EXHAUSTION.......

Exhaustion= "the state of being exhausted"............Exhausted= "to use up completely"....
That pretty much sums up the way I have felt this whole week. I'm not sure if it was from my increased pain, weather changes, stress or a combo of all three, but needless to say I am feeling a bit "used up"!! I haven't felt this washed-out in awhile. The "normal" fatigue I usually have with my Fibro' isn't even close to how completely drained I have felt this week. I must have slept for two days, or it seemed like I did anyways. Once I start to finally come out of that fog it never fails, I spend the next few hours feeling guilty about being in bed &

FiBrO-FoG,,,,,,,,,Ummm,,,,,what was I talking about???

,,,,,,,,,,,What were we talking about??????   Haven't you ever wondered how many times a day you say that or have the "Deer In The HeadLights"  Look on your face???? If you have Fibromyalgia, my guess would be a lot!!! Some days it almost feels like my Head is just floating above the rest of me,,,,,I know that may sound crazy but it's the best way I can explain how "FiBro-FoG" feels!! My poor Husband is so used to it now that he will tell me if I've told him the same story over & over......& he even tries to help keep me on subject, bless his heart!! Our daughters like to tease us about already being an "Old" couple, because of My "forgetfulness" & His hearing loss (from 25++ years of working on/flying Helicopters for the Army), but you know that is probably why we make such a good Team!!

Back to the Fibro-foggy thing,,,lately I have to think about who I am calling, what I need to say or ask....then I'll usually write it out just in case I do forget! It is embarrassing when you can't remember what you were just saying or thinking, & @ times it can even be a little bit scary. But, what can you do, Fibromyalgia affects so much of your life, but....it doesn't have to Control it!!

Weather vs. FiBroMyaLgia......UgH!!!

I <3 a good thunderstorm, especially on a lazy day, but lately this crazy weather we've been having here in Ky. has kept my tender points "howling"!! I feel like I'm the family "barometer" @ times =) I know that when I start c/o my knee's or my elbow's hurting more than usual, the weather is about to change.....UgH :-/ It amazes me how a little drop in the barometric pressure or a change in the temp can cause my knee's & elbow's to hurt more. I even get "nodules" on the inner area of my elbow's & knee's right before the weather changes, every time!! Depending on how big of a change in the weather or how severe, will sometimes cause a pretty big "Fibro-flare" for me, which as you know can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. So, with the wicked storms we had on tuesday, & the chance for snow on thurs......yep, I am "flaring" pretty bad right now :-/ but it could be worse. And what would a Flare be without a bit more Depression  mixed in, WoooHooo!! Sounds Fun......NOT!! But we can learn as much as we can about Our "triggers"  & try our best to prepare for them. So, if weather happens to be a trigger for you & your FiBro, please feel free to share any tips or advice you may have, for any environment/climate. Personally, I think that it would be more cost effective for my insurance company if they would just send me to HaWaii from Jan-March each year. I figure it would be a win-win situation, because 3 months of 75 degree weather, beautiful beaches, Aloha shirts & palm trees should at least decrease my Flares & would definitely help improve my depression. Anything for my Insurance co.,,,,,,I know, I'm a giver =)

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_weather.html


Blessings,
MeL

My FiBrO'Licious Life.......

     MY Fibro'licious Life

     Hello, my name is Mellisa Miller & I have FIBROMYALGIA. My long & frustrating journey began in late 2001 with tolerable joint pain & fatigue. I was a Dialysis Nurse at the time so I thought the pain was just from all of the repetitive movements that are required in caring for patients on dialysis. Three years later, in 2004, I was officially diagnosed with FIBROMYALGIA, along with a "laundry list" of other health problems. I'm sure that many of you will agree that it's such a relief when you finally have a name to call what you have been going through.

      Since about 2002, I have been "tagged, labeled, & called" several things along this journey that is FIBROMYALGIA. I think that one of my favorites would have to be an "Overweight, Depressed, Middle-aged Woman" (okay that last part really hurtJ)   that has "spent way too much time on WEB-MD". This, from supposedly one of the Nation's top Rheumatologists & FIBROMYALGIA Specialists…………needless to say, his bedside-manner basically sucked, but at least I had an actual Diagnosis.

      Over the past ten+ years I have been poked, prodded & checked-out for everything from R.A. to Lyme Disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue to Lupus, & finally FIBROMYALGIA.

      One of the most important lessons I've learned on this journey is that Knowledge is definitely Power, & the best way for Us all to have that power is to share our own experiences with FIBROMYALGIA with each other. Everyone is different,  & we respond very differently to medications & treatments............what works for one may not work for the other.  
      I couldn't have made it this far without the help & support of many people, three of them being my wonderful husband Dave & our two awesome daughters, Jessy & Sierra. You will definitely be learning more about them with each Blog :-) trust me!! I want to tell my "FiBro" story with the hope that it may help someone out there that may be in the beginning stage of trying to find out what is wrong/or finally getting a diagnosis of "FiBro" & being overwhelmed with treatment options/or finding a way to get your loved ones to understand what "FiBro" is & why there are days when you physically can't get out of bed because your pain/fatigue have completely drained you of every last bit of energy.......... 

       I want to blog about "Everything FiBro", the good, the bad & the ugly!! About info, treatments, meds, physical therapies, counseling, psychological therapies, alternative therapies......because with FiBro, you need an open mind in order to find what will work for you in this "Fibro'Licious" World  of ours :-)

Blessings,
MeL