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