I feel pain today to my bones. in my bones and in my muscles. It is hard to move. I am miserable.
What did I do to feel this way? NOTHING.
That is the problem. I brought in a shopping bag, the size they sell at Publix. In it I carry water for the day, two orange bottles, the mail I get at the PO, several things. It weighed less than three pounds. I also had my purse which is too small, but also too heavy.
As I lay in bed for an extra hour before getting up about 8 am, I knew I could not go on like this. The pain affects everything I NEED to do which is basically cook simple meals, wash only a few dishes, and take care of my personal needs. I thought about it.
After I carried in the shopping bag and purse, I had to stand to unlock the door. Standing still hurts. Then, I made two more trips to the car to carry in three quarts of strawberries in one bag, bananas in the other and something small. I returned and got something else, light enough but too heavy.
Today, I told Tommy about how this was too much for me and that I could not help him so much. Actually, it is not helping him, just carrying things I actually want to carry and can. He gets tired, too, just as anyone would, but three more trips down and up the ramp do not leave him incapacitated for days.
Last night, I heated chicken in microwave, steamed broccoli in the microwave, and poured cole slaw mix onto his plate and squirted mayo on it. I was too tired to eat.
He told me that he like the slaw mix but mayo on top was all he needed because he liked it. Strange? But, last night, even the mixing of slaw was beyond what I could think of doing.
I am not putting more on him since he eats too, just cutting back on picking up things and multiple trips holding items and traipsing up and down the ramp. Ramps hurt my back and knees. Steps do hurt, but not as much. So, there!
I should not be in so much pain. Even my eyes hurt!!! Tests may show deficiencies, but I will adjust.
I said it takes three days to recover from activity. However, if I overdo it day after day, it can take two of three weeks. Life is not worth living under those terms.
Tell me--do you have so much pain?
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My feelings exactly when I get sick and tired of being sick and tired and the pain in my back,hip, legs shoulders (okay my whole body). The other day as lovely as it was the breeze hurt...SIGH
ReplyDeleteChef,
DeleteRight, the whole body. Yes, even pleasant conditions cause pain.
My late husband used to tell me to pace myself, and perhaps that is what you need to do. Try not overdoing on the days you do feel good. One wants to make up for lost time, but that may not be the best.
ReplyDeleteCarole,
DeleteI do try to pace myself. However, even when I only go to the grocery store and do not drive, I come home feeling like I have been beat. Food has to be made every day. I have had to lie down to recover after a bath or shower! A friend was telling me she has to recover after a shower, and I had not mentioned my distress to her. I am going to try harder, honest.
Some days even my skin hurts but other days I seem pretty good. Today I vacuumed the living room and was ok afterwards but last week I did it and it took the rest of the day to recover.
ReplyDeleteAnn,
DeleteThere is no predicting what will set off the pain. Yes, what hurts one day will not the next time.
Sometimes the muscles in my legs hurt due to the healing of my knee surgery, and working to get their strength back. My neck and shoulders hurt a lot of the time from degenerative disc disease in my neck and upper back, but what is getting to me now is very extreme exhaustion. I think that January and February were about too much for me. In late January my Dad, who was 91, went into the hospital, I broke my wisdom tooth and had to have it pulled. Had it pulled with just the local shots instead of any sedation. It came out very easily, no infection present, no swelling, little pain that day or after, but I was feeling really worn out afterward. Seven days later the tooth hole started bleeding heavily and bled for 16 hours, it was quite a lot of blood. The dentist thought the bleeding was from my blood thinner. I think they were right, as soon as it had been 23 1/2 hours after my last blood thinner dose, bleeding stopped. I was unable to sleep for more than 24 hours due to the bleeding. Meanwhile my Dad had gone into hospice care at a nursing home. I was able to visit him several times in between the dental stuff going on,while he was still talking and knowing everything that was going on, and I was also lucky enough to be able to spend several hours of his last day of life holding his hand and just talking to him. He was unable to speak or move around anymore at that time, but scientists say that hearing is the last of our senses to leave us. He died later that night. During the time he was in hospice and my tooth having problems, I noticed the vision in my right eye had suddenly become very bad. I set up an eye doctor appointment and went to that a few days after Dad's funeral. It turns out my vision was suddenly so bad in one eye because I had developed a hole in my macula. So now I have surgery scheduled later this month for that. I was so thankful that it was a hole in my macula which can be treated, instead of macular degeneration which often leads to blindness. It is March now and things have settled down, but I am beyond tired to the bone and my memory is not good at all right now. Often if I sit down to watch TV, I fall into deep dream filled sleep. I will be checked out by my Primary doctor a week before my eye surgery, so I guess blood work will tell if I have anything else bad going on, but I think I just have mental and physical exhaustion right now. When you write of having to rest and recover after doing various activities in your daily life, I am having that issue going on at this time, too. January and February were the most difficult, worrisome, and worst period of time of my entire life.
ReplyDeleteSusie,
DeleteMy, you have had a lot going on in your life. I only had an injection when I had two wisdom teeth removed. Since I had to drive myself there, sedation would not have worked. It was not too bad. All that bleeding you had would be terrible.
You may have developed chronic fatigue syndrome. I don't know how you can sub. That is exhausting, being up and out of house and dealing with so many children all day.
I imagine the death of your father coupled with the extractions and your back problem are exhausting you.
The macula problem and surgery are awful for you. Is that the surgery where you cannot sit up straight or lie on your back?
Hopefully, things will settle down for you. Me? Not so much as this is permanent and has been going on for 30 years and getting worse. Try to rest.
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Until just the past year ago or so they used to have people stay in face down position after the surgery, but they have changed their way of doing things now. The retina specialist I went to said that I would not have to stay face down after the surgery, but I could not travel in an airplane, or lay flat on my back. Thank goodness. I sleep in a recliner partially sitting up, and have no plans to ever travel in a plane to anywhere. I don't think the surgery would be possible for me if I had to stay face down or try to sit in one of those special chairs they make for that. With my neck and upper back arthritis, and my knee replacement, that would be impossibly painful and most likely crippling for me.
DeleteSusie,
DeleteOkay, my friend had this surgery three years ago. It was hard on her and she has practically no skeletal problems. I could not stay face down either. My friend went to stay with her daughter who is a surgeon. AND, she had her very devoted husband to help out.
Sorry to hear that you are in such pain. I hope it eases, soon. I guess you just need to rest as much as possible. I have bone ache/joint pains/muscle aches, etc., as a side effect of one of the medications I take, but, I am able to disregard it for the most part.
ReplyDeleteBless,
DeleteMost of the time, pain is not so bad. Although I hurt every day, all day long, it is not usually this bad, so I live with it. However, doing anything much causes excruciating pain. I would hate to have to take a med that caused aches and pains. I think tomorrow will be some better. Thanks.
My DH experiences that and for him it's 2 days after his exertion when he feels bad, for a good 2 more days. I'm also always trying to remind him to pace himself on his good days or he'll be regretting it in a couple days. He rarely listens to me.
ReplyDeleteOne,
DeleteWhen I have to travel for an hour one way, get in and out of the car, do practically nothing, buy a few groceries, and come home, there is practically no way to pace myself. In the grocery store I have someone put the milk in the electric cart. anything small that is above what I can very easily reach. Then, someone loads them in the car.
I think your husband does really labor intensive things. I don't. So, I am not even sweeping or vacuuming, things that would require any exertion. There are days I have to lie down after taking a shower or bath.
Believe me, I am cutting back from now on. So, it takes two days for him to start feeling bad and then it takes two more days to recover? Thanks.
I'm sorry to hear you're in so much pain, and that it's constant, even if not always as bad as it is today. I can't even imagine being in pain like that. Sending you big hugs!
ReplyDeleteTreaders,
DeleteMost people I talk with cannot imagine waking up everyday to pain and exhaustion. Thanks.
This is concerning, have you been diagnosed with some kind of a disorder. Maybe physical therapy could help.
ReplyDeletekim,
DeleteFibro and cfs.
Linda I've had osteoarthritis since I was a teen, so every day is painful. Add to that, now a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (wide spread pain) which happens, when it happens. That is bodywide pain that makes it nearly impossible to think.
ReplyDeleteI know EXACTLY what you are going through. But, unlike you, I have never had "no pain" days for as long back as I can remember..this has always been my life.
The pain can be made worse by an storm coming in (the barometric pressure changes, when drastic can set it off). It can be made worse by a particularly busy day. It can also be made worse by a lazy day, with a lot of sitting, and very little movement.
I have found that both Tai-Chi and swimming help, along with acupuncture and adding potassium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and iron supplements (along with C, to help the Iron absorb). I would highly encourage you to "get moving" as a way to alleviate the pain, and to increase your endurance. Get away from that mindset of "I can't".
It does help on the very worst days to muscle through the gentle stretching of Tai Chi -- muscles don't like lack of exercise (lots of sleeping or sitting in one position). It would also make you sleep better.
I cannot say enough GOOD about Tai Chi. It is low impact, increases your balance, and gives you a good workout. There are some excellent beginners Tai Chi online... and it would benefit you greatly. There is probably a Tai Chi center near you... and most of the classes will accept a sliding scale. It will build up your muscles, relax your joints, and improve your balance.
The thing to do with chronic pain is the opposite of what you THINK. Resting more makes it worse. Our bodies are made to move. You asked what you could do..... this is it.
Oh, I don't have the mindset of "I can't." I love tai chi! When I am at the worst pain, I often cannot rest. So, there are days I need rest and there are days I must soldier on. I do what I can do and what I cannot. I certainly don't sleep a lot unless I have lost hours of sleep for several nights in a row.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are days when I must rest no matter what anyone tells me. Doctors seems to understand.
DeleteI am so sorry you have had so much pain this week. I swept my mom's kitchen floor and it made me hurt so bad that day and the next. I have fibromyalgia and heart problems. I know what it's like to have your skin hurt! I bet you do too. Where it hurts to even have clothing on or to be touched. It's hard to explain to someone who has never had it and it exhausts you too. Some days I just grab something simple to eat like this week I haven't had the energy to shop and we do have stuff in the freezer and pantry. Thank goodness some meals I set aside from other meals and froze. It's times like this you have to just take care of yourself and do the best you can and call it good. Take care.
ReplyDeleteCrystal,
DeleteYes, my skin and clear through to the bone hurts. A nightgown is my house wear. I keep trying to explain that greeting me with a whack on the arm hurts. People make fun of me for saying it hurts. One woman came back to me and gave me a couple of whacks again and told me it did not hurt me. I told her I would have her arrested for assault if she ever did that again. That one hotdog was nice and hot. The alternative would have been a cheese sandwich--cold not a grilled cheese sandwich. Since the soup is gone, I am faced with making something for tomorrow night! ack! Yes, I am calling it good by hiring someone to clean things around here.