Has anyone bothered to ask you that question lately?
I wrote a personal article in response to this writing exercise (I need the writing practice myself & wanted to vent):
http://awomeninherthirties.com/2012/09/15/journey-to-happiness-saturday-writing-exercise/
Saturday Writing Exercise (in a post – on your blog):
Main idea of the post: Your diagnosis/illness (physical or mental)
Things I would love to know about you in today’s post:
- Diagnosis (how it came to be)
- Doctors (who diagnosed you)
- How do you deal with the diagnosis?
- What meds were you prescribed (unless too personal for your blog)
- Do the meds help you?
- What are the negatives of the meds?
- What are the positives of the meds?
- Do you apply any natural remedies along with the medication or only use natural remedies?
- If you use natural remedies, what are they?
- How does the diagnosis make you feel on a daily basis?
- Do you have a support system in place?
- What have you learned to help you emotionally deal with your illness/recovery process? Example: journaling etc.
- How are you doing at present?
- What is the conclusion on your treatment(s)? Are the treatments (meds, therapy, or other working?)
- How are you doing?
You can place a comment here or back-link to this post if you wish, though not necessary.
If the above questions are too personal for you to write about, I completely understand.
Happy Saturday!
Posted: Saturday, September 15, 2012
John
/ September 15, 2012Those are alotta questions liz. I asked you the other day how you were. I read those vanished posts. It was scary. How are you?
lizeccentric7
/ September 15, 2012Doing a post on it right now.
lizeccentric7
/ September 16, 2012I write alot of vanishing posts when I have PMS each month, think most readers know that by now, well I think they do…
PMS – First of every month, readers will see many vanishing blog posts. ha ha
mystudentstruggles
/ September 16, 2012I may try this out, though it may not be posted. We’ll see
I have to come to terms with it myself before telling the world.
lizeccentric7
/ September 17, 2012Well, you can always just keep a post private, helps to vent, that’s why I have WAY too many crazy vanishing posts. Those are just vent posts, I shouldn’t publish them really, but I always have. Readers generally do know it’s only when I am angry or upset, or PMS.
SimplySage
/ September 16, 2012I’m with John above, Liz, and I read how you were and am so relieved to find out. Like him, I was scared but when I saw all the vanishing posts I knew you’d either been hacked or were regrouping.
I sleep really good and feel rested most of the time.
I also have assorted heat packs and a nice big soaking tub. Plus, I get a massage about every six weeks—I highly recommend.
Keep talking to us, Liz. We love to read you!
I do have a chronic disease, diagnosed by six different MD’s. I will try to answer these questions as concise as possible.
•Fibromyalgia. Started as deep pain in my neck
•Diagnosed first by a neurosurgeon, followed by a rheumatologist, a physiatrist (not a psychiatrist, thought I probably need one!), and two family practice MD’s.
•Combination of meds, exercise, healthy diet and above all, good sleep. I absolutely cannot run on empty.
•Ultracet, Lyrica, Melatonin
•negatives of the meds. Lyrica is very expensive.
•positives of the meds. Lyrica is expensive but it keeps me moving, thus keeping me employed!
•custom blended vitamins. Yes, they are expensive, too, but they keep me moving, thus keeping me employed.
•I feel good now that I’m on a great regimen
•My husband is wonderful and will advocate for me to the rest of the family. He reminds the kids I need sleep and can’t run all over the country for them. I can’t pack a ton of activities back to back. I have to pace everything. Thus, I guard my schedule carefully. My current doc is awesome, too.
•Emotionally? Well, I’m a real ambitious high-energy, athletic person. I’ve had to slow down and do more reflection. I had to exchange some of the more high active activities for quieter ones, one being blogging and photography. So it opened up a whole new world for me—a wonderful world. It’s also made me much more compassionate with others with chronic illness.
I’ve learned the importance
•I’m doing great.
•My treatments are working great but require great discipline. Plus, they are an investment financially. I spend a lot of money keeping it under control but I look at it as a necessary investment. Like your post about the things people will spend money on? Well, I won’t do that. I’ll set aside the money needed to stay healthy and do without other things. Plus, I will spend more to buy quality food, real food, not a bunch of junk.
I hope what I write will help someone else suffering from fibromyalgia.
Peace,
Alexandria
lizeccentric7
/ September 17, 2012@Simply Sage – No need to worry of vanishing posts, I have done vanishing posts since started the blog – mostly to vent or those PMS moments, and due to grieving, you know how grief is the emotions of anger, sadness, anger, sadness, and at some point acceptance.
I have had much grieving over the past 3 years, so the blog reflects the grieving processes. Right now, is the best I have felt, although had to implement high, strenuous exercise to relieve anger or repressed sadness. Works most of the time.
Had no idea of the Fibromyalgia, your Vitamins. If I may ask, do you have a post on those? How to get the vitamins? Oh my gosh, I now have to go get a massage ASAP.
Glad that you have figured out the time management part, thank you because
I am seriously lacking in that area right now.
Thinking of keeping a daily log, to better manage time, as the med does make me sleep long and deeply (like your meds) so have less daytime hours, cannot be helped though.
So glad you wrote this as I am getting a better understanding of my little WP community each day, and helps to know who readers are, and what daily issues they face.
Thank you! Reminder to self:
-massage
-time management log
-specialized vitamins
Appreciate you telling your personal story, and sure it will help others with Fibromyalgia.
SimplySage
/ September 17, 2012The company for the vitamins is called Bioceutica. They auto ship every month. I also take their product called Opti-Greens, good veggies in a capsule. An innovative company. My doc thinks they are incredible. Once you get a massage, you will never go without one. It’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made. They are an absolute must for fibromyalgia.
lizeccentric7
/ September 17, 2012Thank you, have had many massages before, but haven’t thought about it, glad you reminded me. I would love to have a hot stone massage.
Going to check out the website for the vitamins, I spend a lot on vitamins so might as well order some that are special for my health needs, great information.
Time-traveler
/ September 18, 2012I have been diagnosed with ADHD OCD and a neurological disorder and unfortunately they are chronic. Physically I have been diagnosed with something Spondylolysis in my back. That’s what ended up causing me to break it later in life.
A neurologist at the Baylor College of Medicine diagnosed the neurological stuff in ’90 when I was 10. The physical was diagnosed by a neurosurgeon at the same institution as the the other Dr.
I don’t like any of the diagnosis but it is what it is.
For the neurological stuff i was prescribed a bunch of different Anti-Depressants but I did not respond well to them. The when I was twenty-one he prescribed me 1mg Xanax and it took care of everything. The Judge that just sentenced me is not letting me take it though so I have lawyers ready to go have his ass. The physical stuff I took a myriad of narcotic pain killers for about six weeks after surgery then went to Tramadol.
The Xanax has no real negative side effects except when the Judge detoxed me in jail cold turkey. Could have killed me by the way. Not just like getting sick from Heroin or stuff like that.
I’ve learned that on my eyes my disorder is worse than it is in others’. But the back stuff is bad and I find out what kind of surgery I have next on the 3rd. I use no natural remedies.
Currently my PO and some other people at the probation office are trying to get him to let me take my medication. If it does not work this time I have two lawyers ready to go to bat for me because people in other states here about the Judge in Beaumont. That’s my only problems right now. No matter what I just keep on trucking anyways
lizeccentric7
/ September 18, 2012@Time Traveler – cannot believe the judge made you quit Xanax cold turkey! You are right, could have lead to your death. Xanax can never be stopped in that fashion, it has to be slowly lowered (as you know already, readers might not).
The back diagnosis – had no idea, but I am glad that you were able to get the correct diagnosis fairly early (unlike me).
Sounds like the judge does need a nudge from an attorney, that judge has some serious balls to not allow you a very much needed medication.
The ADHD does not show in your writing, the medication must work well for you.
Antidepressants never worked for me either.
Thank you for sharing your story Hugh, other readers who can relate will most likely see your comment, and contact you, and be inspired by your latest poetry and the fact you
“keep on trucking” despite all of your life’s trials.
nurulthecook
/ September 18, 2012Wow that’s a lot of questions and some very honest answers.
I have a hyperactive thyroid. I’m constantly on medication. Carbimazole or Methizole. 20 mg. But sometimes it doesn’t seem to work and I sleep only 3-5 hours over days on end get totally exhausted and become depressed. I’ve noticed that the last couple of days. I don’t know what triggers it to suddenly be more hyper than the medication dosage. I also don’t want to increase the dosage any more. I want to try fiddling with my diet to see if that helps. I will write write about it on my blog. Careful analysis of diet has helped me a huge deal in the past. Leaving out dairy has more or less cured my hay fever.
I’ve tried homeopathic medicine, herbal constitutional teas, chinese medicine, cranio-sacral therapy, a very personal sort of talking therapy (it wasn’t psycho therapy and I don’t know what else to call it?), hundreds of massage therapy sessions (called Leibarbeit in Germany). They were the most amazing experiences ever. I did all this for a year after voluntarily stopping my meds. In the end I got so ill I had to start my meds again just to be able to lead a normal life.
My doctors in London wanted to operate or put radioactive iodine into me. I refused. I spent half my childhood in hospitals and will do it again only as a last resort.
I would like to try the chinese meds again. Was too bloody expensive in germany. 5 days worth of chinese herbs cost me almost 100 euros. I couldn’t afford that on an ongoing basis. But my chinese medicine practitioner in Berlin is really wonderful.
I’ve taken almost 2 years out from my old life in Europe from the constant productivity machine that I was. Travelled a bit around Asia and am now living in Cambodia. My depression is almost non-existent and I have stress maybe 2 times a month. Was the best decision ever to leave everything behind and come here. I still believe i can overcome this longterm without medication and just natural remedies. I still don’t know exactly which combination yet though. I’ve had this for over 5 years now and I’m feeling better about myself and my life now than anytime since then.
lizeccentric7
/ September 21, 2012This post has helped me to understand more about readers and other bloggers than any other post ever written…Seems as though you have a good handle on natural remedies, and the massage therapies sound amazing!
Talking therapy sounds fun, where can I find that? Thought the only way to get “talking therapy” in the states was when a person highers a prostitute to talk to them, ha ha (joking).
Did you see Simply Sage’s comment on the special vitamins and where she orders them from? This may help with your specific thyroid, meaning for a natural remedy.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with the world, and I hope to read your post on the subject.
Sure there are many readers who drop by here with thyroid issues, and will find this information really helpful!
Glad you made the move, wow you are a brave person to travel so far.
Can I ask a question? Do you travel alone? (if not too personal)
If you do travel alone, you are one of the bravest bloggers I know…Honestly, traveling that far alone is just pure guts, in my opinion. Don’t think I would have the guts for travels that are so far across the globe, especially alone.