It's been a while since I did a full-fledged post about my fibro. I've made random comments about it, like in my last post when I mentioned being in a lot of pain this week. Overall, I'm doing well. My pain management, diet & sleep schedule have generally been working well enough to allow me to function in my new limited "house husband" role. I have to pace myself through the day and through the week, but as the months go by I am doing more and more. There are some exceptions. After long trips (like Thanksgiving) I'm forced to take several days to recover. My body will build up tension from days of driving and I don't release it naturally. I also still have stretches of pain flair-ups. Usually, these are triggered by seemingly innocuous physical exertion. In this most recent case, it was raking leaves.
I did fall/winter yard clean-up on Friday. I got help from my neighbor (the landscaper.) He was arriving home from a day of working and saw me. He knows about my condition and decided to come over to help. This was both good and bad. It was good because it was done in a 1/4 of the time. It was bad because I didn't pace myself like I should have. By the time we were done, my arms were slightly numb, but my neck seemed OK so I was hopeful. By Saturday night it was all over. My neck lost most motion, my right shoulder was numb and painful enough that I couldn't carry laundry and the numbness was spreading throughout my body. This hasn't happened for months, but it's par for the course. What to do now? Like a normal person over-doing-it at the gym, sleep aids, pain killers, hot-pads all help to a point. Unlike a normal person who simply over-did-it, my body can take days or weeks to get back to normal. It's as if I have to slowly release the pent-up energy.
This is where stress management techniques help. By mentally relaxing, I encourage my body to physically relax. Since, again, fibromyalgics do not seem to release physical tension normally, anything that lowers the heart rate, calms/distracts the mind and generally loosens me up helps a lot. Walking while listening to folk music helps. Reading (when I can sit comfortably) helps. One trick I've experimented with is guided meditation.
There are tons of free guided meditation resources on the web. Like anything on the web, there's good and bad. The other real problem for me is the culture of the meditation and yoga crowd. It took me a while, but I finally found two series of podcasts that work for me.
The first is The Meditation Podcast. They use a combination of guided imagery and relaxing nature sounds. They also try really hard to be "non-denominational" and keep from getting all new-age on me. My only real stink is with the session titled "Falling Asleep." It does a good job of relaxing me step by step, but then it switches gears in such a way that I start to wake up mid-way through the thing. What's the point of trying to put me to sleep if you're going to wake me up? So instead I use their 20 minute "Calming the Body" piece when I need to relax during the day and use this next podcast for sleep.
The second podcast is from Meditation Oasis. The guide does get a bit new-aged on me. So, I use just one of the sessions called "Deep Relaxation." It's just a quick 7 minute breathing exercise. I listen anytime I need it, but also as part of my pre-bed routine. I listen to a short audio podcast from NPR or a short story, followed by some Wailin' Jennys and then the relaxation thing.
Admittedly, my problem is that I let myself slip when I'm feeling well and only reach for meditation when I'm not. The things I've read about my condition suggests that relaxation techniques aren't just ways to relieve symptoms, but also make for good preventative care. Just like my new dietary changes and the daily exercise, I should try and do guided meditation daily.
Well, that's my story for today. If you live a stressful life or if you have a chronic physical condition, consider adding some type of meditation to your life. There are options out there that don't require you to buy into or listen to new-age mumbo-jumbo. You just have to look.
1 comment:
My wife is enrolled in yoga and physical therapy and has tried meditation with limited success.
My wife was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago and our lives were changed forever. I am developing an online community for people suffering from fibromyalgia. The online community, “You're Not Alone” ( http://fibromyalgia.ning.com ), will allow members to participate in fibromyalgia-related discussions in the Forum, share their thoughts and ideas in their blog, and post their personal photos and videos. There is no cost to join. Members of the site follow a simple process to create their profile page, which they can later customize including a profile photo and additional details about themselves. I created the project while participating in a Landmark Education leadership program. Part of the coursework was to create a project that benefits the community. When I had the opportunity to create a project that would make a difference in the community, it was only natural that my wife's illness would be the inspiration. Landmark Education is an international training and development company, who is known for offering their flagship course The Landmark Forum (www.landmarkeducation.com).
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