Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia

A chronic pain condition affecting the soft, fibrous tissues of the muscles, tendons and ligament. They linger and torture you like a house guest from hell. If fibromyalgia has taken up residence in your body, you may feel deep muscle soreness or burning, throbbing, or shooting pains. 

 

You may ache all over and/or have extreme tenderness at specific spots-called myofascial trigger points – located in your neck, shoulders, lower back, elbows, and knees and beneath your buttocks. Pain and fatigue may be your constant companion or come and go, flaring during times of stress or when you are exposed to draft. 

That is the cruel irony of fibromyalgia: It makes you so tired and achy that you can barely move, but inactivity leads to poor sleep; which in turn makes your muscle ache more. You become so trapped in a pain-fatigue-pain loop that you may stop moving altogether. 

REST A soak before bedtime in a tub laced with ½ cup of Epsom salts is the most heavenly way to prime your body for deep, restful sleep.

KNOCK OUT THE KNOTS

The conventional treatment for FM all aim to reduce pain and increase sleep, but they can leave you with bothersome side effects. At best, the standard treatments work for only half of those with FM. That isn’t to say, though, that here’s nothing you can do. A broad range of non-drug remedies can help release the knots, free your pain and stiffness, and promote a good night’s sleep- without grogginess or other, more trouble-some side effects that you have to deal with the next day. Here’s where to begin:

·         MOVE –BUT SLOWLY

When even a wave of your hand can be excruciating, exercise may be the last thing on your mind, yet it should be the first thing you do after you get your diagnosis. Studies show that non-impact exercise can minimize pain and tenderness in just three months. Start by gently stretching your arms and legs to the point of resistance. Work up to holding each stretch for a minute. Then begin a walking or water exercise program.

·         TRY TOUCH THERAPY

Common massages can dampen pain, stiffness and help you snooze more deeply.

·         GO LIGHTLY

If even a gentle massage is to much for your tender muscle try craniosacral therapy. To enhance mobility and release tension, a craniosacral therapist uses barely noticeable, rhythmic movements of the bones at the back of the head and bottom of the spine and of the connective tissue system.

·         MAXIMIZE MAGNESIUM

Talk to your doctor before trying it. A magnesium deficiency can literally leave you weak. So, eat leafy greens, dried beans and lentils.

·         LOAD UP ON CoQ10

Antioxidant that also provides the spark that fires up ATP in your cells-which means less pain, more energy and better sleep. It’s abundant in spinach, sardines, albacore tuna and peanuts, but ensure to get enough, look for capsules or tablets in oil base.

·         TURN ON THE HEAT

Applying an over the counter cream containing capsaicin- the ingredient that gives chile peppers their bite to your most painful areas reduces soreness because capsaicin helps tamp down chemicals that transit pain. Look for it in drugstore or health food store.

·         GET NEEDLE

In one study, people with FM who tried acupuncture reported less pain and depression after just one month of treatment. It boosts endorphins, the body’s morphine-like painkillers. Ask your doctor for a referral to a reputable acupuncturist.

·         BE SURE TO GET B

You can battle weakness and fatigue by eating foods rich in B vitamins such as cereals, eggs, poultry, shellfish and milk. You can also take B-complex supplement.

AN APPLE (OR MORE!) A DAY…       Just may keep FM pain away. Researches have found that taking up to 6 tablets a day of Super Malic (200mg of malic acid found in apples) and 50mg of magnesium helped squelch pain in people with FM. It takes about 2 months to work.

Fly, Fly

There you are lying on the grass,

But now it just feels like glass,

You used to run up to me,

You’re like a stray I can see.

You greeted me in front of the gate,

How can you have so much love and not hate?

THEY took you in, but didn’t take care for you,

Not now, not then and not even when you were new.

You waited for me to get some food,

I thought I’d do something good,

You know the cue when you saw me,

Then, you ran happily towards me.

You gave lives for eight times,

THEY didn’t care; they care for his dimes,

When you became tired and weak,

You were sick and that was the peak.

Fly, fly to the place where there’s no hurt,

Play nice and you can now roll in the dirt,

No more worries, no more pain,

I know you are gone when I saw you in the rain.

How cruel can you be?

I love checking my friends' status in Facebook; that is my confession. Some posts are funny, others are not and then, there is one that broke my heart. It is an update from SSPCA (Sarawak Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) . There are a few pictures that would and should make people sad. The dogs were crammed in one small cage and they were once pets. Just because the festive season is here, it is not right to remove your pets as if they are rubbish. YOU CAN'T SPRING CLEAN YOUR PETS!!

How can it be so easy  and convenient for you to just dispose them? Don't you feel sad seeing them forced into a cage and taken away? Obviously, the answer is no because no human who loves their pets would do such a horrible thing. I think the more appropriate question is how can you just sit back and watch your pet  breed and breed and breed?Then, when the festive season is here, you asked the council to dispose them. After that, history repeats itself. How cruel can you be?

A few things you can do to decrease the population is to neuter. Neutering your pet is not a difficult task. Make an appointment with your veterinary. Fast your pet for twelve hours. Bring your pet to the vet and leave him/her there while the vet do the neutering. Your pet can go home on the same day. That is all. The best time to neuter your pet is when he/she is about three months old. I know for some people it seems cruel, but wouldn't it be worse to bring unwanted puppies/ kittens into the world? They will be strays and the victims to road kills and cruelty.

In this case, it is not the dogs or cats' fault to populate. All this points back to human for not being responsible. Dogs are not only meant to look after the house and cats are not only to chase mouse. They are more than just that. They need love, care and companion. Once you've decided to be a fur parent, it means that you have a huge responsibility on your shoulder. You need to be able to provide your pet from food, drink, shelter to all the medical bills. If not, then what's the point of having pets?

WHY MAKE YOUR PET'S LIFE A LIVING HELL?

Allergic to para-phenylenediamine (PPD)

This incident happened about three months ago...

 (Thursday)
 I looked into the mirror and realized that i had lots of white hair. I knew it was time to dye my hair as the last time i dyed it was before Chinese New Year. So, without much hesitation, i went to the salon to dye it. 
I hate sitting in the salon because i feel isolated. After choosing my colour, the process started. My scalp started burning but that was normal for me. I dyed my hair all the time and i knew that it had to burn a little. It wasn't a big deal at all. I walked out of the salon with a new hair colour and i felt great. That night, i learnt that beauty has its price to pay. 
My scalp was still burning and itching at the same time. I decided to sleep it off thinking that it was nothing. 

(Friday)
 I woke up the next morning and had trouble brushing my knotted hair. I felt bumps on my scalp and the sensation that i felt the night before was getting worse. The last time i felt that way was so many years ago when i dyed my hair at home.I washed my hair hoping that the water would soothe my scalp, but i was wrong. I rubbed my scalp every once in a while and became really irritated with everyone around me. When i started sweating it became worse. I had another early night. 

 (Saturday)
 Nothing changed the next day and the situation became worse. I didn't want to go to the doctor because I was embarrass. After my shower, i had breakfast. All that i can feel was thousands of ants trying to pick out my scalp. I rubbed my scalp again but this time, i realized a numb sensation on my face specifically, my forehead. I panicked and my brother called my father. We went to the Emergency Room to get the treatment.The doctor didn't seem helpful as he looked like he was in a hurry to get back to his laptop. He prescribed medication and an injection. I wasn't afraid of needles, so it wasn't a big deal. The nurse told me i would be drowsy. We went and have lunch but there was no effect from the injection. I wasn't even drowsy! When i went home, nothing much changed. 

(Sunday)
I woke up to find out that i was still feeling the same. The medication and injection didn't work at all. My dad took me back to the hospital, but the same doctor was on duty. So, we decided to go back in the evening. By then, my head felt really heavy, numb and the pain was just unbearable. I started coughing and having headache too. We went back to the hospital and luckily there were different doctors. I had a fever and my blood pressure was spiking due to the pain i was feeling. The other doctor observed my scalp and sure enough i had an allergic reaction to the hair dye. I was given two injections through the vein in my hand. One was steroid and the other was to help me sleep. No fever by the time i reached home.

(Monday)
The pain and burning sensation was mild. My forehead was still a little swollen.

It took about another three days for everything to get back to normal. That hair dye experience was a bad one and costs a lot. I was never allergic to hair dye and this came to me as a surprise. This taught me a lesson to do a test behind my ear or inner arm for skin sensitivity in the future. But, i don't think I'll go back to the salon to dye my hair anytime soon. I'll just have to accept my ever-growing whites! 

*I'm writing this to share my experience and to educate everyone about allergic reaction to hair dye. If you are like me, it means that you are allergic to para-phenylenediamine or PPD which is in the hair dyes. Do go to the hospital as soon as possible if you have the allergic reaction after dyeing your hair. This is serious because this allergy has claimed a few lives.