Medication

I have completed my 1st week of chiropractic treatment.  I am going to go 3 times per week - for 4 weeks.  Week 1 is complete.  I can honestly say, it is helping.  I haven't been hobbling around in the morning with the pain in my legs.  But, I also haven't been doing any exercise lately.  Maybe that is the true test.

Whatever the reason, I am just going to accept it and be happy about it.  I am going to live in the moment and enjoy some pain free days.  I am not going to wait for the pain to start or read into it too much.  I am pretty darn happy about it!

As I continue with chiropractic treatment, I wonder if I can acheive my ultimate goal:  cut out medication.  I hate taking pills everyday and if I can get off some of it, that would be wonderful.  I know many people with fibro take a lot more than I do, so I can't complain much.  But, it's an expense and a pain in the butt remembering to take it everyday.

My routine for medication is:

• GNC Women's Ultra Mega Vitamin with breakfast.  This vitamin rocks!
• YAZ birth control pill & Effexor with lunch.  I really don't need birth control, my husband had a vasectomy after Austin was born.  But, I take it because the pain with my periods was so bad (since Austin's birth) and it was irregular, plus endometriosis..  I also had dramatic mood swings during this time, so it helps with that as well.  Effexor is what the dr. prescribed for the fibro pain.
• Zyrtec before bed.  This stops the wierd itching I get if I don't take it.  It's expensive over the counter, would love to drop this one!

Sometimes muscle relaxors or tyelenol pm before bed.

I have had no difficulty getting out of bed the past 2 mornings either.  I haven't exactly jumped right up, but I haven't been as sleepy and foggy in the morning.

Friendships

I recently read an article about friendships and support for people with fibro.  I have been thinking a lot about it.  To sum it up, it basically said you need to surround yourself with positive people and people that at least try to understand.  I am not sure that is even possible, I would cut out majority of my friends.  In fact, there are some friends I haven't even told about the fibro.

The alternative to this (which was mentioned in the article) was to lower your expectations about people understanding what we are going through.  This is where I am at.  I am trying not to let some things that other people say get to me, but it is VERY hard.  One friend said "Fibro what?" when I said the word Fibromyalgia.  She knew I had this, but couldn't really pronounce it, I guess.  She is a stay-at-home mom of a little boy that is 5 years old and she complains to me constantly about how much she has to do around the house.  For some reason, she thinks since I work full-time that I do not have the same amount of chores she does.  I can't figure out exactly why she thinks she has more laundry than we do when we have 1 additional family member.  But, that is not the point.

One time when I told her I couldn't babysit her son on a Thursday night because I had to get up for work the next day and I go to bed early she said (brace yourself):  "You need to take a vitamin."  GASP- that is what I did.  How dare she?

I shared it with my husband and we both rolled our eyes.  If all I needed to do was take a vitamin, well, I would thank my lucky stars.  And you know what, I do take a vitamin.  Does it help?  Not one bit.  :)