still not sleeping

Today is a really bad one. I thought maybe the Lyrica would help me at least a little. I'm not sure what to think now. I take only one at night because if I take 2 I cannot do much at all during the day. I am too sleepy. Taking just one doesn't seem to make me tired enough to get enough sleep either. I am so exhausted all the time. I use to have so much energy many years back.

I feel like I'm not worth anything because I can't get out to work. I have lost income for almost 2 years now because of my pain and lack of sleep. I cannot stand for long periods so retail work is out for me. I tried working even as a cashier at 2 different companies last year Mar. 2007 and had to quit both of them within 2 days because I could not take the severe pain of standing after even a half hour.

I can't find any kind of legitimate work at home job either. All of them want you to pay them for information. I can't sit for long periods either so even working at home would have to be limited to only a few hours. I can't find any company that needs that little help. I cry a lot because I can't find any kind of work that won't bear so much pain on me also trying to stay awake while working is a real challenge now.

I have to take daytime naps often because of lack of sleep at night. I toss and turn about every 15 mins or so all night long.

Lack of part time income for me is not letting us get our credit card paid off like we'd like to either. With my husbands income we are making our bills but we cannot save for our future or even give Christmas gifts to some of the family like we'd like to.
I've worked all my life since I was 18 and now I feel like a failure as I cannot even work even a little to bring in some type of income.

I may have to try for SSDI . I was thinking about if for some time now but keep hesitating because I feel like I'm asking for a hand out and that certainly is not the case. I have found a website called Allsup.com that I may use. I found their link from FMAware.org. I don't want a handout but we do need my income back.

Until next time,
Have a Wonderful Week!
Nancy

Books on Fibromyalgia

Good day everyone,

I just purchased (online) 2 books on Fibromyalgia. One is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fibromyalgia and the other is Fibromyalgia for Dummies. When I receive them I will read them through and share with you some tips etc. I gain from the books.

Ever since I knew I had Fibromyalgia I have been reading all I can about the chronic muscle disorder. One thing I found out is that the pain I have sometimes in my chest is Fibromyalgia related. I thought maybe I was going to have heart problems, but since Fibromyalgia affects your muscles, and your heart is the biggest one, it occurred to me, WOW, I never thought of that.

A couple of years ago I did have a stress test at the hospital because I was going in for shoulder surgery and my doctor knew of my occasional chest pains. They said my heart was fine and I was relieved. Although I am a little scared because what if I really do have a start of a heart attack and I just think it is Fibromyalgia pain? How would I know the difference? Apparently some people do not know.

My thought is, if you are experiencing pain in the chest that frightens you, go to the hospital. It is better to be safe than sorry, right?

I hope you are having a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon. I have to go do some housework. I just look at it and think "This is going to hurt me real bad tomorrow and probably the next day too"!!

Take care!
Hugs,
Nancy

Sleepless nights - trying Lyrica

I feel so very tired every morning when I get up. That's because every night I toss and turn because of my pain. I can't lay on either side for more than 10 minutes so I flip from side to side, then from back to front. When I get up it takes me at least 30 minutes (or more) to wake up some and get the body moving.

I am tired or groggy all day long because of lack of sleep. I did try Ambien and Lunesta but I felt very weird on both of them so I stopped taking them. They made me have nightmares, plus I was not sleeping any more than without them. I tried several anti-depressants and will never take another one again. My body cannot handle them I guess. I felt foggy and disoriented all the time on them and dizzy a lot. They didn't help me sleep any either.

I am now trying Lyrica. The doctor started me on 75mg twice a day. It was making me sleepy during the day so my doc said to try 2 at night. I did that for a while and I was still too sleepy during the day. I take one at night and that seems to help with the pain some (enough to help me sleep a little more) , but when I'm awake the pain is just as intense as ever. I do have to take two Lyrica when I am in real severe pain just to get some sleep but then the next day I am so tired.

I am so hoping that someday soon Fibromyalgia patients like me will have something to take for severe muscle pain every day for during the day that won't make us sleepy and groggy. We need something to ease the pain yet keep us alert. For now I have to stick with Lyrica.

Have a Wonderful day everyone
God Bless
Nancy

Shopping is an ordeal now

I cannot believe the pain I am in just going out to a couple of stores to get necessities and groceries. Before my Fibromyalgia I was able to do most anything with little or no pain.
I feel like my life has been taken away from me. I have to actually plan when I want to go out now. Even just grocery shopping.

Most times when I go to the store and get back home I am hurting so bad I can't do anything for the rest of the day and even the next day because of the severe pain.

I never knew what Fibromyalgia did to people until now.

Have a Wonderful day everyone and talk to ya soon
Hugs,
Nancy

Blogsvertise

Hey everyone,

Need some extra money?
I found this cool website for making money blogging.
It is called Blogsvertise and is located at http://www.blogsvertise.com/
They assign you tasks once your account is approved and
they pay you for each blog you enter.
How cool is that? It is so easy and simple to do.
All you need to do is join at http://www.blogsvertise.com/ and wait for approval.
Once you are approved you will be assigned tasks.

You make money just by writing about their advertisers. Payments are made after 30 days your assigned task has been approved. You don't even have to endorse the product or service that you are writing about. You can write about it anyway you like, compliment or complain , whatever you feel about the advertisers site.

Why not stop by their website and see for yourself? http://www.blogsvertise.com/
and make some money!

Have a wonderful day!
Nancy

Fibromyalgia and Me

I have had muscle pain for quite a few years all over my body. The pain was so intense and everything I did on a daily basis hurt me real bad. Just simple housework had me in severe pain. Sitting at work at the PC just about killed me. I was in tears most times when I went home. The pain was in my shoulders, my neck, my back, my hips, my knees, my feet, my elbows, all over.
I worked at a call center until they closed down in 2006. I worked there for 6 1/2 years. By the end I was in so much pain I was almost happy that they did shut down. It did hurt me financially, being out of work, but the pain that I was in going to work day to day was too much to bear.

I started seeing my doctor about this way back in 2003. Most of my doctor visits I felt like I was "bothering" the doctor complaining about all this pain I had. Most times I didn't even want to go because I knew what his reaction would be. I do also have arthritis and so my doctor thought all this pain was arthritis related. He sent me for physical therapy, to a rheumatologist (as my rheumatoid factor was always high) ,went to him a quite a few times. My doctor also sent me for epidurals at the hospital ( injected in the top of my neck), to a bone and joint specialist (I had shoulder surgery as a result of his visits), and more physical therapy. This was all over a course of about 4 years time.

During the year of 2006 I accidentally stumbled on something about Fibromyalgia. I believe it was first on TV that I saw it mentioned and then I was researching online. I read and read and read about it. I read all the symptoms, read everything I could find about it and I knew in my heart that is what I had. I made another doctor appointment and at that time I brought in a print out about Fibromyalgia. I asked him if this is what I had, as all of my treatments, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, pain pills, everything I tried did not help me at all. He said it could be what I have but there was no real tests for it. I kept going and going back to my doctor because I was in so much pain just doing dishes and I was not sleeping at all (for about 6 years) and I needed answers.

In 2007 my doctor finally agreed with me that I had Fibromyalgia because I had all the tender points (there are 18) and I know I have all 18. You have to have at least 11 tender points to be diagnosed. I was so relieved to finally know what I had (not relieved I had it), but relieved to know what all my severe muscle pain was about and I finally could move forward from there.

to be continued......