Sorry for the lack of posting recently. I’ve been ill with bronchitis so have been resting and only recently had the energy to go back to work without feeling like I’m going to collapse in a heap of asthma.

So an update on the fibro….seeing as that’s what this blog is for :)

I have been have some awful days and some really fantastic days. Let’s start with the bad and get better from there shall we…

With the respiratory problems I have been coughing a lot which seems to aggravate the muscles involved in terms of pain. My back and abdomen (around my diaphragm) have been so sore the past couple of weeks. A lot of bed/sofa rest has also meant less activity and my joints have been particularly sore. Recently I’ve been having more problems with my fingers, wrists and elbows. I think this was something that was starting before I fell ill and therefore I’m going to mention it to my doctor in case there’s signs of arthritis rather than the fibro causing this.

My sleep has been up and down recently too. I’m finding it incredibly hard to get to sleep, the insomnia is getting worse when I’m on my own add the night time coughing and I’ve been barely managing a few hours each night. I think this must be mainly down to comfort and stress as when I’m with my boyfriend I seem to drift off to sleep easier. I’m waking up feeling extremely exhausted no matter how much sleep I’m getting though. There’s a sleeping aid my uncle has suggested I try (he is also an FM sufferer and sees a rheumatology specialist) it’s called Amitriptyline and was originally developed as an anti-depressant but works at regulating your sleep pattern once you’re asleep. I’ve always been worried about trying sleeping medication in case I don’t wake up in time for work etc but as this isn’t designed to knock you out I figure it might be worth a try. Anyone take it? Does it help?

On to the positives….

Other than medication I also decided seeing as I’m in a good patch pain wise right now to get back into exercise. I’ve only tried twice but my energy levels have picked up dramatically. I’ve started with a bit of swimming then a bit of time in a jacuzzi. The first time I did this it was after an intense day of training at work and it made me feel better and was nice that I was with friends as we got rid of all our stress. Today though I decided to go in before work. I was a bit worried about doing this as it meant getting up at 5:20am and with my sleep being bad right now I didn’t want to lose precious pillow time. However I have felt amazing all day. I didn’t get tired at work like I normally do. Although I ached slightly in my legs I didn’t have any intense pain throughout the day just a dull, kind of thudding, ache which is livable. Exercise is definitely looking like a good addition to my life in terms of pain management as long as I don’t overdo it.

Other positives, I’m dealing with stress better at least at work. I don’t know how as I’m not actively attempting stress management techniques but instead just trying to generally feel more positive and not worry about what’s not in my control. Next step is to apply that to my personal life as well.

My boyfriend has also been helping me improve my diet. I’ve cut out almost all wheat from my diet. Occaisionally I forget what to organise for lunch at work so I have to grab whatever is around which is usually a sandwich. But once I’m more proactive about it I will prepare my lunch before and take it in - cheaper and healthier. I’m also cutting out general unhealthy fatty items for my cholesterol. I’m also trying to cut out some other things we read on a website about ‘The Fibromyalgia Diet’. Could be a load of propaganda but it’s worth finding out if it makes me healthier as it’s not a crazy fad diet of eat only things grown in Timbuktu or whatever the insane weight watching people are doing right now.

So things I’m avoiding include; chocolate, caffeine (no more red bull), alcohol, and fizzy drinks. All pretty easy so far seeing as I prefer drinking water and drive almost everywhere so can’t get drunk. As well as avoiding those, I’m trying to cook healthier. Before I would fry pretty much everything in quite a lot of oil. Now I’m trying to grill most things or if I do need to fry I’m using healthier options. The biggest issue so far for me is that this ‘diet’ suggest to avoid red meats. I love my meat foods, especially red meat, so this is incredibly challenging for me. For the duration of this I’m keeping a food diary (starting tomorrow as I just bought the diary :p). This will help me find out any foods that worsen or alleviate pain.

That is pretty much all for now. I’ll try not to leave it so long till my next post.