Hopeful Treatment

I've had some success with infra-red saunas as a source of treatment. Unfortunately, to get one that is well made, has the right kind of heat and will not off gas toxins from the construction materials we are looking at about $3500.00. Over time it certainly would pay for itself but to gather together that kind of money at the outset is not an easy feat for a family with 4 growing children. I have access to one but I only have that access if the King is with me. This is a busy time of year for him that requires much travel so my visits have been very minimal. The massage therapist in the office I work tried an infra-red body wrap at a local spa. The body wrap is advertised for weight loss but she thought it may be helpful to me as I had some good results with the sauna. I discovered that I could claim it as a "wellness" treatment through my husband's insurance so I forked out $75 to give it a try. I've been feeling so poorly since 2010 began I figured I had nothing to lose. The woman at the spa was very knowledgeable and professional. Rather than wrapping my arms as she would for someone interested in weight loss she wrapped those bits up my back and around my neck, I was also wrapped around the middle and my legs. I relaxed for an hour doing nothing but resting, hydrating and sweating. I was amazed at how refreshed I felt immediately after. I felt amazing several hours later albeit tired. She said that I would likely feel tired for a few days but how great my body felt definitely made up for the tired. The effects of the wrap lasted nearly 3 weeks. I was even surprised by my visit from AF as I usually feel like total crap the week before and regularly experience flare symptoms, if not full blown flare. It wasn't until our weather turned from spring to spring snowstorm that I felt poorly again. I will definitely try the treatment again. If I purchase 10 sessions at once than I get a $25/treatment reduction.

Still having hand challenges

I've still been having quite a bit of hand pain. It makes typing difficult. The weather has been up and down so I'm sure that plays a part in it. Along with the hand pain comes my regular pains. Didn't have a huge flare up as a result of PMS this go around. We were without water due to a water main break for 2 days which made it harder to manage the day without my hot shower. I think the Sierra Sil helps because I felt worse when I stopped taking it for a week. Wish I could be pain free. It really wears on a person. Having hand pain really isolates me from my imaginary cyber world and we all know that the real life people lost patience with my illness long ago. The King is gone alot in the next while. Soccer has started so I'm doing all I can to make it through. The house could be falling apart as a result but I just can't manage it all and soccer seems to matter the most to the royal family at the moment.

Spring???

Do I dare say it? The forecast for this week is all above 0 temps. Is it possible that spring has finally come to the great white north? I sure hope so. The cold wreaks havoc with my fibro and the up and down temps are almost too much to try to cope with bodywise. Spring and summer are definitely better for me so I hope that this is it.

I've just finished week 2 of my herbs and I feel like I have more energy. I am having some pain in my shoulder area and my knees have their moments. My pelvis area isn't as bad as it was mid-March so maybe things are looking up.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I always feel dramatically better once AF has left the building.

Wham!

She arrives with a vengeance sucking all my energy and giving me more pain. Man, I hate this! The King and I were going to sneak away for a few days this week. He has work to do but I thought a change of scenery would be nice. Blah! Now I'm dreading the travel, strange bed and packing. I hope that my massage tomorrow will give me some pain relief.

Weekly update

Tomorrow it will be a week since I started back on my herbs and added the new one, Sierra Sil. I have to say that my mood has improved and I'm feeling more like myself mentally. For my mood to be improving this week is no small feat because I should be in the throes of PMS. I think my energy levels are getting better as well. I need to work on managing my stress and pacing myself. Why is this such an impossible thing for me?

Today I purchased some Gardener's Dream Cream - Hallelujah. I noticed on the website that several Sangsters stores carried it so decided to check out the one I got my Sierra Sil from. They have revamped their packaging so I thought that I might have missed in on the shelf when I was there last week. They did not have it in stock and did not carry it. When I told her that the website said other Sangsters did she phoned one in the next city and then had her husband pick it up from there as he was in that city. It was well worth the extra trip back to the city tonight to pick it up as I can feel it working in my knees already. She said that she will now make sure to carry the product. I am very thankful for the special effort she and her husband took to get me this product. They will definitely be my first stop for my herbs and supps. She also encouraged me to try a sample of Natural Calm so we shall see how that goes.

The King talked to some representatives from Yame Tea who were in the store with samples of their line of tea. We ended up purchasing some of that as well. I was pleasantly surprised that it lacked that bitter quality you often find with green tea. I need to cut back, if not eliminate my coffee addiction and this tea supposedly has great benefits. I was most interested in it's relaxing qualities for sleep as well as potential relief of joint pain. I'll keep you posted on it's effectiveness. If it does nothing else but help me to get to sleep better than it is worth it.

Trying to fight off the plague

I've been doing all that I can to fight off the plague that the King has had. I'm starting to worry that it is setting in as it hurts to breathe. I don't have a sore throat, cough or runny nose but last night I had horrible pain whenever I took a deep breath. I also had weird pain down my sides starting around the boob area and running down a few inches. My energy is zero and I've been having trouble sleeping again. This morning was a complete write off for me as it hurt whenever I took a good breath. I had to get my act together to get supper on early as we had PTA tonight. I had to get some support to unload this fundraiser that has been a bust with the parents. Unfortunately PTA lasted forever because we had our illustrious school trustee aka our mayor and rambling moron grace us with his presence for too long. I came home to AF, thank goodness the my liner held out as I wasn't expecting her arrival. (I only took my laptop bag and not my purse tonight. Could have had a jr. high flashback!! :S) So now I'm not sure what to think about my struggles- fighting off the King's disease or just my pms hell or maybe a mix of both.

I wish I wasn't having trouble sleeping again. I should have maybe booked a massage this week but it's a short week with school (early dismissal and friday off) so I didn't bother. I don't even want to go see Dr. X on Monday. I need to sort out how I feel about that all still. I'm thinking that my 2 x a day herbs are preventing me from sleep even though he has told me before they shouldn't keep me up. I try to take my first dose when I first wake up, which has been pretty consistently 930 am (shocking) but I don't always remember because I'm braindead these days. Then I try to take my 2nd round before the kids get home from school but again that doesn't always happen until I see my reminder on the fridge when I'm cooking supper.

I really should try to go to sleep. It seems that when I'm laying flat that my breathing pain is worse but when I prop up on a bunch of pillows I can't sleep. *sigh* I know I'm a whining baby. I'm getting really tired of feeling like total crap and my silver lining ability is pretty much non-existent.

Sometimes I'm a little slow

I've finally figured out that there can be a correlation between pms and the dreaded arrival of AF (Auntie Flo for those not in the know) and increased fibro symptoms. Doh! My pain increases the week prior and the first bit after she arrives. I also struggle with the blues (something I'm normally on top of these days which is a far cry from where I was even a year ago...I haven't even used my blue light therapy this winter). Of course I'm so grumpy, noise sensitivity is at the top (try finding quiet in this house before 10 or 11 pm) and generally not pleasant to be around. Now that I've finally figured it out I need to see what I can do to alleviate things.