coping with my condition

[iana]

hi all, im new to this site, my name s ian, 54 , and i hoping to get some help and advice about my condition as im finding it very hard to deal with, i tend to be constantly unable to lead any kind of normal life since i have this condition and am very sad and depressed about the whole situation, ive had counceling and it dose help but tend to keep overdoing things ,i hate the constant pain fibrofog and just thought someone out there might have some advice.....ian

[Dizzytwo Moderator]

HI there iana let me wish you a very warm welcome to our very friendly group it's nice to meet you. So sorry your suffering in this way. If you would like to check out our mother site it as a wealth of helpful information. fmauk.org

May I ask when you was diagnosed with fibro ? Do you take any medication at all ?

Have you spoke to your doctor about how you are feeling or mentioned it to your counsellor at all ?

I have had fibro for 30+ years now and I have to admit if I knew the secret behind how to pace myself I could bottle it and make a fortune. I think trying not to Overdo things is one of the greatest challenges for most of us so your not alone there my friend.

We have a wonderful forum of members with a great deal of experience and I am sure they will be only too happy to share what they have finds helps them and what doesn't.

Please remember what works for one does not always work for another, But hang in there Ian you have just found yourself a great support group so please feel welcomed.

You may wish to lock this and futer post's as this will stop the whole web seeing it and it will get more members to reply to your post.

Mo

[spider555]

It is a fine line between doing something and nothing.

You are still here but try and give yourself a break.

[pinny123]

hello Ian Like you I'm new to this and its easy to get frustrated and upset with yourself...but that just makes things worse...I'm learning the hard way about pacing myself doing a little then resting helps and if the pain or fatigue gets too much just take a pit stop even if it is all day! Do you enjoy doing anything that doesn't involve extreme ironing or Gaelic rules football?? Lol just joking... I find keeping a journal helps..... you can rant and swear as much as you want nobody has to read it though you might want to skip the several squares of chocolate I usually eat when writing mine 😊 it's also helpful in keeping track of all your symptoms as it can be difficult to remember everything when you go for appointments. And the most important thing I have learned is try to keep a sense of humour I know its hard but when you find the cat in the fridge and the meat in the cat basket be kind to yourself.(p.s no cats were harmed writing this post!!!)

Alison 😊

[Ang54]

hi Ian, I am also 54 and new to fibromyalgia and getting used to the pain and what I cant and can do. I find that when I rest I still have the pain but its more of an ache and I have stiffness and jabbing/stabbing pains in various places that seem to change from time to time. when I work I suffer a lot more the next day and have to rest. I am lucky I only do physical work 3 days a week and so can rest in between. But the doctor said that I need to pace myself and work out in time how much I can do and learn what is right for me.

[Dinkie]

Hi Ian and welcome to the club nobody wants to be in. You will find help and guidance, suggestions and advice and the odd laugh along the way. We are generally a happy supportive band of fibro folk.

It's hard to work out what works for you. Fibro is so individual to all of us what works for one may not work for another. All I can say is try and keep a diary it will help you work out what works and what doesn't. Learn to say "no" if it means you will suffer by saying "yes". This is a hard one as we all like to say "yes" to that evening out etc. Your friends will, I hope, understand. Luckily for me my colleagues understand and although still invite me out they know I will probably say no but ask anyway so that I feel included. Learn to pace yourself. just because you did something yesterday doesn't mean you can do it today. We fibro folk always tend to overdo things when we feel well enough as we take the window of opportunity to get all those chores done that have been piling up. Don't - pick a couple of things and stop - don't carry on because you will pay for it the following day and probably the day after that too. Pacing is the most difficult bit for me.

Soaking in a bath of epsom salts helps with muscle pain. I also make use of hynotherapy, mindfulness, chiropractor, gentle exercise (walking the dog), and diet (no gluten and no processed foods).

Make use of the fantastic bunch on here. No question is too silly or trivial - we have all probably asked the same questions way back when we felt alone and confused.

Dinkie

[Janet28]

Hi Ian, iana welcome to our wonderful forum ☺ I'm sure you will come to find the forum invaluable in chatting to others who are going through the same experience as you, talking to others at different stages of their lives with Fibro and learning from their experiences.

It does help with the whole process and I wish I had found the site years ago. I have had Fibro for nearly 30 yrs and I'm still learning about it, like we all are.

I'm sorry you are struggling at the moment, it takes a long time to come to terms with the fact you have a chronic pain condition my friend but there is help out there, as our lovely Dizzytwo says, talk to your doctor, they can refer you to a pain clinic, who can refer you for various holistic treatments like hydrotherapy, accupunture, CBT (Talking Therapy) to help you manage your condition and help you adapt to the life changes it brings.

Look at The Spoon Theory, it's a very good way of learning to pace yourself. I look forward to chatting with you on the forum.

Ps it's a good idea to keep safe on the internet & lock your post, you will find simple instructions on the right of your screen under "Pinned Posts"

Peace, luv n light

Jan xx

[TheAuthor]

Hi iana

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? Welcome to the forum and it is wonderful to make your acquaintance.

I am so truly sorry to read of your suffering and struggling my friend and the usual advice is to try and pace yourself with whatever you are doing. When my pain becomes too much for me I use a TENS Machine to help alleviate it and it tends to work for me.

I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck and please take care of yourself my friend.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken