Fighting Fibro

21/01/2023

It's always so much easier to give others good advice than to actually follow that good advice yourself. Lately, I've been forced to give myself regular breaks due to my body just giving up on me. But I always tend to judge myself and feel bad about "not doing enough" . Deep down, I know that I do do enough. More than enough, really. But it can be so hard to be kind to yourself and just allow yourself that break..

15/08/2022

The weather is finally turning and we've seen the first few raindrops fall!! 💧🙏
The last few weeks have been a challenge indeed trying to cope in the extreme temperatures we've experienced in the UK!! 😩 I can’t wait to start regaining some energy levels again and feel some of that brain fog lift which has been soooo exaggerated in the last few weeks! I also can’t wait for the everyday muscle pain to ease a little as that’s been difficult to manage lately too. The everyday pain relief has not worked very well in scorching temperatures, sadly.

What has been your go-to techniques to cope in this weather? I’ve had to nap twice a day most days, take cool showers to cool down a couple of times a day and use ice packs on my back and arms to help reduce inflammation and swellings. And of course, I've been drinking PLENTY of water each day!!

The Fibro Clinic shared some simple tips you may find useful too on how to try and cope in hot weather if you're a fellow fibro sufferer: https://www.thefibroclinic.com/managing-your-fibromyalgia-this-summer/

Patients with fibromyalgia often report that weather changes have a significant influence on their pain. These tips can help manage flares.

03/07/2022

Yesterday, I hit the gym for some cardio and strength training for the first time in a very long time. It felt so good to be back there and I had forgotten how good you feel after a session doing strength training. Research does actually suggest that ST (strength training) is an ideal form of exercise for Fibromyalgia patients. I am now determined to add this to my current exercise regime 3 times a week moving forward and I look forward to seeing what results this may bring. 💪

Here's a link to one of the studies for further reading: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30657077/

27/06/2022

Shakti (acupressure) mats and pillows are amaaaaazing for those days when you've just overdone it and crash - or to use as part of your evening routine to help you relax, restore and get your balance right before you go to sleep. Just 20 minutes a day can make a world of difference. Use it lying down in bed or sitting comfortably in a sofa with pillows behind you to help add pressure to the right points in your back/neck. Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't yet tried it!

As a tip, if you're in the UK, Aldi currently has some very affordable sets for sale at only £15! 😏 I have both an original Shakti mat as well as a set including a pillow from Aldi. If you live locally and want to try one of mine - give me a shout and that can be sorted! 😊

17/06/2022

Keeping up the steps! Love a good morning walk through my favourite place, Royal Victoria Country Park, Netley Abbey. 10K steps and counting at 11am! 🚶‍♀️🦮☀️🌊

16/06/2022

A good day for walking!🚶‍♀️💪

15/06/2022

Beating the heat by getting out nice and early to get those daily steps in and also wear out the dog before it gets too hot. I think we struggle equal amounts in hotter temperatures! Must keep moving though and not give in/up when things feel tough!

14/06/2022

How do you cope during heatwaves? I struggle a LOT to keep my eyes open at all during a big part of the day when the temperature suddenly rises drastically.. 🥵😓
I find that it takes my body a lot longer to adjust to temperature changes than it used to before I started suffering with fibromyalgia. Now, my entire body flares, pain levels go through the roof, my arms/hands and occasionally feet swell up and I get unbearably fatigued. 😴😴 The latter can be the most challenging part to handle as one needs to be awake during working hours..! Luckily, for me, I can be fairly flexible in my working hours so that I can break up my hours and rest/nap in between work sessions.

If anyone has any tips they are happy to share which they've found helpful when trying to stay awake when temperatures rise, please comment below as I'd love to learn from others!!

10/06/2022

More colour therapy! ☀️🌸🌿 Totally in love with my new painting done by my amazingly talented neighbour and friend Emily. Check out her artwork and give her page a like at this link: https://www.facebook.com/emilyquickartist

09/06/2022

Swimming is definitely my favourite type of exercise and something that I find works really well when living with Fibromyalgia. It's nice and gentle on the body, as you feel weightless in water, whilst actually getting a full-body-workout.
I do, however, have to try and time my swims with the days and times I know that the water is heated up a bit at my local gym. When the water is really cold, my body always seizes up immediately and makes it really difficult to get swimming. It often leaves me in pain afterwards and tends to be just an unpleasant experience overall. (And it usually results in a trip to the chiropractors next day!). In warm water, I instead feel totally relaxed whilst just getting on with my swim.
Another thing I have to watch out for is what swimming technique to use. I need to keep my head in the water as I swim in order to avoid putting strain in my neck. If I spend 30 minutes-1 hour doing breaststroke whilst holding my head above water, it almost most certainly leaves me with a locked up neck afterwards, resulting in another trip to the chiropractors!
Below article is based on a study amongst fibro sufferers which suggests swimming can be very beneficial for fibromyalgia and chronic pain.
https://uppercervicalawareness.com/fibromyalgia-sufferers-need-exercise-swimming/

When it comes to fibromyalgia, it can be tough to hear researchers saying you need to exercise more. After all, chronic pain is often the reason for not maintaining an exercise routine. However,

31/05/2022

Colour therapy.

30/05/2022

Pacing. The most important yet still most difficult thing to put into practice when suffering with FMS or ME. I've become much better at applying this technique - and sticking to it - (most days..!) in the last year. When I practically hit the wall and started battling with fibro flare-ups that unabled me to work at all for a few months, I knew I had to change what I'm doing. Many days I no longer wanted to exist. 😢
However, through immense support both at home, work and my amazing friends, I put the last bit of energy I had left into drawing up a plan for myself. A pacing plan. And slowly but surely, by sticking to my new routines religiously, I managed to put my life back in order. I'm now back at work, really enjoying my role and the hours I manage to work each day. The number of hours vary from week to week, but I've learnt when to say stop or put the breaks back on when needed. I aim to walk 10 000 steps a day as movement definitely helps me feel better. Even if I have to break that into several short walks each day (this varies day to day), I know that getting the steps in will work to my advantage in the long run. I sometimes have to take short naps during the day. But I'm no longer punishing myself for doing so. If that's what helps me get through the day, that's totally OK! It's all about splitting your day into smaller sections. 1 hour morning walk. 1 hour work. 30 minutes stretching and doing some light yoga or pilates. 1 hour work. Another break to maybe nap, have lunch do another short walk. Then returning to work. Etc. Etc. If you are a fellow FMS or ME sufferer, do make sure you remember to pace yourself. Every single day. It will work to your advantage! 💪
For further reading on the topic, here's a useful article to help guide you through the task!

Learn about how to use energy pacing for fatigue management and how to pace yourself during daily activities when you have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue.

24/05/2022

Getting those daily steps in is so much easier with a dog by your side.

24/05/2022

Finding a work-life balance that works for you is more important than ever when battling with chronic pain and fatigue. I'm so blessed to have an employer that is supportive and lets me work flexible hours according to how I'm feeling each day/week. Without their support, I may not have been able to work at all. But the last thing I will ever give up is my determination to fight. I might need to take more breaks than others and I may need to nap each day to cope with the horrendous fatigue that comes with this syndrome. But I will never stop fighting. Never. 💪

24/05/2022

...add the constant battles with Fibro on top of that and welcome to my world! 😴

The struggle is real! 🥴

21/05/2022

I decided to create this page to share my story of what it's like living with Fibromyalgia with friends, family and anyone else interested in learning about the syndrome. I will also use it to share tips and tricks of what tools I find useful to make everyday living a bit easier and also welcome comments from other fellow sufferers. At times, I might simply post comments as a reminder to myself to not give up but keep going. It's a syndrome that's invisible to most and therefore really difficult to cope with mentally as you "look happy and healthy" to most, but behind that façade, there is so much more...

17/05/2022

This is my journey of living and fighting with Fibromyalgia and finding coping mechanisms that works through exercise and alternative pain relief. I hope my story can help inspire other fellow sufferers to keep fighting this horrible syndrome.