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Posted 4/5/2009 6:35 PM (GMT 0)

All morning I have been reading posts and nodding my head.  I, too, take medication.  I take Effexor for anxiety and just began Lyrica about 4 months ago.  The Effexor is a great help.  The Lyrica helped me sleep without pain immediately, but I still experience pain and stiffness throughout the day.

My main pains are in my neck and down my back.  The inside of my elbows hurt, too.  Some morning I wake up and my hips hurt.  I teach, and I squat a lot when I am working the kids.  Getting up is always a challenge because my knees get stiff and then hurt.

I have discovered so many things reading these postings that I did not connect to my fibro.  Dry or wet heat?  I'll take either.  I love a hot shower in the morning because it seems to help me get going.  Sometimes I feel like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz.  But what I didn't realize is that my intolerance to humid weather was connected to this.  I have actually cried in the summer time when we have a stretch of humid days. (I live in New England).

Another big connection that you all made for me is my desire to rip my bra off!  I never made that connection!  I am always tugging and adjusting.  Although I am not overly endowed, I am a full C cup.  I much prefer no bra, but not wearing one at all is just uncomfortable (gravity is the enemy there I think).  I have had some success with sports bras, though.

I need to check into the vitamin D deficiency thing.  That has never come up with my doctors.  I did start taking fish oil Omega 3 gel tabs this morning.  They are suppose to help with memory.  We'll see.

Right now my biggest stuggle with my fibro is the fatigue.  As I said earlier, I teach, and at the end of a day I just can't wait to get home to lay down and take a nap before my husband gets home.  The struggle with this is that my 6 year old granddaughter lives with us with her dad (he is divorced and has custody) and when she is home in the afternoon with me, her energy just sucks the rest of mine out of me. 

At any rate, I'm glad that I have found all you.

Posted 4/5/2009 6:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi NanaNan,

I am so happy that you are finding a connection with the other members problems. It is a nice feeling to have your feelings validated and I am glad that you are realizing it isn't only you going through all these different symptoms and annoyances.

Did you get a chance to read fibro101? It is the second thread on the forum. I am sure that if you haven't already that you will find that you have a lot in common with everybody else.

I also take effexor and was added abilify. That is a good combination. For fatigue, I take adderall. It gets me through the day as before it, I would sleep all day. So that is something that you might want to look into.

This year I am hoping to find a part time job. I haven't worked in about eight years and hope to be able to. I will keep you posted. Still waiting for a call for an interview. I started the malic acid/magnesium supplements (that I believe are in the fibro101 thread) and they have really helped with the fatigue and pain. I also take the vitamin D and that helps a lot. It seems to give me an overall feeling of well being too. I think that you will benefit from that.

I too have the most pain in my shoulders and back. I use what is called a bed buddy. It is a tube filled with rice. I put it in the microwave to heat it up and then wear it around my shoulders. It is a good form of moist heat and really helps.

I hope that you are having a good day and I was so pleased to find that you learned so much reading here. There are a wonderul group of members here and I am sure that you will feel like you fit right in. The weekends are a little slower, so I imagine that you will have more posts on this thread as the week goes on.

Take care and keep posting.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 4/5/2009 8:36 PM (GMT 0)

Oh Nana Nan.. I LOVE your name (my mom's -81 yrs young-name is Nancy and she goes by Nana to.. she would be a Nana Nan too :-) )!!

Big warm welcome to you.. I'm so glad you found us and that you found some conselation in the posts you've read.  I admire you because you're working hard teaching our future leaders!!!  Good for you.  Sherrine, one of our moderators was a teacher too, I'm sure she'll be along soon.  So you two will have that in common.  I think we have a couple of other teachers on the forum too.

I know its hard to do all that you do and help raise your grand daughter.  I know I couldn't do that.. but I'm not too good with kids..LOL.  They just look at me like DUH.. You're weird lady!!  I have 4 grands  2 boys and 2 girls they're about the same ages.. 5-8 yrs old.  They're a bundle of energy and wear me out just lookin at them!!  We don't have any of them around nearly as much as you do and I'm sure that's a challenge.

I can totally relate to what you said about reading and learning from this forum.  There are times when I can't believe the things that we fibromites share.  I've learned so much from this forum, I can't begin to tell you. 

I just wanted to welcome you to the family.  The folks here really care about eachother and we're always happy to welcome someone new.

Keep reading and posting!!

Take care,

Posted 4/5/2009 9:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, NanaNan, and welcome!  You have definitely come to a good place.  We have wonderful members that love to help each other, as  you have already found out, and also really do care about one another, too.  I'm so glad you found us and joined in.

 

I see  you have already been directed to the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good info all about fibro.  One is great stretching exercises that you can do sitting down.  I know you don't get that opportunity too often teaching but, if you do, you can do them at your desk and they would help keep the muscles more flexible. 

 

I am guessing that you are an elementary teacher since you are squatting a lot.  I think if I were still in the classroom (taught 4th grade) I'd invest in a little stool on wheels, the kind that doctors use, and scoot around to the kids.  This would sure help those knees and aching back and still be able to get down to their level.

 

I use ibuprofen with food and extra strength Tylenol for my pain.  I also take malic acid/magnesium supplements and they have really helped me a lot with pain and fatigue.  They don't work for everyone but many on the forum have had success with them.  There is a link all about them, and how they work in your body, in the Fibro 101 thread. 

 

I also take vitamin D because I have a deficiency.  I live in Florida so who would have "thunk"!  Many with fibro do have a vitamin D deficiency so it is worth getting it checked out.  I understand that it can cause more pain and fatigue, too.  I know I'm taking less ibuprofen since I upped the vitamin D.  Check back posts.  In the past week to 10 days there have been several subjects about vitamin D deficiency. 

Meanwhile read back post and ask questions.  We are here to help you.  Have a good evening and I hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine  

Posted 4/6/2009 3:38 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Nana and Welcome!

Before I joined this wonderful group, I read and read and read and nodded my head also. I have not been able to work since the fibro hit, but I will watch my 2 granddaughters and relate to just looking at them and it wearing you out! The oldest will be turning 4 next month and the youngest will be a "big" 1 yr. old. I don't stop until they are in bed sleeping. Your plate is full and you need that rest time- ideally I need two rest periods a day in order to function. Can you escape to your bedroom with the door closed? And maybe she can have quiet time then? 

Sounds like the Effexor is working well for you and the Lyrica somewhat?

Nice to meet you! 

GamJill 

  

Posted 4/6/2009 3:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nana!

Your name makes me smile, too-my mom is a "Nana" to her grandkids also. I've always liked that term for grandma.

I am so glad that you've found us and are starting to see connections between what you go through and good old fibro. It's not any fun to have this dd, I know, but at least when we come here we find kind friends who understand what we're going through. So-welcome to the family!
Posted 4/6/2009 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Nana, Welcome to the forum, it is nice to meet you. It is such a wonderful feeling to come here & find that what we are going through is real & not just in our heads. I have found so many things that I just thought was "me" & here it was Fibro. I have grandchildren too & I know how hard it can be sometimes. I want to have them come over & to like being at Grandma's but alot of times my body just says no. There is a real separation between what I want & what I can actually do. I am glad you can still teach & I hope you can for a long time to come. Come here often & post & read. There is so much to learn & so many "Aha" moments. Welcome to the FMily. Hugs, Denise
Posted 4/6/2009 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum Nana!  It's good to hear from you, but I'm so sorry that you have fibro.  This is a good place to learn all about it.  I don't know what I would have done without all my fibro family.  We share and care.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

 

God Bless!

Shannon

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