By wendy, on October 24th, 2012%
 MARTA Bus Stop (Photo credit: Wikipedia) We’ve been in the new apartment for almost 4 weeks now, and I’ve discovered something important. . . It’s time to move on, not just in our living arrangements, but at work, too.
I didn’t want to change stores because I really like most of the people I work with (and the others I can deal with,) but staying at this store is going to be totally unmanageable. To be at work by 4PM, I have to leave the apartment by 1PM to make the connection to the bus at the other end. Then I spend an hour and a half to 2 hours and 15 minutes getting home, depending on whether it’s a weeknight or a weekend (and if the bus on either end is early or late, I’m screwed because I miss my connection.) Basically, I’m getting paid for 5.5 hours, and spending 11 hours to get it, and it’s playing hell with my fibromyalgia (not to mention the effect on my blood sugar from not being able to eat when I should, or what I should.) I just can’t handle 4.5 to 5.5 hours a day on public transit, so something is gonna have to change, soon.
Working with a chronic pain condition is difficult enough without this . . .
If you also figure in the physical costs (increased pain levels and flaring, fatigue that makes it possible to fall asleep standing up leaning against a post, fibrofog from hell, and a diet heavily weighted toward peanut butter sandwiches;) add the extra financial costs (multiple added bus trips because I can no longer just grab groceries before I leave work, buying cigarettes because I don’t have the time or energy to make them, and buying convenience foods because I don’t have time to cook;) then add in the money I’m losing because I don’t have time to write (anywhere from $150 a month and up;) it’s actually costing me more than I’m making to continue working at that store.
Luckily, I work for a major chain, and there are 12 stores within an hour’s bus ride of the apartment, so hopefully I can transfer to one of them (SOON!) If I’m really lucky, I’ll manage to get into one of the 3 that are less than 30 minutes away, so cross your fingers. (Tomorrow’s project is contacting all of the stores and trying to set up a time I can talk to the deli manager if they aren’t there when I call.)
Other than that, I haven’t really found any major difficulties since we moved. (There’s a noisy dog upstairs, but I’m not here enough for it to be that big a deal for me right now.) I’m loving the apartment, and we’re gradually getting everything organized and arranged. There are still some boxes that haven’t been emptied, but they’re all either in the bedroom, or stuffed in a closet because the things in them aren’t used often enough for them to be emptied. I’m even finding all kinds of stuff I haven’t seen in years because it sat in boxes under the bed from the time we moved to the cottage until we moved here.
I will admit, I miss “the boys” and Soxkitty, but it’s not like I can’t go visit, message them on FB, or call or text them whenever; and the advantages of the apartment over the cottage are worth it (mostly.)
Even better, hubby’s doing much better now. He’s seeing a different doc for his ADD, and this one a) has ADD herself, and b) actually recommended vitamin D instead of an antidepressant. I’ve been giving him vitamin D for the last few weeks, but she recommended a higher dose than I was comfortable with giving him without a doctor’s advice, and it’s really making a difference.
He’s also finding some folks to hang out with, which helps even more since it gets him out of the house. He even traded a second guitar someone gave him for guitar lessons. I hear a lot of growling and grumbling during practice sessions when he’s not getting the result he wants, but he doesn’t give up, he just b*tchs and keeps going.
Things have improved so much that I’ve even come home to find the dishes done and the living room cleaned up, and he’s volunteered to take over keeping the bathroom clean if I’ll buy some bathroom cleaner instead of making him use my homemade stuff. I’m thinking it’s worth the trade-off of a few extra dollars and the small amount of added toxins, since cleaning the bathroom tends to put me in bed for hours of recovery. I’m gonna have to think about this one – I’m not sure how comfortable I am with the idea of using a commercial cleaner again.
All in all, the move has been a very positive thing for both of us, and once I get the commute under control, I think I’m going to be very happy with the changes . . .
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By wendy, on October 5th, 2012%
 Moving Truck (Photo credit: netmonkey) http://www.flickr.com/photos/netmonkey/2749646355/sizes/m/in/photostream/
Moving sucks, and it’s even harder when you have a chronic illness, but it’s finally done (although it’s going to be a while before everything is unpacked and put away.) It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, considering the fibro and all the stuff that goes along with that.
Moving is actually why I’ve been “missing” for so long. Between the packing, the actual move, and waiting for the cable company to get my net hooked up; I’ve been gone for a while, but I think it’s going to end up being worth it . . .
I’m loving the apartment and having so much more space, but I think the best part is just being able to cook and take a bath any time I want . . . The cottage didn’t have a kitchen, and only had a half bath, so for cooking and bathing we had to go up to the main house, and sometimes that just wasn’t an option.
Hubby and I both work nights, so we’re up at weird times of the night, and since our roommates kept more “normal” hours, a lot of the time I’d want to cook or take a bath when they were asleep. Now if I want to take a bath or boil an egg after I get home from work, I can, and I don’t have to worry about waking anyone up while I do it.
Of course, there are disadvantages to moving out, too. For one thing, getting to work now involves at least an hour and a half to two hours on public transit, instead of a 15 minute walk. Between getting to the bus stop, then walking to the train and back out to the other bus, I actually walk further than I did from the cottage to work. (The walk from the bus stop to the apartment is almost as long as the entire walk from work to the cottage was . . .)
The biggest disadvantage, at least as far as I’m concerned, is having to deal with the utilities and all. All that stuff was in the roommate’s names, so all I had to do was hand over the rent, and they took care of the rest. Now I’m the one that has to make sure everything gets paid when it’s supposed to, and make the calls when something screws up.
Like everything else in life, it’s a trade-off. There are advantages and disadvantages, but overall, it’s mostly a positive experience, and I’ve learned a lot about managing a move without triggering a flare. I’ve learned that:
- Pacing is the key to minimizing the physical stress of a move. If you can afford it, hiring a moving company to come in and handle the move for you is ideal. They’ll even do all the packing, for an extra charge. (If you can only afford for them to load, move, and unload; it’s still more than worth the cost to avoid having to lift and carry all that stuff.)
- If you can’t afford to hire someone, recruit all the friends and family you can. Although more than two or three people can be hard to coordinate, it’s way better than having to spend the week after the move in bed recovering. Coordinating will be easier if you stay in the house and direct what goes out when; put one or two people in the truck to supervise where things get loaded; and everyone else packing, fetching, and carrying.
- Start packing early! As soon as you know you’re going to be moving, start packing things you don’t use very often. I started the packing process in May, even though I knew it would be months before we moved. Out of season clothes, holiday decorations, knick-knacks, books you don’t read regularly (like seasonal cookbooks,) etc. can all be packed months in advance.
- Packing is an ideal time to throw things away. You’re going to have to touch everything you own to get it packed; so if it’s broken, worn out, doesn’t fit, or isn’t used anymore, throw it away and save yourself the work of packing and unpacking it.
- Label everything! This is one that most of us slack on, because it’s a pain to do; but it makes a huge difference when you get in the new place. “Miscellaneous” is not a helpful label! Useful labels include the room the box belongs in, plus the general category of things inside (books, dishes, winter clothes, etc.) and any specific items you’re likely to want within the first week or so. For things like toothbrushes, towels, the bedding you’ll need to put the bed together, and other things you’ll need right away; add “Open First” to the other labeling on the box. I spent three days looking for my cookie sheets because they ended up in a box that only said miscellaneous on it, and were buried under a bunch of random bits and pieces.
- When writing the contents on your boxes, makes sure that you put it on at least two sides, not just on top. If the only place you put your label is on top, you’ll have to constantly rearrange stacks of boxes to find what you’re looking for, because you’ll only be able to read the label on the top box.
- Medications, hot packs, heating pads, and anything else that is used in treating your illness should all be packed together, no matter which room they belong in. These boxes should be labeled on all four sides, and the top. Mark them as “Open First;” keep them separate from the other stuff; and even if you’re hiring a moving company, make sure you have these boxes in your possession at all times.
- Pack the most important stuff last, and either load it separately, like in the car, or make sure it’s the last thing to go on the truck, and the first thing to come off.
- Set up a staging area for the stuff that has to be unpacked immediately. Whether it’s one corner of the living room, or a separate section in each room, you’ll want the stuff you’re going to need right away somewhere you can find it.
- If you’re renting a truck, choose at least one size larger than the rental company says you’ll need. We were living in one room, so I rented the size U-Haul said would handle a one-bedroom apartment in one trip, and we had to make two, plus there was still stuff that didn’t fit.
- Get at least twice as many boxes as you think you’ll need, and lots of packing tape. You can always throw away extras, but if you run out, you’re screwed. You won’t have the time or the energy to run out and get more right in the middle of loading and moving things.
- Allow plenty of time for all stages of the move. It always takes longer than you expect, even for healthy folks; and those of us with chronic illnesses have to allow plenty of time for rest breaks. Remember that no matter how well-planned and well-organized a move is, there are always going to be unexpected delays.
Bonus tip: If you have clothes that need to go to the dry cleaner, drop them off the day before the move, and pick them up the day after. It will keep you from having to pack them, and save a bit of space in the truck, too.
Finally, do some research. There are tons of helpful articles and checklists online with tips to streamline and simplify the process, and help you make sure you get all the stuff you need to take care of done. I’m including some articles below to help you get started.
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By wendy, on July 3rd, 2012%
By Wendy Burnett
I wish I’d had this book years ago! When my husband and I met, I was in a period of remission and low stress, and even though I did my best to explain what it would be like if (when) that ended, it was still a shock for him when the flares started again.
I didn’t have the words (or the knowledge) to be able to give him a picture of what the partner of someone who is chronically ill goes through. This book is unique, because it’s the only one I’ve read that is co-written by the caregiving spouse (and even better, that spouse is the husband. Although that situation is actually pretty common, it’s much less common to find a resource that provides the perspective of the male caregiver.) It’s a great resource for BOTH partners; because it gives the patient insight into their partner/caregiver’s experience; as well as providing support, validation, and acceptance for the caregiving spouse.
A Husband, A Wife, & An Illness: Living Life Beyond Chronic Illness
by Dr. William July and Jamey Lacy July is a must have resource for any couple facing a debilitating chronic illness. Not just a “feel good” book, it’s full of practical tips and advice for both the caregiving spouse and the ill partner. Part 1 is written by William, and is full of chapters like: Continue reading A Husband, A Wife, & An Illness – Review »
By wendy, on July 2nd, 2012%
 Gratitude Journal (Photo credit: limevelyn) By Wendy Burnett
Before I say anything else, I want to thank those awesome people who have been helping us out by clicking the “donate” button. I know that helping us means that there are things they are doing without, and I want them to know how grateful I am.
I also want to thank those who have reached out and offered encouragement, understanding and support. Your words have been a blessing and have brought me hope in a place that seemed hopelessly difficult.
As I said in the update at the end of my last post, Starting Over is a B**tch, we do still need to move, but the roommates are giving us more time to manage it (they’re pretty darn wonderful people, and will never really know exactly how grateful we both are for the sanctuary they gave us when we had nowhere else to go.) If it wasn’t for their kindness, we would have been living on the street for the last 5 years, and we’re fully aware of how much more difficult things would have been for us without them. (Yes. hubby too, although he finds it much harder to let them know how he feels. I guess it’s a guy thing . . .)
Speaking of hubby, he’s been doing MUCH better. He still has his downs, but he’s working on getting better and dealing with his issues. It’s very nice to have him “back” too. The guilt, depression and stress had turned him into someone I barely knew and wasn’t very sure I liked; Continue reading Starting Over is STILL a B**tch, But People are Wonderful: An Update »
By wendy, on February 29th, 2012%
By Wendy Burnett
Have you lost friends because of your chronic physical or mental illness? I have. Actually, I’ve lost quite a few friends since I got sick, for a lot of different reasons, but the only ones I really regret are the ones I’ve lost to chronic illness burnout. Those, I could have prevented, if I’d known back then what I know now.
 Chronic Disease (Photo credit: tamahaji) I used to have a very small group of friends that I talked to, and everyone else got the “everything’s fine” act. There’s not anything wrong with giving people the act, if they’re only acquaintances or coworkers, and they don’t NEED to know what’s going on with you, the problem actually comes in with the people you really talk to. We all need someone to talk to when we’re having a high pain day, or the depression is so bad that all we want to do is curl up and die, but loading it all on just a few close friends can be a bad thing for them and for you.
Whether you have a physical illness, a mental illness, or some combination; if you only share your pain and negative feelings with a few people, there’s a danger that it will be too much for them. Overloading your support network can cause them to have to pull back so that they can take care of themselves, especially if that is all you ever talk to them about. This is not selfishness on their part, it’s self protection. You HAVE to deal with your chronic illness every day, but your friends can get burned out if you lean on them too heavily. (We can get burned out ourselves, too, but it belongs to us, and it’s a lot harder to step back from when it’s yours.)
Don’t freak out!
I’m not saying you can’t tell your friends how you feel, or that you’re having a hard time. What I AM saying is don’t depend only on one or two close friends for all of your emotional support. Everyone has their own crap to deal with, and sometimes they can’t deal with your stuff too; Continue reading How to Avoid Burning Out Your Support Network »
By wendy, on January 20th, 2012%
 Image by blmiers2 via Flickr By Wendy Burnett
When you have a chronic illness like fibromyalgia, every season has its challenges, but I think winter is the hardest to cope with. Not only is it cold, which tenses up muscles and increases pain levels; but there are so many other issues as well. Basically, winter with fibro sucks, and here are just a few of the reasons (if you have more, leave me a comment and I’ll add them):
- It’s cold, and frequently damp
- The weather changes all the time, which means barometric pressure changes and more aches and pains
- Shorter days and lower vitamin D levels that increase depression
- Being cooped up indoors without being able to open windows and doors increases exposure to indoor molds, toxins, and contagious illnesses; increasing allergic responses and physical stressors
- The weather makes exercising more difficult. Between higher pain levels and less ability to exercise outdoors or get to the gym we can slip into a vicious cycle of exercising less, which increases pain levels even more, and makes it even more difficult to exercise.
So how do we deal with all this “stuff” and keep our health from slipping? There are a ton of ways to minimize the winter “blahs,” but the most important one is: don’t give up! You may need to change some routines, but winter doesn’t have to be a miserable, depressing experience. I try to look at it as a challenge to my ingenuity, looking for new ways to get where I need to be and accomplish what I need (and want) to do.
Winter Survival Strategies:
Dealing with the cold (and damp): Layer, layer, layer! Several light layers of clothing, topped with a blanket; will keep you more comfortable than wearing one heavy item. Layering your clothes traps air between the layers and increases the amount of insulation they provide. If one pair of socks isn’t keeping your feet warm, add another light pair instead of taking off the ones you’re wearing and changing to a heavier pair.
If you’ve read much of this blog, you know how much I love hot packs . . . They’re even more wonderful in cold weather. Even if you don’t have a specific ache that needs heat (not likely, but it happens,) putting a hot pack in the chair or bed with you will help you stay warmer all over.
Flannel sheets are warmer than smooth cotton blends, and an electric blanket or mattress pad can make a huge difference in your ability to stay warm at night. They also provide gentle, all-over heat for the more general aches that tend to come with winter weather.
Shorter days and depression: Using full spectrum light bulbs will help, and so will adding a vitamin D supplement (low vitamin D increases depression, and with shorter, gloomier days our body doesn’t make enough.) Adding B vitamins can also help, either through supplements or more veggies.
Isolation is something else that can increase depression levels, and winter weather frequently keeps us at home. Finding online support through Twitter, Facebook, or forums can make a huge difference.
Being cooped up indoors: Adding a few potted plants will increase indoor air quality (if you have pets, make sure they’re safe if they get nibbled or keep them where your pets can’t munch them.) English ivy is an excellent plant for reducing indoor toxins, and it’s pretty easy to take care of too. There are many more options as well, and Treehugger has an excellent article on the subject, based on a NASA study on which plant is best for various pollutants.
To reduce the chances that I’ll catch something, I make sure I wash my hands regularly (with plain soap and water, antibacterials don’t help against viruses and increase the number of resistant bacteria,) get plenty of vitamin C and eat more onions and garlic. This last one is a bit controversial, because I also avoid vaccines like the plague. (The ONLY times in the last 15 years or so that my husband and I have actually had the flu were the two years we got a flu shot, and I’ve only gotten a cold once.)
Exercise: This is the toughest one for me because most of my exercise comes from walking to work, and in the winter that’s harder to do. If it’s too cold, or it’s raining, my husband and roommates make sure I have a ride, so I have to get a bit more creative. I’ll frequently do a couple of laps of the store I work at, or, on bad days, just get up and walk across the room a couple of times every hour or so. There are also videos on YouTube for fibromyalgia exercises that can be done while sitting down, which is especially helpful during flares because they’re very gentle and put less stress on your body.
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By wendy, on December 31st, 2011%
 Image via Wikipedia By Wendy Burnett
Okay, you don’t know what “painsomnia” is, or if you have it, but you definitely have trouble sleeping on a regular basis, right? After all, that’s a common issue for anyone with chronic illnesses. Painsomnia is a term I came across on Twitter; I don’t know who came up with it, but it is absolutely perfect for what it’s intended to describe. (If you invented it, or know who did, please leave me a note in the comments so I can give credit where credit is due.)
painsomnia – combined word made up of the words pain and insomnia, used to describe an inability to sleep because of high pain levels.
There are tons of posts and articles out there with tips for going to sleep more easily and getting better quality sleep. There are also a lot of articles about ways to reduce your pain levels. There are, however, only a few posts or articles available that suggest ways to do both at the same time. (Most of them are found on blogs that focus on living with chronic illness in general, or a specific illness.)
Doctors aren’t much help with this one, since they usually want to throw another pill at the problem. More pills can be problematic for anyone with a chronic pain disorder like fibromyalgia, since sleeping pills and pain medications may not work well together. Even if you have medications for both pain and sleep, sometimes even the maximum safe dose isn’t enough and you need extra help.
There are lots of safe options you can try that won’t interact with the medication you take, but first I’m going to give you a short list of things NOT to do.
- NEVER, ever use alcohol with pain medications. This is one of the most dangerous things you can do, since alcohol and pain meds are both depressants, and the combination can (and often does) kill. This is even more dangerous if you’re also taking muscle relaxers, sleep medications, or anxiety medications in any combination with your pain-killers.
- Don’t add over-the-counter medications that haven’t been approved by your doctor. OTC pain and sleep medications can also have serious, even deadly, effects when combined with prescription medications. Even cough and/or cold medications and antihistamines can be dangerous if they contain alcohol or an ingredient that causes sleepiness.
- Finally, (and this one is going to sound a bit odd from me, since anyone who has read much of this blog knows I’m a great proponent of herbs and supplements,) don’t use herbs with prescription medications unless you’ve thoroughly researched the possible interactions or discussed it with an expert herbalist you trust. (I am not an expert, I’m a knowledgeable amateur. Without knowing exactly what you take, and what the dose is, even an expert can’t make definite recommendations, only suggestions of things for you to research.)
Now for the good stuff, things you can do to make it easier to sleep, in spite of the pain:
Heat:
Heat is great for easing the aches and pains of many chronic illnesses, and most of us have electric heating pads, but going to sleep with one turned on can be dangerous. It can cause burns if left in one spot for too long, and if you roll over on it and get it folded over, you can end up breaking the wires inside and getting a bad electric shock or shorting it out and causing a fire. For bedtime, a much safer option is TheraBeads Microwaveable Moist Heat Packs . It may take a bit of experimentation to determine how long to nuke them for, but I have one of the neck wraps and a rectangular one that I love. I zap them right before I go to bed, and they stay warm more than long enough for me to fall asleep. There’s no chance of burns after you fall asleep, because they gradually cool down, the hottest they ever are is when you first pull them out of the microwave. (If the Therabeads hot packs are too expensive, you can get a similar result with a sock filled with cheap white rice heated in the microwave. This doesn’t provide the moist heat that seems to help the best; and it’s difficult to shape in a way that is comfortable to lay on; but it is an affordable, workable solution for areas where you can put it on top of or beside the painful area.)
Another option, if you have extra pillows and more sore spots than heat sources, is to lay a goose down pillow over the area that needs heat. This one takes longer while you wait for the insulating properties of the goose down to build up the heat, but it works well. (I don’t know if other types of pillows will work or not, since I only have goose down, but it’s worth a try. If you try another kind of pillow, please let me know how they work.)
A final note: I sometimes have so many heat sources on different areas that I get overheated. If I’m going to be awake, I’ll place a well-wrapped ice pack on my stomach to help cool me down. (Don’t do this right after a meal, since the cold will slow down digestion and can cause some discomfort from that.) After 20 minutes (which is the longest you should ever leave an icepack in one spot,) I move it to the top of my head or the back of my neck for about 10 minutes. That helps to reduce my body temperature, without making any of my joints hurt. At bedtime, I put it close to, but not touching, the top of my head, since I (hopefully) won’t be awake to move it every 20 minutes. The cool air coming off the icepack encourages my body to send more blood to the area to keep it warm, and helps to cool the blood before it returns to the areas that are receiving heat. (This also works with the icepack near your feet if the cold doesn’t make them hurt.)
Pillows:
Pillows are another important “tool” for helping you get to sleep. Many of my chronic friends use multiple pillows to help them get comfortable, and the wrong pillow under your head can make sleep impossible and cause you even more pain.
If you wake up every morning with a stiff neck, tense shoulders, or a headache; you’re almost certainly sleeping on a pillow that is wrong for you. Pillows are very individual, since the “right” pillow for you depends on a lot of different things. The first is whether you sleep on your side or your back, but that’s not all that needs to factor into your decision.
Your pillow needs to keep your head and neck in a “neutral” position, so that your spine is straight, and your head isn’t tilted forward or backward. Imagine a perfectly straight, level line running from the top of your spine through the top of your head. If your pillow allows your head to droop, or pushes your head up; so that the line meets the top of your head anywhere other than directly over the top of your spine; it will put a strain on all the muscles of your neck, shoulders, and upper back. This can cause you to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; as well as causing headaches and/or pain in the neck, shoulders, and back.
Extra pillows can also be very helpful. A body pillow can help to keep side-sleepers from twisting their back into an unnatural position and support their top arm and leg. A pillow or rolled blanket under the knees for those who sleep on their backs can prevent strain on the lower back and hips and help with sciatica pain. Finally, a foam wedge (in addition to the pillow) will raise the head and upper body several inches, and can help those who have heartburn problems or difficulty breathing when laying flat.
For more pillow ideas, check out this blog post: ‘Twas the Night before Christmas (A Tale of Four Pillows). Not only does it have lots of useful info, it’s really cute, too. (There are lots of other great posts on there, too.)
Breathing Exercises and Guided Meditations:
Another thing that helps me is breathing exercises. When I lay down, I focus on my breathing, taking long, slow, deep breaths in, then slowly releasing them. If it’s a really bad night, I’ll repeat “go to sleep” in my head on each inhale and exhale, with “go to” on the inhale and “sleep” on the exhale. That helps me relax, and keeping my attention on my breathing helps me to NOT pay attention to the pain.
I also have multiple guided meditations and relaxation exercises on CDs and as mp3s. I use them on a regular basis, with a set of earbuds or headphones. Focusing on the exercise ALWAYS sends me to sleep. (I don’t think I’ve ever heard the end of most of them, unless I’ve listened to them while I was sitting at the computer or something.) If earbuds or headphones make it too difficult for you to get comfortable, listening to the meditations or exercises until you’ve learned them by heart, then practicing them when you go to bed will also help.
Miscellaneous Bits and Pieces:
Taking a bath with 2 cups of epsom salt before bed helps to relax tense muscles and ease pain. (Use a water temperature that is comfortable for you, and if you need a temperature that’s too cool to easily dissolve the salt, pre-dissolve it in a little bit of hot water, then adjust the temp in the tub.) Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil to the bathwater will enhance the effect of the epsom salt. (Before using any essential oil other than lavender for the first time, please see my article Using Essential Oils Safely.)
Adding a drop or two of lavender essential oil to your pillow or a diffuser can also help you relax and sleep.
If light and noise are an issue, a good sleep mask and set of earplugs are essential. I use a Bucky Eye Shade because it’s very lightweight and comfortable, as well as being easily adjustable. It does a good job of blocking the light, even when I sleep on my side, and has a small pocket on the front for storing my earplugs so I don’t misplace them.
Herbs:
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or certified herbalist, and do not recommend using herbs without consulting an expert. Herbs can be useful, but many of them can and do interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications. NEVER use any herbal product without making sure it’s safe with your own particular combination of meds and physical issues.
I use herbal teas to help me go to sleep, too, but that requires a good bit of research and experimentation to determine which ones would be safe with your particular medications, any allergies you may have, etc. Chamomile is a decent one for bedtime, and is easily found at almost any grocery store on the coffee and tea aisle, but if you’re allergic to ragweed or any other member of the daisy family you could be allergic to it, too, and need to be EXTREMELY careful if you decide to try it.
Catnip is another option, if there are possible allergy issues with the chamomile, but you have to either get it from an herb store or order it on line (unless you happen to grow it) because it’s not available in a regular grocery (the stuff they sell for you to give your cat isn’t safe for human consumption, it’s almost always too old and is frequently contaminated with other stuff.)
Your Mattress:
I’ve left this one for last because most of us can’t afford to buy a new mattress anyway, but if you can afford to, this might be the best thing you’ve ever done for your painsomnia.
The vast majority of us own innerspring mattresses, which is fine for most people, but for those of us with chronic pain, they can be the worst possible kind of mattress there is. The springs can put pressure on sensitive areas, and the older the mattress is, the more likely it is that some springs will have different pressures from others. In addition, innerspring mattresses don’t conform to your body very well, so you may not be getting the support you need in some areas, while other areas are receiving too much support.
The reading I’ve done suggests that the “memory foam” type mattresses and the “Sleep Number” mattresses tend to be the best for those of us with chronic pain. Both are conformable, and neither has anything in them that will cause pressure points or uneven support. They each have advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them is very individual.
I use a “Sleep Number Bed,” and my reasons for choosing it over the foam may give you some hints about which type would work best for you. I like being able to change the firmness of the bed to suit my needs. I can make it firmer if I’m having more problems with low back pain, and soften it if I need less pressure on my joints.
I also have problems with overheating on the foam. I purchased a pillow made out of the memory foam when I was trying to decide which type of mattress to get, and I’m really glad I did. I couldn’t spend more than a couple of hours on that pillow without getting soaked with sweat anywhere my body touched it. I can’t imagine trying to sleep with my entire body resting on it, since just the pillow made me miserably hot, and that was actually the determining factor for me.
The foam does have a major advantage though. If you can’t afford a new mattress, you can get a foam topper for your old mattress. This solves most of the issues caused by an innerspring mattress (unless the mattress is so old that it has deep, permanent depressions in it) while costing much less than a new mattress.
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By wendy, on November 24th, 2011%
 martha_chapa95 via Flickr By Wendy Burnett
It’s Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?
Living with chronic illnesses can make it very difficult to find your gratitude sometimes, and we all struggle with that on a regular basis. One of the things you learn eventually is that there is always something to be grateful for . . .
By wendy, on November 24th, 2011%
 By NJR ZA (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) via Wikimedia Commons
By Wendy Burnett
It’s that time of the year again. Thanksgiving, Christmas, cooking, shopping, decorating, parties and other holiday activities can lead to over-doing things. Throw in the expectations (and demands) of family and friends and you get higher stress levels, too. Add it all together, and you get the perfect recipe for a serious flare, which can totally ruin your the season for you.
It doesn’t have to happen though. There are dozens of ways to cope with the holidays, and I’ve collected five posts and articles full of helpful tips for simplifying your celebrations, pacing yourself, and coping with the physical and emotional stresses of the season. Continue reading Top 5 Posts: How to Prevent Holiday Flares »
By wendy, on November 14th, 2011%
 Image by Big Grey Mare via Flickr
By Wendy Burnett
“Shit Happens” – I know you’ve heard the expression somewhere. There are lots of other ways to say it, but it happens to all of us. Things go wrong. They just do. You can’t prevent bad things from happening sometimes, but you CAN stop them from destroying you when they do.
There have been lots of bad things happening around here in the last several months, and we’re all stressed out about them, but I’m not totally freaked like I would have been a few years ago.
Instead of freaking out, I’ve been looking for other options like ways to bring in more money and ways to save on things I use all the time. Instead of becoming paralyzed, I’ve used the “shit” as motivation, and as fertilizer for the flowering of new ideas. Continue reading Shit Happens – Use it to Fertilize the Flowers »
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"The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life . . . the children; those who are in the twilight of life . . . the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life . . . the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
---Hubert Humphrey
Welcome to the new home of Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired. I hope you'll enjoy the changes, and the new resources I'll be adding as I have time to work on the site. Things will look a bit odd while I learn where and how to modify the appearance, so please bear with me.
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