A Statement About Words

 Greetings,

I don't usually put my political feelings on subjects regarding disabilities on this blog, but I think this one is one which needs some attention. This is a somewhat edited version of another post I made on my other blog for that purpose. If you would like to read the post in its entirety, you can read it HERE.

There is a subject that I have not broached before and I believe it is time, especially with all the talk about Inclusivity being thrown about. I am going to be specific about some words and how I feel about them. In regard to some words I am going to make a statement about how I would prefer to be addressed, in much the same way as a person of a different gender might, but we must discuss this so my intent here is clear.

I have no intention of belittling the importance of those of different sexuality or gender expressing themselves. I believe that every human being has a right to a good and happy life, regardless of their situation. This is regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic position, or any other way some interest group may decide to divide people. Part of this is expressing themselves and being known in the way that they prefer, appropriate to their situation. 

Changing the term does not change the situation, it does not soften the situation. To give an example George Carlin once used, previously people who suffered mental stress in war, recognised in World War I, suffered from "shell shock". This was softened to "battle fatigue" in World War II. Since Vietnam we have "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder". The condition has not changed, the veterans still suffer from  the same conditions, the language has just been softened. Softened to make it more palatable to people. The same has happened with those with disabilities.

Changing the term does not change the situation, it does not soften the situation. Previously people were called "handicapped", then "disabled", now some call such individuals "differently abled", all in some measure to soften the words. To soften them so the people can be pushed aside, as though they have been dealt with, so people can feel better about themselves, so people don't have to worry so much. No. The term "differently abled" is inaccurate, and as far as I am concerned, offensive.

Here is my statement: I do not accept the definition as "differently abled". I refuse to be called such and find such a term offensive in its nature. Has a person suddenly gained some different ability due to their disability? No. The term is inaccurate, the term is offensive. I am disabled, a part of my person does not function as well as it does in a "normal" human being, this is the accurate term.

Finally, I will continue to raise these points and complain in this fashion about the use of such words and their inaccuracies until they are fixed, or until the system truly is inclusive as it claims to be, which it isn't, as I have highlighted HERE and HERE. 

Cheers,

Henry.

3 Weeks in bed...

Greetings,

Ironically this was not the result of fibromyalgia...

Onthe 7th September I had a coccygectomy; they removed my tail bone. I had broken it previously and surgery was the only option available due to the break (class 3). The surgery went well. I stayed in hospital overnight so I could be observed. I have since come home and spent most of my time in bed.

Problem with operation in that spot, at the base of your spine, is that there are few options for comfortable positions and movement. Clearly sitting without some sort of aid is out of the question. Standing is limited due to the nerve connections present. So, I have spent most of my time in bed, lying down, in some fashion. Indeed I am writing this on my tablet while lying on my side.

I have been lucky to have a supportive wife to help me, and some friends to visit. Going by my progress, I expect that I am going to be here for another couple of weeks. This is going to be a slow healing and recovery process, just the way it has to be. 

I am hoping to get out and about sometime, but I will have to manage that as last time it resulted in two days of pain. I may just have to be patient and wait until everything settles down properly. Best not to rush it, and put the healing process back. 

Not sure if I will update about this, especially considering I had not thought about it until now. Then again, you never know. Look after yourselves.

Cheers,

Henry.

Pain... It's All in Your Mind

 Greetings,

My last post was about COVID vaccines and my personal journey through having the vaccine. I will be continuing to have the vaccines, of all kinds, not just the COVID ones because they are good for protecting the body, regardless of their side-effects, and that was some time ago. I simply have not had anything to write about since then, nothing which I thought my readers of this blog would find helpful or useful. Today, I have.

How many times have you been told that your fibromyalgia (FM) is all in your mind? How many times have you been told that your chronic pain was all in your mind? In these instances the individuals were using the statement to pass the buck, to place the blame elsewhere or simply discredit feelings and sensations that you knew you were actually having. I have news... in a way they were right.

Pain does come from the mind, but it does not make it any less real. If you are having problems grasping this concept, I recommend watching any one of the many videos on YouTube by Professor Lorimer Moseley. HERE is one to get you started. He is an Australian who studies pain and its effects on individuals, and how it works, recognised internationally for his work. His research is revealing, and it is most useful to individuals who live with pain every day of their lives. Once you have had a listen to Professor Moseley, I would encourage you to read on and see what this revelation has done for me...

If my pain comes from my mind, then I am in partly responsible for the outcomes of this sensation. This is the case because I have active control of my mind, I am the person who decides what I do with my mind and what I think about. Yes, we all get distracted and we all get led off on our little adventures, but if you can control your mind, you can control your pain. Let me say that again, if you can control your mind, you can control your pain.

This is a skill and like any other skill it takes practise. You can practise through simple things like remaining on a particular topic and not being side-tract when you are thinking about a thing. You can practise by focusing on each individual part of your body and feeling each individual part of your body and then pushing them away. These are practising actions of mindfulness, not in the Buddhist, Dalai Lama, monkish sort of way but in an active form.

If I am actively doing something that I enjoy, my pain levels reduce a lot. I do not feel the pain, because my mind has been taken elsewhere, I am focused on something else. The more that we can find the triggers to these removing our thought patterns away from the pain that we are feeling, the less pain that we will feel. Of course, this works for me. 

I find if I focus on my pain, I end up in a spiral downward which just ends up in more pain. If I can stop the spiral, by distracting myself from the pain, by doing something active, or even something else that I have to focus on, the pain reduces and the spiral doesn't get a chance to start.

Why would I bother to seek out methods such as these when there are drugs available to dull my pain? I have more of a fear of drug-dependency than I do of pain. I would rather save the drugs for some time when I really need them than use them for chronic pain conditions. I would also rather have pain than have the fog associated with having enough drugs in my system to dull my pain. I have been here before and I did not like it at all. I don't want to be hooked on that sensation a person gets when the drugs hit their system. I would rather have the pain and feel alive than be pain-free and in some drugged up, semi-comatose, unable to think, state.

The problem is that our bodies get used to the presence of drugs, so they get dependent on their presence, and they get tolerant of them, so they have to be increased. I have topped out one of mine, so my doctor has had to move on to another one which will work with the one that I am using. This is the reason that I am doing my best to find other ways of dealing with my pain. Activity helps, especially if it is an activity that you enjoy, because you will want to go out and do it. Research, and work on your mind helps, but it is all hard work. The alternative, I believe, is worse.

Cheers,

Henry.