When people ask "how do you feel?" I'm not sure if it's easier for me to say "today kind of sucks" or to say something along the lines of this:
Today when I woke up, I was stiff from head to knee. My ankle was wrapped in a compression sock because it was swollen twice the normal size last night (continued tendonitis issue). I took a few minutes to VERY SLOWLY sit up in bed, stretching my joints so I could actually get out of bed. I walked downstairs - stiffly - and as the next 30 minutes wore on the stiffness wore off. But I could still feel the aches in my limbs and joints. For me, the shoulders, elbows, and hips are my worst points. Today I felt the most pain in my shoulders. It's a constant ache, it never really "goes away." If I sit for too long at my desk I stiffen up from head to toe. It's a good thing my Apple Watch tells me stand every now and then, otherwise Kevin might come home to find me stuck in my chair. Tonight as I'm typing this both of my arms are tingling from shoulder to fingertip. You know that tingling feeling you get when your feet fall asleep? Yeah? Imagine your arms feeling like that. Or your whole body. It isn't pleasant - my arms felt like that for an hour. Now it's just a dull tingle combined with a dull ache. Joy.
Of course, that's just how I felt today.
Tomorrow will be a different story.
I've been wondering if this whole tingly-feeling is me being "crazy" or if it really is a "fibro thing." According to my rhuematologist (who is so effing cool)...it's "normal." Or at least it's normal for my fibro.
See, the thing is - according to my doctor and other things I've read - everyone's fibro is different. Some people don't have a lot of pain, but they have debilitating fatigue. Some people have pain so severe they can't get out of bed.
Me?
Apparently I am overly sensitive to the sensation of "touch" ... among other things like the whole body tingling feeling. (Maybe this explains why I'm not that big on hugging). My doc says not everyone with fibro has that sensitivity .. but I do. And to be told that I'm not crazy for that was a bit refreshing.
So there you have it - a day in the life of me as I try to navigate this fibro thing.
Onward and upward....
You are not crazy, everything you are experiencing with your fibro is valid and legit. It is also true, everyone's fibro is different. They symptom list is gigantic. I get the tingles too - there was a whole year and a half that the tip of my nose felt like that. It was the most infuriating thing ever. LOL! I empathize with you, and I know you are absolutely not crazy.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a fair amount of research that shows a daily gentle workout will actually lessen your pain. Some yoga or mid-range cardio. Anecdotally, my family says that I feel better when I'm working out regularly. I'm not entirely sure I believe that, but they see a difference, so I guess that's good. Those first 30 minutes of every day though - they are always a killer.
Thanks. :) The whole thing is so FRUSTRATING.
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