No news is Good News

[Kendrew]

The definition of pain is, 'A highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury'. Of course there is also the silent pain of mental or emotional trauma, and throughout all our lives, all of us will have experienced both. Many of us will have woken up this morning experiencing one or both, and during these moments it's hard to focus on anything else. Having PMR/GCA is a bit like the news.....when it manifests, it's often not a pleasant experience with much perceived as negative. You know the saying?.... No News is Good News! Well similarly, you'd never hear anyone saying, "Oh! I woke up this morning with pain and stiffness in my neck and shoulders again. So pleased its back...I've really missed it.......and as for the steroids, well can't wait to increase them....again!!" Sadly, it's always 'bad news' for most of us when the condition decides to rear it's ugly head!

Today is a special day for me though, and as I look back over my past 63yrs, I think of all the good, happy, healthy, pain-free times, and theyre in abundance..... far more so than I'd probably remember whilst in the midst of a flare, and I think it sometimes helps to just stop and take a moment to remember this.

Life can feel unfair, lonely, cruel, painful, but it can also feel wonderful, joyous, uplifting and nurturing. Things that are worth having in life don't always come easy and 'managing' this condition certainly doesn't! Whatever we're going through on a day to day basis, there will always be a smile to be found somewhere and the light always finds a way through. There's a lovely saying' 'The darkest day only lasts 24hrs'!

So, today I'm going to celebrate!..... Celebrate having a roof over my head.....food in my belly....a son and DIL who love me..... having a kind, lovely man for a husband.... friends who 'care' and all the positive things I can be thankful for despite having PMR..... and yes!.....I'm even going to celebrate having PMR, because PMR has helped me to understand my body so much more....it's helped me take better care of myself and it's allowed me to find support and new friendships from the most caring and genuine body of people here on this forum. It's helped me understand what's important in life, and re-evaluate my priorities, forming new but equally fulfilling goals.

PMR is NOT what defines me, and I am so much more than that!

Today I'm going to celebrate simply, being alive......because today is my birthday!

🥳🥂🥳🍹🥳🍾🥳🍷🥳🍸🥳🥂🥳

[Coffeebeans]

Happy birthday to you 🎂🎉

Enjoy your day x

[Kendrew in reply to Coffeebeans]

Thankyou Coffeebeans. I will. 😀

[CathyM64]

Happy birthday 🎉🍾. Can definitely relate to your sentiments re positivity. It was my 66th birthday yesterday and despite having a truly awful flare and lockdown I got lots of lovely cards and messages from family and friends. As an added bonus I finally get my state pension and a bus pass!🤣😂

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to CathyM64]

Surprisingly how our priorities change over the years!

The £pension£ you can make use of immediately, the 🚌 💳 may have to wait.

[Kendrew in reply to DorsetLady]

😄😄😄❤

[CathyM64 in reply to DorsetLady]

Happy to wait till it's safe for everyone to travel then the world's my lobster as Delboy would say 😂😂

[Kendrew in reply to CathyM64]

That sounds like a plan. 😃

[Kendrew in reply to CathyM64]

Haha!😃 Wishing you a very happy belated birthday too. Hope you had a lovely day and thankyou for your birthday wishes. ❤

[CathyM64 in reply to Kendrew]

🥰

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Happy Birthday, have a lovely day 🥂💐

[Kendrew in reply to DorsetLady]

Thankyou. Think we should all look for something to celebrate today....even if it's not a birthday. 😀

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Kendrew]

I am...having an early Mother’s Day lunch with son’s family (legal, in bubble) - as grandchildren will be back to boarding school on the day proper.

[Kendrew in reply to DorsetLady]

That sounds a perfect day ahead for you. Have a lovely time with your family. 🥰

[123-go]

What a lovely message! It's a great reminder that we have only one life (that we know of) and it's true that we should try to find some joy in each day and be really aware of each time we smile and what is making us smile. I feel uplifted after reading this and send thanks and all my good wishes for your special day. 🤗x

[Kendrew in reply to 123-go]

Thankyou. ❤

[Hidden]

Happy birthday Kendrew. Those thoughts are the only way I get through life.

[Kendrew in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou..

Absolutely. ❤

[madhouse1]

Happy birthday to you. Enjoy your day and agree wholeheartedly with your message.

[Kendrew in reply to madhouse1]

Thankyou. ❤

[Mary63]

What an inspiring gorgeous post! Thank you.

[Kendrew in reply to Mary63]

❤❤

[Lochy]

Big birthday hugs to you. Love your post. After 5 years and turning 62 in the summer I’m fed up being defined by PMR. A lot of the time I put it to the back of my mind - if my body allows! - don’t talk about it and concentrate on other lovely things. It is what it is and time continues to pass so we have to live and enjoy life as best we can. Today’s a good one ☀️☀️

[Kendrew in reply to Lochy]

Thankyou and well said Lochy.❤❤

[MrsNails]

Happy Birthday 🥳 🎂🥂💐😘

Hope you have a lovely day & PMR has a day off!

Hugs

MrsN 💐

[Kendrew in reply to MrsNails]

Thankyou.....I'm definitely giving it the day off today. 😄

[Longtimer]

Yes I agree, we all learn so much from PMR....have a lovely birthday...👍

[Kendrew in reply to Longtimer]

❤❤

[York54]

Happy birthday Kendrew 🎂🎂🎂🎉🎉. Have a fab u lous day, I like your take on life xx❤️

[Kendrew in reply to York54]

Thankyou. ❤❤

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Happy birthday!

What a lovely post It is all too easy to allow an illness to define you - and become so wrapped up in how it has changed your life for the bad to miss how it may have changed it for the good.

I have friends I would never have met without PMR - and that would have been such a shame.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to PMRpro]

PS - I will raise a glass of bubbles to you and Cathy but you will have to wait until tomorrow. It's Lent ...

[Kendrew in reply to PMRpro]

👍👍❤❤

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

'Lent' I haven't had alcohol since Christmas, it became a new year resolution. I found that in lockdown I was beginning to drink more wine which I enjoyed immensely, so I did the difficult thing and stopped completely.

Only time will tell if I start again!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

I gave up G&T late last summer - I had drunk that extra, or at least, more often. But wine remains the same and did all along: 2 small glasses, never drink more. But I my go back to just 1 ... And Sundays is a small prosecco - but I replace one of the wines with the bubbles.

[Kendrew in reply to PMRpro]

I'm just about to open a small bottle of prosecco to wash my dinner down, blow the cobwebs away and unleash the twenty-something in me! 😄😄

[Hidden in reply to Kendrew]

Try it more often if it works maybe have some 'fun'

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

G & T sounds good to me!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

It did to me too - but it doesn't do the a/f any good at all!!!! Wine seems to have no effect ...

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

Strange how things work, but I am very familiar with what you say. At least you know what caused it.

[Kendrew in reply to PMRpro]

Absolutely. Thankyou. ❤❤

[bussell]

Lovely post! It's made the day for lots of us I'm sure. Definitely treat yourself to a piece of cake and a glass of something fizzy! love and good wishes. xx

[Kendrew in reply to bussell]

Thankyou....I definitely will. ❤

[Twinkling1]

Happy birthday 🥳 🎂

“enjoy life it is full of wonderful thing” this was my Dad’s saying to us, and I take that with me.

So have a great birthday 🎉

[Kendrew in reply to Twinkling1]

That's a great motto to live by. Your dad was a wise man. ❤

[Melti]

Happy Birthday Kendrew, and thank you for the lovely uplifting post xx🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷

[Kendrew in reply to Melti]

❤❤❤

[Rache]

Happy Birthday Kendrew 💐

[Kendrew in reply to Rache]

Thankyou. ❤

[Bcol]

Lovely post and a very happy birthday to you. Have a wonderful celebration. 🙂🙂🍷🍸🎂🍰🧁

[Kendrew in reply to Bcol]

Thankyou Peter. 🙂

[SheffieldJane]

Happy Birthday Kendrew! From acceptance to gratitude is a truly momentous journey! Have a lovely celebration! 💝

[Kendrew in reply to SheffieldJane]

Thankyou. I like the way you put that. ❤

[_charcoal_]

Happy Birthday, Kendrew🎂🎉🎉🎉

You're right, PMR does tend to dominate life for sufferers. Stable and pain-free? Time to taper!!!

Thanks for including us all in your celebrations 🎊🎊🎊🎈💥 🤗💖✨

[Kendrew in reply to _charcoal_]

Haha!.....Thankyou. Wishing you and everyone else simply a Happy Day 😃😃

[2013mayo]

💐

Happy Birthday!

Xx

[Kendrew in reply to 2013mayo]

Thankyou ❤

[HappyDiamonds]

Many Happy Returns of The Day Kendrew 🎂

[Kendrew in reply to HappyDiamonds]

Thankyou....and I love your profile name. 🙂

[Charlie1boy]

Lovely post for which many thanks.

Happy birthday - probably belated by now.

Paddy

[Kendrew in reply to Charlie1boy]

Not at all. Thankyou.

[baxternoni]

Thank you for the lovely words. I am currently going through a flare also, but we keep on going. Happy Birthday! Wishing you a blessed day.

[Kendrew in reply to baxternoni]

Thankyou.....and I wish you a blessed day too.

[Arflane97G]

Hope you have a lovely day x

[Kendrew in reply to Arflane97G]

Thankyou. ❤❤

[Songbird69]

A lovely heartfelt post. 🎶 Happy Birthday 🎶. 🍾🥂🎂💃💥🎈xx

[Kendrew in reply to Songbird69]

Thankyou. 👍👍❤❤

[calicojoy41]

So well put, thanks for sharing your thoughts !

[Kendrew in reply to calicojoy41]

❤❤

[HeronNS]

🎈🍰🥂

[Kendrew in reply to HeronNS]

❤❤

[Uke1]

Happy birthday for yesterday! Your post is so positive and it reminded me of a quote from my yoga teacher this week, at the end of our class:

“Let go of what was, surrender to what is and have faith in what will be”.

If at all possible, I think that could be applied to us PMR sufferers.

[Kendrew in reply to Uke1]

Thankyou. I love that quote. It's so uplifting and positive, and I'm all about the positive. 🙂 Thankyou for sharing. ❤

[Pixix]

Happy belated Birthday, sorry I missed it, hope it was great!! S x

[Kendrew in reply to Pixix]

Thankyou. Really kind of you. ❤

[Cats64]

Thank you for this, your right, instead of being miserable because I'm feeling pain and fatigue, I should celebrate the fact that I can still do things, despite the pain I have a good mind, I have a supportive family I can still sew which I love doing. I'm not dying and one day when covid is far less important I will get help to control my meds, let us pray we all do.

[Kendrew in reply to Cats64]

👍👍👍❤❤❤

[CO_mtnLady]

Hi Kendrew, What a breath of fresh air you are!!! It appears you had a beautiful birthday, which was richly deserved.

I’m new to this site and am learning tons about PMR from all the lovely folks here. It’s been challenging to understand some of the discussions on this site, as the measurements and names of medications are different in Britain from the US. Yet, I am learning a lot and get to giggle at some of the “quaint” sayings.

Having been bedridden since September 3rd and having had minimal relief from 10 mg./Pred., I’m finally realizing that I may need to shift my goal from getting totally “off” Pred. Like many, the side effects have been as awful as the pain from PMR.

I’m glad to read that you were able to return to a job you enjoyed. How wonderful! I cannot imagine the energy it took to perform such a job.

I, too, am thankful for having a roof over my head, food in the pantry, and a loving husband and three fur babies. The last year of COVID lockdown has been challenging for all; however, being retired and having a monthly income has helped me to be thankful that I don’t have to struggle without employment.

Although I’ve always had lots of friends and am a highly extroverted person, I was feeling a bit low today as my favorite friends rarely call to see how I’m doing. Having had decades of physical pain due to injuries from several car accidents, I fear I might be a downer to those who bother to ask how I’m doing. I can barely take my dogs for a walk or do much of anything. I always try to be positive, yet I realize no one can truly understand the depth of pain this invisible illness and the medications can have on our bodies. Knowing those who understand is invaluable...

Just wanted to drop by and say “Hello!” Thanks for your lovely, positive sentiments. I needed to read them today and I am grateful you are a member.

Blessings for healing,

Florence

[Kendrew in reply to CO_mtnLady]

I'm going to send you a personal message... you'll find it in 'Chat' at top of this page where the icon that looks like a folded paper plane is.