Steps to take to wellness

[Guest guest]

Margaret,

You are right about how we need to adjust our thinking about this. It's

miserable to be in pain. But it's even more miserable to be in pain and be mad,

irritible, and feel sorry for ourselves too. Since stiffness is part of this

disease, any sitting around or lying around for long periods just make the

stiffness worse. If we are going to be in pain we may as well be getting things

accomplished in the proccess. I think it's all about finding something to do we

feel very good about and something that excites us.

At the beginning of this week I was really depressed and considering making

major changes in my life to allow myself more rest and less hard physical work.

Then I decided what's the point? A couple months ago I took up gardening, worm

farming, and outdoor composting. It's a whole new way of living as naturally as

possible. Well it's hard to maintain long term excitement when it's months

before we get to eat the veggies and the garden needs watered a ton and I hurt

from head to toe. However, I have lost 10 pounds. 10 pounds in 3 months isn't

exactly something to brag about, but usually I would gain 3-4 pounds in the same

amount of time so I am thrilled. I know getting some weight off would help with

some things.

I also took up mosaic making. I finsihed some small peices and I am working

on a larger peice. I am thrilled about how they look since I am not normally an

artistic person. It hurts like heck to chip the tiles the way I have to so it's

going slow. But giving it up would just add to the list of many things in my

life I have dissappointed myself over, so I just won't.

So what's a person to do? I guess it's keep looking for the right

combination of helps. I am personally going to choose the natural before I

invest my energies into the synthetic. I am working on finding an over the

counter pain killer that I can take and working on making sure I take it with

the right foods so that I don't tear up my sensitive stomach. I might take a

combination of things. When one of my little ones was sick recently, the doctor

told me to mix childrens advil with tylenol. I can't remember why, but I may

try that for myself. I am working on increasing my water which has always been

hard for me to do. Water is something we all need tons more of. I am taking ST

s Wart and I am taking some of the SAM E, but it's expensive so not

everyday. I haven't figured out what esle I will do, but positive affirmations,

prayer, and eliminating other possible illnesses that are easily treated are

positive steps in the right direction.

When it comes to sleep that's another problem. I read that sleeping pills

should be taken 3 hours before bed so that we don't have that groggy feeling in

the morning when we get up. I didn't like the way sominex made me feel, so I am

not going to take it often. I might try the melatonin or maybe just start

drinking hot milk before bed. I forget who suggested ear plugs, but that is a

good idea for drowning out my husbands tv. Thanks!

I hope you don't feel I am on a soap box. I understand how easy it is to

feel as if life will always be this way. I have often wanted to die and being a

Christian I have begged God to take me home to get me out of the pain and

discomfort that follows me around every day of my life. But he hasn't and it

doesn't appear that he will. So there must be something that he wants me to

learn from all of this. It's been going on in one way or another for at least

15 years, so I must be a very slow learner LOL!

Well I just looked at the time. I should be outside watering my garden. If

I don't it looks very dry by the time we get home from church.

take care everyone

Suzi

[Guest guest]

--- thanks for the reminder - we all need to hear this once in a

while to get our lives back into perspective. No soapbox...just

common sense and the will to survive. with respect - Terri

In @y..., suzimcmullen@c... wrote:

> Margaret,

> You are right about how we need to adjust our thinking about

this. It's miserable to be in pain. But it's even more miserable to

be in pain and be mad, irritible, and feel sorry for ourselves too.

Since stiffness is part of this disease, any sitting around or lying

around for long periods just make the stiffness worse. If we are

going to be in pain we may as well be getting things accomplished in

the proccess. I think it's all about finding something to do we feel

very good about and something that excites us.

>

> At the beginning of this week I was really depressed and

considering making major changes in my life to allow myself more rest

and less hard physical work. Then I decided what's the point? A

couple months ago I took up gardening, worm farming, and outdoor

composting. It's a whole new way of living as naturally as possible.

Well it's hard to maintain long term excitement when it's months

before we get to eat the veggies and the garden needs watered a ton

and I hurt from head to toe. However, I have lost 10 pounds. 10

pounds in 3 months isn't exactly something to brag about, but usually

I would gain 3-4 pounds in the same amount of time so I am thrilled.

I know getting some weight off would help with some things.

>

> I also took up mosaic making. I finsihed some small peices and

I am working on a larger peice. I am thrilled about how they look

since I am not normally an artistic person. It hurts like heck to

chip the tiles the way I have to so it's going slow. But giving it

up would just add to the list of many things in my life I have

dissappointed myself over, so I just won't.

>

> So what's a person to do? I guess it's keep looking for the

right combination of helps. I am personally going to choose the

natural before I invest my energies into the synthetic. I am working

on finding an over the counter pain killer that I can take and

working on making sure I take it with the right foods so that I don't

tear up my sensitive stomach. I might take a combination of things.

When one of my little ones was sick recently, the doctor told me to

mix childrens advil with tylenol. I can't remember why, but I may

try that for myself. I am working on increasing my water which has

always been hard for me to do. Water is something we all need tons

more of. I am taking ST s Wart and I am taking some of the SAM

E, but it's expensive so not everyday. I haven't figured out what

esle I will do, but positive affirmations, prayer, and eliminating

other possible illnesses that are easily treated are positive steps

in the right direction.

>

> When it comes to sleep that's another problem. I read that

sleeping pills should be taken 3 hours before bed so that we don't

have that groggy feeling in the morning when we get up. I didn't

like the way sominex made me feel, so I am not going to take it

often. I might try the melatonin or maybe just start drinking hot

milk before bed. I forget who suggested ear plugs, but that is a

good idea for drowning out my husbands tv. Thanks!

>

> I hope you don't feel I am on a soap box. I understand how

easy it is to feel as if life will always be this way. I have often

wanted to die and being a Christian I have begged God to take me home

to get me out of the pain and discomfort that follows me around every

day of my life. But he hasn't and it doesn't appear that he will.

So there must be something that he wants me to learn from all of

this. It's been going on in one way or another for at least 15

years, so I must be a very slow learner LOL!

>

> Well I just looked at the time. I should be outside watering

my garden. If I don't it looks very dry by the time we get home from

church.

>

> take care everyone

> Suzi