~RockFibro Bill~

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Below is a series of personal stories of:

A Day In The Life Of A Fibromyalgia
and Chronic Pain Sufferers.

Send me your story.
The more I get, the more you can see!
I will post new stories often.
Just use the scroll bar to see all the stories.

A Day With Fibro

I wake up today around seven from an eager pup that wants to go out. Poor pup is going to have to wait a while. I could get right up like I used to but the tendency to pull a muscle is high now. So, I have to sit on the edge of the bed and try and get muscles responding. I use this time to thank God for another day and ask for the strength to fill my day.I walk towards the door to let out the pup and today I realize that I must have slept better last night. The last few days had been very painful. This morning I was a little more optimistic as I let out the pup without any pain. She goes out on a run line so I have to bend down to hook her to her leash. I didn't have much foot pain today so I didn't need my cane to steady me. I take my meds. Half an hour later the hot flash comes. I've been having them since I can't remember when. They have been getting worse lately to the point of having to change several times a day. Most of the day I am wearing just shorts unless I have to go out to the barn. Today is no different, a possible problem with the pain killer I am on, I totally soaked with sweat my shirt. Took it off and got on another so I could go feed the horse out in the barn. I am greatful that I can do this chore again. Many times too often it is an extremely painful scary journey. On a flare the chore can feel like a never ending burden, while when not in a pain flare, it's about a five minute simple chore. We had some freezing rain today so not taking a chance I used the cane to go to the barn and back. Not much of an appetite this morning but I've learned to ignore it for my own good and had a small bowl of oatmeal for my heart. Then I do a twenty minute Tai Chi kinda with the pup. Still feeling well I go online and start my daily surfing myspace friends. I do this on and off all day. Around eleven breakthrough pain starts hitting me. As usual for me it starts in my feet but doesn't take long to hit me all over almost seizing me up. At this point it is like a constant burning pressure building inside of me. At the same time, other things start happening. Sharp sporadic stabbing pains, joints dislocating, hips and neck grinding and a numbing headache. It's two hours till my next pain medication. I have to think that I am paying for having a good morning. Again I wrestle with the decision of what to do now. I can curl up in a ball and hope like mad that it passes quickly and that I don't go mad enduring it. Or I can take a Norco, lay down and wait half an hour. I know that it's too early but this disease can't tell time and doesn't care what you are doing or need to do. I take one and lay down for about ten minutes. And time for the shirt to come back off. Whew, time for the pants too. The harshest of the pain starts to ease up. It's a good thing because the pup wants my attention again and unless I get up I'm going to have a twenty pound pup that feels like a ninety pound clawed monster jumping onto me. I've learned to get up even in agony and move around and play and do some house work. By two o`clock I'm exhausted, physically and mentally and unless I nap I will surely have another flare. I nap for a couple of hours and awake to a repeat of the mornings activity all over again. Another hard flare breaks through the pain meds at around 7 causing me to lay down again and sleep for twenty minutes. My sweating had completely soaked the bed. I do feel better now but my head and face hurt. Off and on over the course of the remaining evening I spend time online while watching TV and playing with the pup. At 11pm I take my final meds for the day. My wife and pup are sleeping, pain levels are moderate, the TV goes off and for two hours I get productive. Ah, on the computer. I do graphics, or post blogs or work on my profile page. Tonight, I'm trying to write. I thank God that I am so much better than I have been at times in the past. I'm sleepy by 1 am after preparing for sleep in my own guarded way. Good night prayers and I'm in bed. Before I finally got some meds to help I would flare for weeks at a time and nearly go insane. Life for me has improved even if it don't sound like it. I feel like I am one of the fortunate ones with fibromyalgia. As limited as it may be at least I have found medical care. My biggest fear is to get a flare and not be able to lessen the pain. I've been there too many times and dread ever having to go through it again.
Thanks for reading.
Bill

Another DAY WITH FIBRO~Pam

I wake up around 7:30, I keep my meds next to my bed and take them right away. I know if i try to get up before they work my legs will start to jerk and I'll fall back into bed so I sit up in bed and slowly stretch my legs for awhile. Around 8:00 I finally pull myself up and slowly make my way to the living room to let my golden retriever out. I have to hold onto her and the wall, bed, dresser, whatever I can until I've got steady legs.
I'm afraid my pain is always there, a deep muscle ache most times, stabbing pain others. On this day I'm supposed to go to town for monthly supplies for the house so I pray the foggy brain will stay away for awhile, I hate breakfast but know if I don't eat I'll get dizzy and unable to think clearly so I eat a banana and drink some juice.
I sit a couple hours and rest and drink my coffee until I have to go. I shop at Walmart most of the time and that is a nightmare now, they've rearranged the store so I have to walk forever to find anything, by the time I get out I'm so badly fatigued that I have to sit in the car awhile before I can drive. I left home at 11:00, by the time I get home after resting, shopping, resting again it's 3:00 so I have to start dinner, by 7 at nite I'm unable to think or speak, I just curl into my bed and cover my head up until I can sleep.

Pam

Movies:

Television:

Welcome to the site for Rock Fibro Awareness Benefit.
The benefit will take place on Saturday July 21st. It will be at Comstock Inn, northwest of Grand Rapids Michigan.
A full day of music with education and awareness. The tavern will be open to the benefit with the bands out on the deck. A beautiful natural amphitheater with ample room for all. We have some great bands but we need some more. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated, be it ideas, promoting or donations.
I had been wanting to do something like this for some time. My health over the past six months had became noticeably worse. After changing my primary doctor and getting some practical testing done, some problems with my heart were discovered. Until then, the fibromyalgia had felt like it was taking my life and after dealing with so much unrelenting pain, I had resigned myself that the end could be near.
My family prayed, my friends prayed and I prayed harder and longer than ever before. I had two badly clogged arteries in my heart and immediately had the repair done with an arterial angio. Two days later I woke to a new world for me. At least one I hadn't experienced in a long, long time. 2/3 of the pain was gone and the drug regiment I am on has finally started working. All that restored circulation and oxygen seems to be helping a lot.
I finally have the opportunity to begin God's mission. For the believers there will be a blog above on the Lord's work in me. My faith has been fairly undaunted in my lifetime and now it is stronger than I ever could have imagined. I see the world in a whole new and fascinating way.
Come back often as we grow and plan and get ready for the first event.
I would appreciate any help and look forward to your input.
Bill BinnsA Day With Chronic Pain
I have double-curve scoliosis (which I believe I was born with). Seven years ago I was also diagnosed with DDD (Degenerative Disc Disease). Prior to being diagnosed with DDD I had had 3 bad tail bone falls within 4 years, which I believe was the beginning of my DDD.
My profession as a bartender/waitress, working 10 hrs. a day on my feet with no breaks, and carrying heavy food trays only made my back pain progressively worse. There were nights at work that were so busy that half-way through my shift I would feel such sharp pain in my lower back, hip and down my leg, that the rest of my shift was finished out limping for 3 hrs.
I later learned the pain was coming from my sciatic nerve. I refer to it as my "psychotic nerve".
As a bartender you are required to always be happy and smile at the customers. They would say, "Come on, Chrissy,,,smile". So, I would force my smile through the pain, because that was my job and part of making good money.
Many mornings after a busy night, I couldn't get out of bed like normal people, and could barely walk until I got in the shower and let the hot water pulsate on my back and hips.
There were many times in my most recent job of 5 years that I suffered through shifts in pain, knowing that my boss thought I was faking the pain. But, I struggled through every shift because I needed my job. When he fired me recently I was very angry; but now I realize it was actually a blessing. I still have daily pain from morning until night, but at least now I am able to sit when I need to for some slight relief.
Pain has now just become normal to me. My sleep time at night is usually in 2 hour increments at a time. I wake with back pain, or hip pain and have to get up and move around before going back to bed. Then the struggle to get comfortable starts all over again. About once a week I manage to get a full 8 hours of sleep. I guess because the body just needs some restorative sleep once a week. But when I wake up I can't hardly move until shower time. I can't lay too long, sit too long, or stand too long at any given time without pain.
I'm looking for a new job now, but have such fear that any job is going to put me back in such pain again, and I just don't know if I can fake it any more.
Christiene Beckley