Sleep please

It's been four nights since starting the melatonin and three since the 5-htp. The melatonin calms down my body while the 5HTP calms the mind. The two seem to be working well for me. Got a great sleep Tuesday night. Woke up going "wow I actually slept!" whereas today I am so tired but that's from a dog who kept whining most of the night to go outside. I kept barely waking up then finally was able to get up around 3am and let him out then went back to bed. Soooo tired. Ah well. Keep smiling.

Urge to kill rising...

For some reason I have been just feeling like screaming and crying at the same time the last few days. I don't know if it is PMS or stress or what. At least I am trying to improve my sleep with some supplements. Decided to elminate the Chloressence for now, it pays to listen to your body. Hope all improves soon :)

Hurting like....

I really hate when I get to the point where I just feeling like bawling. I have no idea why either. I know I hurt, and currently numbing it out with robaxacet. But I hurt like crazy. Do I go home for the afternoon instead of torturing myself or do I stick to this and be completely miserable. Such tough decisions. It does not help that I have one supervisor that frowns everytime I take sick time. But you know what... enough is enough. I should not fear taking half a fucking day to keep myself sane. I have work to do and stuff to submit, and that's okay. I'll work on it from home where I am a hell of a lot more comfortable. There, I said it. Sick days also scare me because of what to expect in my next job. I'll figure it out though :)

Armour

Added another book to my reading list. I find it interesting how it describes Fibromyalgia as your muscles acting as a protective armour. More to come :)

Sunshining day

Given how little I slept last night (definitely washing the bedding tonight), I'm doing pretty good today. A little achy, but nothing I can't handle. The headache is still threatening me, even after taking some advil this morning. Think I might need a good neck massage *sigh*. But, I am doing good, being productive and have some clarity. But I think with other stuff going on in my life and seeing the bright side of the world, I'm feeling better mentally speaking. Feeling good about things goes a long way.

Massage

My massage therapist asked to me to be his guinea pig for a different treatment; one more focused on relaxing hte whole body rather than tough on particular muscles. I am usually physically quite exhausted after massage. This time I was just more tired in a relaxing kind of sense. However, the usual culprits are feeling jipped for not being worked on as much this time around. Overall, it was not as intense but I can see the benefit of it. It does not help that I slept horribly last night and that damn headache-nearing-migraine tension is back again today, with a vengeance. I hope it doesn't completely wipe me out. Don't have regular ibuprofen with me, just a 600mg version of it. If that does not help, it does not bode well for me. I hurt all over, so keep on smiling and it will get better :)

Work

One subject I have not talked about yet is work and health. Where is that fine line between pushing yourself hard to work versus staying home? It seems to be a very grey area. I hate missing work days, but sometimes it is necessary. I have medical appointments on a regular basis, some are during work hours and I schedule most after work (i.e. massage and chiro). Two of three of my "bosses" are okay with it and understand. The other one reminds me constantly of the days I have missed. If I were to go to another job, would I run into the same problem? I work through a lot of the pain and fog. My doctor is not worried about my case and can see me working for a long time yet, which I would prefer. Maybe it is time to try to find myself a happier place to be. Can't live in misery forever, as much as the future possibilities scare the hell out of me.

Balancing the weekend

It has been a couple of days since posting. Been busy with life. Went to my brother's birthday party, meet up with an old friend from high school years, and did shopping. Trying to take it easy enough to recover from the late night and to prepare for the week.
On Friday, I went to a supplement store and talked with a fantastic gentlemen who understood what fibro does to the body and we talked about supplements. I bought magnesium to help with bodily pain and an herbal sleep aid. The magnesium will help I think and going to try the full dose of the herbal sleep aid again tonight. Slept a solid 8 hours last night. Cutting back on the Chloressence right now to see how my body reacts, I just have a feeling it is not doing much and might be having side effects from it. So, going to listen that feeling and test it out. See how it goes :)
I am still reading that book, "How to be sick". It is fantastic. I am already making use of some of the teachings in daily life, which is generally a good sign.
Well, I need to start my bedtime ritual and might start up a new one tonight.

Cheers :)

Lesser evils

Coming back to that same thought of having to choose the lesser evils. Take for example when I got home yesterday after a good 20 minute walk, I was already kind of tired. Unloaded the dishwasher and started a load of laundry. My intention was to take Jasper out for a walk. But figured I should prepare supper before walking because I would probably be tired when I got back. So I went on preparing enough for supper and for lunch tomorrow since I was using the same ingredients. After discovering how much energy that took and knowing that I would be grocery shopping later on after my roommate was done work, I had to bow out and cook supper instead and relax after. Of course though, I played fetch with Jasper in the house. He has become such a wonderfully understanding dog. So grateful for that.

MIA

After a nice weekend, I woke up Monday with a nice migraine with sensitivity to light and all. Could hardly move and just wanted more sleep. Needless to say, I stayed home. Considering I was feeling pretty tired and lacking energy Sunday, is this really a surprise? Did I do way too much last week? The answers are "it shouldn't" and "quite possibly". How do you know when your legs are going to be knocked out from under you? Sometimes you don't. Back to work today and still not feeling great; sensitive to light and sounds. Had fun trying to open a prescription bottle of novo-profen in hopes that it will at least lessen the tension through my head and neck. Still hoping and it's been almost an hour.
Starting reading two books I got in the mail: The Fibromyalgia Cookbook and How to be Sick. The Cookbook has great, simple, easy to prepare recipes that are healthy and hopefully delicious! It's a good baseline with tips such as no red meats, no green peppers (red are okay though), no processed sugar, etc. I am hoping to get to the grocery store to pick up the few ingredients I am missing such as vegetable and chicken stock and lemon juice. The other book, How to be Sick, is written with a Buddhist mind set. I am already 64 pages in and it makes sense to me. The book is geared for the chronically ill and their caregivers. Sometimes reading statements that make sense enforces what you already know, which has been the case so far. I am looking forward to practicing the teachings in this book to let go of guilt and suffering and live more in peace with myself. My body may be sick, but I am not.

Crazy amount of information

Here is a compiled list of some of the articles I have found through Pubmed (and some other databases).  The links that start with http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ are simply abstracts, but if you have access to databases (i.e. through your public library or local higher education institute), you may be able to find these articles online. The full text articles are usually the http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov links. One of the most important articles to read is the actual criteria established by the American College of Rheumatology preliminary (see Wolfe, Frederick et al. 2010). 

Arnold, Lesley M, Daniel J Clauw, and Bill H McCarberg. 2011. “Improving the recognition and diagnosis of fibromyalgia.” Mayo Clinic proceedings. Mayo Clinic 86(5):457-64. Retrieved July 16, 2011 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3084648&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic widespread pain disorder often seen in primary care practices. Advances in the understanding of FM pathophysiology and clinical presentation have improved the recognition and diagnosis of FM in clinical practice. Fibromyalgia is a clinical diagnosis based on signs and symptoms and is appropriate for primary care practitioners to make. The hallmark symptoms used to identify FM are chronic widespread pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Awareness of common mimics of FM and comorbid disorders will increase confidence in establishing a diagnosis of FM.

Arranz, Laura-Isabel, Miguel-Angel Canela, and Magda Rafecas. 2010. “Fibromyalgia and nutrition, what do we know?” Rheumatology international 30(11):1417-27. Retrieved December 8, 2011 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20358204).

Many people suffer from fibromyalgia (FM) without an effective treatment. They do not have a good quality of life and cannot maintain normal daily activity. Among the different hypotheses for its ethiopathophysiology, oxidative stress is one of the possibilities. Non-scientific information addressed to patients regarding the benefits of nutrition is widely available, and they are used to trying non-evidenced strategies. The aim of this paper is to find out what we know right now from scientific studies regarding fibromyalgia disease and nutritional status, diets and food supplements. A systematic search has been performed on Medline with a wide range of terms about these nutritional issues. The search has been made during 2009, for articles published between 1998 and 2008. Target population: people suffering from FM. Vegetarian diets could have some beneficial effects probably due to the increase in antioxidant intake. There is a high prevalence of obesity and overweight in patients, and weight control seems to be an effective tool to improve the symptoms. Some nutritional deficiencies have been described, it is not clear whether they are directly related to this disease or not. About the usefulness of some food supplements we found very little data, and it seems that more studies are needed to prove which ones could be of help. Dietary advice is necessary to these patients to improve their diets and maintain normal weight. It would be interesting to investigate more in the field of nutrition and FM to reveal any possible relationships.

Assefi, Nassim, Andy Bogart, Jack Goldberg, and Dedra Buchwald. 2008. “Reiki for the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) 14(9):1115-22. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3116531&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Fibromyalgia is a common, chronic pain condition for which patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine, including Reiki. Our objective was to determine whether Reiki is beneficial as an adjunctive fibromyalgia treatment.

Brosseau, Lucie et al. 2008. “Ottawa Panel evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for aerobic fitness exercises in the management of fibromyalgia: part 1.” Physical therapy 88(7):857-71. Retrieved December 11, 2011 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18497301).

The objective of this study was to create guidelines for the use of aerobic fitness exercises in the management of adult patients (>18 years of age) with fibromyalgia, as defined by the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria.

Brosseau, Lucie et al. 2008. “Ottawa Panel evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for strengthening exercises in the management of fibromyalgia: part 2.” Physical therapy 88(7):873-86. Retrieved December 9, 2011 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18497302).

The objective of this study was to create guidelines for the use of strengthening exercises in the management of adult patients (>18 years of age) with fibromyalgia (FM), as defined by the 1990 American College of Rheumatology criteria.

Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María et al. 2011. “Benefits of massage-myofascial release therapy on pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM 2011:561753. Retrieved August 7, 2011 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3018656&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Fibromyalgia is a chronic syndrome characterized by generalized pain, joint rigidity, intense fatigue, sleep alterations, headache, spastic colon, craniomandibular dysfunction, anxiety, and depression. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether massage-myofascial release therapy can improve pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia. A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed. Seventy-four fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to experimental (massage-myofascial release therapy) and placebo (sham treatment with disconnected magnotherapy device) groups. The intervention period was 20 weeks. Pain, anxiety, quality of sleep, depression, and quality of life were determined at baseline, after the last treatment session, and at 1 month and 6 months. Immediately after treatment and at 1 month, anxiety levels, quality of sleep, pain, and quality of life were improved in the experimental group over the placebo group. However, at 6 months postintervention, there were only significant differences in the quality of sleep index. Myofascial release techniques improved pain and quality of life in patients with fibromyalgia.

Clauw, Daniel J, Lesley M Arnold, and Bill H McCarberg. 2011. “The Science of Fibromyalgia.” Mayo Clinic proceedings. Mayo Clinic 86(9):907-911. Retrieved September 9, 2011 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3258006&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common chronic widespread pain disorder. Our understanding of FM has increased substantially in recent years with extensive research suggesting a neurogenic origin for the most prominent symptom of FM, chronic widespread pain. Neurochemical imbalances in the central nervous system are associated with central amplification of pain perception characterized by allodynia (a heightened sensitivity to stimuli that are not normally painful) and hyperalgesia (an increased response to painful stimuli). Despite this increased awareness and understanding, FM remains undiagnosed in an estimated 75% of people with the disorder. Clinicians could more effectively diagnose and manage FM if they better understood its underlying mechanisms. Fibromyalgia is a disorder of pain processing. Evidence suggests that both the ascending and descending pain pathways operate abnormally, resulting in central amplification of pain signals, analogous to the "volume control setting" being turned up too high. Patients with FM also exhibit changes in the levels of neurotransmitters that cause augmented central nervous system pain processing; levels of several neurotransmitters that facilitate pain transmission are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain, and levels of several neurotransmitters known to inhibit pain transmission are decreased. Pharmacological agents that act centrally in ascending and/or descending pain processing pathways, such as medications with approved indications for FM, are effective in many patients with FM as well as other conditions involving central pain amplification. Research is ongoing to determine the role of analogous central nervous system factors in the other cardinal symptoms of FM, such as fatigue, nonrestorative sleep, and cognitive dysfunction.

Fontaine, Kevin R, Lora Conn, and Daniel J Clauw. 2011. “Effects of lifestyle physical activity in adults with fibromyalgia: results at follow-up.” Journal of clinical rheumatology : practical reports on rheumatic & musculoskeletal diseases 17(2):64-8. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3206258&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

In a 12-week randomized controlled trial of the effects of lifestyle physical activity (LPA) on symptoms and function among adults with fibromyalgia, we found that LPA participants increased their average daily step count by 54%, improved their self-reported functioning by 18%, and reduced their pain by 35%.

Fontaine, Kevin R, Lora Conn, and Daniel J Clauw. 2010. “Effects of lifestyle physical activity on perceived symptoms and physical function in adults with fibromyalgia: results of a randomized trial.” Arthritis research & therapy 12(2):R55. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2888205&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Although exercise is therapeutic for adults with fibromyalgia (FM), its symptoms often create obstacles that discourage exercise. We evaluated the effects of accumulating at least 30 minutes of self-selected lifestyle physical activity (LPA) on perceived physical function, pain, fatigue, body mass index, depression, tenderness, and the six-minute walk test in adults with FM.

Häuser, Winfried et al. 2010. “Efficacy of different types of aerobic exercise in fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.” Arthritis research & therapy 12(3):R79. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2911859&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

The efficacy and the optimal type and volume of aerobic exercise (AE) in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) are not established. We therefore assessed the efficacy of different types and volumes of AE in FMS.

van Koulil, S et al. 2007. “Cognitive-behavioural therapies and exercise programmes for patients with fibromyalgia: state of the art and future directions.” Annals of the rheumatic diseases 66(5):571-81. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1954607&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

This review provides an overview of the effects of non-pharmacological treatments for patients with fibromyalgia (FM), including cognitive-behavioural therapy, exercise training programmes, or a combination of the two. After summarising and discussing preliminary evidence of the rationale of non-pharmacological treatment in patients with FM, we reviewed randomised, controlled trials for possible predictors of the success of treatment such as patient and treatment characteristics. In spite of support for their suitability in FM, the effects of non-pharmacological interventions are limited and positive outcomes largely disappear in the long term. However, within the various populations with FM, treatment outcomes showed considerable individual variations. In particular, specific subgroups of patients characterised by relatively high levels of psychological distress seem to benefit most from non-pharmacological interventions. Preliminary evidence of retrospective treatment analyses suggests that the efficacy may be enhanced by offering tailored treatment approaches at an early stage to patients who are at risk of developing chronic physical and psychological impairments.

Mannerkorpi, Kaisa, Lena Nordeman, Asa Cider, and Gunilla Jonsson. 2010. “Does moderate-to-high intensity Nordic walking improve functional capacity and pain in fibromyalgia? A prospective randomized controlled trial.” Arthritis research & therapy 12(5):R189. Retrieved October 19, 2011 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2991024&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of moderate-to-high intensity Nordic walking (NW) on functional capacity and pain in fibromyalgia (FM).

Sañudo, Borja, Delfín Galiano, Luis Carrasco, Moisés de Hoyo, and Joseph G McVeigh. 2011. “Effects of a prolonged exercise program on key health outcomes in women with fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial.” Journal of rehabilitation medicine : official journal of the UEMS European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 43(6):521-6. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21533333).

To assess the impact of a long-term exercise programme vs usual care on perceived health status, functional capacity and depression in patients with fibromyalgia.

Smith, Howard S, Richard Harris, and Daniel Clauw. 2011. “Fibromyalgia: an afferent processing disorder leading to a complex pain generalized syndrome.” Pain physician 14(2):E217-45. Retrieved (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21412381).

Fibromyalgia is a condition which appears to involve disordered central afferent processing. The major symptoms of fibromyalgia include multifocal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive or memory problems. Other symptoms may include psychological distress, impaired functioning, and sexual dysfunction. The pathophysiology of fibromyalgia remains uncertain but is believed to be largely central in nature. In 1990 the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published diagnostic research criteria for fibromyalgia. The criteria included a history of chronic and widespread pain and the presence of 11 or more out of 18 tender points. Pain was considered chronic widespread when all of the following are present: pain in the left side of the body; pain in the right side of the body; pain above the waist; pain below the waist. In addition, axial skeletal pain must be present and the duration of pain must be more than 3 months. A tender point is considered positive when pain can be elicited by pressures of 4 kg/cm2 or less. For tender points to be considered positive, the patient must perceive the palpation as painful; tenderness to palpation is not sufficient. However, over the next 20 years it became increasingly appreciated that the focus on tender points was not justified. In 2010 a similar group of investigators performed a multicenter study of 829 previously diagnosed fibromyalgia patients and controls using physician physical and interview examinations, including a widespread pain index (WPI), a measure of the number of painful body regions. Random forest and recursive partitioning analyses were used to guide the development of a case definition of fibromyalgia, to develop new preliminary ACR diagnostic criteria, and to construct a symptom severity (SS) scale. The most important diagnostic variables were WPI and categorical scales for cognitive symptoms, un-refreshed sleep, fatigue, and number of somatic symptoms. The categorical scales were summed to create an SS scale. The investigators combined the SS scale and the WPI to recommend a new case definition of fibromyalgia: (WPI > or = 7 AND SS > or = 5). Although there is no known cure for fibromyalgia, multidisciplinary team efforts using combined treatment approaches, including patient education, aerobic exercise, cognitive behavioral therapy, and pharmacologic therapies (serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors [e.g., duloxetine, milnacipran] and alpha 2-delta receptor ligands [e.g., pregabalin]) might improve symptoms as well as function in patients with fibromyalgia.

Terhorst, Lauren, Michael J Schneider, Kevin H Kim, Lee M Goozdich, and Carol S Stilley. 2011. “Complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of pain in fibromyalgia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics 34(7):483-96. Retrieved September 23, 2011 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21875523).

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature for randomized trials of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for fibromyalgia (FM).

Tsao, Jennie C I. 2007. “Effectiveness of massage therapy for chronic, non-malignant pain: a review.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM 4(2):165-79. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1876616&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Previous reviews of massage therapy for chronic, non-malignant pain have focused on discrete pain conditions. This article aims to provide a broad overview of the literature on the effectiveness of massage for a variety of chronic, non-malignant pain complaints to identify gaps in the research and to inform future clinical trials. Computerized databases were searched for relevant studies including prior reviews and primary trials of massage therapy for chronic, non-malignant pain. Existing research provides fairly robust support for the analgesic effects of massage for non-specific low back pain, but only moderate support for such effects on shoulder pain and headache pain. There is only modest, preliminary support for massage in the treatment of fibromyalgia, mixed chronic pain conditions, neck pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, research to date provides varying levels of evidence for the benefits of massage therapy for different chronic pain conditions. Future studies should employ rigorous study designs and include follow-up assessments for additional quantification of the longer-term effects of massage on chronic pain.

Vas, Jorge et al. 2011. “Effects of acupuncture on patients with fibromyalgia: study protocol of a multicentre randomized controlled trial.” Trials 12:59. Retrieved March 6, 2012 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3055832&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Fibromyalgia is a multidimensional disorder for which treatment as yet remains unsatisfactory. Studies of an acupuncture-based approach, despite its broad acceptance among patients and healthcare staff, have not produced sufficient evidence of its effectiveness in treating this syndrome. The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of individualized acupuncture for patients with fibromyalgia, with respect to reducing their pain and level of incapacity, and improving their quality of life.

Wang, Chenchen. 2011. “Tai chi and rheumatic diseases.” Rheumatic diseases clinics of North America 37(1):19-32. Retrieved August 28, 2011 (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3058626&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract).

Tai chi is a complex multicomponent mind-body exercise. Many studies have provided evidence that tai chi benefits patients with a variety of chronic disorders. This form of mind-body exercise enhances cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, balance, and physical function and seems to be associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression and improved quality of life. Thus, despite certain limitations in the evidence, tai chi can be recommended to patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia as a complementary and alternative medical approach. This article overviews the current knowledge about tai chi to better inform clinical decision making for rheumatic patients.

Wolfe, Frederick, and Winfried Häuser. 2011. “Fibromyalgia diagnosis and diagnostic criteria.” Annals of medicine 43(7):495-502. Retrieved February 10, 2012 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21770697).

Abstract Criteria for fibromyalgia developed from the conceptualization and hypotheses of Smythe and Moldofsky in 1977 and gradually evolved to a set of classification criteria endorsed by the American College of Rheumatology that emphasized tender points and widespread pain, measures of decreased pain threshold. In 2010, American College of Rheumatology fibromyalgia diagnostic criteria (see article below) were published that abandoned the tender point count and placed increased emphasis of patient symptoms. The 2010 criteria also contained severity scales and offered physicians the opportunity to assess polysymptomatic distress on a continuous scale. This enabled physicians who were opposed to the idea of fibromyalgia to also assess and diagnose patients using an alternative nomenclature.

Wolfe, Frederick et al. 2010. “The American College of Rheumatology preliminary diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia and measurement of symptom severity.” Arthritis care & research 62(5):600-10. Retrieved July 16, 2011 (http://www.rheumatology.org/practice/clinical/classification/fibromyalgia/2010_Preliminary_Diagnostic_Criteria.pdf#search=%22fibromyalgia%22).

To develop simple, practical criteria for clinical diagnosis of fibromyalgia that are suitable for use in primary and specialty care and that do not require a tender point examination, and to provide a severity scale for characteristic fibromyalgia symptoms.

Friday

Happy Friday!

One thing to note today: I realized that I have had a much easier time getting up in the morning this week... might be the supplements. All I can say is YAY!

Also: Fibromyalgia, the disease of lesser evils. Not sure why that came to mind a few days ago, but there it is.

Websites

Various sites I have found on my way (not including the scientific articles):

Blogs 

·         7 Practical Tips on Living and Managing Fibromyalgia

·         Coping With A Fibro Flare « In the shadows of fibromyalgia 

·         Fibromyalgia a Diagnosis that Changed My Life

·         my foggy brain

·         Oh My Aches and Pains!   

·         The Fibromyalgia Experiment

·         The Spoon Theory written by Christine Miserandino | But You Dont Look Sick? support for those with invisible illness or chronic illness

·         Transform Your Chronic Life

Medical information sites

·         Fibro: Pain vs. Suffering | FibroCare Center

·         Fibromyalgia - Ultimately a Disease of Amplified Pain | ProHealth
Signs Of A Fibromyalgia Flare-up | LIVESTRONG.COM  

·         Fibromyalgia Myth Busting | HealthCentral

·         Fibromyalgia Pain | WebMD

·         Fibromyalgia: Living Beyond Chronic Pain and Fatigue | WebMD Sleep | University Michigan  University of Michigan Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research CenterFibromyalgia | University of Maryland Medical Center

·         The Mysterious Fibro Flare | MDJunction

Books

·         Amazon.com: FibroWHYalgia: Why Rebuilding the Ten Root Causes of Chronic Illness Restores Chronic Wellness (9780984311804): Susan E. Ingebretson: Books
Fibromyalgia Basics - Pati Chandler - Google Livres

·         Fibromyalgia: the complete guide ... - Sharon Ostalecki - Google Livres

Associations 

·         FibroAware || Fibromyalgia Overview

·         Self-help and Living Aids for Fibromyalgia Patients | FMnet

Other

·         Best Air-Filtering House Plants According to NASA! : TreeHugger

·         Coping Physically - Coping With Fibromyalgia on the Job | Everyday Health

·         Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | about.com

·         Fibromyalgia and New Relationships – Emotional Support – EverydayHealth.com

·         Fibromyalgia Treatment, Information, News & Research | Arthritis Today

·         Food Intolerance Symptoms, Food Allergies, Food Sensitivity, Weight Loss - Foodintol

·         Introduction to Fibromyalgia | netplaces

·         Job Accommodation Ideas
The Positive Side Of Fibromyalgia | FibroCare Center

·         Working with Fibromyalgia - Fibromyalgia | netplaces

Physical and Mental Therapies

Yesterday my legs hurt. Then I went to massage therapy last night and as usual I was tightknit "bubble wrap". That said, when I got off the bus near my place, my legs hurt like H E Double Hockey Sticks! I was not long getting into the shower where my skin goes all blotchy in blues, yellows, pinks, and purples from the cold settling into my body. Went from there, had some carefully selected foods with protein to help with the muscles and went to bed. Waking up was a tad more difficult this morning but not too bad. Did some exercises just to keep my body moving before sitting in a chair for a good part of the day. Here's the kicker: my back and legs are just burning and hurting today. A tad tired, but not too bad. Took a super ibuprofen which seemed to simply skim off a layer of pain, turned it down a small notch. Have errands to run after work and I'm sitting here wishing to be in a more comfortable position for my back's sake. I tell you one thing: that one hour at the gym was a bit much but means I seriously have to SLOWLY start up my exercise with two 30 min sessions then move up to two 45 min sessions then two one hour sessions. Even then, each session will be slow paced until I can get up the capacity to get all the way through without feeling super ouchie later on. Oh, I'll get this figured out :)
That's the physical side of things. But here's something that I clued into this morning for the mental for which I must thank my roommate. I was not adding things up with what he was telling me about having overnight guests which I should have figured out but my brain did not compute the whole "March break" thing. So anyway, I am going to start doing more brain exercises such as annograms and other brain games. Going to have to start charging my DS and loading those Brain Age games again. I played a lot before, which certainly afforded me extra mental clarity and picked up on things much better. So another commitment to myself is at least 20 min per day of brain games. I wonder if Brain Age has an app....