Topic : 1.Diabetes? FMS? CFS? Chronic PAIN? Your WLC Home

It sounds like you only have two options - either tell your Dr. that it just wont work for you and to recommend another type of medicine, or to change your sleep/wake cycle to accommodate the time when your boyfriend can assist you. My guess is that after a little while you will get over your nervousness about injecting yourself and will be able to do it yourself.  

I have a son who was afraid of needles (as an adult) and so I helped him through a kind of self hypnosis to alleviate his fear. He only played along with me - thinking that it wouldn't do anything for him. But within a few months it dawned on him that he wasn't getting squeamish whenever he saw a needle on television or elsewhere.  So perhaps you could benefit from a book or a tape on guided imagery or self hypnosis to learn how to alleviate your fear. Of course you could see a professional to learn how to get passed your fear as well. 

If it turns out that your Dr. says that the only way to continue life as a healthy diabetic is to use injectable meds, then it will all come down to your ability to tell yourself that the sting of the needle is better than the sting of an early death. Sometimes necessity is the best wake up call to help us overcome our  fears.  

Take Care, 

Karen 

  I  have recently been diagnosed with Fibromiagiaand it's getting me down, I was leading a active life until now, I was hoping someone could enlighten me with some information on haw to handle it better and what type of exercise I could do, I am following Dr Phil's WLC and doing very well, I am worried that this aliment is going to set me back. 

Would  appreciate some feed back. 

Thanks,  

Connie 

HI, I was very scared when I first stated using the needle for insulin. It took me an hour of sitting there and finally just did it. Now I take several a day and have no problem with it, it takes time to talk ourselves into it but once we do makes it easier. 

I read what you wrote Karen about the body has to heal first before it will give up the weight. I agree with this and now I realize what is happening in my body. Thank you. 

Have a great day 

Rose 

  Hi,  do you suffer of symptoms of Fibromyalgia all the time or does it come and go? 

 I have been a member of Curves for over 12mths and loved it, had noticed in the last 2mths that I was in agony after using the machines and couldn't function for days and then I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, doctor told me to do Tai Chi instead as it is a gentle form of exercise would you believe lol  I have trouble lifting up my arms even doing that. 

Could you please tell me if you take anything for your Fibromyalgia, as this is all new to me. 

  Take Care, 

Connie 

 I  hope you are all having a good day, I am having a much better day think taking Spulina has really helped the fatigue I  feel like I have more strength, got on the treadmill and did 20mins I hope to build it up to 45mins going to work on it slowly. 

I am pleased to have found this board, but where is '' EVERYBODY"" I  sure would like to get to know you. 

hugs 

Connie 

Hi Connie: 

I was diagnosed with FM in 1994.  At the time I was being examined because of chronic migraine headaches.  I waited almost a year to get in to see a neurologist at a teaching hospital in Toronto.  When I finally got in to see him, he listened to my history and list of symptoms, and said "It sounds to me like you have fibromyalgia".  I had never heard of it.  Then I came home and found a little tiny article in a magazine, about FM.  It described every single symptom I had been complaining about for years!  I started to cry.  I wasn't crazy!!   

At the time I was diagnosed, I thought that was as bad as it was every going to be.  I had no idea it was going to get worse, much worse.  I don't want to bore you with the details, but the hardest thing I had to learn was to pace myself.  I had to accept my diagnosis.  I fought it for many years, and eventually was able to come back to be able to work again (with the help of an excellent doctor, very expensive medications, diagnosis of sleep apnea, and a CPAP machine), 

I understand totally about not being able to lift your arms for long.  I have trouble doing my hair, and just recently hired a cleaning lady to come in and do my house for me.  It's too much.  If I try and do all the work I want to do, I would never be able to get to my job (and even that is getting to be a struggle).   

I've missed out on events I would have loved to attend, but at the last minute just knew I couldn't do it.  I've cried many times, because I had to say no to things that I wanted to do.  I've spent days in bed with ice bags on my head, sleeping upright, because of pounding migraines.  This was all in my early 30's.  Once I got the apnea machine, I started getting better restorative sleep, and the migraines all but disappeared.  I still have to pace myself, and I still overdo it at times, but you learn the hard way what you can do and what you can't.  Just like you found out exercising at Curves, if you overdo it you spend the next 2 days in bed.  Learning to pace yourself is the single hardest thing you will have to learn to do. 

I wish you luck in finding a doctor who is both sympathetic, and will send you to the right doctors to get the help you need.  Not every medication works the same way on everyone, so it can take several years to find the right combination of drugs and therapy, to help you get back your life. 

Regards, 

Katherine  

Hi Connie, Welcome to the board. It seems that every time I neglect to check the board new people come on and I feel badly about not responding sooner.   

I have so much information about fibromyalgia that I could give to you, including research, and personal experiences. Let me know what your questions are as you think of them and I'll do my best to respond.  

I was really bummed when I was first diagnosed too. In fact after every visit to my rumatologist I would break down and cry. After a while I began doing what she was asking me to do and I did begin to get some relief. I was working 50-60 hours a week and was on call 24/7 which often resulted in going to the hospital or the police department to see a client in the middle of the night. I really could not see any break in my work schedule  in the near future. But then my husband and I had the opportunity to move to the country and we took it. I only work part time now which I really like.   

Before I started the WLC I was not able to walk without pain and often used the motorized carts at grocery and department stores to get my shopping done with less pain.  I was in the process of applying for disability and I really felt awful. After changing my eating habits I began to feel better. It wasn't until several months went by that I looked back and realized that I'd come a long ways. I have a determination to do everything in life that I possible can (that I want to do) in spite of my illness'. Exercising regularly keeps my body in good enough shape to do most of those things. When I begin to get lazy and let my body go, my pain increases and my desire to be active in the world dissolves rather quickly. It seems that the less I do, the less I want to do. It is a vicious cycle. Because exercise isn't one of my favorite things to do I have to continually talk myself into doing it. But afterwords it is always worth it.   

I pace myself and try not to over do. There is no truth to the phrase "no pain no gain."  The idea for those of us with chronic pain is to keep in shape without adding to our pain levels.   

This is getting too long, I'll talk with you later, 

Karen 

Hi Connie, Welcome to the board. It seems that every time I neglect to check the board new people come on and I feel badly about not responding sooner.   

I have so much information about fibromyalgia that I could give to you, including research, and personal experiences. Let me know what your questions are as you think of them and I'll do my best to respond.  

I was really bummed when I was first diagnosed too. In fact after every visit to my rhumatologist I would break down and cry. After a while I began doing what she was asking me to do and I did begin to get some relief. I was working 50-60 hours a week and was on call 24/7 which often resulted in going to the hospital or the police department to see a client in the middle of the night. I really could not see any break in my work schedule  in the near future. But then my husband and I had the opportunity to move to the country and we took it. I only work part time now which I really like.   

Before I started the WLC I was not able to walk without pain and often used the motorized carts at grocery and department stores to get my shopping done with less pain.  I was in the process of applying for disability and I really felt awful. After changing my eating habits I began to feel better. It wasn't until several months went by that I looked back and realized that I'd come a long ways. I have a determination to do everything in life that I possible can (that I want to do) in spite of my illness'. Exercising regularly keeps my body in good enough shape to do most of those things. When I begin to get lazy and let my body go, my pain increases and my desire to be active in the world dissolves rather quickly. It seems that the less I do, the less I want to do. It is a vicious cycle. Because exercise isn't one of my favorite things to do I have to continually talk myself into doing it. But afterwords it is always worth it.   

I pace myself and try not to over do. There is no truth to the phrase "no pain no gain."  The idea for those of us with chronic pain is to keep in shape without adding to our pain levels.   

This is getting too long, I'll talk with you later, 

Karen 

Can you relay the complaint to whoever cares please? 

Sorry about the double post. When I pressed post, my message didn't show up. I looked around and it wasn't anywhere so I posted it again and wha-La both of them appeared. This new message board program is awful. You can't delete unwanted posts (the last program gave us 30 minutes to edit or delete) and it is so hard to get to the posts that I want to read. And if the post is a long one it will log you out before you get a chance to post it - so always remember to copy your post before pushing the post button! (I"m actually complaining to Philboard 3 here). 

Hi Again Connie, 

Curves would be too much for me too, although I know of a few people with fibro who go there. I just treadmill and stationary bike. I do stretches almost every day. On bad days I do them in the shower while the warm water softens my sore muscles.  

I have trouble with my arms too - especially my right arm (after a car accident last year that really hurt my right side). And I do take medications, although I have been weaning myself off of many of them in the last year. When I first started the WLC. I was taking Hydrocodone 10's (prescribed every 4-6 hours) Flexeril, a muscle relaxer (prescribed every 6 hours) Ultram (prescribed every 4-6 hours) and Lodine twice a day. I also took other meds for my diabetes and other medical conditions most of which are related to fibromyalgia, like thyroid, GERD, anti depressant, allergy and asthma meds and sleeping pills for a sleep disorder.  

I have now gotten to where unless I'm having a flair up I don't need to take pain meds during the day at all and I only take one of each at night. I generally am worse at night than in the morning.  Recently I have developed high blood pressure and some minor heart problems which have added new drugs to my list. I hate taking drugs. I wish I didn't have to. But I also know that there are times when I cannot function without them. I have always been conservative with them and rarely ever take them as prescribed because I do not want to become dependent on them.  

I am once again struggling with my weight and even though I have been eating well I am not loosing. It is frustrating, but I really do not want to go backwards, so I refuse to give up. 

How long do you think you had fibro before being diagnosed?  What are your major symptoms? 

Talk with you later, 

Karen