Morning Symptoms & Fibromyalgia

I have found that stretching as soon as I wake up really helps the stiffness. It does hurt & burn in my muscles but it’s the good kind of hurt & burn you experience when you exercise. When my feet are puffy & they hit the floor first thing in the morning they hurt. I never knew this was attributed to the fibromyalgia! Thanks for informing me! I’d love to know if anyone has a good remedy for that. Happiness & good health to all:)

Yes, I’m usually stiff and achy in the mornings. Most mornings very difficult to walk when I get up unless I stretch my legs and feet before getting out of bed. this helps make my ankles more flexible. Been taking steroids for an allergic reaction. Feel better in the morning and body seems to be a lot more flexible. Can actually do some work in the morning. Can’t stay on those long, though.

Yes I do feel achy in the mornings. The Dr. put me on some sleeping pills and it did help at first, but now I don’t know if i’m getting use to them or not. I’m not as “refreshed” as I was when I started on them. I also have a bad disc problem in my lower back so trying to fight with that in the morning along with the stiffedness I’m a tad little cranky in the mornings. I do try to stretch in the mornings and it seems to help, so I would agree strectching does help to get up and get motivated some.

Mornings are terrible times for me as well. I agree also that when I try different remedies for sleep disorders such as sleeping pills, I get relief the first few nights but that goes away within days. Hot bathes feel terrific at the time, especially in the evenings and help me get to sleep but I don’t notice that the relief extends to the following morning. Thanks for the columns!

i usually wake up between 2-3am and take an oxycontin 10 so that when i finally wake up at around 7am i’m not in too much pain. the nights i forget to take this low dose oxy, i wake up very unhappy with all sorts of pain in the mornings.

Sometimes I wake up achy, sometimes not. Sleeping on a waterbed helps a lot. Being overly fatigued before gong to bed and doing more than I should will really bring on the puffiness. I often wear the gloves used for carpal tunnel syndrome that keep you from bending your wrists at night. That prevents the morning swelling. The eye puffiness is worst when I am over tired. I can’t do the cucumbers because they make me ill. I am alwas very sluggish and need awhile before I can think. Stretching helps me to get me going. I usually sleep very poorly and get my days and nights mixed up. No sleeping meds have helped for more than a few days. If I take anything, I find Melatonin helps best, or spraying my room with lavender. Hot baths feel good, but don’t help sleep. Reading helps me to feel drowsy enough to fall asleep. I have no idea how to get treatment for the sleep disorders. It is a constant problem.

Carley,

I have found relief with a product called Sweet Slumber that is made by Schiff. It has B6, Calcium, Melatonin, L-Theanine, GABA, Chamomile & valerian extracts.

I can’t sleep many nights and then seem to make it up over a few days and nights but………..never feel rested or revitalized…….don’t take sleeping pills because I am type 1 diabetic and want to be able to wake up if I have a low blood sugar…….I don’t know if anyone else has this symptom but hot /warm water stings my skin…….I almost always feel some better when my sweet son deeply massages my feet……I am Blessed…(the trend seems to be me begging for one especially in the late evening)….cucumbers yum……

I think during the summer I had that stinging sensation you talk about. It was on my hands, I think on the inside of my palm around the knuckles. Hot or warm water burned or stung but as the days went on it got less and less. Eventually it totally went away. I really have no idea why it happened, I guess I just chalked it up to a weird Fibro thing. Haven’t thought about it since then until I read your post. It is so easy to forget about these things once they are gone.

I am usually very stiff in the morning as well as puffy too. However, my feet are usually swollen all the time and are more painfual and swollen in hte afternoon/evening.

The hot water baths do help ease stiffness and soreness

I also sleep with a heatign pad or hot water bottle. When pain and soerness interrupts my sleep (5-6 times for the night) i switch it on until i relax enought o fallback asleep.

In the mornign before i get out of bed… i try to be as warm as possible…. with comfy slippers etc

A hot bath feels good at the time, but then I tend to has orthostatic hyoptension as I am getting out of the bath, so I usually take showers. Summer heat and humidty actually make my aches and stiffness worse (MUCH WORSE), I do best when it is cold out.
My ankles get very puffy in the afternoon–I have tried all sorts of water retention relief and nothing helps it.
I do yoga at night (sun salutations and moon salutations) whci help relax me and help me sleep.
I sleep on a Cuddle-Ewe pad which helps the tender points. But I stull am stiff in the morning, so before I get up I do a cat stretch or two (modeled after my cat Maximilian’s morning routine)
I lie on my back, stretch my arms over my head and spread all my fingers out, and stretch my legs out and spread all my toes–slowly and gently, and hold it for a few seconds. I repat a couple of times and that seems to help.

While I am more lethargic in the mornings I have found that two things help a great deal.

1. Epsom Salt Bath before bed, helps me sleep better and helps reduce the aches and pains.
2. Stretching before I even get out of bed helps get the blood flowing and makes it easier to move and get up

Mornings are very rough. I do find that epsom salt baths at night help and stretching is a must=do. Self-talk is very important, ie., the rest of the day is not going to be as bad as I feel right now, etc.
High heat and humidity is a killer. Does anyone know why? It actually makes it hard for me to walk, very difficult, as if the brain-body connection is not working well.

Love your column, thanks so much, Adrienne and everyone who contributes. Very helpful.

I was just diagnosed in November and I thought winter was excruciating but we’ve had a few weeks of very high humidity and temps in the 80s and 90s, boy am I miserable! I try to stretch out in bed before I get out. I also have 3 herniated disks and arthritis in my neck (at 35) so mornings are the worst. I get a lot of puffiness around my eyes, my feet and hands get stiff but not puffy. Weird.

The only thing I’ve found to help with the morning stiffness — and mine can be quite bad (I creep around) — is Topamax. It’s alleviated almost all of the morning stiffness for me. I’m still a little “crunchy” — my joints pop a lot in the mornings — but that’s fine with me so long as I can actually GET out of bed and MOVE.

I also recently started taking Savella, which is the only fibro med I’ve been able to tolerate, and it’s helped with the stiffness as well as the pain. Still require pain meds and muscle relaxers daily, but not as many as before.

As for sleeping, I started taking Trazodone about eight years ago, and it’s been a godsend. No other sleeping pill has ever worked for me, and I’ve had sleeping problems (according to my mother) since I was a small child.

Trazodone is the only thing that worked for me. My regular doctor never offered much help. I found a fibro specialist that recommended trazodone saying it was an old drug that had proven to be safe and not habit forming.
I started off at 50 mg which stopped working in a week; went to 100 mg that also stopped working. 150 mg was the key for me and has worked for years for sleep.
I still have puffiness and stiffness and pain in the mornings but b4 trazodone I NEVER slept.
I’ve yet to find a drug to help me with the pain and fog.
Epsom salt baths really do help at the time, but not for long.
I’ve ordered me a rolling foam ball that is made so you can self massage. I’m looking forward to seeing if this helps.

I need to set my alarm for 6:30 or 7:00 to take a painkiller ~ so I’m more able to get out of bed and move 1/2 an hour to an hour later. If I miss the painkiller before I try to get out of bed, the pain is difficult and emotionally debilitating. The most important thing, for me, is to remember that I WILL feel better once I start moving around. I tend to feel hopeless and panicky about the day ahead and fear I won’t be able to make it through. I NEED to be able to work to support myself.

Recently I confessed my malady (fibro) to my supervisor and she suggested I start work an hour later. This has been a godsend! I can’t believe the effect that extra hour has on my ability to be PRESENT at work.

Hot showers are helpful in getting me going and I have to have a decent breakfast before I do anything. Again, the most important tool for getting through mornings is the “self-talk”: the reminder that I may not feel so terrible all day. I need to remember that I CAN go on. It also helps to remember that if I DON’T go on, the fibro will get worse. I have to push myself constantly in order not to be totally overwhelmed by fibro ~ it really is a battle!

Thank you for your web presence. It is so helpful to have a link to thoughtful, curious, hopeful and helpful information!

i started having the puffy hands and feet and face about six months ago.i didnt know the Fibre was causing it,along with serious pain when my feet hit the floor.thanks for the info.I did start massaging my hands and feet when i wake up.it helps a little bit.ive never had fluid problems before but im going to try the cucumbers.Like all of you I will try anything. Thanks!! Shy

What a timely article! Yesterday, my fingers were so puffy I couldn’t put my wedding ring back on in the morning (I take it off whenever I’m home,for comfort) and I had to fix my watch a notch larger to fit. I had never had this happen before. I hope this doesn’t become a regular thing…

I do have the painful feet in the morning, and walking down the stairs seems iffy some days. I find it helps to roll and stretch my feet before I get out of bed. That way the pain is dispersed into my calves, and isn’t so bad on the feet!

I, too, have cervical spine issues, and have found that spritzing my shoulders with a menthol pain spray before I go to bed really helps me fall asleep and be less stiff in the morning. I don’t know if it’s a problem to do this everyday, but I’m way under the daily dose, so I’m hoping it’s okay.

I had my first really bad spell with sleep in May (in the doctor’s office after 3 weeks with little to no sleep, weeping) and tried Ambien. It worked in the short term to help me resume sleeping. I’m wondering about the quality of sleep though, at this point. I had never associated being so exhausted I fell asleep in the driveway for 20 minutes before going in after driving home from work with a sleep problem since I seemed to sleep through the night. So, unfortunately, I have years of telling my doctors I wasn’t having trouble sleeping in my medical record. Oops!

Margie – what an understanding boss! That is a true blessing.

Good Morning All:

I have been a fan of this site since being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about ten years ago. I love all the information and it’s great to learn things from one another and to just listen. While I know we are all different and some things work for one and not another, I don’t have very good luck controlling this “syndrome”.

I have been inducing my sleep for years and years. Right now I use benadryl and clonazepam. I am a night-shift worker, so night time is my morning time and honestly-it’s no different. I’ve been working that shift for five years. I don’t have small children at home, so I just stay on that shift on my days off. It is very painful waking up, especially after I’ve worked a shift and I have to go back to work that same night. I work 12 hour shifts at a hospital and I am on my feet most of the shift. I only work three nights a week, but that is certainly enough! I am pushing 50 years old and honestly I only perform the mundane things of life and rest whenever I can. I don’t have the energy to do any “fun” stuff. Even grocery shopping has become a horrid chore.

Yes, the extreme weather (either cold or hot) makes everything worse. I agree with all of you that mentioned “self-talk”. A lot of us have to earn our own living and we must go on, wether we like it or not. I am one of those. I also don’t like a messy house, so that is my next priority. It actually realaxes me to have things clean and tidy.

I love the ideas and would like to hear more.

After 20 years of diagnosed FM with the usual accompanying insomnia and discomfort in bed, along with the really annoying foggy brain for several hours after rising, and moving painfully bent and stiff on rising, I found an amazing help: roll out of bed and immediately stretch with alternate arms reaching for the ceiling. Amazing difference! I seem to need the help of gravity aligning my body as it should hang from the head and sholders that streching in bed cannot do. It’s not a cure-all, but it sure helps me begin my days a bit easier.

I have FM&CFS. Once, when I lived in Oregon, I had a good medical doctor-turned-acupuncturist who recommended drainage remedies. I could no longer afford to live in Oregon, and moved to the more affordable part of Pennsylvania, but I cannot find a good doctor who understands me. I have had to become my own best resource through researching everything I could get my hands on to help myself. Through my own assertiveness and perseverance, I have coaxed my current doctor into getting me a sleep study where I was diagnosed w/sleep apnea, and now use a C-PAP unit … I now wake up refreshed. I changed to a gluten-free organic whole foods diet–btw, asparagus helps with drainage…it acts like a diuretic.

Hi, um I’m still a teenager, and I know that fibromyalgia is most common in middle-aged women, but I have most of the symptoms, and from what I’ve read about emotional experiences and stress triggering the pain, it sounds pretty much like me. I think it’s possible that I have it, but everyone dismisses me and says its all in my head and to stop complaining, like I’m a hypocondraic or something. I was just wondering where you usually get the pain, I’ve had wide spread pain throughout my abdomen for over a year now but it seems to have picked 1 or 2 locations in particular – just under my rib cage on the left side and somewhere near my right ovary, can you compare that to what you experience so I can maybe get a better idea of what exactly it is that is causing the pain,
thanks
Mary

Mary,

Your pain sounds a lot like mine — my abdomen is the worst, and I have that rib pain as well.

The whole “middle-aged women” stereotype needs to go away. It’s outdated information and makes doctors think a lot of us don’t fit the profile. The average age for diagnosis is dropping as more doctors recognize fibro in more people, and juvenile fibromyalgia is a valid problem. It’s hard to get doctors to take us seriously no matter our age, which is really frustrating.

When I was a teenager, I didn’t have fibro but I did have chronic back pain and other odd symptoms. My mom actually asked my doctor if I was a hypochondriac, because that’s what she & my dad thought. It really hurt to hear that, when I knew I had things going wrong in my body. Fortunately, my doctor said no, that I was just “very aware” of what was going on in my body. If your doctor is ignoring your symptoms, talk to your parents about switching to someone else. You may be able to find someone in your area who knows more about juvenile fibro.

I hope you can find some help soon!

Thanks for all of the great ideas. When my feet are really bad, I “roll” them on a tennis ball before standing. Like others, I try to leave my morning meds beside my bed, and drink them with a glass of water I’ve left in an insulated glass overnight. If I’m able to do that 30 mins before actually getting up, it helps.

At my last visit, I asked my dr why when I wake, my hands are so puffy, and my fingers get “stuck” almost out of joint. He suggested the beginnings of arthritis, but I’m glad to read it’s a common fibro thing. My hands hurt too much for me to massage them. Any other ideas? Could it be related to heat & high humidity levels?

Morning is always the worst. I go directly HOT as HELL bath to loosen up.

Morning difficulty seems to be the common denominator for all suffering from FM. I find that if I can get a good nights sleep, which for me is 4 hours of non-waking, then I feel better. My preferred method is 1/2 of a .25 ml of xanax. It seems like a buffer on my nerve endings. A warm shower in the morning is a must.

I also have the puffiness in eyes, fingers, & feet and back problems – 2 bulging discs plus rib pain from a thorocotomy some years ago as well as all the arthritic problems ! Three things have made my life more ‘comfortable’. I have a Tempur Pedic (3″) matress topper which I have found to be the most comfortable for me to sleep on as it seems to mould to the body and helps with the pressure points(I hope one day to be able to get the Tempur Pedic Mattress). I have a Circulation Booster which I use @ least once a day and it has been fantastic for the swelling in my ankles, and the other item I use is the Support Knee Highs that I wear to bed when my ankles and feet are really bad, which is usually in summer. The proper surgical support socks are great but of course a lot more expensive. Summer is worst for me with the humidity, although I do have some bad days in winter, which we are in now, but Barometric Pressure changes are the very worst for me, and I would love to know how all this works ! I have heard other people comment that it is the Barometric Pressure that affects them also regardless of summer or winter ….. may-be I should study meterology.

Yes! Di! I am a human barometer too – as was my mother and one of my sons shows signs too. We can all predict snow with uncanny accuracy.
I have little balloons for feet and little sausages for fingers, and it’s excruciating to wake up (well if one can wake from not really sleeping) and put those poor little feet to the floor. Carpal tunnel symptoms are relieved a little by osteopathy and a night splint. Sleep – now sleep is a problem – I take a variety of meds which happily mean I can now go to sleep – but staying asleep is impossible. But I don’t actually wake properly – just wriggle around all night trying to find a comfortable niche in the bed. Driving my husband bonkers – but that’s another thing – he only vaguely understands the syndrome, so he thinks I am purposely and wickedly keeping him awake overnight.
Lastly, keeping it together – I work full time and once I’ve spent an hour or so getting going in the morning, provided I am fully occupied I’m not bad at work. But I will fall asleep, at my desk, in the car in the carpark, in heavy slow traffic unless I have the window open and I wriggle a lot. I thought that the best thing I could do to keep it together was to have my husband understand me better so that I didn’t feel like I had to lie each morning about how well I feel (not). But that didn’t work so I just do my thing now. Walk your own path.

I also am a human barometer. Sometime this summer I felt horrible had never felt like that before and I wrote down my symptoms and the barometric pressure along with temps.
Well recently I felt pretty bad again and I wrote down the same info. But then I looked back at my summer notes and wouldn’t you know it I had written down practically the same weather forecast. Falling Barometer along with falling temperatures, that seems to be the double whammy for me. I thought it was interesting because in the summer it was hot and recently it was pretty cool, so the exact temp didn’t matter, just that it was falling. Might help to write these things down so you can figure out what is affecting you.

Thanks to all of you guy’s. sometime i don’t know wha to say as you asy it all. i have suffered for so many years without help. I’m taking methotraxate that kills me but it help me to flake from psoriasis. i also take armitriplen for sleeping. i don’t wich days are better but days are not the same. when it too hot it hurts when it’s too cold it hurts. my feet hurts so much that i can’t walk. i am still working as i’m only 38. the problem started when i was 12yrs but went away at 16. it started again about 10yrs ago till to date. the problem is that at work i always complain and no one understans as if i fake because they know i’m sick. Like now my voice is gone and my feets are burning since the 19/10/2011 till today. when i go to dr’s the just tell me you know with your condition you will have life time ache and pains wirh stiffnes joints.

I’ve had a trouble sleeping since I was about 9 yrs old, was diagnosed with FMS in my early 40s (almost 25 yrs ago now but have had most of the symptoms much longer) & have tried just about everything available. I take Trazedone for sleep, without which I’d get basically none, but I still have a lot of trouble. The one thing I’ve recently that really helps is a “sleep CD” that I listen to when I go to bed & any time I wake during the night. The one I have is called “Your Present: A Half Hour of Peace” by Susie Mantell. Her voice is so soothing that I’ve never heard the end of the CD, it always puts me to sleep within 5 to 10 minutes, & I tend to stay asleep longer than when I don’t use it. When a therapist I was learning relaxation & biofeedback from (also a big help!), suggested this CD, I never thought it would work for me since nothing ever had, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised & have loaned it to several people who have all had similar results!

I still have most of the “morning symptoms”, but they’re a lot less severe & easier to tolerate when I get even a couple of hrs of good sleep.

Mary,
Don’t let people tell you it’s not happening to you just because you’re young! I had my first symptoms of FMS at age 9 with severe insomnia. I was always tired & lethargic & was constantly called “lazy” & yelled at a lot because I couldn’t keep up with my siblings. By 15 I’d developed IBS & migraines & by 21 had all the typical aches & pains. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was in my 40s & now at almost 65 still have most of the symptoms, but am actually doing better than I can ever remember.

After more than 20 yrs on Methadone, I got off of that last year & started taking Ultram. I did very well on Lyrica a couple of yrs agom for about 2 months, then I developed a severs allergy to it. I now take Savella, but have reduced my dose from 50 mg to 25 twice a day. The thing that has really helped is Curcumin, an herb that is taken from Tumeric. I just started taking it 2 weeks ago & have noticed a marked decrease in my arthritis pain & the FMS stiffness. Don’t know if it will last, but for now, I’m really enjoying it.

It’s interesting to see how different people react to weather. I definetly do MUCH better with warm weather, I’m always worse in winter (which in Oregon this year lasted for 9 months!). I get more lethagric when it gets over about 85, especially if it’s also humid, but don’t have near the achiness & stiffness I have when it’s cold & wet.

No sleep for me tonight once again, I fall asleep for an hour then I wake up in too much pain. Drs wont give me anything, tell me to take ibuprophen (it doesnt work) I get so mad that they treat me like some kind of drug addict-wish they could just live one day feeling like I do and maybe they will believe me. I have been unemployed for several months now since my employeer didnt believe me how sick and exausted I was, so now I dont have money or insurance to try to find a Dr in my area that will actually treat me. I would give anything for a decent nights sleep and not wake up in pain and swollen. Like some of you it hit me in my 20’s so everyone told me to quit being a baby, I cant hurt that bad-now at 42 I can barely get through the day-wish there were some Drs around who could actually help me and not just take my money that I dont have and tell me to take some ibuprohen

Michelle,
It should be a crime when doctors refuse to treat us properly! I’ve been lucky in always having insurance & several very good doctors who at times were even too generous with the meds. After my son died a year ago, I decided to get myself off of some of the many drugs I’d been on that kept me extremely sleepy all the time (I still couldn’t sleep at night). My son had always worried about me taking so many meds, so in his honor, I decided to see if I could reduce them.
One of the things I had resisted for years because I thought there was no way it would help me was relaxation training. I finally did that this spring, working with a wonderful therapist for biofeedback training. The hardest thing to do when you’re hurting is to realx, but it really does help if you can really do it. Abdominal breathing is essential to getting it right.
One of the things she did was show me a DVD about some recent research in FMS that was very enlightening. They have shown through PET scans of the brains of many FMS sufferers that when we live in chronic stress, whether caused by pain of life situations, it causes the hypocampus area of the brain to shrink! That’s tha area that controls pain perception, cognitive thinking, spatial navigation & memory. It’s also the part that’s affected most by Alzheimer’s disease. (sound familiar to anyone?)
They also showed that eliminating or greatly reducing the stress allowed it to return to normal size & function which brought a marked decrease in FMS symptoms.
I now have a protable biofeedback machine at home that I use at least once a day & I do 2-3 minutes of relaxed breathing 2-3 times a day & again any time I’m feeling stressed.
I now only take pain meds once or twice a week (after approx 20 yrs on methadone) plus a half dose of Savella which I’m weaning off of now, & I’m feeling better than I have in years! We just got back from a 10 day camping trip & I was able to take 1 to 1 1/2 hr walks twice nearly every day & felt great after. I also do deep water aerobics 3 times a week when home (have for 10 yrs) & consider that a real life saver for me.

mornings are always the worst for me and I do the same as others about pushing forward; if not, the fatigue, poor mood & pain drag out longer. I eat and take meds (Provigil) right away, open windows for light, etc. I’ve also found talking briefly to a friend will take the focus of the pain/fatigue. The cognitive fatigue is overwhelming in the mornings-so far nothing has touched it other than the Provigil. Moving around also will help-being sedentary seems to worsen the fatigue.

Thanks Darlene-yes I do agree too many meds are bad but I also think that having something around for really bad days is necessary. The only time I had relief was when I had shoulder surgery and the meds I had for that. I have noticed the more I stress the worse I get and use all the relaxation methods I have also been taught, and swimming is the best exercise I can do to make myself feel better. Insurance companies want to charge me way too much since this is on my records, but then I cant get a dr to listen to me and its so fustrating

Hey guys, thanks for all the information, I really appreciate it. Actually I get an odd back pain now and again out of nowhere that is really excruciating, but I never connected that to the symptoms until you mentioned getting back pain as well. I never noticed about the weather… but the pain came back when I was on holiday last week and it was a lot warmer in Birmingham than it usually is in Donegal! Well I suppose there are a number of different things that could have triggered it, one that I definitely know is alcohol. Anyone else find that?
Every source I look at for info on FMS are all different to each other.

I have a friend at school who’s mom has fibro, but when I told her that’s what I thought it was she said that I “couldn’t possibly have fibro” as she was comparing me to her mom and how her mom couldnt even walk with the pain sometimes. She basically told me everything I read was a bunch of crap (pardon the language), but from what I gather, symtoms get worse with age and also that symtoms can be different for everyone?

Yes my mom is always calling me a hypochondriac because I get “every rare side-effect of medicine”. (Those are her words, not mine! lol)

Dear Michelle,

I had trouble sleeping also, I would wake up frequently at night and feel horrible in the morning. Totally wasted.
I found Valerian works for me. I take 3 capsules and a cup of hot chamomile tea. I have good results with it. I take it about an hour before I go to bed. I read for a few minutes, then I am a sleep.
The Valerian you can find in a health food store.

Also, if you eat a small amount of cottage cheese in the evening it helps because it has trypophan in it, which helps sleep.

I too have alot of the same issues that you all have mentioned. Not sleeping well ( even though I take Trazadone & Restoril ) . I wake up through the night ~ uncomfortable, & in pain.

I’ve been experiencing the swelling in my hands, face & feet , and legs for about 3 years now ( although I was diagnosed with FMS early in 2006 ). I had NO IDEA it was associated with FMS !!! I ACTUALLY thought that my swelling was caused by Methadone. ( Reason being~ My Dr. started me on that because I’d been on Morphine (which was causing TERRIBLE constipation, despite meds to help with that )
My(partial) med plan for years has been Oxycodone for short term pain relief ~ Which works great ,(for me) . Then my Dr. decided I needed a LONG TERM pain med. & less of the short term Oxys ~ So she 1st put me on the Morphine ~ It seemed to work great for quite a while~ My pain was quite tolerable. Then the constipation became so INTOLERABLE, even though she’d put me on several prescription meds to help, & I’d tried OTC remedies, & adding Fiber, ETC !! I decided that I had to stop that med. So then my Dr. decided that we’d Give another one a try~

Tried the Methadone, ~ It worked great too~ except for after a while I noticed that my feet & legs were Swelling Terribly ! My clothes didn’t fit~ I was bloated ALL OVER, Gained 10 pounds or more , It all seemed crazy ! When I told my Dr. ~ She said that “there was NO WAY” that the meds could be doing that to me !
I decided to take myself off of the methadone, & with in about 4 days the swelling was way down, My weight was dropping, & I was having “normal ” bowel movements again !
So now my predicament~ I’m only taking my “short term ” pain relief meds. ( No LONG TERM Pain Meds ) I have yet to tell my Dr. about this ~ Although I will at my next appt.

My sleep has been terrible~ Even though I’m still taking my sleep meds~
A Nice HOT Shower in the morning is a Must ~ to get me “going”~ Although after a bath or shower I feel completely wiped out for a bit~
My Dr. started me on Topomax for my terrible headaches 3 mths.. ago~ Currently my dosage is 50 mg. 2x a day.
It seems to help those most days , ( but not always)

I HATE that when I go to see my Dr. ~ It seems like my list of problems is TOO LONG, we never seem to get to them ALL !!! I”ve been “stuck” in a Fibro Flare since at least April~ and can’t seem to get out !
I haven’t even been on my computer since April , until Now~ So I was HAPPY to stumble upon this article, & I’m sorry that I’ve rambled on !

Thank you SO MUCH for being here & being so Informative Adrienne !

Darlene, I would love to hear how you did finally get off the pain meds…I am so curious to see if I would do a little better if I were able to cut down on my pain meds…I have heard that sometimes these can backfire and end up causing more pain in the long run…I was always called a hyperchondriac all my life since I was a child and to avoid that, I just stay alone most of the time, because I know what people think….they don’t understand. I have been in a very long flare up these past couple years, along with my thyroid acting up again; I finally got my thyroid numbers back to normal, except my autoimmune numbers that should be no higher than 30, mine have come down to 115. I go on the website “but you don’t look sick.com” and it helps me a lot to see that I am not the only one that this is happening to. We all know that it is hard for people to understand that are around us that we really are sick. Andrea, I am right there with you…I have seen many people on trazadone and doing well…I went off that about one year ago and it did make a positive difference for me to, with the restoril. I feel so much better at night; it takes me all day to feel better and get any type of energy of freedom of pain.

I often feel the worst in the mornings! I really thinks it’s most noticable durning cold rainy weather. My hands and feet ache and somrtimes throb. They also get puffy, so do my eyes. I was told it wasn’t my fibro so I was glad to see I’m not the only one. It makes me feel less crazy. Stretching also helps before, after sleep and even if I get up during the night. I do have terrible insomnia and trazadone has helped me. Somtimes I have to take an extra 1/2 pill in the middle of the night though. Then if sleep is really bad too many nights in a row I take a lunesta which works great for me but makes my mouth taste aweful for many hours! I wonder if anyone thinks there is any chance salt intake may have anything to do with it. I know I eat healthier when weather is nice and more comfort food when it’s crummy out. That means more salt on top of the cold. I don’t know if they really help but hot baths are very comforting at least for a little while and warm milk at bed helps me feel drowsy so it’s also comforting. I also love pepermint oil it soakes in and makes aches and pains feel warm and soothed and yes I can smell like a candy cane but it’s much better than sports creams. Thanks so much for writing this and for everyone who shares too!

I found a feather bed and squishy pillow are comforting, but the biggest help is my new sleep ap machine. I wasn’t getting enough oxygen, as I quit breathing. I no longer have the burning feet or crushing headaches. Forcing myself to walk and keep moving really helps.

My answers to the 5 questions in your first paragraph are ~ yes, yes, yes, yes & yes. My pain does lessen when I think to do excersizes before I get out of bed. Excellent article, always helps me and lets me know that I am not alone.

I truly have a problem in the mornings. I was put on disability last month and at first relished in being able to sleep later but now I am frustrated because my body doesn’t want to get up in the mornings. I don’t do a hot bath at night unless the pains are really bad and I can’t sleep. I so a hot bath in the morning and stretch while in the bath. This helps me. It also seems to clear some of my brain fog that I have each morning.

I’m 52 and a few years into a diagnosis of fibro.I know this sounds strange,but I exercise in bed when I’m awakened during the night for what ever reason.(A few Leg lifts and stretches, arm stretches,and back stretches)Helps me fall back asleep and be more comfortable.I do this 1 to 2 times a night.It also helps me not have such hard mornings.I find that when I take a shower or bath(Hot or normal)before bed that I don’t sleep as well because my skin feels tight, itchy,and puffy.Late Afternoon seems to be my best time to shower or bathe..I also sleep with a “white noise” sound machine .This helps with external sounds,Very calming.Makes for sounder sleep for me.

I often have aches and pain in the mornings. Before I get up I turn on the electric blanket to warm my body then do some stretching. It is easier for me …simular to a hot bath in the evenings. Once out of bed I do whole body stretch then into a hot shower and a 5 min warm up of more stretching, couple of weights as well. It has taken me about 2 years to get to this level. I started slowly…twice a week then increased. Bad days are bad days, so I give myself a 24 hrs rest and reduce everything by half and start again to build up. Hope this helps someone.

I had problems getting out of bed during the night and also in the morning. I started taking zanaflex (muscle relaxer) and it has helped tremendiously with the stiffness. The pain is still there but I no longer have to use a can or walker when I get up.

I’ve found I have to be careful with the in bed stretch since they can become a full spasm. I try to stretch my calves asap when I ‘fall out of bed.’ Since I will usually just toss and turn once I start waking up, I move to the recliner with a blanket and go back to sleep for a while. Then when I get up again, it isn’t as bad. Then I eat and take meds.

The weather tie in is valid especially with any humidity. When the weather is getting more humid, the barometer falls and muscles etc get loose and hurt. Think of it like a balloon. High barometer the balloon is full and fits tightly. Loose and it has more room to rattle around. I think the muscles tend to tighten into knots if you aren’t doing enough exercise to keep them stretching like they should. Hot water, heating pads, tennis balls are all good methods.

lots of you mentioned rib pain… It took years for my Dr to figure it out. Lots of time it is wrap around pain that is coming from back muscles or disc problems. Massage is the only thing that really works to settle it down. Obviously it may take surgery for the disc/degenerative arthritis/pinched nerve if it gets bad enough.

And off the topic…GET YOUR FLU SHOT! There is nothing worse for your fibro than fever and chills knotting up your muscles when you are sick as a dog.

Morning are horrible for me as I am very stiff and find sometimes its hard for me to make it to the bathroom much less take and do excisies before I get up I just talk to my self and tell my self to focus once I am up and moving I am ok take a pain pill if I need it after I move aroun a bit

I used to attend a meditation and Reiki night once a week for 12 months. I was really surprised to find how helpful meditation and Reiki was….I had never looked into Reiki before I became sick.

I then decided to do a course and became a Reiki Practitioner.
The course also was very thorough in showing me how to do Reiki on myself. If I do Reiki every morning before I get up or even if I go back a little later and do it, I have a really good day.

I also take one Supradyn vitamin every morning which just lifts my energy and have a B12 injection once a week.

Warm baths with approximately 350grams of epsom salts also detoxes me and takes away the puffiness. I love to do a meditation while I am in the bath with lovely candles.

I have also visited a very talented Master Hypnotist/Neuro-Linguisitic Programmer who has really turned my life around. Her name is Julie Robinson (www.julie-robinson.com.au) and she is located at Noosa Queensland Australia.

I still have to self pace and have minimal pain now as I have both CFS and FM. I have had this illness now for at least 7 years.

I practice everyday limiting my stress and am now living a really good life. I have a wonderful supportive husband and a 6 year old boy with semi controlled epilepsy and Esperges Syndrome and a 4 year old boy.

I am about to start my own Photography Business which is just amazing given my life used to be chained to a bed.

Hopefully soon I will be able to exercise again as I used to be a Triathlete. But will only be swimming and bike riding. I cannot do any impact or weight training.

I am hoping my story may be able to help even just one of you.

Take care of you and have a lovely xmas and new year

Annie G

Love this column & the comments. Had a whole thing written that was too long & when went to correct it my computer ate it!! So I may write several comments so not to do it again. I’m lucky to have a great Rheumotologist as well as all my other Drs & they all talk to each other! Mary, don’t let anyone tell you you’re to young. My Doc. told me he figures that I’ve had it since birth because I had what they used to call “growing pains” & he feels anyone who has had them is susceptiable to Fibro. As far as pain he gave me a Fentynal Pain Patch 50MCG about 10yrs ago & it was like getting me my life back. It is a narcotic but he just upped the dosage to 75MCG 2yrs ago do to pain increase.

Have found that a heated mattress pad is a real blessing for sleeping & being able to get up in the AM. When I get up in the morning I take my meds, 15+, and then go back to bed for an hour to let them settle. Then I get up & try to fix myself a good breakfast & then take another nap. May have to do this several times before I get up for good & sometimes even then can’t. But, have learned to be OK with it as a friend & I decided our “NORMAL” is different now. It is when we have a good day!!
Also, my faith is a big contributing factor to my being able to keep going each day & looking for answers.

I was just diagnosed in August/11 but of course have had it possibly for years. I am excited to be able to comment! I haven’t read through all of these yet but look forward to doing so. I wanted to mention re: painful feet when first getting out of bed. It could possibly be plantar faciitis as well. When your heels hit the floor – it is extremely painful. I have had this also on and off for years and never realized what it was. With faithful use of orthotics over 3 months last year except for sleep, showers and church- I was able to get relief. I still wear them almost all the time and will continue. as never want to go through that experience again. We need our feet! If we can’t walk well- it limits our ability to exercise so much- and we need exercise. I want to mention that rebounding faithfully has really helped me be so much more clear in my head. And 3 meals with nothing between and fasting for a meal with fruit meals for several meals after can really help me get over a flare faster. I’ll comment more with time.

I just want to mention that plantar fasciitis can be a cause of incredible heel pain when first stepping out of bed in the morning and not just a symptom of fibro. It is worth getting it checked out and think about orthotics. This is what it took for me.

I agree Anneli! It would feel like my bones were breaking in my feet. My left heel was very painful to walk on. I now use orthotics that were made molded to my feet and insert in NAOT shoes (cute shoes). I can step onto the floor without them and feel pain. Put my shoes on and pain is gone.
It’s been amazing.

I didn’t realize my first comment did get submitted. I thought I lost it all. Anyway: re sleep and what works for me. So my hinges around bedtime. First I need to eat a light enough supper so I have digested my food prior to going to bed. Digestion takes a lot of energy and so the idea is that my stomach needs to rest along with the rest of me. I generally eat fruit and grains for supper. But I do love to eat and “recreational” eating can still get me at supper. I have found a lot of tasty ways to eat fruit and grains so I have to be so careful to leave the kitchen, brush and floss my teeth etc so don’t overeat. Overeating affects me very adversely and if I do it too many times, it will lead to a flare. Back to bedtime. I try to go to bed faithfully at 1015 to 1030. I keep warm (heating pad, water bottle for cold lotioned hands, cover my head and most of my face) and sleep alone. My husband and I have a great marriage but sleeping apart became a necessity 5 yrs ago for a number of reasons and now with the fibro and perimenopause; remains a necessity. It is my practice to refuse to think about other things than God and spiritual things when awake during the night. It takes a lot of selfdiscipline and prayer but this gets me back to sleep most of the time . I will do the “ABC” prayer. I randomly think of a letter and then accompany that with a hymn or praise song or promise or praise to God, then pick another random letter and do this again. I find if I am too methodical- I will wake myself more. I sleep downstairs where it is cool and quieter (in a room right beside my husband). I do not expose myself to light when I do get up to the bathroom as that can be a disaster into wakefulness.

I can’t say morning is my worst time I would say late afternoon is my worst time that is when the pain peaks and I have to basically call it a day. I do wake up with puffy hands, and must say if I eat too much salt it adds to this. Developed a trigger finger and the more sodium I have in my system the worse that finger feels. I also have trouble with my feet, just a lot of pain, so I do get up gingerly, make sure I have my balance before walking. I found that Tai Chi for arthritis helps loosen things up especially their warm up exercises gently move the joints. I think it is Dr. Lam’s version it can be found online through the Arthritis Foundation.

This was so beautiful! I am in tears. My daughter has been in and out of hospitals with no diagnosis since she was 1. Now she is 4 and still she suffers everyday with chronic pain, stomach pain, phantom low fevers, headaches, irritability and trouble sleeping. Doctors keeps telling me she is too young for Fibro. I’ve been pushing for them to check for the last year because my sister has it (diagnosed @ 17) and I also have the symptoms (no diagnosis confirmed yet because of no insurance. Please, do not give up and keep going. See my blog en FindRxOnline sobre la enfermedad and my best wishes to you all!!!

i seem to get the most pain during the night,surpose getting cold and stiff which keeps me awake on and off all night,just trying to turn in the night is agony.no matter how much sleep i get,which is mormally 4-5hrs i never ever feel refreshed,even if i have a cat nap during the day it makes me feel worse.i dread mornings as im so stiif and painful,but i actually think the tiredness is worse,which makes me feel tearful and miserable,sleeping tabs etc still dont make me sleep,having 3 children,you just get use to never feel engerised,and you have to carry on regardless,i do find the stiffness gets a little better in the afternoon,but the tiredness doesnt,i do find forcing myself to have a shower does wake me up a little although exhausts me at the same time if that makes sense.

I can totally relate you all that have so many various ailments, the reason I call them ailments is the fact to this date now my doctor still doesn’t think I have fibromyalgia.
Frustrating as it gets I have never been able to sleep at night I wake every 2 – 3 hours sometimes so tired I have fallen into the wall or tripped over the cat.
I myself am very sore and stiff in the morning, wanting it all to stop as I think it can’t go on forever …. can it !!
I’m far from being in denial I truly believe apart from the excruciating pain in my back and down my left side, along with my left leg not wanting to be laid on of a night I do have fibro. Alas here in Australia it does depend on if you are to have more of the so called major symptom. If only I could stretch in the morning, even walk down to the shop but it takes me close to 3 hours just to feel slightly normal and not sluggish but then even while feeling like a child doing an adults work, I still never feel totally relaxed enough to say well this works or that work.
@ Beckie, I too feel awake when I have a shower but then at the same time it takes all my effort in just drying myself after getting out.
Most of the time I do try hard not to get depressed as we all know that can make us feel even worse than we already do but just for 1 day how great would it be to just wake up and have a normal day.

Oh I just re-read my post and also forgot to mention that when I do wake in the morning my hands, feet and ankles well don’t have ankles first thing I have kankles but my hands take at least an hour to lose the swelling, my face one morning looked like the elephant man and I was wondering what did I do while asleep the night before.
Due to all my lack of sleep I find in a normal week I would end up having a few days of afternoon naps because I don’t sleep of a night. I also get severe back pain and a lot of other pains, possibly too many to mention just now…. I think in the last 15 years since first being admitted to hospital for one thing or another, and their diagnosis was ideopathic which was a nice way of saying no known cause. You can imagine how that makes someone in pain all the time feel cant you. I have suffered from pancreatitis, have had my gall bladder removed, liver biopsy, amongst other scans, xrays and ct scans. All I can say is that what does work for one might not work for another person but I have had a great time reading everyones comments here as it makes me feel special to the point that we aren’t in it alone, even though it can make us feel lonely and withdrawn.
I would love to hear from someone around my area which is the South Coast of NSW….. I think giving each other support is great as others with fibro do genuinely know how we feel and know it isn’t all in our heads

I wake up each and every morning with the symptoms which you describe. I find that my symptoms improve gradually after a shower and some deep breathing exercises (similar to the demonstration in the following link). I sometimes use qi gong exercises which also help. If you decide to try this and it helps, I would like to hear your results.

http://www.springforestqigong.com/index.htm.

I have found that heat helps me to sort of be limber when I wake up. I use a heated mattress cover and an electric blanket (now known as blanket warmer) every night even in the summer. I adjust the heat to what I need each night. I only heat one side of the bed. For me this helps me to be able to start moving easier. Before I did this, I could barely get out of the bed each morning. Hope that this might help someone else. Also, the electric blankets do not get as hot as they did 30 or 40 years ago. But they do put out enough warmth.

How’s this for FM? I was reading down the list of comments and found one in the early postings that was just like me. Then I looked at the name. It is mine! I don’t remember posting it but the spelling is unusual, like mine and it’s me to a T. Good chuckle.

I just returned from two painful and exhausting weeks taking care of the new grandbaby, mom with the C section, six year old grandson, three dogs, cooking, cleaning , shopping, football games, loads of laundry every day, etc etc etc. I was so sore and exhausted I slept 7 hours every night with NO dreams at all. (not a recommended therapy, tho.) What saved me, surprisingly, is the Aero inflated bed I bought. The one that blows up to regular height with a headboard. With a foam egg crate on top of that, I was in heaven. And I got up, for the first time I can remember, with absolutely no stiffness. I returned home to my usually good channeled water bed and missed the aerobed. How weird is that?

Your comments are all helpful. First, my organ recital.
Fibro dx 11 years ago, had it at least 10 yrs before that.
Migraines started about the time of the Fibrio dx, became chronic, almost constant.
Osteoarthritis, hands hips, back and knees.
Ruptured C5/6 disk, fused and titanium plate.
Chronic plantar fascitis, bunions, 1 torn achilles, another torn ligament in my foot, 2 knee arthroscopies for torn meniscus and one ACL that tore away from a normal spot and reattached to wrong spot.
IT band syndrome that becomes excruciating if not careful. PT, hot baths help. Massage helps a lot when I can afford it.
Chronic depression.
So, how do I cope? Not well most of the time. My siblings and daughter have abandoned me without bothering to talk to me about why. All I have is my long suffering husband who has health issues of his own.
Recently, I have taken up yoga. I have a nearby studio that holds a gentle yoga class. It is helping with some of the joint pain issues. I’m allergic to most pain meds.
I acquired a Tempurpedic bed, take Rozerem and 2 pot capsules when I go to bed (legal in CA) and so I get 5-6 hours of sleep instead of 0-3 hours.
Fuchs Corneal Dystrophy dx 2 yrs ago, slowly going blind, will need bilateral corneal transplants.
Sleep apnea, on CPAP.
With all of the above, over the years my weight blossomed to 237lb and I am only 5′3″. I gave up trying diets. Had bypass surgery in Feb. Blood sugars are now normal and joints are less painful.
I just finished PT for the migaines, down to one every 1-3 weeks.
I went through counseling because I was suicidal. I’ll always be depressed but now better, not researching the best cliffs around.
On disability about 2 years. Doctors generally useless.

The only thing I do that keeps me sort of sane is work diligently on my family genealogy and read a lot, especially history, it helps with the genalogy.

My mornings are the worst too. Thankfully, I don’t have to go to work. I normally get up right at 8:00, take an Ultracet, feed the cat, then get a mug of coffee, and some of the newspaper. I sit in my recliner with a heat pad on my back. I also have degenerating cervical disks.
I think this fibro stuff was working on me when I was a teenager. I would complain of being tired, and my dad told me I was lazy which I hated to hear and knew that wasn’t the problem. For many years, I would tell my doctors how tired I was, but they never had any comment that would be helpful. I was over 50 before I finally got a doctor’s diagnosis of the FMS. I take trazadone to get better sleep. For pain I take the Ultracet, and if it is really bad, my doctor said I could take an Aleve. I also take Neurontin. I tried to wean myself off that, but the pain just got too bad. I just wish I could feel well enough to do some of the things that I want and need to do. I enjoy sewing and genealogy, but I just never seem to have much time for them because it takes me so long to get the housework, cooking, etc. done. My husband doesn’t help much.

I forgot to mention that we sleep with a sound machine. It’s just “white noise”….can’t go to sleep without it now. We also have a Tempurpedic mattress which helps. Before that I used the CuddleEwe underquilt which I found helpful also.

I appreciate all the comments. It is good to have people to share this with. So few understand if they are not ill with this. I agree with most of the remedies but try to do mostly herbals because for me there are less side effects. For the puffiness I have done best with diosamine/hesperidine. One or two a day consistently and the swelling is under control. I went from a CPAP machine to a BIPAP with oxygen at night and that has also helped with sleep and swelling. I am grateful for my sleep specialist. I also like grape juice and a green smoothie every day. Stretching in the morning before getting started moving ls good. Keep on leaving suggestions. Sharing tips helps.

I can relate here to Margie feeling emotionally debilitated in the morning. I have to work too but am able to do it from home since we have our own business.
I understand Lucy too! I have osteoarthritis in my neck and back. It is depressing when the people you care bout just don’t get it.
I get swollen feet and ankles; I have for years. I started wearing knee hi support stockings day and night. I found that Sears has the best ones for the money. However I can’t sleep in bed; I am most comfortable in a recliner. I always have a glass or 2 of wine before bed. Some nights I sleep pretty well and others I am wide awake up at 4:00 then fall asleep at 7:00 and can’t wake up. I pretty much dread mornings. We have Tempurpedic mattress which does nothing for either of us. (my husband and I) It is good to read all of the suggestions here. Makes one feel not so alone.

I have had Fibromyalgia for 30 years (that I know of). I had gotten to the point that I was afraid to go to bed, because I knew that I was going to feel terrible when I woke up. I have some much stress even I can not believe how much. I am working on getting rid of the stress that surrounds every breathing moment of my life. Recently my massage Therapist told me about a company that makes Wool Beds. I decided to try the system from the bottom up. The theory is that we may have problems with chemicals. The Bedding is made of natural non bleached cotton and wool. The Mattress is made of compressed wool, then a wool overlay, a wool mattress protector with a winter an summer wool quilt the pillows and the neck rolls are also made of wool. The rest are normal sheets and pillow cases made of nonbleached wool. I have been sleeping this way for two months. I DO NOT WAKE UP IN PAIN ANY MORE. This is so wonderful I wish to share this with everyone who suffers.

I am always stiff & achy when I get up in the mornings. It’s unusual if I’m not.
I’d like to comment on the commenter who said she stretches as soon as she gets up- good for you that you can do this. I know it helps a great deal. However, there are many mornings where I am so sore, stiff and ache that I can hardly even move due to my muscles being so darn tight. I can and have actually pulled muscles this way.
These mornings are usually after I have slept decent and have not moved much during the night ~ for me it’s a doubled edged sword.

I was wondering if anyone else twitches a lot, and for long periods of time, while sleeping. I can’t remember the exact term for it, but it’s movements, usually of the hands, arms, legs and feet, that look like twitching. I’m a sleep technologist, and what worries me is that I know that sleep twitching is a symptom of MS, but there’s been no studies, as far as I know, to see if it’s also a symptom of Fibro. I’ve been told that I twitch, A LOT. My fiance calls my Twitchy b/c of it, lol.

I always wake up feeling HORRIBLE… I hurt so bad I can barely get out of bed to get downstairs to use the bathroom… I moan and groan all the way and I pray its time to take some pain medication and then I HAVE TO GO BACK TO BED! I used to be able to be up before now… I’m lucky now if I drag myself out of bed before noon… people just don’t understand… I don’t understand….. my life feels like a chore and I’m just trying to survive day by day… I also have many other problems… I need a total right knee replacement but I’m afraid of what it would do to the fibro… I’m down for days after a dental cleaning???? I have degenerative disc disease and my back kills me…. I want to be Happy… but I have to say I’m not one of those people who can smile through the pain. I lost my hubby of 33 yrs. to cancer 4 yrs. ago…. I was the care taker for the 3 long yrs. and watched him fade away to nothing. My symptoms got so much worse when he passed away…. any help for me??? I do have my Lord and my great son… I guess I’m Blessed… Bless you all.
Ginny

Hi! I also have very painful feet and calves when I get out of bed. At bedtime, I take 4.5mg LDN, two Tylenol PM, a Soma and 1/2 of a .25mg Xanax. When I get up to pee about 4 a.m., I take 1/2 Tylenol PM, the other half of Xanax, and 1/2 of a Soma. I use a sleep mask and wear foam earplugs. I find my slightly overweight hubby very warm and comforting to cuddle into if I wake up. (he’s very cute — when I get up at 4, in his sleep he turns over with his back to me, ready for me to snuggle in). In the a.m., he pulls me to the edge of the bed (slight traction), and I immediately go into stretches. I then immediately get a handful of dark chocolate chips and a cup of coffee. By then the pain has let up a bit, especially with the booster meds at 4 a.m.!

When this flare started, after H1N1 in April, I decided to do in my life (at 70 yrs old) what no one else can do — love my husband of ten years. I retired. Now every day is centered on the time he comes home from work — ca. 6 p.m. I intend to set aside my discomfort and have energy to give him attention. So I bank energy all day. It has kept our life “normal”. It’s not normal before six — I’m rubbing on creams, napping if I have to, using my Pilates Machine as much as I can, and prepping supper a bit at a time. We simply cannot do as we would wish. Prioritize, pace, pace, pace! But what we can always do, is love. I know for many, your husbands don’t understand and don’t help. I am very lucky, and my good fortune is greater than my pain.

May life improve for each of you every day, even if the pain stays the same.