Saturday, December 17, 2016

When you procrastinate...for a year!

Well we all know procrastination and lack of energy go hand in hand. Lack of energy and fibromyalgia also go hand in hand. So it should come as no surprise that I have put off even looking at this blog for quite some time. I have great ideas, I write notes, my phone is full of photos, I have dreams of this beautiful post with all these pictures I have taken and then by the end of the day its all fizzled out and I cannot possibly bring myself to do one more thing let alone sit at the dang computer or on the phone. I had a website dedicated to fitness with fibro and I could not maintain it. My husband was originally going to hep and that didn't work. A few friends who do website were going to help and of course that didn't work out either. When I had more time I was able to be focused and get so much done. Even with some bad days or weeks thrown in. I used to read blogs and websites and think  "wow, the last post was a year ago or 2 years ago. Where did they go? Dont they care? What about the readers?"

                                                                       
                                          BAAAAAH
Now I do!

How easy it is for that to happen and how intrinsically I understand it now.
 Now I have no time and with some bad days thrown in there it seems every day only the bare minimum gets done.
Im just surviving. I have no time to share my entire story with the world. Or half my sto...well, even 1/4 of my story.....with anyone.
But I do have some highlights and plans to fill in the blanks when I have a couple days off next week. (best laid plans.....fingers crossed).

Probably the biggest thing is we moved a few months ago into this new house. Its a shade smaller and for someone who's got ADD, OCD and Fibro, it went fairly well. I had no major stress or anxiety issues until a couple days after moving in. (Thats big because we were living out of boxes all summer leading up to the move. More on that later) We left some things at the old place and the hubster got a friend to go get it all. I went over the next day to "clean" and saw there was still a million things left including heavy furniture and so yeah...I had a flip out. I wanted, no, NEEDED to be done at the old place. 

THE OLD PLACE...sounds like a book title. It could be had I desire to write everything down. We were packed in like sardines with our neighbors (not the good kind). It was loud, stressful, we had no privacy, we had constant knocking on the door, lots of foot traffic, car traffic, noise from a bar and also the drunk people staggering down the street after it closed. We had fights we had to call the police for every other month, a half way house, a rehab center, a 7-11 and a liquor store, neighbors who blasted music from their cars at all hours.....I could go on but the kicker was the kids couldn't ride their bike down the street without our thinking they'd get run over or kidnapped. And that's not my anxiety, that's the neighborhood.  


THE NEW PLACE...We have nice neighbors who aren't too close. Our backyard is very large, more long than wide and then goes down into the woods. Its conservation land so no one will build or encroach. Its almost magically quiet with the only sounds coming from various birds. We have deer, turkeys, rabbits and other critters who come to visit. Nov one knocking on the door and the kids can ride around the neighborhood, walk down to a friends house or to the bus, and its all safe. The anxiety level is down from a constant 9 to a 1. Its an unbelievable difference in the actual quality of life. Instead of dreading every noise and waiting on the edge of my seat for the next thing to happen, I'm chillin' with my dog on my lap looking around for things to do.

Stress is a killer. I have posted about it before and I'm sure I will again. 

I started making things to sell on line ie opening an Etsy store. Cant keep up with that either! I was doing well but I got VERY, and I know fellow online sellers no matter what site you use can sympathize, I was getting very annoyed at the people purchasing things an not leaving any feedback. I know feedback is great for myself as a buyer. If I see other people happy I am encouraged to buy. If I see low stars, low purchases, even though I know it could be someone just starting out I get hesitant. It looks like I have sold very little and I feel its not worth all the effort when people take my goods and not post feedback. I have let my listings expire as of late and I feel no motivation to add pictures of the new things because...well...shipping and communication to get no feedback...again it feels pointless. Its not about the money. You want someone to say "hey good work and THANK YOU".
If I get in there and spruce it up I will provide a link soon. 
           

 

 

I have had painted wine glasses, pre-made scrapbook pages, awareness bracelets, awareness magnets and other assorted awareness items.



Im done training (been a while now). NOT forever I hope but...Macros, calories, injuries, demands, late nights on the pc and memory issues are not a good mix at all. I do not have enough energy  to fully maintain at the level I should be able to and that effects my confidence which effects how I carry myself. I still give advice, tips online and occasionally a paid workout but as for clients, I just cant. Do I feel like a failure? Some days. Other days I remember this is my life now. Adapting and changing as the fibro does good or bad, is the way it has to be. 

Started Crossfit. Loved it 10 minutes in and I was hooked. Those who know, know. Its not like anything else. Its just not. You fell strong, confident, you carry yourself differently and feel like you have a secret. Like you're in a secret club for the cool kids and you cant tell anyone because you wont be cool anymore. But you do tell everyone because its so great you want to share it. You want to recruit people, you want to share the high and be proud you opened up new doors for yourself and a friend. It was scary, I was intimidated, but I took my scared arse in there and MADE myself get through a free class....Immediately paid for the next month. Its one of the best things I ever did. You have to try it at least once. 


The only picture I have there, I never bring the phone in #nodistractions




Had surgery on my right shoulder. Had issues for a while, tried everything I could. Ice, heat, magnets, electric stimulation, massage. The doctors of course  ran me around the bases. PT, cortisone injections, ultrasound blah blah...finally I demanded an MRI. Diagnosis: torn labrum , also a little of the  bicep! WTF!! PT wasn't going to fix that. GGRRR
Lets count the number of times I was asked ..
A: "Did you do that a Crossfit?" and B: "are you a pitcher?"
It wasn't as bad as they let on when they finally got in there, "supposedly" but had to scrape the bone and the amount of pain I stayed in for as long as I did after was no joke. That was April. Its now December. Still have pt and although some things are great, some of the important things are not and I am very displeased to say the least. The physical therapist also said "by the way, did they tell you you have arthritis in that shoulder?" BALLS!!! No "they" didn't. She wanted to make me aware that even with surgery and pt I may still be in some level of pain from the arthritis so not to get my hopes sup. FUN STUFF RIGHT? Ever feel like you are surrounded by idiots? My main goal is not 100 percent, but I want to go back to crossfit. Right now I feel like I cant carry my weight. QUITE LITERALLY!!


I think that's enough catching up for now. My brains will explode. I have still been reading, researching, and experimenting. I was given a copy of a book about cfs and fibro to read before it was to hit the shelves (which it has already) so I have a review on that, some supplements and some other things. Wow, Im still amazed at how being so extremely tired  all the time can set you back a millennia.









Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Kratom For Pain (and other things)



What is Kratom?

It is a Southeast Asian native tree(Mitragyna speciosa). *Oddly enough it is in the same family as coffee. sIt's a natural analgesic which has been used for hundreds of years to safely alleviate pain, combat fatigue and help with the effects of anxiety and depression.
The leaves of the tree have been used in  low doses (as a stimulant) or high doses (as a sedative). It has been used to treat pain, diarrhea, arthritis, fibromyalgia, treatment for opiate addiction and much more.

How can you take it
You can remove the central vein and chew on it (not recommended). This is mainly done in its native region. Dried leaves can be powdered or crushed to make it easier to swallow. 

The powder can be mixed with water or other liquids. It is quite bitter so fair warning. One site recommends making a chocolate  milkshake to get it down the in the best tasting way possible.

 You can mix it (powder) with applesauce, ice cream or yogurt .

You can have it put into capsules. 

Small drops of the extract can be dissolved in hot water as tea, or mix the tea with the regular tea you drink. 
extract


When mixing coffee with it you can use milk, cream, sugar or honey to manage the bitter taste. 

There are different strains for different effects. It has been banned in some states and in jeopardy in others. You can check the internet for a list, there is quite a bit of info anywhere you look. Make sure you fact check! 

Malaysian strains, especially green malaysian varieties, tend to be effective for  pain relief and can be less sedating than Indo, Borneo and Bali strains. Because of this, these strains can be great for anyone who would not like to experience a drop in their energy levels. If you do not want to experiment  or do a lot of research thats involved in trying different strains for reasons of time, confusion or cost,  red vein kratom tends to be overall better for pain relief than other strains.


"In an online survey of 6,150 kratom consumers by Pain News Network and the American Kratom Association, nine out of ten said the herb was a “very effective” treatment for pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, opioid addiction and alcoholism."

Percentage who rated Kratom effecive for pain relief.
  • 100% Cancer
  •   97% Multiple Sclerosis
  •   94% Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  •   93% Migraine
  •   93% Fibromyalgia
  •   92% Rheumatoid Arthritis
  •   92% Back pain
  •   92% Acute Pain
  •   91% Lupus and other autoimmune diseases
  •   90% Osteoarthritis
  •   90% Neuropathy
  •   88% Trigeminal Neuralgia
  •   79% RSD or CRPS
  •   76% Ehlers Danlos syndrome  


So what does this mean for us that suffer chronic pain? Well more reading, homework and guesstimatingThere are many "natural" drug free remedies out there. You only need to look on face book, twitter, blogs and support groups. just do a google search and behold the plethora of options!!


 There are products, pills, plans, books, vitamins, shakes, diet plans....This is another in a long list of things you may say why not try.  Why not. Its less than other things, its a plant. But remember, PLEASE ALWAYS consult your doctor as there are always risks of side effects or interactions. 

I would love to hear from anyone who uses this in any capacity to leave a comment on how you found about it and if you think it works. I see a lot of placed dedicate to information and it seems it has a big following. It would be great if someone shared some first hand info! Thanks!


Reddit User: Tea Recipe
Reddit User: Depression

5 Simple Kratom Recipes You’ll Love




Resources not linked aboved: Dosage conversion chart, Best strains for pain relief