guess my quest to stay on top of it kind of failed with end of the school year and summer coming upon us....but hey, at least I came back to it!)
So back to those Normal ranges. Since I wrote the above, I had another blood test to check my numbers - the following information is what I was given.
The blood tests ordered were TSH, Thyroxine (T4), T3 uptake
I have some updates for you since my last post (note that I'm really trying to stay on top of this blog! Today is May 3rd.....) Just a small victory in my world of many set backs!
So for starters, I got my new crown placed - that was all great but the dentist informed me that I still need a lot of work in my mouth - 3 crown replacements and one of my molars has a crack and needs a filling. My priority is dealing with the cracked molar so I don't end up losing it too! That appointment has been made although now that I'm looking for the date I don't see it on my calendar so I'll need to call and make sure I really made the appointment. Gotta love the fibro brain!
I saw the surgeon on Thursday last week. He said because one of my many goiters is 6 cm in size, very large for a goiter, the thyroid should come out. He explained that with goiters 4cm and larger they automatically want to take it out due to increased risk of cancer. He said even though my biopsies have been benign, there still is the chance of having cancer cells that either were not captured or will develop. He followed that up with telling me that those cancer cells may never do anything but they prefer to get rid of any potential of having cancer. I agree with that! We discussed what that means for me - basically taking a pill everyday for life, a scar on the base of my neck and possible issues with calcium which would be treated with high doses of calcium. He did discuss with me the possible risk of vocal cord issues or voice box issues to which he said the risk is only about 1% and usually temporary in nature. He said it doesn't mean my voice would be lost but that I would have a hoarse sounding voice for an unknown length of time that generally fixes itself unless there is nerve damage. Hospital stay over night and potentially a drain for a week. He said the drain will help fluids that might want to accumulate due to the large vacancy that will be left from the 6cm goiter.
So I have that surgery scheduled for June 26th. Due to the continued growth of goiters on the thyroid I feel my best option is to remove it to stop the growths. Taking a pill forever is an easy fix and I won't have to deal with the painful biopsies every year anymore.
According to research, there is a link between fibromyalgia and thyroid problems. There are a lot of thyroid diseases so I personally find it hard to make the connection especially if the hormones are within a normal range when tested. I have tried for years to tell my endocrinologist that I think I have hypothyroidism but she insists that my blood work proves otherwise because all my numbers fall within the "normal" range.
(Note that I started writing this on May 3rd, today I am finishing it and it's June 23rd - I guess my quest to stay on top of it kind of failed with end of the school year and summer coming upon us....but hey, at least I came back to it!)
So back to those Normal ranges. Since I wrote the above, I had another blood test to check my numbers - the following information is what I was given.
The blood tests ordered were TSH, Thyroxine (T4), T3 uptake
- TSH - 0.749 (Normal ranges for this lab - 0.450-4.500) I'm barely above normal
- Thyroxine (T4) - 5.4 (normal ranges 4.5-12.0) This one is low
- T3 uptake - 30 (normal ranges 24-39) This one seems OK
- Free T4 1.6 (normal ranges 1.2-4.9) This one again, just above the normal zone
Does anyone notice something with my numbers? The first thing I thought was that my numbers, while "normal" are very, very much on the lowest end of normal. This could explain and account for a lot of health problems and general issues I deal with daily!
I'm pretty nervous as I approach my surgery. Today the hospital called with details for the day of - I have to arrive at the hospital to check in at 5:30 am and the surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am. I'll be there over night and as long as everything is good they will let me go home the next day.
I just really hope everything goes well and that I don't have any issues with my thyroid levels after all is said and done. I'm hoping the meds they put me on will raise the low numbers - that would mean the Dr will have to prescribe me the "right" dose from the beginning.....praying for that!
I want to go back to the numbers real quick. Each lab has a different "normal" range for those thyroid numbers. So out of curiosity, I went and searched on google for normal thyroid numbers and found that is could vary from 0.3 to 5.0 and anywhere in between as "normal".....my immediate question is "normal for WHO?" Not me, that's for sure! I would be willing to put money down that if my low numbers were raised I would notice a huge difference in how I feel on a regular basis, day to day.........
Enough thyroid talk, school was done June 4th for me, the kids were out a week before that. My daughter took a little over a week to spend with her auntie and grandma (she calls her "bacca" and it really doesn't mean anything, the kids made it up when they were babies) in California. She had pictures done for her birthday and enjoyed being with the family.
Ryan went to a spring football camp with his high school and enjoyed that. He is in strength/conditioning through the summer through his school as well. Come fall he will hopefully be playing a little football! I just run the kids back and forth anymore :)
Taylor turned 16 on June 8th, that same day she got her driver permit and a job as a cashier at Wal-Mart. She is playing volleyball 3 hours a day as well right now getting ready for upcoming team camps she will be participating in for the rest of the summer.
BUSY is an understatement for our little family but it's good this way, keeps us all out of trouble ;)
So as I approach my surgery I want to wish you well and please send me a little extra positive thoughts and visions of healing fast.
Until next time......(I will try to post an update on my surgery as soonas I can!)
Gerri :)
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Seems like nothing has changed but when you look back, everything has changed updates for June, July, August, Sept, Oct, Nov.....
Greetings friends! Has it REALLY been since MAY that I've updated my blog?? UGH I'm terrible I know! So here comes a big update on what's been going on........
June, July and August proved to be busy with the kids and their variety of events. School was out for the summer and that meant daily volleyball practice, camps and games. That in itself keeps me on my toes. We spent nearly everyday at the school for volleyball and a couple times went on trips related to the school volleyball program. My daughter has such amazing dedication to the sport.
In July I tried to start exercising again- I was doing great for the first week, walking 3 miles a day on the treadmill at the gym. I set out to try and be more active, try to drop a few pounds, if nothing else, just walking a bit. After a week of doing this I was in so much pain and I couldn't walk! I ended up at my chiropractor, IN TEARS because of the pain in my hips. My right hip was the worst, with burning pain and literally every time I took a step it felt like it was locked up - it was terrible! I had some acupuncture, some cold laser therapy and an incredibly painful adjustment on the first visit. It felt so much better after that, I could actually walk out on my own with much less pain. After two days of this treatment I was so much better but you better bet I wasn't getting back on that treadmill!! FORGET THAT SHIT! I continued with this course of treatment for 3 days and the pain was finally gone. The Dr said it was my bursis in my hip flaring up from lack of use to sudden over use - whatever, I wasn't doing it again!
August 12th school started up again which also meant I went back to work with the kids going back to school. I love having the same schedule as the kids during the year and the summer off to be with them. Even though the pay working at a school is crappy, it's better than nothing and gives me a schedule to follow, otherwise I would literally not do much of anything day in and day out - that I know! It's hard sometimes to get up and go to work, really hard, but I do it because I know it's what I need, not only for the income I do get but for the schedule to follow.
September was a non-eventful month just getting back into the swing of a normal schedule everyday. I was extra tired trying to get back to waking up early and working all day but that's nothing new really, I don't think I ever really get use to it. Still not exercising - can't take the chance of having a major flare like I did in August - oh god that was awful! We are looking forward to a trip in October for fall break.
October we took a trip over fall break to California. We've been really looking forward to this. We planned to see family. We went and saw my husbands mom for a few days and then went to visit my dad as well as my sister and her family in Palm Springs. It was so great to see everyone and the kids. We all live in different areas so we don't get to see each other but maybe once a year. That's the drawback of living so far away from family. I am in Colorado with my family, my sister is in California with her family, my husbands family is in California (1 brother in Colorado but 8 hrs away) and my dad is in Oklahoma. So as you can see we are all spread out.
We were able to get some family pictures done while we were all together and that was wonderful.
Pretty good looking group if I do say so myself! I'm in the yellow shirt next to my handsome hubby in the blue - my son is in the light yellow shirt and my beautiful daughter is holding her baby cousin.
November to current
Thanksgiving was great, I cooked a nice meal with the help of my daughter. It was just us 4 but we had a feast and enough to feed us for another week to come!! I need to learn to cook a little less on holidays! Now it's that time of year again, the holidays are upon us. For some of us this is a time of great fun, visiting with friends and family and going to party after party......... and for others it's a reminder that we aren't what we use to be.
I use to go shopping, now I shop online for 99% of the gifts I give....I can't physically go to the store and be on my feet for hours on end walking around browsing and picking out that perfect item....I use to attend many parties during the months of November and December...now I simply have to RSVP a NO because I really don't have the energy to smile and be "merry" for several hours at a time...Trust me when I say it's not because I don't want to or that I don't enjoy the company, it's not even close to that.....it's because my body just won't handle it and I'll end up paying for it for days to follow with pain and exhaustion. It's just who I am now and I have to accept this as my reality. As I like to say "It is what it is"...........it's been and has, more than ever, become my life motto.
I know I've been terrible at keeping my entries current and for that I am truly sorry - I really need to figure out how to just get it done......honestly after I am done working each day I am just so exhausted to do much of anything. I'm sure the words "I'm tired" are over used in my home by me and my family is sick of hearing it, but it's true. I'm always tired, exhausted actually. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has ruined me. I've dealt with the CFS longer than I have the Fibromyalgia (FMS) but the two combined is a doozy as you may know or can just imagine.
I have yet to find anything, natural or otherwise, that gives me any kind of good, long lasting energy or the feeling that I can take on my days without the lingering feeling of pure exhaustion. I did take Adderall XR for many years but it took a toll on me and my goal is to be off all RX medications and only treat my conditions as naturally as possible. It's really turning out to be difficult. I've tried everything I'm aware of that's out there. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe my body is just not "normal" and doesn't respond to traditional things. Vitamin B12 does nothing for me - I've tried regular injections with no luck. My chiropractor couldn't believe that I really had no luck with the weekly injections over a course of 5 weeks. Nope, nada.......abnormal response for most people
If anyone out there knows of something that could be helpful, I'm always willing to try if I haven't already. I really feel desperate at times. Along with the lack of energy comes a little weight gain because of the lack of motion. I could, if life with 2 teens allowed, sit in my recliner day in and day out, only getting up to eat, visit the bathroom and maybe get a drink. It's really sad for a 44 y/o to feel and act like a 94 y/o day in and out. I do my best with the cards I've been dealt.
As for my pain related to FMS....it's always been primarily in my hips, That's where it started and that's where it pops up the most. As I shared from August, I had a terrible flare from exercising and it was in my hips. My lower back and shoulders also have flares. The most common thing I'm dealing with now is numbness and tingling in my right arm and hand. At times the nerve that runs down the arm feels like it's on fire and that is just miserable. Aside from those things I'm doing ok, the exhaustion from CFS seems to be worse now than the FMS but both are ever present, every day.
I still see my chiropractor every week when possible, in reality though it's more like every 2 weeks when I'm feeling well enough. Without those treatments I don't think I would be in very good shape. Adjustments really help so much. More than anything else I've tried, keeping my body "straight" with regular adjustments seems to be the best treatment for ME. I highly recommend you give it a try if you aren't having any relief of your FMS pain. Find a good Chiropractor who is familiar with FMS and can effectively treat you. It's worth it!
I'm looking forward to a 2 week break coming up. December 19th - January 3rd is our "winter break" - we will of course be celebrating Christmas and New Years during that time. I'm most likely going to cook a nice meal for Christmas - probably just a ham, mac and cheese and salad. Nothing too terribly extravagant. My family will go to The Outback Steak House on Christmas Eve - it's a tradition we started a few years ago instead of cooking a big meal at home. I like having someone else do all the work and clean up! Since it's just the 4 of us, it really makes sense.
I hope this update finds you well and coping well. I know some might be having a hard time and I sincerely hope you find relief for yourself. If there is any advice I could give it would be to not give up on finding what helps you! Since FMS effects everyone so differently, you need to find what helps you - I know that what I suggest might not be your thing, I just know it's helped me get as much of my life back as possible and I will continue to search for more until I feel that I've exhausted every avenue.
I am going to leave you with a recent article I found - To your health and until next time!
FMS linked with Coronary Heart Disease
I find the above article interesting. I have heart palpitations pretty regularly but my Dr has never been too concerned about it. I also have family history of heart disease so I suspect as I get older I will start having regular heart check-ups to make sure my heart is not misbehaving.
June, July and August proved to be busy with the kids and their variety of events. School was out for the summer and that meant daily volleyball practice, camps and games. That in itself keeps me on my toes. We spent nearly everyday at the school for volleyball and a couple times went on trips related to the school volleyball program. My daughter has such amazing dedication to the sport.
In July I tried to start exercising again- I was doing great for the first week, walking 3 miles a day on the treadmill at the gym. I set out to try and be more active, try to drop a few pounds, if nothing else, just walking a bit. After a week of doing this I was in so much pain and I couldn't walk! I ended up at my chiropractor, IN TEARS because of the pain in my hips. My right hip was the worst, with burning pain and literally every time I took a step it felt like it was locked up - it was terrible! I had some acupuncture, some cold laser therapy and an incredibly painful adjustment on the first visit. It felt so much better after that, I could actually walk out on my own with much less pain. After two days of this treatment I was so much better but you better bet I wasn't getting back on that treadmill!! FORGET THAT SHIT! I continued with this course of treatment for 3 days and the pain was finally gone. The Dr said it was my bursis in my hip flaring up from lack of use to sudden over use - whatever, I wasn't doing it again!
August 12th school started up again which also meant I went back to work with the kids going back to school. I love having the same schedule as the kids during the year and the summer off to be with them. Even though the pay working at a school is crappy, it's better than nothing and gives me a schedule to follow, otherwise I would literally not do much of anything day in and day out - that I know! It's hard sometimes to get up and go to work, really hard, but I do it because I know it's what I need, not only for the income I do get but for the schedule to follow.
September was a non-eventful month just getting back into the swing of a normal schedule everyday. I was extra tired trying to get back to waking up early and working all day but that's nothing new really, I don't think I ever really get use to it. Still not exercising - can't take the chance of having a major flare like I did in August - oh god that was awful! We are looking forward to a trip in October for fall break.
October we took a trip over fall break to California. We've been really looking forward to this. We planned to see family. We went and saw my husbands mom for a few days and then went to visit my dad as well as my sister and her family in Palm Springs. It was so great to see everyone and the kids. We all live in different areas so we don't get to see each other but maybe once a year. That's the drawback of living so far away from family. I am in Colorado with my family, my sister is in California with her family, my husbands family is in California (1 brother in Colorado but 8 hrs away) and my dad is in Oklahoma. So as you can see we are all spread out.
We were able to get some family pictures done while we were all together and that was wonderful.
Pretty good looking group if I do say so myself! I'm in the yellow shirt next to my handsome hubby in the blue - my son is in the light yellow shirt and my beautiful daughter is holding her baby cousin.
November to current
Thanksgiving was great, I cooked a nice meal with the help of my daughter. It was just us 4 but we had a feast and enough to feed us for another week to come!! I need to learn to cook a little less on holidays! Now it's that time of year again, the holidays are upon us. For some of us this is a time of great fun, visiting with friends and family and going to party after party......... and for others it's a reminder that we aren't what we use to be.
I use to go shopping, now I shop online for 99% of the gifts I give....I can't physically go to the store and be on my feet for hours on end walking around browsing and picking out that perfect item....I use to attend many parties during the months of November and December...now I simply have to RSVP a NO because I really don't have the energy to smile and be "merry" for several hours at a time...Trust me when I say it's not because I don't want to or that I don't enjoy the company, it's not even close to that.....it's because my body just won't handle it and I'll end up paying for it for days to follow with pain and exhaustion. It's just who I am now and I have to accept this as my reality. As I like to say "It is what it is"...........it's been and has, more than ever, become my life motto.
I know I've been terrible at keeping my entries current and for that I am truly sorry - I really need to figure out how to just get it done......honestly after I am done working each day I am just so exhausted to do much of anything. I'm sure the words "I'm tired" are over used in my home by me and my family is sick of hearing it, but it's true. I'm always tired, exhausted actually. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has ruined me. I've dealt with the CFS longer than I have the Fibromyalgia (FMS) but the two combined is a doozy as you may know or can just imagine.
I have yet to find anything, natural or otherwise, that gives me any kind of good, long lasting energy or the feeling that I can take on my days without the lingering feeling of pure exhaustion. I did take Adderall XR for many years but it took a toll on me and my goal is to be off all RX medications and only treat my conditions as naturally as possible. It's really turning out to be difficult. I've tried everything I'm aware of that's out there. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe my body is just not "normal" and doesn't respond to traditional things. Vitamin B12 does nothing for me - I've tried regular injections with no luck. My chiropractor couldn't believe that I really had no luck with the weekly injections over a course of 5 weeks. Nope, nada.......abnormal response for most people
If anyone out there knows of something that could be helpful, I'm always willing to try if I haven't already. I really feel desperate at times. Along with the lack of energy comes a little weight gain because of the lack of motion. I could, if life with 2 teens allowed, sit in my recliner day in and day out, only getting up to eat, visit the bathroom and maybe get a drink. It's really sad for a 44 y/o to feel and act like a 94 y/o day in and out. I do my best with the cards I've been dealt.
As for my pain related to FMS....it's always been primarily in my hips, That's where it started and that's where it pops up the most. As I shared from August, I had a terrible flare from exercising and it was in my hips. My lower back and shoulders also have flares. The most common thing I'm dealing with now is numbness and tingling in my right arm and hand. At times the nerve that runs down the arm feels like it's on fire and that is just miserable. Aside from those things I'm doing ok, the exhaustion from CFS seems to be worse now than the FMS but both are ever present, every day.
I still see my chiropractor every week when possible, in reality though it's more like every 2 weeks when I'm feeling well enough. Without those treatments I don't think I would be in very good shape. Adjustments really help so much. More than anything else I've tried, keeping my body "straight" with regular adjustments seems to be the best treatment for ME. I highly recommend you give it a try if you aren't having any relief of your FMS pain. Find a good Chiropractor who is familiar with FMS and can effectively treat you. It's worth it!
I'm looking forward to a 2 week break coming up. December 19th - January 3rd is our "winter break" - we will of course be celebrating Christmas and New Years during that time. I'm most likely going to cook a nice meal for Christmas - probably just a ham, mac and cheese and salad. Nothing too terribly extravagant. My family will go to The Outback Steak House on Christmas Eve - it's a tradition we started a few years ago instead of cooking a big meal at home. I like having someone else do all the work and clean up! Since it's just the 4 of us, it really makes sense.
I hope this update finds you well and coping well. I know some might be having a hard time and I sincerely hope you find relief for yourself. If there is any advice I could give it would be to not give up on finding what helps you! Since FMS effects everyone so differently, you need to find what helps you - I know that what I suggest might not be your thing, I just know it's helped me get as much of my life back as possible and I will continue to search for more until I feel that I've exhausted every avenue.
I am going to leave you with a recent article I found - To your health and until next time!
FMS linked with Coronary Heart Disease
I find the above article interesting. I have heart palpitations pretty regularly but my Dr has never been too concerned about it. I also have family history of heart disease so I suspect as I get older I will start having regular heart check-ups to make sure my heart is not misbehaving.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
I knew this would happen, was just a matter of time...
Since my last entry on April 7th things have been crazy…..just crazy………….and I'm certainly paying for it with a major flare.......god I hate fibro, I hate chronic fatigue - I HATE IT!
So our insurance called to let us know they totaled the van as the crash had done some damage to the frame. With that they sent us a settlement letter requesting the title be signed over to them and offering us some money to replace the car. They offered us a little more than we expected so we were happy with their offer and just wanted to get it done. Of course the amount is not enough to get the same vehicle or even anything close. It’s a shame, I went from no car payment and a car that still had plenty of life in it to looking to replace it with something that was similar – good luck right? Not exactly what I was looking for but it is what it is.
Let the stress begin – all I can hope is that I don’t end up going into a major flare over this entire process…….fingers crossed as we embark on the car search…financial worries and all that comes with it…fun times!
So I stared off by doing a lot of research online and looked at a lot of different cars. We knew we wanted something 4WD or AWD to start. Nissan, Subaru, Dodge, Jeep, Ford……the list I’m sure goes on, honestly I have really forgotten all the different brands and styles, at this point it's all just a blur.
I was initially set on a Jeep Patriot – however, after looking at the reviews and sitting in it decided it was not the right car for us. Too boxy for starters…..although I do love the way it looks on the outside, it’s just not the right fit on the inside. In fact, every time I see one I take a double look, I just like the way they look.
We sat in many cars over the past 2 weeks – the Murano and Rogue were nice – I really liked them both – it’s hard to get use to going from a mini van to a much smaller car but it’s time ……nothing really struck our fancy much……so the search continued…….
At one dealer we were introduced to the Dodge Journey – this car was one that did strike us as something we liked. It is very similar to what we had in both color and options but yet different enough – it was a 2013 and had 28k miles. We drove it – enjoyed it’s power and comfort. We left that dealer with the Dodge Journey as our top pick from the day. But we still wanted to check out some other cars so we weren’t quite ready just yet to make a commitment on it.
As the week went on we continued to search – looking for used vehicles between 2010 and 2014 that weren’t priced too high or with too much mileage – that really narrowed down the field for us. I looked at a Ford Escape – BLEH – the 2010 model I sat in felt so cheap – the 2013 had bad reviews. It felt like it was very cheap plastic inside – while it was the size I was looking for and the price – I couldn’t get over how cheap it felt and I knew I wouldn't be happy with it. Probably because I’m use to the nice interior that generally comes with Dodge vehicles.
So needless to say, the Ford Escape was now off our list. At this point our options were getting much more narrow and I was getting really tired of looking – literally tired. All the walking around, talking with people and internet research was catching up to me – we weren’t getting home until late every night and our entire “normal” schedule has been off really since the crash on April 3rd. I’m now feeling the effects of it all in full force – my fatigue is off the charts this week.
Wednesday this past week we decided to go check the Dodge Journey again. After several days of going around looking, dealing with pushy sales people and not finding anything we liked, I wanted to see the Dodge one more time before I made a decision. We went, we looked, we still loved – so the choice was obvious – let’s talk numbers! We also really liked the sales person we dealt with.
We ended up staying at the dealership for HOURS – we had to come to grips with several things before we could feel comfortable with our decision. For a variety of reasons, our credit scores aren't that great. That right there put us in a bad situation for our APR on a loan…….the dealer worked with what they had and ended up getting us as good a deal as they could considering. I was leaning towards continuing on looking as I really wanted a lower payment, however, with our credit, we were unlikely to find a lower payment even if we found a less expensive /older car. My husband reminded me too that if we left we would put to chance that the car we want would be gone, and that we might not find another like it. So after thinking and thinking and thinking we said yes to the car! I’m now driving a nice black 2013 Dodge Journey, AWD with 28k miles. We were able to negotiate a lot of things so we ended up getting some good deals attached to the car. Our 1st 4 oil changes are free with the dealer, the entire car is covered on any problems it could have pretty much for the life of the car. That makes us feel good about the purchase and comfortable that we won’t have to shell out even more money should something bad go wrong with anything on the car – lots of electronics so that is a great peace of mind for us. At most we would have to pay a $100 deductible to get anything fixed - sounds great to me!
Here it is Friday as I’m writing this update and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m so exhausted from everything this week. My chronic fatigue tends to flare out of control when my “normal” schedule gets upheaved like it has this past couple weeks. Between driving my husbands older truck, which is difficult for me to even get into most of the time, the stress of trying to find the right car, finding the right car and the stress involved with that purchase – it all adds up and ends up leaving me dealing with excess pain and fatigue that I haven’t had in a while. My normal aches and pains are in overdrive and like I said before, my fatigue is just off the charts. Of course life goes on so I have to push myself through and get things done - but believe me, as soon as I can, I'm down for the count!
This weekend my plans are to rest if I can. That is of course after I grocery shop, plan Easter dinner and get things ready for the kids – but after all that, rest!......is there even time to rest?
I saw my Chiropractor on Friday and he gave me a shot of B12 - historically B12 does nothing for me at all - I'm one of those who just doesn't metabolize it - but we thought to give it a try and see if anything changes - maybe my body has changed since the last I tried it.
Coming into this next week I work M-W and then my daughter and I are off to MN for the Northern Lights Volleyball Tournament. She will play with the 17’s team from her club as they invited her to join them for this tournament. It’s a great opportunity for her and we are very excited. Of course this trip will most likely not help my fatigue as traveling tends to take it out of me so I don’t suspect won’t feel much better until well into May when things finally start to settle down in my world and I can get the rest break I so much need in order to get back on track.
Through all this I’ve been continuing to see my chiropractor and getting adjustments. That’s been helping a lot – I have also had some acupuncture, which helped my ribs finally stop hurting. They were hurting so bad, I am sure from the accident. After the acupuncture they finally stopped hurting.
Today (Saturday) as I'm finishing up this post I wanted to add that I am not as tired as I was yesterday - so maybe that B12 did help a little. I went to bed early last night too. On the other hand, my entire body hurts - I think it's just par for the course with having Fibro and Chronic Fatigue - I just hope this flare leaves sooner rather than later.
Whew, that was a lot to share this week! If you made it this far, I applaud you and thank you for your continued interest in my story.
Until next time - to your health!
Gerri
Monday, March 31, 2014
Unbelievable!!! You have GOT TO READ this!
I'm going to get right to the point - I've stumbled on a product that is nothing short of amazing! If you are like me, you have heard this before, been approached by people who claim to have what you need to make you feel better - only to be disappointed when it didn't work - well, from one chronic pain sufferer to another - I am not pulling your chain and I would NEVER vouch for something that didn't work on me!
If you are like me and live with pain all the time day in and day out then you have got to continue reading this and be prepared to share with everyone you love and know that lives with pain.
I for one don't take medication to relieve my pain. I try all natural ways to control it and most of the time am just dealing with the pain as I go through my daily life. I visit my chiropractor about every 2 wks to keep my body in line and working good. I have found that these regular visits help more than anything else.
Long story short, a friend of mine told me about this product that relieves pain. She explained that it's all natural and there is nothing like it anywhere. Like everything else my initial thought is "yeah right" - so she sent me a sample of this product to try. It's basically a patch you put on where you experience pain. You can check it out here!
For me, at the moment, my daily pain is located in my shoulder joint. It's a deep aching pain that just won't give. So I slapped this patch on my shoulder as instructed. She said to let her know how it feels in the morning. So I went about my business for the rest of the night and went to bed wearing this patch. I didn't notice anything spectacular that night after applying the patch. She had told me that some people may experience warmth where it's placed but I did not have this sensation.
When I woke in the morning I moved my shoulder expecting to have my normal aches and pain - much to my surprise there was NO PAIN.....I moved my arm in all directions to try to find the pain and at the very most I could feel where the pain should be but it was so minor I wasn't sure if it was really even pain.
The patch is worn for 24-48 hrs with most of the relief happening around the 24 hr point. This was just about 12 hrs of wearing the patch overnight and I was pain free for the first time in a good year! You read this right - PAIN FREE! In my world, that isn't something that you hear or get to experience!
AHHHHH, PAIN FREE....yes it's true! A real product, an ALL NATURAL product that REALLY takes away pain where ever you have it! This patch is brand new and only available through individuals who sell it. I can tell you right now, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on more of these patches! I have friends all over who will appreciate the pain free living that is awaiting them in this patch! I want to make this a readily available product to anyone and everyone I know who suffers from chronic pain! I know first hand how getting even a little relief from chronic pain is - to have something that is able to keep the pain away - PRICELESS!
For about $80/mo you get 15 patches - those patches can be cut to any size so you can actually make them last a full month or two if you cut them in half and wear one for 48 hrs at a time.
$80 might seem like a high price but whats worse? Paying that much or more for a chemical RX to treat your pain or paying that much for an all natural pain remedy? I would say the later of the two. I look at it this way, I pay my chiropractor $45 a visit, per week, to relieve my pain. I can take my $80 and purchase a package of patches and see my chiropractor every other week to keep everything in alignment.....no more money than I already spend and getting full time pain relief - WINNING!
If you are interested in more information about this amazing discovery please don't hesitate to contact me - I'm telling you it's going to be a game changer for people who live with Chronic Pain - it's new and powerful!
With excitement I look forward to hearing from those of you who are serious about living pain free!
For the first 6 people who contact me, I will send you a free sample of this amazing product - I believe in it 100%!
To your health (and living pain free!)
Gerri
If you are like me and live with pain all the time day in and day out then you have got to continue reading this and be prepared to share with everyone you love and know that lives with pain.
I for one don't take medication to relieve my pain. I try all natural ways to control it and most of the time am just dealing with the pain as I go through my daily life. I visit my chiropractor about every 2 wks to keep my body in line and working good. I have found that these regular visits help more than anything else.
Long story short, a friend of mine told me about this product that relieves pain. She explained that it's all natural and there is nothing like it anywhere. Like everything else my initial thought is "yeah right" - so she sent me a sample of this product to try. It's basically a patch you put on where you experience pain. You can check it out here!
For me, at the moment, my daily pain is located in my shoulder joint. It's a deep aching pain that just won't give. So I slapped this patch on my shoulder as instructed. She said to let her know how it feels in the morning. So I went about my business for the rest of the night and went to bed wearing this patch. I didn't notice anything spectacular that night after applying the patch. She had told me that some people may experience warmth where it's placed but I did not have this sensation.
When I woke in the morning I moved my shoulder expecting to have my normal aches and pain - much to my surprise there was NO PAIN.....I moved my arm in all directions to try to find the pain and at the very most I could feel where the pain should be but it was so minor I wasn't sure if it was really even pain.
The patch is worn for 24-48 hrs with most of the relief happening around the 24 hr point. This was just about 12 hrs of wearing the patch overnight and I was pain free for the first time in a good year! You read this right - PAIN FREE! In my world, that isn't something that you hear or get to experience!
AHHHHH, PAIN FREE....yes it's true! A real product, an ALL NATURAL product that REALLY takes away pain where ever you have it! This patch is brand new and only available through individuals who sell it. I can tell you right now, I jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on more of these patches! I have friends all over who will appreciate the pain free living that is awaiting them in this patch! I want to make this a readily available product to anyone and everyone I know who suffers from chronic pain! I know first hand how getting even a little relief from chronic pain is - to have something that is able to keep the pain away - PRICELESS!
For about $80/mo you get 15 patches - those patches can be cut to any size so you can actually make them last a full month or two if you cut them in half and wear one for 48 hrs at a time.
$80 might seem like a high price but whats worse? Paying that much or more for a chemical RX to treat your pain or paying that much for an all natural pain remedy? I would say the later of the two. I look at it this way, I pay my chiropractor $45 a visit, per week, to relieve my pain. I can take my $80 and purchase a package of patches and see my chiropractor every other week to keep everything in alignment.....no more money than I already spend and getting full time pain relief - WINNING!
If you are interested in more information about this amazing discovery please don't hesitate to contact me - I'm telling you it's going to be a game changer for people who live with Chronic Pain - it's new and powerful!
With excitement I look forward to hearing from those of you who are serious about living pain free!
For the first 6 people who contact me, I will send you a free sample of this amazing product - I believe in it 100%!
To your health (and living pain free!)
Gerri
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Tired is an understatement
Those of you who suffer from Chronic Fatigue know what I mean. To just say "I'm tired" isn't really giving a good indication of how you really feel. Exhausted is a good word but even that doesn't do it justice.
Quite frankly, I'm tired of being tired! This week my CFS has been in overdrive - I was doing good for quite a while but last week was on the go for several days in a row - late to bed, early to rise and now I'm paying for it with extreme sleepiness even after 9 hrs of sleep for several days in a row this week.
My body aches are present and I just feel out of sorts. I hate this! I hate this disorder, I hate feeling useless and being useless. Hate it all!
This is an interesting article HERE - I might need to find a functional medicine Doctor to get me on back on a good path with a cleanse and immune system treatments.
Has anyone ever done anything like what is mentioned in this article? If so I would love to hear about it!
Quite frankly, I'm tired of being tired! This week my CFS has been in overdrive - I was doing good for quite a while but last week was on the go for several days in a row - late to bed, early to rise and now I'm paying for it with extreme sleepiness even after 9 hrs of sleep for several days in a row this week.
My body aches are present and I just feel out of sorts. I hate this! I hate this disorder, I hate feeling useless and being useless. Hate it all!
This is an interesting article HERE - I might need to find a functional medicine Doctor to get me on back on a good path with a cleanse and immune system treatments.
Has anyone ever done anything like what is mentioned in this article? If so I would love to hear about it!
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Wow, time sure does fly!
Hello!
I'm still here! I can't believe it's been a few months since I last posted. With the holidays things got crazy and they just haven't slowed down yet. I hope everyone had an incredible Christmas and New Year Celebration!
I'm doing just fine these days. Of course with Fibro, everyday is different and we have "those days" but all in all I am doing great. I really can't complain about the minor set backs because they seem to be few and far between anymore. My chronic fatigue seems to be bothering me more than anything else but I think I've grown accustomed to it and just deal with it. I'm always tired, I always have been as long as I can remember so it's just something I have learned to deal with. On the rare occasion that I don't feel like I haven't slept I feel like what I imagine everyone feels like after a good nights rest. On average I get somewhere between 8-9 hrs of sleep but feel like I have only had 2-3.
I'm still seeing my chiropractor pretty regularly, usually once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks. It's the one thing that keeps me going and I really believe it's the regular adjustments that are keeping my Fibro under control. Now if we could just figure out this Chronic Fatigue I might just feel normal again! Heck, I don't even know what "normal" is.
Speaking of Chronic Fatigue, here is a great article about it - What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? For anyone reading this, it should shed some light on the disorder for you. For those of you who might have it - I think you'll agree with what the article says.
When it comes to symptoms, I tend to have them all most of the time. Below are a set of common symptoms, I've highlighted the ones I have almost constantly:
Symptoms include sore throat, flu like symptoms, problems with balance, sleep problems, dizziness, sweating, muscle and joint pain, un-refreshing sleep, cognitive difficulties, physical and mental exhaustion, tender lymph nodes and headaches. With time the condition gets severe and you could become depressed or have mood swings. I often get dizziness and headaches as well but the ones I highlighted are pretty much a constant in my daily life.
That's about all I have for today - one of my goals this year is to post a little more than I have been and keep you all constantly informed about Fibro and CFS. It took me a really long time to get answers and if you or someone who knows someone who could benefit from it then I've done what I originally set out to do.
I hope this finds you well, happy and enjoying life as much as possible.
Gerri
I'm still here! I can't believe it's been a few months since I last posted. With the holidays things got crazy and they just haven't slowed down yet. I hope everyone had an incredible Christmas and New Year Celebration!
I'm doing just fine these days. Of course with Fibro, everyday is different and we have "those days" but all in all I am doing great. I really can't complain about the minor set backs because they seem to be few and far between anymore. My chronic fatigue seems to be bothering me more than anything else but I think I've grown accustomed to it and just deal with it. I'm always tired, I always have been as long as I can remember so it's just something I have learned to deal with. On the rare occasion that I don't feel like I haven't slept I feel like what I imagine everyone feels like after a good nights rest. On average I get somewhere between 8-9 hrs of sleep but feel like I have only had 2-3.
I'm still seeing my chiropractor pretty regularly, usually once a week sometimes once every 2 weeks. It's the one thing that keeps me going and I really believe it's the regular adjustments that are keeping my Fibro under control. Now if we could just figure out this Chronic Fatigue I might just feel normal again! Heck, I don't even know what "normal" is.
Speaking of Chronic Fatigue, here is a great article about it - What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? For anyone reading this, it should shed some light on the disorder for you. For those of you who might have it - I think you'll agree with what the article says.
When it comes to symptoms, I tend to have them all most of the time. Below are a set of common symptoms, I've highlighted the ones I have almost constantly:
Symptoms include sore throat, flu like symptoms, problems with balance, sleep problems, dizziness, sweating, muscle and joint pain, un-refreshing sleep, cognitive difficulties, physical and mental exhaustion, tender lymph nodes and headaches. With time the condition gets severe and you could become depressed or have mood swings. I often get dizziness and headaches as well but the ones I highlighted are pretty much a constant in my daily life.
That's about all I have for today - one of my goals this year is to post a little more than I have been and keep you all constantly informed about Fibro and CFS. It took me a really long time to get answers and if you or someone who knows someone who could benefit from it then I've done what I originally set out to do.
I hope this finds you well, happy and enjoying life as much as possible.
Gerri
Monday, January 10, 2011
Another week.....and returning nasty "symptoms"
So I woke up at my normal time today with Taylor but we went back to bed because it's a snow day - we didn't get too much snow to call a snow day but due to the frigid temps they called it to keep everyone off the dangerous and icy roads this morning. So back to bed I went which probably wasn't the best idea. I find that if I go back to bed I'm even more tired when I wake up the next time..oh well, it was nice to get some extra snooze time anyway.
Today I'm dealing with dizzy spells - not sure why other than I took my meds a little late - but usually I don't get dizzy spells from taking my meds late, only when I completely miss a day of them - I hate being dizzy - it's the worst feeling to have your head spinning....hopefully it'll pass and isn't the beginning of another month of dizziness - I don't think I can do that again. As long as I don't make sudden quick movements I'm ok, but if I get up too fast, turn my head too fast or anything like that, I'm spinning and dizzy.
When the cold weather came in on Saturday I noticed that I started not feeling well - I think I'm seeing a pattern here with cold weather - my hips start to hurt, my headache comes back and I just don't feel well - hmmmmm maybe the dizziness has something to do with it too, I don't know - they do say that colder temps cause symptoms to flair so I guess that's true because it happened. I'm hoping I can figure out a way to plan for cold weather and avoid the symptoms that go with it - not sure how I can but I'm going to try to figure it out, if there is a way then I'll find it - it would stink to have to move because of it - although Florida doesn't sound so bad :) I even have friends there so if we were to ever move from here I think that would be one place that would be in the running for us just for the climate - warm weather is a good thing for Fibromyalgia.
Last night we went to the annual Colorado Slumber Parties holiday party. We also do it in Jan as it's less expensive and more people can attend since they aren't dealing with all the December parties going on. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone. The food was fabulous and all in all it was just a super fun night. I'm really glad I went, for a bit I wasn't going to go due to my headache but I went ahead and sucked it up and went - and I'm glad I did. It was a masquerade ball so everyone was wearing their fancy masks....
I'm still juicing daily - I've read that I need to have a diet of 75% raw foods - so juicing is definitely the right thing for me - now to figure out the other things I need to add to the juice such as powders to include protein and vitamins. I'm getting there, it's just a slow process to figure it all out.
Until next time!
Today I'm dealing with dizzy spells - not sure why other than I took my meds a little late - but usually I don't get dizzy spells from taking my meds late, only when I completely miss a day of them - I hate being dizzy - it's the worst feeling to have your head spinning....hopefully it'll pass and isn't the beginning of another month of dizziness - I don't think I can do that again. As long as I don't make sudden quick movements I'm ok, but if I get up too fast, turn my head too fast or anything like that, I'm spinning and dizzy.
When the cold weather came in on Saturday I noticed that I started not feeling well - I think I'm seeing a pattern here with cold weather - my hips start to hurt, my headache comes back and I just don't feel well - hmmmmm maybe the dizziness has something to do with it too, I don't know - they do say that colder temps cause symptoms to flair so I guess that's true because it happened. I'm hoping I can figure out a way to plan for cold weather and avoid the symptoms that go with it - not sure how I can but I'm going to try to figure it out, if there is a way then I'll find it - it would stink to have to move because of it - although Florida doesn't sound so bad :) I even have friends there so if we were to ever move from here I think that would be one place that would be in the running for us just for the climate - warm weather is a good thing for Fibromyalgia.
Last night we went to the annual Colorado Slumber Parties holiday party. We also do it in Jan as it's less expensive and more people can attend since they aren't dealing with all the December parties going on. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone. The food was fabulous and all in all it was just a super fun night. I'm really glad I went, for a bit I wasn't going to go due to my headache but I went ahead and sucked it up and went - and I'm glad I did. It was a masquerade ball so everyone was wearing their fancy masks....
I'm still juicing daily - I've read that I need to have a diet of 75% raw foods - so juicing is definitely the right thing for me - now to figure out the other things I need to add to the juice such as powders to include protein and vitamins. I'm getting there, it's just a slow process to figure it all out.
Until next time!
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