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TGIF*****Roll Call *** New members too ***3/22/2013*****
dollbug posted:
Morning FMily....MiMi in NC where it is COLD..22* is time for I guess it will not officially be here until after Easter....they are predicting some places will get more *S* ....and there are blooms out already on some things....which is not a good thing.

Here is hoping each of you had a good night's rest....and I hope today will be a good day for us all....I hope it is warmer in your corner of the world today. Send some sunshine and warmth my way if you have it to spare.

The birds have been quiet as well. I am sure that they are wondering what on earth is going on with the weather as well.

For the new members who have joined our FM support group....each FRIDAY we have Roll Call...for those who care to come by and update everyone on whatever is going on with you. I know some people do not post every day but we hope you will at least post on Friday and tell us how things are going with you.

We are here 24/7....for the most part. We have some very good support here...and some good *tools and tips* as well.

Be sure and check out the info under *tips* and *resources* and also review the *member toolbox*....(Nana B's idea several years ago)....She is one of our oldie goldie members here and she is a nurse....her saying is that one must learn how to *dance with the dragon, instead of draggin the dragon*...which is right on target. It does take time though to figure just how to do this.

Vitamin D....I continue to remind everyone about just how important Vitamin D is....for a lot of people these days....low Vitamin D is common for some of us and it can also cause additional pain for some of us and can also affect other illnesses as well.


That's all folks.

Have a good Friday. Stay safe and stay warm.



angelswife responded:
Good Morning, Mimi!

I forgot about the copy and paste yesterday, for the FMily members here who don't have Facebook. I've been flaring and the fog is pretty thick, lol. So I'll do that first:

"What's that noise?"

I jump awake, my heart racing. But all is quiet. The only sounds are the heater's hum and the whoosh and hiss of the vaporizor. I shift position, settle back into the covers, and try to fall asleep again. But sleep seldom comes quickly.

Fibromyalgia is a strange condition. Along with widespread pain and constant fatigue, the "fight or flight" state becomes the autonomic nervous system's default setting. Science hasn't figured out why. But every little noise or stress makes the body unleash a flood of adrenaline. This is annoying, especially when I'm trying to sleep.

In a healthy person, the adrenaline release stops when the stress passes. The body returns to its normal relaxed state. This doesn't happen with Fibromyalgia. The system remains on high alert, and the smallest disturbance or change in routine unleashes more adrenaline. The chronically high levels of adrenaline means my system is always racing, whether I'm aware of it or not.

This continual racing depletes dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical in the body that determines how the body perceives pain. It is usually replenished during sleep. But one of the issues in Fibromyalgia is poor or non-existent sleep, so the dopamine stays low. The lower the dopamine is, the more sensitive the body is to pain. The pain disrupts sleep even more, and before I know it, I'm in a flare. If my stress levels are high, this can happen very fast.

A flare---meaning extreme fatigue and widespread throbbing, burning pain---is not fun. The pain is often accompanied by stiffness, muscle spasms, headaches, nausea, low-grade fevers, chills, and diarrhea. In my worst flares, I feel burning, electric waves traveling up and down my body. It feels like I stuck my finger in a light socket after someone worked me over with a sledgehammer.

The frustrating part? If I were to go to a doctor with these complaints, any tests done would come back fine. If I were to have an MRI or a CAT scan done, they would show no abnormalities. Fibromyalgia is a disorder in the brain and central nervous system, and there are no tests for that. This condition, while debilitating, is also largely invisible.

The "invisibleness" of this condition creates its own stress. How do I explain to someone how horrible I feel when I look perfectly healthy? A healthy person can't understand Fibromyalgia. He sees a person who looks normal, with no outward signs of physical illness. His reaction is usually a baffled look and a polite, or not-so-polite, change of subject. Pain is not something he can readily relate to unless he has experienced it himself.

I have Fibromyalgia. I have low-pain days and high-pain days, days where I can function and days where I cannot. Pain-free is a state I dream of reaching, while accepting that I may never reach it. All I can do is work within my limits in the hope that I can expand them.

But Fibromyalgia doesn't have me. It may steal large parts of my life, restrict my mobility, limit what I can do on any given day. But it can't take my ability to choose. This is something I've learned as I come to terms with this condition. I can choose to see what's good in my life, even when I hurt. I can cultivate a larger awareness of the small things that make me smile, and savor the little victories, like getting out of bed or making a pot of soup. I can still love my husband, hug my cat, offer compassion to a friend. Fibromyalgia can't stop me from being me. It will never touch my heart, and that is what matters most.

Now I'll post separately about my "regular things...Hope you enjoy this.
angelswife replied to angelswife's response:
And I forgot the TITLE. It's called "Dancing With The Dragon".

It's been tough going here lately. I've been using my journal every day and doing a lot of praying. It doesn't seem like it's going to get easier any time soon, and I'm trying to keep the faith. I need something to hang onto, lol.

Husband is really struggling...I shared a while ago about how his company had decided he needed to cut an hour a day from his run time. That worked out to a $130 loss per paycheck, and it completely wiped out our $100-per-month grocery budget. We are hanging in somehow; but we had one really tough week when all we had to eat was oatmeal and soup. Now we're okay for a week or so. I'm taking it one day at a time.

The reason for the pay cut,,,Husband's company was audited by the state (they are state funded). They found Husband's run wasn't making the company any money, because they have to pay his benefits. But they couldn't just stop the benefits. So they made him cut his hours down. Now at the end of the school year they can legally stop his benefits because he doesn't have enough hours to qualify for them any more. That means I will lose mine too.

Husband is fed up, frustrated, and ready to give up. He is trying to jump through their hoops so we have some sort of income, no matter how pitiful. His last bi-weekly check was only $86 after deductions. $86 for TWO WEEKS of work! What's the point of working? I would rather be without the benefits if it means getting back the man I married. Since I'm the wife, guess where all his stress goes.

I am using all my energy to stay positive, because one of us has to be strong. I am focusing on the good. I've been painting a mural here to brighten the place up; and I've been cooking lots of soups. I feel like I can still feed us when I put things in the freezer. Every day I dump my worries into the journal; then I look around and ask myself, "What is GOOD about this day?" And I make a list...There is always something to be grateful for, even if I have to stretch to find it.

It goes without saying I've been flaring a LOT...The tiredness hangs on no matter how much rest I get (not that I've been sleeping, lol). Still, I'm getting up every day and trying to make our lives work, the best I can. I don't know what else to do except keep on trying to move forward. The one bright spot in all of this is, my coping skills are getting stronger and stronger. Dealing with this will be a piece of cake in no time if I keep it up!

So that's my life at the moment...Now I'm going to go and make us a crockpot beef stew for dinner. Hope everyone has a good day!
franr responded:
Good Morning Mimi and friends
Things have turned around for me with the new MD's and meds. I am feeling better and see my new Primary on Wed next week He will be suprise how I am.To all the new members fibro is a tough disease with ups and downs, but with persistance all of you will find how to handle the symptoms . Coming to this support group is a start. Most of the members are seasoned members who unfortunely have much experience with this dread disease.So continue visit and post you may find an answer for what you are looking for here.Soft Hugs to all. Fran
rudyandirmouse responded:
Good TGIF everyone. I hope the weather is nice/ spring like where you are and that you are having a fibro pain and issues free day.

Seems likek theres a lot going on with some of our Fibro FMily lately.

Cory, I hope your are feeling back to normal after doing so much the other day.

Lou, hope that you too are feeling back to normal.

angleswife, my heart just aches to help you and your DH right now. I wish there were something I could do or suggest to make things better.You have had so much unfair things happen to you this past year and I had hoped that it would all turn around for you and your DH by now. Seems like so little to say I keep you and your DH in my thoughts and prayers each day, but I do. And I wish so much God would hear my prayers and make things better for your both.

Jan I hope you are well today and that you are having a good day.

As for me, today, I'm feeling pretty good right now, even tho outside is dark, rainy and cold. Nothing like spring at all here. the cold burned many of the flowers on the trees. Lots of brown burned color around me on the trees now. And it's not going to get better for a few days. It's as MiMi said in here post it won't be nice around the SE until after the Easter weekend. I shouldn't complaine much as I am not feeling the worst I could with fibro issues or pain on days like this one and the ones coming at us.

I don't have alot to post about today so will close my post here with wishes for a good day, a fibro issues and pain free day for each of you.

Gentle hugs, Linda R
maggiethedoglover replied to rudyandirmouse's response:
Good morning all!

It is still very cold here in Wisconsin. We have huge snowbanks piled up between the sidewalk and the street. My puppy, Tyler loves to run up and down those snowbanks. He also likes to do his duty at the top of one of them. Don't know what he will do when they finally melt. A tiny bit of grass is showing at the base of some of the piles of snow and he is quite interested in them as he has never seen or smelled grass before.

Don't know why spring is so late here. We are all longing for the warmth, the flowers, the soft breezes and the trees greening up! Guess it will be even sweeter when it comes at last!

I hope that all of you have a weekend free of pain and fatigue.

Soft hugs,



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