R&R 101: Serenity

(c) Merimbula Lake, ChronicFaith 2012

Nature has an amazing way of calming and distracting us away from pain and focusing us on the world that is & God it's creator. Enjoy some amazing views captured by yours truly... Stop, Stay and Reflect.. even if it's just for one moment.. The God who designed all of this, made you & is perfectly able to hold you together. 

"You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you. 

Trust in the Lord forever, 

for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."

Isaiah 26:3-4

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, 

the world, and all who live in it; 

for he founded it upon the seas

and established it upon the waters."

Psalm 24:1-2

I remember....

Let me tell you about something that seems to be helping me get through this pain..

For a while, I've been fascinated with memory foam.. it seems to be popular, but does it really work?

If you haven't heard of it before, memory foam is supposed to remember the position of your head and body and thus conform to it. It also has the added bonus of reduced muscular pains and keeps your body cool so that you can avoid those pesky night sweats..

I've used it for two nights so far and already I can notice the difference.. Especially for a person suffering with fibro, who spends most of the day in bed, it actually helps. How, you ask?

- While I sleep, the pillows keep my head aligned. My previous pillows were too high resulting in intense neck and head pain each morning
- While I sit, it cushions my bum & my legs, thus reducing sores
- It eases my muscles so that I can get out of bed easier

It really helps! And don't worry, once you get up, the foam goes back to normal. Thus, even if you move around in the night, it will conform to your new position each time.

It can be quite pricey - I bought my set off CatchoftheDay for $100. Money well spent!
The only downside now, is that I am resting better and therefore, just can't seem to get up!

Laughter Lost Episode 10: Fibro Fog

My New Year Wish to you...

I know you can do it, because we are survivors!! 

Surviving the big "C"

No, this isn't a post about cancer.

How do you survive this holiday season with your Fibromyalgia or other chronic illness?
If you're anything like me, this season probably brings more people contact than you can handle, more intolerable foods that you have to eat and more flare-ups that you can count...so is there any way you can minimise this??

Here's my top five tips:

1. Plan, pre-plan and pre-pre-pre plan
If you love doing things like baking goodies, then there is no harm in starting to make them from November, to give yourself time to slowly make them, rest and then start again. There's nothing worse than having to push yourself to get it all done in the last minute.

2. Buy them early, wrap them slowly
Same goes for pressies.. Try to get your shopping done early. It also helps to do your shopping online, that way you can do it in your pj's with a heatpack to soothe your pain. If you can afford it, pay a little extra to have your presents sent wrapped. Or else, try to do one a day or two, if you can manage it. Christmas is no time to forget your mantra - pace, pace, pace.

3. Two kiwis and a lemon
If Christmas finds you eating a whole bunch of unhealthy or intolerant food, that leaves you bloated or heavy or constipated, try a home remedy. Make sure you have two kiwis atleast a day. I also find that soaking a slice of lemon in water not only makes a refreshing treat but also triggers your liver into cleansing your body. Plus, as an added bonus, they're fructose free!

4. Enjoy, even if only for the moment
Make sure you do enjoy yourself. Have a laugh. Chat to some family. Remember, you are not your illness. Sometimes, it helps to forget for a while and remember what life used to be like. Have some cake. Have a glass of wine.

5. Schedule some recovery time
This is possibly the most important one. Anticipate that the season is going to be tough on you. Plan some time doing something that helps your body recover afterwards, whether that's a warm bubble bath, a good cry, a long nap or anything else that comforts your body. You deserve it!


Do you have any other tips that have helped you in the past? That are helping you right now? Please do share.

Most of all, have a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year!
Love to you all.. xo

It's been a long time coming....

Hi friends,

Sorry for the long delay between posts. As you can probably appreciate, I have been struggling with back-to-back flareups, that have been never-ending!

Still, as we approach the end of another year, there is always hope... Hope that things might get better, hope that we might be stronger & hope that the next year might see us coping & surviving..

Wishing you hope today, no matter what kind of day you are facing.
xo

An App for Everything..

If you're anything like me, you've got one or both of the following two problems:

Problem 1: You have way too many medications to take and you know that research shows that medications are better absorbed if you don't take more than one at a time.

Problem 2: You cannot seem to remember to take your medications on time.

So what are the solutions?

Solution 1: Bang your head against someone with a good memory and hope it transfers across.... OR

Solution 2: Get this Pill Reminder App on your phone (This is an Iphone App, but there may be one for Android too)..

Now I've tried a few of these kinds of Apps and found them useless..This one is a little better.

You can set reminders so that you phone tells you to take each medication at a certain time. The other convenient thing you can do is set the number of medications you have so that it reminds you when you need to fill another script, which is perfect if you have a memory like mine..

Have you found any other nifty ways to help you remember to take your medications?