Chronic, random, invisible

Yep. That's a description of fibromyalgia. It becomes interesting when it is combined with other illnesses that come our way. I already have an arsenal of meds to deal with the pain of fibromyalgia and many also help with other illness. I have acute bronchitis floating around in my body and the pain med has helped.  The med for anxiety has certainly taken the edge off. The antibiotic seems to be targeting the offensive germs and the requisite sleep has been refreshing. Refreshing because rest is an allowable response to the illness. Now needing rest almost all the time not so much an acceptable response. That takes a  huge emotional toll. Our society is looking for rest and recovery not rest and more rest. 

Post Turkey Day

No turkey, no stuffing, no squash, no pies just a dish of ice cream and some popcorn!  That was this year's Thanksgiving!  This morning I got up with a firey throat and took a fishermen's friend lozenger (my worst, yuckiest, most not want to take) and it calmed the fire. I laid down on the couch and slept until noon. Had a bit of jello and ice cream and watched netflix for a bit. Husband reminds me I have two more days of no work and all rest. I'm hungry but it hurts to swallow and hurts to cough.
I know this will pass. I know I will have some good days again. I

know. I know.

Happy Thanksgiving

The snow came as promised.

 The lights were on and off all night but by morning the power was back for good. Because I am so weak with this respiratory thing my husband has been taking care of me. I have had what I wanted to eat (not much, my appetite is gone) and watched some episodes on netflix most of the day.
Our cat was most unhappy to find that the door was blocked by snow and meowed all morning.  Our neighbor plowed and shoveled for us so at last she could go onto the deck.
I spent some time laying on the couch and was able to get some bird pictures. That was a treat.

Resting Waiting for Snow

I am feeling very tired and spending most of my time in bed.  The new meds should be working and tomorrow my husband will be home so I will not feel so isolated.
We are expecting a big snowstorm and are ready for it. We'll tuck ourselves in and ride the storm out. Thanksgiving will be low key.

Ramp It Up

On to a stronger antibiotic to crush this bronchitis and allow for breathing again.  Well, here's hoping. Exhaustion and fatigue are dogging me as well as poor breathing and no ambition. My joints don't hurt, nor does my back or legs. I suspect enough pain meds can do that. A little bit of functioning would be nice, especially since Thanksgiving is upon us and I am the designated cook.
Not to worry we expect a n'oreaster in the next 24 hours so we will be covered with snow and no one will really care!

Five Days isn't Enough

Clearly I am not any closer to being better than I was last week. I am still hacking and exhausted and have not appetite.  I want to crawl in a hole and hibernate through the winter. My chest wall has reacting poorly to the constant hacking and is hurting.
This too will pass, I know, I know. How about right now.

Moving Right Along

My mouth was not so dry last night and I got great rest and sleep.  Knowing that "not functioning" as the cook and cleaner for another two or three days I am embracing that concept. The fibro seems to be enjoying the down time as well. (Its that 5 day high dose steroid thats probably doing the trick on that!) I know that rest and sleep are the best thing I can do right now so that's what I am working on. I have to take all my after breakfast meds and then back in bed. 

Rough Night

Between gut wrenching coughing and an aggravating cat I had a rough night. The med to quell the cough made my mouth and throat very dry so I needed to continually drink water and then continually get up and go to the bathroom. Meanwhile Ms. Spoilt cat, Suki,  happened to catch a mouse in the night and chose to keep it alive and toss it around.  My worst fear was that on one of my bathroom trips I would step on the dead or alive mouse.
At about four AM Suki decided I needed to let her go outside. At 18 degrees I knew if she went out she would only want to come back inside. I put up with her complaining for about an hour while dealing with a raging head ache and finally let her out.  Five minutes later she want back in and within five minutes catch another mouse.
Between the headache, loose mice and not enough sleep I have the crabbies this morning.
I finally made some oatmeal so I could take both my fibro meds and my bronchitis med.  Thankfully after about forty minutes the head let up.
The husband has an all day training today so he won't be home until supper time. My day will consist mostly of sleep. 

Acute Bronchitis

That's what the doctor says I've got.  She has given me three different meds to try to help with excruciating cough and the shortness of breath.  Oy, do I really need this?  I am also to rest for the next few days. I see her again on Monday.

It Couldn't Be Helped!

I have graciously/or not received my husband's cold.  My chest is tight and my nose is running.  I feel just plain crummy.  It makes me just want to cry.  But I won't. Life is full of challenges and this is just one of them!
I did just order a new washing machine after deciding with my husband that babying the old one so it wouldn't leak every time was more than I should be doing.  Bending and stooping are not in my job description any more. So the new one is a top loader.  Should be a lot easier on this fibro queen's back!

I certainly enjoyed a piece of the apple pie my daughter made me before she left. What peach she is!

Relapse

My dear husband has had a relapse and is exhausted. Our company stayed until after lunch while he slept away the morning.  My sweet daughter did a little cleaning for me and hauled in some groceries to tide us over through next week. What a great kid!  She has her hands full with a special needs daughter and still she finds time to help us out.
My fibro has decided to rear its ugly head and between pain and exhaustion I can hardly manage. It will be early to bed for me tonight.
Here's my granddaughter in her special dress up dress.

Company Ready

Tonight one of our daughters and our granddaughter are coming for an overnight visit. Our upstairs has three bedrooms and a full bath. It is where we have beds for our visitors. However we usually close it off for the winter to save on heating costs. This fall we got lazy and put stuff up there that now needs to be moved to the garage storage area. Yesterday we got started and now are about half done. So this morning we will try to finish the job and then when they leave make it company ready so I don't have to do this cleaning dance. It is enough to keep our downstairs cleaned up. 
Although I spent the early part of the evening in excruciating pain I was able to get it under control with more pain meds and got a decent night's sleep. God be praised!
My other task is to have available a supper through lunch menu and make sure I have what I need on hand. 
It's all do-able if I remember to pace myself and not do too much.

Snowy Weather

It has been cold and snowy today. It's a nice day to have a cozy fire to warm up with. i have had a lot of chest wall pain. Could be weather related, I don't know.  I find that flexeril helps with pain and so I use it when this happens.  I am blessed with trusting doctors who give me what I need and aren't turned off that I only use it when I need it and don't take it everyday (like the label says).

Just Plodding On

It's a beautiful sunshiny day today to be followed tomorrow with snow!  I am glad I have nowhere to be accept here at home. Each day my husband seems to feel a little better. May be he will go back to work on Monday if he continues to improve.
I am tired and have a sore back today. Doing a bit of catch-up housework this morning and looking at resting after lunch.
I purchased a couple of Amaryllis plants. I am so excited to watch them grow so quickly. Perhaps I'll have flowers for Christmas!

Why?

My husband often says to me, "Don't ask why.  It doesn't really help. Just use the tools you have to contain the pain."
Love that man. I am and have always been an asker of why.  I think I imagine that if I find out why, I can back track and make it go away.
I have been blest with good doctors and PAs who don't think I am making it all up to get attention or to get good drugs or to get out of working. My first encounter with this insidious syndrome gave me an introduction to those medical persons who thought those very things because I fell outside the realm of their expertise.  Sad to have wasted so much money and time on them when they would have done better to tell me that they just didn't know rather than accuse me of making up my pain.

With my team of helpers now we have delved into ways to help me be able to function better and feel better.  They looked beyond my perpetual "looking good " to help with the need to feel good.
A rheumatologist from New Zealand (locum at the specialist office) first diagnosed me but he did not give any help to deal with pain and fatigue.

 I saw a second rhematologist because I couldn't quite believe that the first one came to the diagnosis so quickly. She spent almost two hours with my husband and I and came to the same conclusion. However she follow the diagnosis withe the statement, "I don't deal with fibromyalgia!"

Chronic illness robs you of the life you once knew but I have found that with a bit of help you can persevere and find a new approach and a new normal and life can be good again.

R & R

After the long day yesterday and some catch up laundry and dishes today we both rested. I know my husband is feeling better because he was up for part of the day.  His color is better and he coughed less today.  I am having that "fibro-feeling" of tired achey body and no energy.
I keep my camera close by so I can take pictures of the birds coming in to the feeders. Today's birds are a yellow finch and a nuthatch.

Another Trip for X-rays

Husband is still very sick. We made a doctor's appointment for 10AM.  Guess what, his lungs still "rattle" and so he is on a stronger med and needed another X-ray prompting another forty minute trip to the hospital and pharmacy.
I am getting steadily more tired and am coughing as well. I also had a severe flare-up about an hour before we left to see the doctor. The heart attack like pain hits hard and hurts like the dickens. It comes unbidden but can usually be gotten under control with Flexeril.
Today that is what happened and the med worked just as it should.  I am so thankful.
I put in a crock pot meal this morning knowing how tired I would be tonight.  I am so glad I did.  It smells so good. Can't wait to taste it. 

Watching

We have a sun room where we sit and watch the birds come in to feed. It is a real nature program where we can observe their habits and enjoy their antics.
I also have a large kitchen window where we sometimes see deer and occasionally wildlife in the lower pond.
Today,because of all the rain, snow and sleet, the upper pond is full and some critters made their way up the hill and into the pond.  This fact was not lost on our Siamese.

She has faithfully kept the perimeter free of moles and mice.  Now she thinks she can catch something in the pond!  It was not to be. She does not do water very well having jumped into the tub once when it held emergency water and found it not to her liking! The critter, a water animal for sure, quietly moved away and Suki came back to the door to be let in.
Between the cat, the critters and the bird watching life is pretty interesting around here!

Exhaustion

Today husband spent most of the day sleeping. After I cleaned up the kitchen and thought through the days' meals I also went back to bed. I slept on and off all day as well.  I feel like I could sleep for a week and hope that this is just the fibromyalgia and not pneumonia.
My neighbor came by but didn't stay long.  She offered to get me anything I might need at the grocery store.  I didn't need anything.
Some snow fell last night as well as some hail so it is icy outside today.  I was slipping around when I went out to the mailbox.

Rough Day

It's been a rough day.  My body has reached the limit. I'm tired, hurting and cranky.  I am thankful my husband is treating his pneumonia well. He slept all morning, had lunch and now is sleeping all afternoon.  Rest is the best thing he can do at this point.
I need to unplug and rest myself but I see so much that needs to be done.
Now the weather has turned to sleet. Thankfully we don't need to go anywhere.

Gratitudes

Husband has rested and actually looks rested.
The antibiotic seems to be working.
I got a good night's sleep.
I was able to go back to bed after breakfast and sleep another two hours.
I was able to put my "to do" list on the back burner.


I am thankful for all these blessings.

Antibiotics and Rest

That's what the doctor ordered. Dear Husband has a bit of pneumonia on his lung and needs to rest for the next few days to see if the meds kick in. If not he will need a more potent drug.  I drove him to the doctor's and into Calais for an Xray of his lungs.  We picked up his script and some groceries and headed home. My body is screaming at the exertion I am putting it through.
I expect to make tonight an early night and get up tomorrow to face another day. What gets done, gets done.

In Sickness and In Health

I deal with daily chronic issues that my sweet husband helps me with. It becomes difficult when he gets sick and we both are trying to maintain equilibrium. He has had a nasty cough and very sore chest from all the coughing the last couple weeks. He has managed to go to work but comes home exhausted.  Today I am dealing with the cold as well and we are both sick.  When he arrived home an hour early and headed straight for bed I knew we were in for a tough night.
This is when I wish that family lived nearer and could give us a hand.
Tonight I will just keep putting one foot in front of the other knowing that eventually, "this, too, shall pass."

And Snow It Did

The first snow of the season has brought heavy sticky snow.

It was coming down early this morning and continues to do so. There are also heavy, cold winds. My body is not so thrilled with the storm and I am resting between loading the stove and making chicken soup for my, once again, sick husband.  He has a raw cough and is tired and achey. I have threatened to get him to the doctor if he doesn't rest.

A Better Morning

After a difficult afternoon and evening with the help of medication I was able to sleep and sleep well.  This morning found me driving to Baileyville to see my sister's booth at the local craft show.  I bought a hat she had made and a lovely set of napkins her husband had done on the loom.  I walked around but saw nothing else I wanted or needed so I headed back to the grocery store.  I had a short list and then I headed home.  The house smells of chili cooking in the crockpot. Yum. Being able to pull out frozen meals has helped me a great deal.
Snow is in the forecast, 5 - 15 inches.  My body already told me that change was in the air.