Happy Thursday! I hope that everyone is having a good week and is looking forward to the weekend. It has been a really busy week for me. My son turned 18 on the 21st...which has been one of the hardest things for me to deal with, I cried from both pride (of the person he is growing into) and sadness (of the baby that I miss). It was a day of celebration and hugs :)
All of this celebrating has left my body needing rest. I turned in a lot of spoons to get through the last few days. I believe that I may have had to borrow spoons...I run out so quickly. (This 'spoons' metaphor will only make sense to you if you have read the Spoon Theory. I posted the link to this amazing story, written by Christine Miserandino, in my last blog post). My body doesn't handle being busy or doing anything strenuous. I become very tired, very quickly...and at the same time, my stubbornness will push me beyond my 'normal' limits. I know, on those days, that I will need a few days of R&R to heal. My nerves will feel as if they have been badly bruised and stretched out. My joints will be extremely stiff and sore. My head, neck, and upper back will become so sensitive to touch, that lying down is a challenge that I refuse to take on right away. I don't walk downstairs because I know that my left side is further weakened from all of the extra chores and will not be strong enough to carry me back up the stairs. These are the things that I have become accustomed to over the last four years. I know that I still have much to learn and can learn a better way to care for myself. But for now, I'm doing my best...even if that means, lying around in pain and paying for the past few days of activity.
No matter what form(s) of treatment you choose for your chronic pain...prescription medication, surgery, physical therapy, natural therapies, nothing, exercises, essential oils, foods, etc...you need to make sure that it is right for you and makes you feel good mentally as well. I take prescription medications, that includes narcotics for pain. I don't have a plan to change that, but I do have a plan to maybe lessen the number of pills and add other things to (hopefully) improve my health, my lifestyle, and the way I feel. I have been playing with different foods, natural vitamins, stretches, and am researching essential oils. I have met others online that find relief with some of these options, so I figure that the only thing that will hurt, is not trying.
Having syringomyelia, Chiari Malformation, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, asthma, arthritis, kyphosis, and Cervical Degenerative Osteoarthritis, has taught me that terrible things can happen to you when you're not looking and when you've set you're life on cruise and just go from day to day, believing that nothing can happen to you, or will happen to you. I have learned that you have to live your life the way you want. Take control of it. Live the dreams you want to see come true. Make others happy by helping them. Dance, sing, laugh, smile, experience this life to YOUR fullest, rest when YOU need to, but don't sit back in idle mode and let the disease have you...your life is a gift!
Thank you for reading my blog. It really means a lot to me!
Happy days to all, I wish you many spoons, happiness, laughter, and dreams come true :)
Monica
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