Three Things that Helped Me... Could they help you?

Hello all. I have been reading posts on this board for years. Recently, however, I realized that I have been coming to the board less and less, and posting virtually not at all. How come?, I wondered. And then it hit me: Things are better. They are not perfect, but they are better. I still hurt. My primary problems have always been below the waist…hips, knees, ankles, and feet. But these parts feel better today (and have felt better for a while) than they have in almost a decade. My purpose today is to share with you some of the steps I took to get here. I hope that this post helps some of you. Again, my fibro is not gone…and I know that it never will be. But I now have a better, less painful life than I ever imagined was possible, and I thought I would share with you some of the things I have tried that have helped. Of course, I am not a doctor, and I cannot say if any of this stuff will work for you. But I believe that if any of this helps even one person, it is worth doing.
Before getting any further, I want to note that fibro almost destroyed my life. In the last 10 years, I have had one back operation, two knee operations, and seven foot operations. I know many of you have the same sort of medical history. In addition, I have tried dozens of drugs… SSRIs, muscle relaxants, Lyrica, ibuprofen, antibiotics, allopurinol…the list goes on. In short, I have been there, done that.
What helped? Let me share. First, about two years ago I had a sleep study. My PCP told me for years that getting a sleep study was a dumb idea “because” he said “you are not overweight.” But I got a sleep study anyway, and paid for it myself because my PCP would not refer me. I am so glad I did. During my overnight sleep study, I got 0 minutes of REM sleep. The sleep doctor said, “That is really, really bad.” He diagnosed me with severe, chronic, obstructive sleep apnea. I promptly got a CPAP machine. My life improved. Did it change everything? No. But it helped a little. I am still tired a lot. I still sleep more than most people I know. And I tire easily. But after about three months, I noticed that the pain ever so slightly decreased. I also noticed a tad less fogginess. If you have not had a sleep study, consider getting one. Again, I cannot say that it changed everything. But I am convinced that using the CPAP has helped me.
Second, about a year ago I read the book Wheat Belly. Again, I am no doctor, and when I tell people about this book, many of them laugh at me. But after reading it I thought, “What the hell, my life is terrible and I hurt all over all the time, why not give this a try?” So I did. And the results have been good. Most noticeably for me, I have much, much less stomach pain and discomfort, and my bathroom life is much, much more pleasant. Eliminating wheat entirely is hard. But I got rid of pasta, bread, baked goods, cereals, and most chips. I try to avoid wheat whenever I can. Again, did it solve all my problems? No. But it helped. And a little bit means a lot when you are barely functioning. I am NOT some sort of Wheat Belly true believer or obsessive. And of course I can only speak for myself. But this has helped me a lot. It has had the extra bonus of helping me stay thinner.
Finally, because my problems were almost always below the waist and especially with my feet, I tried two things. First, I tried going barefoot all the time for a month. This was a disaster, and it was the worst pain month of my life. Second, I tried the opposite—for a month I tried wearing good supportive shoes all the time, 24 hours a day. If I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I wore shoes. If I went outside to get the paper in my robe, I wore shoes. And it worked. I felt much, much better. If you have knee and hip and foot problems like me, this advice may help. If you do not, I advise that you always consider the little things. Might a strap help? Might some PT help? Might a new diet help? Try anything (that is not dangerous!)
I was somewhat hesitant to write this because I am afraid some people might call me a kook or say that what I am writing is stupid. But I have gotten so much strength and support and good advice from this board over the years that I decided to go ahead and do it. This is a devastating disease… I was a formerly healthy, active, man. I ran track in college. I hiked. I did lots of things. And then I turned into a walking disaster area. And it almost destroyed me. This is a cliché, but I am going to end on it anyway—it might get better. I would never say that things WILL get better; because I know things might not. I also know deep in my heart and in my head that I could wake up tomorrow and be at my worst all over again. If this happens I will be thankful for the decent year I have had.
I hope and pray that some of this may help someone. Fibroprof

I have to eat Gluten Free due to Celiac disease so I know the benefits it can have for so many of us. Unfortunately, my Fibro diagnosis came later so that did not help with that, but it helped my digestive issues so much that I could not imagine fighting both.

I also have to wear good shoes or slippers the majority of the time. I slip up and forget sometimes, and I certainly know when I do.

I am so glad that you both have found things that work for you! I am slowly finding my own triggers and cures as well.

Hugs!