Vacationing with Fibro

As a Fibro survivor and the proud supporter of two wonderful MS survivors, family vacations were not usually high on the list of things “To Do” and this is mostly because of all the considerations that have to be kept in mind when planning a trip that includes individuals with significant physical limitations. After I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, I actually dreaded the idea of even weekend trips because I would always end up one day into the trip and I was totally exhausted, in massive pain, and cranky as all get out not to mention that it would take 4 or 5 days just to recover. But I have in the past six months not only enjoyed several weekend excursions but a 5 day trip to San Antonio, Texas with my daughter and enjoyed every minute of it – and the key to my successful ventures is PLANNING and MODERATION!

Anyone will usually know at least a week in advance that they are taking a trip and I like to make it a two week window so that I can make sure everything is perfectly planned out. Yes everything! This allows me peace of mind that I have everything I need, the satisfaction of getting to do what I want to do, and not end up in mind numbing pain or tired beyond all belief.

Step One – Where are we going? My time share allows my daughter and I to take little weekend ventures and not worry about where to stay and the local attractions give us plenty of activities to choose from. Because I have to keep in mind that fatigue is the biggest trials for individuals with chronic illness, I only plan ONE ACTIVITY per day. If at the end of the day we are still feeling good, then we can throw in a swim in the pool or a round of put-put golf.

Step Two – What to take? Once I have my activities planned I can easily pack only what we need to take – this minimizes the amount of clothes and stuff that has to be hauled around! This includes meals! I like to eat healthy even if I am on vacation because I know that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial to my ability to enjoy myself. Its super easy to pack my USANA Nutrimeal Shakes for a fast easy breakfast or lunch and I plan simple dinners like grilled hamburger lettuce wraps, taco salad, or something else tasty we can grill. Planning your meals helps to avoid the weight gain that many people experience because they eat a lot of fast food when they are away from the house. If you are on medications, put those on the top of your packing list – the first thing in my bag are my HealthPak supplements and the migraine meds (I am a firm believer that if you have it you won’t need it but if you forget…it will be an unpleasant trip). It is also important to pack clothing that is suitable for the activities you are planning. Sure its fun it look cute but would you rather look cute or enjoy your trip without being in pain when you get home? Comfortable gym shoes are always on my packing list - this way I can do whatever I want and not have to worry about the pain.

Step Three – REST STOPS! Driving long distances is really unpleasant for Fibro and MS patients because we invariably get really STIFF and with that stiffness comes PAIN! (Please note that we did not put PAIN on the packing list!) When I am driving for more than an hour or two, I plan stops so that we can get out, use the latrine, and stretch. This can be tough when traveling with wheelchairs but I assure you that they appreciate the chance to stretch their legs too. Getting off the road also helps to keep the brain fog at bay – getting lulled into a foggy brain state could be very dangerous for everyone traveling with you.

Step Four – HAVE FUN!! Remember that moderation is the key to keeping your pain and fatigue under control. There is nothing wrong with taking a break in the middle of the day, you have to eat sometime, and then going back to your activities. Let your kiddos take a short nap while you rehydrate and cool down – many Fibro and MS patients are extremely sensitive to heat and making sure you keep cool is important. Don’t dwell on the things you “wish you could do” but rather ENJOY the things you can! Your family is not going to remember the things you didn’t do, they are going to talk about all the things you did do!

Don’t let your pain be the reason that you avoid vacationing with the family. You only live life once. Fill it with happy memories and fun times! Remember, careful planning and moderation is going to help you enjoy that vacation and the smiles and laughs of your family!

USANA in 120 Seconds

This is just a tiny bit about USANA and why I love it soooo much. I love that this unique nutritional product has not only helped me to take back my life from the crippling pain of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Migraines but I have lost 40 LBS with the USANA Reset and Nutrimeal Meal Replacement Shakes. This is not just another weighloss product - it is a product that WORKS and is a community of people just like you and me around the globe who Love Life and Live It the way we have always dreamed.

If you would like more information about USANA and these amazing products just visit www.presleygroup.usana.com  or email me at rachelpresley@usana.com!  I look forward to hearing from you!

On a side note: Welcome all my viewers in RUSSIA!! You have surpassed even my American followers!

You Motivate Me!

Good Morning Friends!

This will be a very short post because it is not going to be about health, fitness, or nutrition. This post is about YOU!!

I joined Blogspot.com at the end of June 2013 so that I could have a place where I could tell people about my troubles with Fibromyalgia, weight loss, USANA, and creating a Happier Healthier Lifestyle. I never dreamed that I would reach so many people so quickly!

Today I logged in to see that in one very short month I have had 349 visits to my blog and my viewers are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and today a visitor from PANAMA!

I want to thank you, each and every one of you, for coming and joining me in my journey and I hope that you enjoy my posts and find little kernels of knowledge that you can apply to your life. I am very open about my life and my many health issues and I welcome questions or comments about the same. I have always believed that if I could help even one person by telling them about my own experiences, then I have succeeded. Invite your friends to join the blog too! Create dialog.

My goal is to start posting two short blogs during the week and a longer blog on Sundays. I am also going to tag team with my best friend Iwona, who is a nursing student, and my personal trainer Dustin to bring you a weekly Health and Fitness tip.

Leave a comment with where you are from so that we can all see and enjoy healthy tips from around the world! Let us start a world epidemic of HEALTHY LIVING!

I will be on Vacation with my daughter this weekend, so I may not get to post on Sunday, but look for the next blog to talk about Vacationing With Chronic Illnesses. I used to dread Vacations because I would always be so miserable I wouldn't enjoy it. So I want to share with everyone the little things that I do to make vacationing fun!

A Healthy Home is a Happy Home!

Rachel

Does Fibromyalgia Workout for You?

 

So, let’s sit down and have a very important conversation about…..Exercise. Tell me, how is Fibromyalgia working out for you? Ok, yes I did that on purpose – I rather like puns. But in all seriousness, do you incorporate any kind of exercise into your daily activities? Or are you like I was for year and year and literally dreaded the idea of exercise because just saying the word made me hurt.

When I was first diagnosed with Fibromyalgia almost 6 years ago, I very quickly noticed that movement of any kind was not only near impossible but it left me in unimaginable pain. I would make it a point to move as little as possible because the pain was so bad that it was exhausting. I went from being able to run an Army PT 2 mile run to crawling  my way to the bathroom and avoiding all other activities that would increase my pain or fatigue me. I used to cry in frustration because I would literally have to have help going to the grocery store because I couldn’t push the cart or pick things up off the bottom shelves. As time went on, I became more and more sedentary and oddly enough, the more I sat or lay around, the more I was hurting. I also put on gross amounts of weight which didn’t help with the mobility or pain in the least.

If you saw me today, you would not believe that I was ever like this, but I can assure you that if you talked to any of my military friends or even my new co-workers, they will tell you that I have come light-years from where I was 6 months and I owe it all to exercise – vigorous, daily exertion. Believe me though, I didn’t start out biking 8 miles, lifting weights, participating in Body Pump, or even walking.

My daily routine, regardless of what day it is, is stretching. The majority of a Fibro survivor’s pain is because their muscles are tight and knotted and stretching helps to ease this significantly. Stretching also warms up the muscles which will help blood flow subsequently reducing swelling. Now I am not talking about doing full on yoga right after you jump out of bed – no no no. My morning stretches are simply gently flexing my joints and rotating them slowly. This promotes the bursae of the joints to start releasing synovial fluids which are the body’s natural lubricant and the more we move them, the more of this lubricant is released. I do this before I even attempt to get up because I know that after being mostly immobile during sleep, I will be very stiff.

Now before I started focusing on living and eating healthy and exercising every day, I did struggle on a daily basis to put one foot in front of the other. I did wear a rather large and unforgiving knee brace because the muscles were so weak it would hyperextend (and I would fall over) and use a cane for extra support because my right leg didn’t like to cooperate most of the time. Of course both of these crutches only served to create other problems. I wasn’t walking upright because of the cane and I would favor my right side which only added to the stress on my left side and therefore my back and shoulders would hurt all the time and my feet would swell uncontrollably.

When I first started working out with my trainer, I struggled daily. I chose to work with a personal trainer because these individuals are trained to help target muscle groups and make sure that you use proper form when lifting and working out so that you do not injure yourself. Dustin is my trainer and constant encouragement. I started out exercising only three days a week and using the other days to recover. We would do exercises that used my own body weight against itself and focus on slow, steady repetition. This allowed me to stretch and strengthen the muscle groups just a little at a time so that the muscle didn’t tear as with normal athletes because my unique body would not heal overnight as most bodies do. He helped me to build core stability because this is what I needed to fix my posture. We would do simple balancing exercises to help strengthen the right side of my body which I had been favoring for years and had begun to deteriorate. I am not saying that my muscles didn’t hurt, they did, they do, but the difference is that I could tell that they were stronger and it took a lot more for that exhausting, debilitating pain to set in. Dustin would help me every time we worked out with special stretches that would extend the ligaments in my hips and back so that I could regain my range of motion. He even made me foam-roll my inner and outer thighs which worked similar to a daily massage allowing the muscles to release tension and ultimately reducing pain. I really would get so mad at him when he would push me to do something that I was truly afraid of doing because “it might hurt”.

Now, 5 months later, after working through the pain and the “I can’t” mentality I am in sooooo much less pain,  still ache but I get around freely, and I workout every single day for at least an hour. I love the way my workouts make me feel. Sure I may get a little tired, but the endorphins that are released and the confidence I have built over the months, make it energizing and gratifying. I feel so good that I do 5Ks with my daughter, I lift and have begun training to be a Fitness Model, and the best part is that I can be an active part of my daughter’s life – I no longer have to site on the sidelines and watch her.

Now I will not sit here and tell anyone, a Fibromite or otherwise, to jump into lifting weights, advanced yoga, going to Body Pump classes, or even working out for an hour every day. You have to build up to it. Start small, start slow, and gradually add to your routine. I work with a personal trainer because I needed the knowledge and accountability but now I work with Dustin because I love the way I feel and the way I look. Find a workout that will push you just past your comfort zone and set goals for yourself. Remember to be smart about them though. With dedication and consistency, combined with a healthy diet and refreshing sleep, you may very soon find yourself participating in the lives of those you love rather than cheering from the outside. Sometimes it is necessary to take a break especially with advanced Fibromyalgia but remembering to stretch, whether you work out that day or not, so that your muscles are not allowed to tense up too much which will only make going back to your workout that much harder.

Exercise has made a huge difference in my life as a Fibromyalgia survivor and I am confident that it could do the same for you!

A Happy Home is a Healthy Home!

Migraine Mania

(Taken from the Voices of Fibromyalgia Facebook page where Fibro survivors band together for support and encouragement)

Migraine Mania

Migraines are absolutely excruciating! If you are one of the lucky ones who have never experienced a migraine, thank your lucky stars. As for myself, migraines became a constant and unwanted participant in my life.

According to the Mayo Clinic “A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. Some migraines are preceded or accompanied by sensory warning symptoms (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in your arm or leg” (Mayoclinic, 2013).

I am one of those migraine sufferers that can have one of these skull splitting headaches that last for days on end, accompanied by such an intense pain that I dread the idea of moving and the slightest shift in sound or light makes me sick to my stomach. When I am lucky enough to be awake when a my migraines begin I get a very significant aura – I get suddenly very cold and then a flashing light will appear in my vision and grows larger and larger until I lose sight entirely and which the return on my site comes the crashing pain. My best friend when I have a migraine is an ice pack that I can put over my eyes to help mildly ease the pain. I will also sit in extremely hot showers as this will help to ease the knots that form in the muscles down my neck and across my shoulders. I will even get the sensation that screw drivers have been shoved in my ear drums and my jaw will feel like its locked shut. The worse sensations are the cold sweats since my Fibromyalgia tends to flare when I get a migraine as well. The cold sweats made it impossible to find a way to get comfortable since a blanket would hurt my skin when I got cold and the wind from a fan would cause additional muscle spasms. Occurring usually two or three times a week and lasting 2-4 days at a time, my migraines used to make my life miserable. I can remember numerous occasions from back when I was on active duty as well as in my civilian careers where migraines would force me to go home from work because the nausea and pain were unbearable.

I distinctly remember getting migraines as early as 15 years old. I knew that my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all got them as well but eventually they went away. However, unlike these lucky ladies I was related to, who by the time they had their first child no longer experienced migraines, I am 28 (I only claim 26) and still plagued by these headaches.

Of course, if you have seen my previous blogs, you would know that I had a pill for every ache and pain that I had and my migraines were no different. Over the years I took Tylenol, Excedrine, Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Cafergotamine, Relpax, Esgic-Plus….and even resorted to Botox injections every three months to deaden the nerves around my head and neck so that I could be moderately functional. Most of the oral medications would work for a while but unfortunately these medications are not designed to be taken continually the way I needed to for these migraines. I loved the Relpax – it worked and worked fast…unfortunately it also gave me such severe chest pain that I would go from being frustrated at a monstrous headache to freaking out because I felt like I was going to have a heart attack! Rather counterproductive. The Botox, worked for a while, a few weeks tops – and then I swear the pain would come back worse than before the injections. And I am ok with saying that those injections were way worse than any of the spinal injections or steroid injections I have ever gotten! I cried like a little baby every time my neurologist would do those injections; usually about 37 total. I honestly have no idea how people get those for VANITY purposes! And I am VAIN!

But in the past two months, I can honestly say, that I have only experienced three migraines. THREE! In TWO MONTHS! This is a massive improvement over the three attacks a week! I’ll take it! Ok, so what’s the trick? In my endeavor to find a happier and healthier lifestyle for myself, I was introduced to another natural supplement called Proflavenol C. This USANA supplement is a pure Vitamin C and Grape Seed Oil tablet that tastes as good as it makes me feel. I won’t even pretend to understand how or why this little tablet works for me, but oh it does! I can take two of these little tablets a day, four when I am feeling like my immune system needs a little help, and I have noticed a massive difference in the intensity and frequency of my headaches and migraines. I was so happy that I had found a natural prophylactic for my migraines that I shared it with my sisters who also fight constant migraines and they have experienced relief too!

Migraines can be cyclic for women and will come on with changes in hormones. I experience more significant migraines with the changes in weather particularly low pressure systems. Smells, chemical or floraly like at craft stores, are almost sure fire triggers for me as well. One of my sisters is sensitive to lactose and any kind of dairy will trigger a migraine.

Track your migraines. Write down when you get them, what symptoms are most significant, what you have been doing, maybe what you ate the day before, and what your hormones might be going through. This information can be instrumental to a doctor determining if these are regular migraines or if there might be a more significant underlying problem such as brain tumors or aneurisms. Migraines are frustrating and painful but they do not have to be part of your day to day life. Research your options and if a natural prophylactic sounds like something you would be willing to try, let me know, and we can talk about it. Life can be a headache…no point in keeping around another one.

Healthier is Happier!

Rachel

Fibro Flares

Fibro sufferers know how it is to one day feel perfectly fine and then two days later struggle to perform simple daily tasks. These “setbacks” can last anywhere from a day to months. But as a fibro survivor, it is my encouragement to you, to never let these flares get in the way of your goals. The key to managing your fibro and minimizing these flares is a healthy diet, moderation, and good rest.

Today I am fighting a massive flare – I was feeling soooo good that I way over did it the past few days and the fatigue set in so fast I was worried I wouldn’t make it through the checkout line at Wal-Mart. I was picking up a few things, wandering around with my best friend and my daughter, when suddenly I felt my energy go from about 80% to 5% - almost instantly. My legs and arms began to feel very heavy, I struggled to form a cognitive thought, and my head started to throb. I just wanted to get home and sleep. Today, my vision is wonky, which is normal for a lot of fibro sufferers, and all of my joints are puffy and my muscles super tender. It has been a several months since I have experienced this kind of fatigue and pain. But I know that it won’t last.

See, the past few months I have not only focused on improving my diet to boost my body’s ability to function and heal itself but I have begun to workout ever day to replace the muscle and bone that I lost over years of steroids, a sedentary lifestyle, and massive weight gain. My workout does more for me that to help me look better. Working out has helped me increase my energy and functionality that having fibro frequently drains. And let’s face it, when you look good you feel good! Cleaning up my diet has helped significantly with the weight loss as well but it also helps my body to function in the way that it is intended to naturally. By minimizing the amount of processed carbs that I eat and increasing natural fibers and clean meats I have significantly reduced the side effects of issues like IBS and acid reflux and have reducing the inflammation that plagues the joints and muscles of many fibro survivors.

Unfortunately, diet and exercise are not the only things needed to managing your fibromyalgia and being able to enjoy life to the fullest on a daily basis. Moderation is the key to success with chronic illnesses – and not a virtue that I have mastered quite yet. I get so excited when I feel better and am doing all the fun and adventurous things that I want to do, that I forget that I do have limitations and then the fibro comes back to bite me in the tush (which is quite sore at the moment).  Most of the time, I will keep a detailed schedule of what needs to be accomplished and a list of the things that I would like to do. This allows me to balance my daily activities so that I don’t push the limit too far which keeps the fibro at bay. When I am feeling exceptionally well and have a bit more energy, I can take an activity from the “would like to accomplish” list without stretching myself too thin. Having a list not only allows me to see what needs to be done and what I would like to do, but as I accomplish those tasks I cross them off which gives me a boost physically and emotionally as I see how much I have achieved.

Finally, I mentioned good rest. Our bodies regenerate when we sleep and depending on age, activity level, and health some of us require more sleep than others. Personally, my heart goes out to my best friend who is an insomniac – I get very cranky when I don’t get enough sleep, not to mention that my body doesn’t tend to play fair. As I was learning about Fibromyalgia when I was first diagnosed, one of my providers talked about the importance of sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene refers to a daily set routines that lets the body know that it is time to start winding down and getting ready to rest. In the past few years I have developed such a detailed sleep hygiene routine that if I miss any portion of my routine, I struggle to fall asleep no matter how tired I am. It’s like my body is telling me that I forgot to turn off a light switch. Developing a routine for getting ready for bed is very important whether you have a chronic illness or just need to ensure that you are fit and ready to tackle tomorrow’s business meeting. But I know that some people just struggle to fall asleep and I am no different. Since I have moved to a natural diet and am focusing on removing chemicals from my body, when I need a little extra help going to sleep or I have had a slightly more stressful evening than normal, I take a small dose of Pure Rest which is a natural melatonin supplement. Melatonin is a natural brain chemical that helps the body to relax and go to sleep. Some people do not produce enough of this chemical and others have too much cortisol in their systems which causes a hyper-vigilance and increased difficulty falling asleep. By developing a sleep routine and sticking with it, our bodies will eventually learn to start releasing the melatonin when we are ready to go to bed and the body will begin to relax which ensures a better quality of sleep.

But in the end, remember, that when struggling with a chronic illness like Fibromyalgia, it is all about moderation, consistency, a good diet, and exercise. It is also important to celebrate the little accomplishments because this will make you feel exponentially better. Fibro Flares are not the end of world; they just force you to sit down and read that book you have been putting off because you feel so good you have been hitting the museums and the golf course. Schedule your activities, set your goals, plan your meals, and create a sleep routine – this is a good place to start for moderating your fibro pain and regaining your independence.

Enjoy the down time!

Rachel

 

My Personal Trainer

 

What will You Gain when You Lose?

In January I visited my cardiologist and was told that if I didn’t lose a significant amount of weight and find a workout that would strengthen my heart I likely would not live to see my daughter graduate high school. See I have a congenital heart defect that was only compounded by the gross amount of weight I had put on when I was struck by Fibromyalgia at 24 years old. I was actually retired from the military because of my fibromyalgia and its debilitating side effects. After that visit I made the decision that I was going to do whatever it took to get healthy – no matter how much it hurt, how long it took, or how hard I would have to fight.

That weekend I wobbled, yes wobbled with my leg brace and my cane, into the Richardson 24Hour Fitness club. I remember sitting down and telling the gentleman at the desk that I needed to lose weight and I wanted to work with a trainer who would be able to help me strengthen my body without making my military injuries worse or aggravating the Fibro and shed the pounds I needed for my heart to work properly. I had no idea what I was getting into.

Dustin White is not just a trainer to me. He has become an amazing mentor not only about fitness but about my diet as well. He has encouraged me and pushed me from day one to defeat the biggest enemy we all face in reaching our goals – myself. “I can’t” is not in Dustin’s allowable vocabulary. When I first walked into the gym I was miserable (hated my body), overweight (230lbs), and barely walking (reference the cane). Dustin has not only helped me to lose 30 lbs so far (I am still going) but helped me to regain my sense of independence (no more leg brace or cane) and has stood by me as I faced my fibromyalgia and told it too get lost (I am not cured – but I have taken back my life!) Many people with chronic illnesses know that one day you feel fine and the next you can’t do a thing – Dustin always found a way to work with my limitations when they came up. All I ever had to say was “my knee is being wobbly” and we would do exercises to make it stronger or “my migraines are making me nauseous” and we would still get in a good workout just maybe not as hard or heavy as normal. This guy was more understanding than some of my doctors had been and understood I didn’t want to be like this for the rest of my life! All I wanted was to lose the weight, lose the drugs, and be a healthy role model for my child.

I went back to my cardiologist at the end of June and got the best news I could have ever heard – I didn’t need heart medications anymore! The weight was coming off and my little heart did not have to work so hard and the EKGs even showed that it was significantly stronger than when I started with Dustin in February. I am off all the pain medications and steroids for the Fibromyalgia as well. From 10 prescription medications a day to just one – all because of a personal trainer who believed I could do it and helped me to accomplish my goal.

Now Dustin is more than a trainer and mentor – he is a friend. A friend that I know will make fun of me when I am being a Drama Queen, offer healthy alternatives to my hamburger cravings, and maybe won’t show up for my 5K runs, but will cheer for me none the less. Dustin changed my opinion of person trainers. He isn’t out to just make you look good (but he will); he will encourage you to be healthy and teach you how to do it. I am not going to sit here and say it’s been a walk in the park but these past 5 month working with Dustin have been a wonderful adventure and I look forward to our next workout. Next stop – Fitness Model!