Replies to 'Living with Chronic Pain'

I can relate to all with Fibromyalgia, and with the doctors telling me that I am just depressed, and that I need to reduce stress...yeah right!  I am married, and we have three boys...the house is NEVER quiet.  I also have bipolar disorder, so I do get depressed, and that does make the pain worse, but the fibromyalgia pain exists whatever my mood may be.

I am fully functional, in spite of the pain...I have learned to function through migraines, shoulder pain, neck pain, knee pain, low back pain, and hip pain.  My finger joints have "hot spots" that frequently make it painful just to touch that finger.  My hands are so stiff in the morning that I cannot make a fist...they do loosen up later, with movement.

I also have asthma, Narcolepsy, a heart arrhythmia, and recent breast cancer, plus 6 major surgeries in the last year.

From the outside, nobody would know my pain...I don't broadcast it.  When friends ask how I am, I usually say that I am "fine", unless they are one of the few friends who really want to know.  So it is nice to have this board, where people do "get it".  This board has also opened my eyes to those who have so much pain and are so sick...It's so easy to get wrapped up in my own life...this board is a reminder to pray every day.

Well, I wish everybody well today...Becky (with the rack)

PS  I am looking forward to starting a regular exercise program, when I am cleared from my most recent surgery.  I'll start with some gentle, short walks, without the dogs, who are rude on their leashes, and pull hard to lead the way toward dogs they can bark at.  I love my dear dogs, but they need some training in the leash department.  I hope that I can find more reasons to exercise than not, and stick to it.

Thank you Tammy for your reply and I'll get right on that tonic for stress relief  ;-). I do know a good fishing trip helps me, sad to say I don't get to go on them usually. Good to hear your "cocktail" seems to be helping. I hope for you it continues. I never feel its a bore to listen to details. Thats what we are here for to help and support others in the same situation.

Hi Becky, thank you also for welcoming me. The biggest thing I have learnt with having Fibro.. for this long is to reduce your stress and yes it does help a great deal. If it were just my Fibro.. I had to worry about, I'd have little problem dealing with stress. Most of my stress is related to dealing with my daughters illnesses which there is little I can do about that. If there was I'd be the first person to do it. Your right about the migraines, I use to see a Chiropractor for mine. Tho I haven't had a migraine in years I have been starting to get headaches again which stem from my neck. My daughter tho has migraines daily. Our Ontario health care doesn't cover chiropractors so as we haven't seen one in quite a few years. In Canada there is only 1 mifraine medication that my daughter can take as she is severely alergic to sulf which is in most all migraine meds. and she has to be so careful what meds she takes so they don't make her kidney or pancreas worse. Both sever ongoing medicals problems.

I'm new in these boards so I do hope I am replying properly. And no worry on having Coffee on the laptop since I have a desk top, sure don't want to be dropping it on my toes.

Marcia in North western Ontario, Canada