It was rough going there for a minute

But, I got thru the second part of my three part educational plan, receiving an Associate's Degree in Broadcast Communications this past May. It didn't take me as long as I thought it might, and that's a good thing. All that walking to school (two miles one way!) just about killed me (and probably ruined my left knee forever).

The pain is being kept to a dull roar at the present time. I looked into that new precription drug for FMS, and I'm not sure I like all the side effects. With my luck, I'd have one or all of them. That's just the way my luck seems to work these days.

The good news is that I may have health insurance as soon as August, because I can get a policy thru the university I'm attending to work on my Bachelor's. I still have questions to ask about pre-existing conditions and all that.

I'm going to be moving closer to the university, so hopefully my commute will be much less. Gas prices hurt my bottom line, and the closer I can get to campus, or a bus line, the better it will be for me.

Hopefully, I'll go into a long period of normalcy as far as flares are concerned.

--MorelaterZ--

Accupuncture? I swear I'm going to try that next!

I ran across a blog recently where the author had tried accupuncture with some success. I keep telling myself to look into it, but never really get around to it. Maybe it's the needles that put me off.

God knows what I'm doing now (self medicating with OTC drugs) isn't really helping me in the long run.

Has anyone tried that Lyrica that is advertised on TV as being for fibromyalgia? I'm kinda curious to find out more about it before I approach a doctor with the idea of me taking it.

I go weeks without pain or fatigue, so that has me thinking that I can do anything. Then I have a flare that lasts much longer than I think it should. I know that the stress from school caused the last one I had in November. That last semester was the toughest one yet, and made me realize that I have to get this under control somehow.

I need to do some research. Posts on this blog are woefully lacking in usable information. Right now, it's just me complaining. LOL

LaterZ--

RA, Lupus link...via WebMD

I found this article interesting. In addition to having fibromyalgia, I also have RA. Between the two, my life is a pain in the... well, everywhere. Lately, it's been the tendons in my feet and ankles that's been bugging the bejeezus out of me.

OTC pain relievers help some, but somewhere down the line, I'm going to have to see someone for something stronger.

--MorelaterZ--

Pain redefined...

I know stress aggrevates my FMS. I know that diet sodas containing aspertame makes things worse with my FMS.

Since the last post in July or whenever it was, I've been under a bit of stress because of my finances. Because of school. Because of other things I'm not at liberty to discuss in this venue.

And not a bottle of Aleve in sight.

When school started for the fall semester last month, I had trouble staying alert in class. I discovered Diet Pepsi Max in the Cafe at school and bought a bottle. I was wired for about four hours.

And not a bottle of Aleve in sight.

Natch, I was in a lot of pain this past week. It all caught up with me...

Sitting for long hours in class, plus a workstudy job doesn't help either, but I can usually handle that with either Aleve or Tylenol.

It seems that the pain is more intense than I remember it being. It's time that I really find a doctor to help me so that I don't end up crippled before I'm fifty. Then all this schooling will have gone to waste, then where would I be? I don't want to rely on others to get me thru the day, the rest of my life.

This scares me. A lot.

What am I waiting for? A miracle, perhaps. I don't know. All I know is that I can't go on like this indefinitely. I don't want to be any more of a burden on people than I already am.

--Morelaterz--

Ohhh, I'm so sore...

I feel like crud today. Major flare goin' on here...

Everything hurts, and not because I am now walking everywhere. I don't know what I did, or didn't do, to hurt this much. My Aleve is gone, and all I want to do is sleep.

I don't know how much longer I can go without seeing a doctor about this. I feel like I'm falling apart.

--MorelaterZ--

I made it thru the semester!

Go me!

It's still the sitting in one place that really gets to me, but it's also only one hour at a time for most of my classes. I can handle that.

That's not to say that I don't have pain or flares. About a month ago, I had a pretty bad flare, and so far (knock wood), OTC drugs seem to keep it in check.

Diet sodas are my worst enemy these days. I don't even have to drink a whole bottle. A few hours later, I'm hurtin' big time. One night recently, I went out to dinner with my mother and my 21 year old son, and accidently put Equal in my coffee with the real sugar I used, and man, I was paying for it later.

And no one still understands that when you poke me or press on my arms, that it hurts more than it does for the Average Jane... I actually get bruises, and the pokes are not all that hard (not like someone jabbing their finger into my arm with a fair amount of force), but i get bruises anyway. It's weird, and though I try to explain that I have FMS and that is one of the "perks" (I know...boo hiss! LOL), they tune out. Most people have never heard of it, much less know someone who has it (for some of my younger classmates, I'm the first person they know who has it).

When I was living in Wyoming last summer, I used to bump my legs on everything all the time, and I was covered with bruises. I was hesitant to wear skirts to work because I didn't want to answer questions about my being "accident prone".

So... I made it thru a whole semester at school without too much problem. Only 4 more semesters to go until I get my degree.

MorelaterZ--