... and Now for the Good News

Greetings,

The last couple of months have been quite interesting for me in many different ways. I have had some medical appointments which have had some surprisingly positive results, and some changes in my life which were necessary. So I figured that I needed to bring you all up to speed on what's going on.

Medical

On the fibromyalgia (FM) front, not much has changed, but there are no surprises there. I have my good days and I have my not so good days. I have found real pleasure in the good days, and have found things to do during the not so good days which have made them "not so good" rather than bad. I have finally started listening to my body, and doing what it needs... for the most part. I still push things a little hard, but that is just in my nature.

I saw my respiratory specialist earlier in the year and my results came back so positive that she does not want to see me for 12 months. It seems that I aced my breathing tests. I am putting this down to the retreat of my sarcoidosis and also my somewhat increased activity levels in the preceding months. Nothing like forcing your body to do things to make your body work and adapt. The bushfires of late have not helped things, nor did my short stint with a chest infection, but they are merely lumps in the road in comparison.

I went and saw my hepatologist as well, my liver function tests have been "off" for ages, mostly due to sarcoidosis in my liver, but also due to some of my medications. So off for a liver biopsy I went. This was an uncomfortable experience I can tell you, but necessary. It made my FM flare up for about a month afterward, but turned out to be worth it in the end. The results came back... no sarcoidosis present in the liver. I am now on a "maintenance" dose of methotrexate to keep things going, and to prevent the sarcoidosis from returning. The hepatologist is also my gastroenterologist. I have been having a little issue with my bowels... off for another test. Still waiting for that one, not a huge thing, just another annoyance.

Today I saw my endocrinologist for the results of my Body Mass Density (BMD) scan to see how my osteoporosis is going, and also to check on my cortisol levels. Well, the cortisol levels are still on the low side so I will be off to see him again in six months, no change there. On the other hand, I can pretty much write off osteoporosis as a current diagnosis, my bones are in full recovery. A very positive result there.

Life Stuff

On the 19th - 20th October I participated in the Brisbane 2019 Relay for Life for the Cancer Council of Queensland which is designed to raise money and awareness about cancer. Most of the teams walked or jogged around a school oval for 17 hours. My team, Brisbane HEMA Teams Unite fenced for the full amount of time. It was a really fulfilling experience. The event raised over $62,000 which will go to cancer research and assisting cancer patients. This was a real test for my FM having to stay up all night and also participating in the activities, but I made it all the way to the end.

About six years ago I started the School of Historical Defense Arts (SHDA) and it has been going along ever since. There had been some administrative issues within the SHDA which were beginning to affect my mental health so I removed myself from administrative matters earlier on in the year, so I could focus on training the students and elements of the curriculum. These are the things that I am good at and have had the most experience with. Things had not improved, and I noted other areas I was uncomfortable with, so as of month ago I retired from the SHDA as Head of School. I have since been performing individual training. This was not an easy decision but one that I had to make for my own mental health.

In June I was elevated in the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA) to the Order of the Laurel for fencing research and interpretation. When I was asked, it was a bit of a shock to me. This is the highest award in the SCA for Arts and Sciences. The elevation ceremony went well. I have found that if you find something that you are passionate about and you just do it for the love of it, things will work out well for you. I truly never was interested in awards, I was always interested in the things which I was passionate about, and that others were to. Seek what you love and do it because you love it, and for no other reason.

It has been an interesting time of the past six months or so. I have been writing still, my blogs, and also various projects. I am coming to the end of one so I will have another book published next year sometime. Hopefully, there may even be a second book self-published, which I have been working on for the past couple of years. Things have been busy, the year has gone like a whirlwind, there have been a lot of positives and some negatives along the way. I think that is about it... I have probably forgotten something, but that will do for now.

Cheers,

Henry.

The 5% Rule

Greetings,

I truly apologise that it has been so long since I have posted here. I have thought about posting various things here but they did not seem to be related. I have been rather busy trying to get a book to print as I have moved into self-publishing. I am also still running my own fencing school and all of these things take time and energy, so the lack of time and spoons is an issue. This is not what I am here to discuss. The article for this post is about progression.

5%. It does not sound like much but it is important as it is further along than you were before. Progression is about building up energy and strength, this approach is about building up this energy and strength in a manageable way. So, you decide that you want to walk to improve your fitness. Aim for 105% of the distance each time you walk and you will improve your fitness, or 105% of the speed, but not both at the same time. When you do this you will have improved yourself 5%.

Having a chronic illness is about managing the strength and energy a person has at that point in time. There is no point in going to a gym and smashing out a full session if you are going to "crash" afterward and not going to move for a week afterward. These sharp sessions of improvement and decline are not great for your body and should be saved for things that you enjoy, if you do them at all. As far as exercise for health is concerned, you should only be pushing yourself far enough that you can begin to feel it, i.e. adding 5%. This way you can repeat the same thing again, even in the same week.

For myself, I have been going to a hydrotheraphy pool twice a week, most weeks anyway and aiming for the 5%. Sometimes it is just nice to relax in the nice warm water and do some stretching of my muscles, but even this servs a purpose of the 5% extension in stretching. I can usually manage twice a week because I only push myself the 5%. It is a manageable goal. This is what we all need to aim for, thus I have the "5% Rule" and I encourage you all to use it too.

Cheers,

Henry.

Pain to Power

Greetings,

I know it has been quite a while since I have put anything on this blog, I have been having a lack of inspiration for anything of relevance to write. My fencing blog (afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au) seems to be so much easier to write for some reason. I am guessing that this one is personal and I do not know exactly how much of my personal stuff people want to hear about. I am really not the sort of person who likes to sit around complaining about stuff. I write here to inform and to give others ideas about how to deal with things in their own lives. So on to the subject of the current post before I get too side-tracked...

The purpose of this post is to look at how we can turn our pain into power. No, I am not talking about working a generator, I am talking about using it to motivate and to make us do more rather than withdraw into our shells as we often want to. This may seem very strange to some, as soon as the pain starts they stop because it hurts and therefore the concept that the pain can make them powerful is going to be rather alien to them. Obviously for me, not so much.

"Work through the pain." How many times have you heard this statement? It is often proposed by gym-junkies and the like when they are exercising. They are talking about pain which is developed by fatigue or a "stitch". This is not the sort of pain that people with fibromyalgia (FM) and similar conditions are familiar with. For them it is nerve pain, much more painful, and often longer lasting.

Step 1: Choosing

The first part of turning your pain into power is that when the pain strikes you have two choices. No, actually you really do. You can stop what you are doing, or you can continue. If what you are doing is not particularly pleasurable or you are not particularly motivated to doing it then stopping and saving your energy is probably the best option. Save your energy for battles you want to pick. If you are doing something that you want to be doing or is pleasurable to you and you are motivated to do, then not stopping is probably an option. You have to choose not to stop.

Step 2: Energy

The next bit is having a look how much energy resisting is going to take and how much you have in reserve. Time to "count the spoons" as some would put it. Resisting the pain and continuing is going to take energy, and in some instances it is going to take quite a bit of it. The questions you have to ask yourself are: Do you have this energy? Are you willing to spend it? Are you willing to put up with the consequences of spending it? Is the outcome going to be worth it? The last question is actually the most important as far as I am concerned, the rest are not so important, but that is me.

Step 3: Spending the Energy

Out of all of the steps this is the hard bit and takes the real determination. This is the bit where most people will feel that they have failed, or will quit trying and so forth. This is the bit where you stare the pain down and tell it who's boss. This is the bit where you look it in the eye and tell it that you are going to continue what you are doing until you want to stop, not until it wants to stop you. This is going to take determination and energy to keep going. Most importantly believe that you can do it and do it.

Step 4: Downtime

After any energy expenditure you need some downtime. This will allow you to recharge the batteries a little. At this point in time you should not be thinking about how you went, only about resting and recharging. To tell you the truth, this is the bit that I have the hardest time with, I always feel that I should be doing something. Most of the time for me it is "crash"-time rather than downtime, and I do not recommend it. Take time to rest instead.

Step 5: Evaluation and Preparation

After you have had some time to recharge your batteries you need to have a look at how you did. A responsible person always evaluates what they have done and learns from it. Most importantly, this is personal evaluation. You do not need to, nor should you, compare your successes with anyone else. Please notice that I have not mentioned the word "failure". If you did a little bit more than you would have done because you chose to. You have a success. The successes do not have to be big, the just have to be present. Find out what you can do differently next time to improve your situation so that you can do better. The next part is preparation and preparing to make the same choice again, because it will come around again, and you have to be willing to make the same choice again. The more you do it, the more motivated you will become and the more powerful you will become. Hence pain to power.

If you are reading this and think that this is an easy sort of thing to do, you are kidding yourself. It is even more difficult if you are not prone to resisting the pain and letting it have its way. The method I am proposing here is hard, and it takes time, but it is about standing up and taking power over the pain rather than letting it have all the power. No, I am not saying that you should ditch all your medications, that's crazy, but the power of your own motivation can help a hell of a lot.

I am proposing a method that works for me. Now be warned I am a stubborn sod, any one of my two siblings will tell you this, as will many of my friends. I hate being confined by things. Most of all I hate being confined by my conditions, thus I fight against them. Now a lot of the time this can land me in some hot water, you will not posts about me talking about "crashes". This is because I push the method that I am proposing to the extreme and then suffer the consequences. What I am proposing for you is to use it in a much more measured fashion. Have a go, what's the damage it can do to try?

Cheers,

Henry.

Where has "The Dream" Gone?

Greetings,

Of late I have had a lot of time to think. I have been a member, paid and unpaid, of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) now since 1992. This means I have been interacting with various parts of this organisation for some time. I have seen some of the great parts about it, and I have also seen some of the not so great parts about it. Problem at the moment is the latter seems to be overshadowing the former of late, and I am losing my faith in the SCA and seriously asking myself whether or not it is time to move on.

This is a post which has been sitting around waiting to be written for a long time, though it was a symptom of a year of some severe loses and resulting impacts on my life. The more I think about it, I think that these elements have only served to highlight what my usually positive attitude has been hiding for a long time. As I have stated I am a long-standing member of the SCA, I have participated in all three forms of combat in some part, and excelled in rapier combat. I have accrued various titles as a result of my interactions with others and also dedication to what I had chosen to do. I am not going to go into any detail here as I do not think that there is any point, this is mere background.

For me at the moment, the fantasy is gone. Titles and awards to me have begun to mean nothing to me so I strive only to do those things which are of interest to me, or which will assist those friends which I have within various groups. This has resulted in a loss of excitement. I used to get excited about the next event I would be going to and would go out of my way to go to as many as I could. Now I only attend those which I really feel like going to or those which I have been asked to attend.

During my time in the SCA I have gained quite a bit of skill in the art of rapier combat, as a result I have won quite a few tournaments in my time. I used to be really enthusiastic about the prospect of a tournament and the chance to show off my skill and come out on top, now not so much. These victories do not hold the enticement they once had.

The Society itself has changed, within the groups it can be seen that the high ideals that used to be expressed by its members in word and deed both on and off the field seem to be diminished. The importance of Courtesy and Chivalry both on and off the field of battle seems to have been lost somewhere in the importance of titles and making a good impression on those with supposed power within the groups. Politics is invading all parts of the Society, there is nowhere to hide. I have had some friends who have been lost and others who have reduced their contact due to politics, and indeed problems can result by the mere association with people of the "wrong" character. The determination being up to another group of people. The result of this is that the openness of groups that I once experienced seems to have disappeared and now it is difficult to find common ground with many people, even though we are all playing the same game.

The Society, at least in Australia, has become a victim of its own success and circumstances. As research in subjects and knowledge has grown, so too has the expectation of the performance and dress of its members. It would seem that gone are the days where a person would be accepted turning up in a t-tunic and jeans, just as much as the person who researches every element of their attire. Research expectations have also grown, if every element is not researched, it can almost be expected that someone will criticise the work which has been done, or not done as the case may be. In this there is no encouragement and direction for further research mere criticism of the work which has been done. What is the most concerning about these standards is that such standards are even put upon newcomers and this quite frequently scares them away, the leeway of time to get established is gone, the expectations have replaced it.

Conservatism has invaded the groups in action and in the dress of individuals. These outside aspects, more appropriate to a Victorian recreation group have found themselves present in this medieval and Renaissance group. Along with this has gone the sense of humour and sense of fun. Many of the individuals take things much too seriously and have forgotten the humorous and cheeky elements which were always present in the past.

So with all of these elements present the question which has to be put is; is it time to move on? The question that follows is where to? HEMA? I have already referred to my new School the School of Historical Defense Arts (SHDA) as my "retirement" plan. It covers all of the elements of research and combat which I enjoy without the other elements which I so dislike. Or should I keep fighting and hope that things improve? There are still people in the SCA with whom I am still good friends, and events which I attend which I do still enjoy.

I think at this stage that a partial movement away, while maintaining some contact is the best way at the moment. I will stay involved with the SCA and attend those events which I choose to, and be with those people who I like to be with and see how it goes. I hope that sometime in the future the SCA gains some of what it has lost and that my faith is restored, as I believe it would be a sorry day for me to move completely away and leave all of those people who I still call true friends behind.

Cheers,

Henry.

Some Things I Have Learned Having Fibromyalgia

Greetings,

This post was inspired by one made by my sister. Ironically, I think I have written a lot of this separately in different blog articles, oh well...

1. Make a choice fight or don't. You can crawl up into a ball and reduce what you do. Or you can stand up and fight and keep or expand what you can. One of these is easy but leads down a much more restricted path, the other will be much more difficult but the benefit will be a much more involved life. This will require activity and it will take time. Needless to say I am a fighter.

2. You are in it for the long-haul. There are not quick-fixes for this one. It is not something you can go to a doctor/surgeon/specialist and then days/months/years down the track it is all fixed. This is one which is going to stick around for the rest of your life. So you need to think of the long-term rather than the short-term, and this means the long-term effects of what you are doing with yourself (See "1").

3. You will have to explain what fibromyalgia is to people a lot. Giving a medical definition will be a waste of time so the best thing is to give a general idea of what the symptoms are like. I tend to describe FM as the worst elements of arthritis and chronic fatigue.

4. People will not understand the pain you experience, even others with fibromyalgia. Everybody's pain is different and not everyone will have the same symptoms as you. Even if they do have the exact same symptoms as you the pain will be difficult to describe. This goes for people in the medical profession as well.

5. You will get asked where does it hurt, a lot. Being able to pin-point where you have pain is a great advantage, for the most part you will not. In response to this question for the most part it would be easier to ask where doesn't it hurt, though that can change at a moment's notice. On a pain diagram it is easier sometimes to simply circle the whole thing, or colour the lot in.

6. You will have to explain your existence a lot. People will not understand how you can do somethings and not others. This is one I get asked a lot. However, do not feel you need to explain yourself, for some people it won't matter what you say, they will never understand and they will never believe you. These people are best to be left behind as they will always second-guess you.

7. Don't be afraid to push your limits. If you want to extend yourself then you need to challenge your own boundaries. You will be surprised about what you can accomplish.

8. Expect to fail every now and then. When you take the advice in "7" you will find that your boundaries are sometimes more restrictive than you thought. The important thing is not to see the failure as the end. Get up, brush yourself off and have another go, and another, and another until you do get where you want to be.

9. Take a break. Everybody needs them. Your body will tell you when to take the break one way or another, but most often it will tell you by causing you pain. In my case it is usually after I hit the bottom, but I do rest.

10. Expect some people to walk away. This is because they cannot understand what you are going through and this frightens them. It is during these times that you will find people who are really your friends.

11. Some people will never believe you. This is regardless of what you tell them or what evidence you present. These people will always think that there is nothing wrong and it is all a show. Best advice for these people is to stay away from them as best you can.

12. Find a good doctor. I do not mean a doctor with lots of qualifications and recommendations. I mean a doctor who you can deal with. A doctor who really wants to understand and help you with what is going on with you. More to the point a doctor who actually does understand that there is something going wrong. If you have to spend your time convincing your doctor that there is something wrong and it is not all in your head you need to find a better doctor.

13. It may get better, or it may get worse. This is one of the frightening things about FM, you may get worse or not, you don't know. The only thing to do in this situation is to do what you can help to prevent it from getting worse. It may not work but give it your best and you never know it might get better or at least stabilise things (See "1").

14. Expect the random. What? How can you expect the random? Expect that sometimes your fibromyalgia will come up and bite you on the butt when you least expect it, and most often when you least want it to. In this you need to be prepared to decline, to reschedule, and to miss out. Sometimes it is better to sit out and miss things than to push yourself too far. Sometimes it will be worth it to push yourself, pick your times and your battles. In my case I have missed events of various kinds in order to do this, it is not easy to do.

15. Do not be afraid to be a burden, but do not expect to be one. There are times when you will need help and when it is offered, take it. However, do not expect people to do things for you just because of your condition, you need to give them a reason to want to care. You need to be giving something back for people to want to go out of their way for you. I pull my weight where I can, or at least try to and try to give something back where I can from what I can do.

16. Ask for help, it is not a sign of weakness. There are times when you will need help, do not be afraid to ask for it. Do not expect people to intuitively know when you need help with things. You will need to ask for help, do not simply expect it to happen without asking. More to the point be grateful of the help, especially because it most often comes when you most need it. One of the hardest lessons to learn for me, and to tell the truth, I am still learning it.

17. Do not expect help, even from those you should. There are times, and most times, when you will have to do this thing on your own. This means you are just going to have to battle through yourself and do what you can when you can. There will be times when you will expect help and it simply will not happen, sometimes even when you ask.

18. People have their own lives. They can not always be around to help you or be there for you. You need some self-sufficiency. Sometimes people's lives will be more important than helping you with yours, this is something you simply have to accept and move on.

19. If you want to do something, do it. Find what you want to do and see if you can. Give things a go, you will only find out if you have a go. You never know you just might surprise yourself. Of course, keep your expectations real at the same time. Find a project, intellectual or physical (the best kinds have both) and go for it.

20. Don't believe everything that you read. You will find things which are contradictory to what has been written about the condition. In my case I have one word "caffeine". Supposedly it causes problems with fibromyalgia and thus I should stay away from it. I have found it useful. It helps cut through the "fog", it obviously wakes me up, and it gets the blood pumping. All of these things I have found to be a benefit rather than a problem.

21. You are much stronger than you know. You can battle through the hardest parts of this condition. You always have the strength to go on. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. Some days getting out of bed is a hardship, but I do it anyway. Small achievement I know, but a victory nonetheless. If you find these victories in your life you will find that you can do a lot of things and each achievement will spur you on to the next. Getting out of bed gets the ball rolling. Sure it is hard, and it is easy to go back, but always look forward. Get one thing done today and it is an achievement, you never know you could be aimed at two, or more tomorrow.

22. Look for understanding not sympathy. The former is more difficult to achieve than the latter and is worth more. Through understanding a person can then begin to understand when you need help and how this is best delivered. Sympathy is like a pat on the head, nice but does not get you anywhere. Understanding is a long-term project usually only undertaken by those who really care and want to know. Needless to say if you go looking for it you can get a lot of sympathy, but understanding is a lot harder to achieve. Oh, and after a while too much sympathy gained off a single individual can turn into contempt, which is exactly what you don't want.

23. Insomnia can be both a curse and a gift. In the long-term insomnia is not good for you and will cause you problems, however it can allow you to achieve things as well. A short dose of insomnia in one particular instance allowed me to get further in a project than I would have otherwise. Use the over-active brain to do something with. Write it all down, even if it is gobbledigook.

24. Medication needs to be managed. Well-managed medication can be a boon. Side-effects can be a killer so these need to be managed as well. More to the point you need to realise when you actually need it. I am horrible with regard to this as concerns pain-killers. I hate taking them due to the side-effects and my fear of becoming dependent on them. I will do anything I can to avoid having to take a pain-killer. I take them when I need them, and not before. The rest of my medication is, for the most part, pretty good, even if it is somewhat limiting on certain aspects.

25. There is always another twist. There is always something around the corner that you will not expect. In my case this was sarcoidosis and osteoporosis. Dealing with both, things are looking good. These things will complicate what is going on. For the most part they do not even have to be directly associated with the FM, but they will have their effects. Look at it simply as another puzzle to solve or manage and move on.

26. Your life is a puzzle. Yes, I am a walking rubix cube. There are many moving parts and the bits do not always fit the way that they are supposed to. The fibromyalgia will complicate things for you and the symptoms will be random a lot of the time. However, we all have triggers which we can do our best to avoid where we can. In my case I look at it all as a puzzle and making all of the bits fit properly results in me having a better life than before. It may not be perfect, but at least it will be better.

27. Being positive does help. Whether it is something chemical or just an outlook on life, being positive about things helps. If you are positive there is no hurdle which you cannot tackle. In my case I accept things for what they are and move on. Curling up in a ball and hiding only works so well for so long. Eventually you have to get up and do something. Worrying about stuff you can do nothing about does nothing but waste energy on things you could be doing something about.

28. Take greater joy in the things you can do than those you can't. There are things we all cannot do anymore thanks to FM. In my case I can no longer write or type for as long nor as fast as I used to be able to. So I focus more on the things that I can do, especially the ones where the ability to do this shocks people. Big one for me is fencing and this one not only shocks friends and family but also some in the medical profession as well.

29. You will get frustrated and annoyed. I am usually a reasonably calm and quiet sort of person. This illness drives me to distraction, especially when it says "Not today." for anything. In these times you need to accept that you are actually frustrated and annoyed, but also realise that while something may not be going according to plan, there are things you can do about it. I denied for the longest time that I had depression and I do have my ups and downs with regard to it. For the most part the cause of this can be firmly laid at the feet of fibromyalgia. It makes things really difficult at times but you have to accept these things as they are and then move through them. So you can't do what you planned today, push it to one side and do something else; then try again tomorrow.

30. Take hold of something which is yours and hold on to it. Pick one thing, one thing that you love doing and do your very best to hold on to that thing. For me that one thing is Renaissance martial arts, it is something I was doing before fibromyalgia and it is the one thing that keeps me going. When I mention fencing this is what I am talking about, not sport fencing but the fencing of the Renaissance period. I do it, I read about it, I research it. This is the one thing that keeps me going and the one thing I will never give in. Essentially you need something you love to challenge you and give you the victories to keep going.

Well, I have come up with 30 of them. No doubt I will think of some more later on and these I will either add to this in some form or some other method of recording them. You will notice that some of these will repeat themselves, well, that is just the way it is. Different lessons in each one of them though.

Cheers,

Henry.  

The Inevitable Crash

Greetings,

Well, I have been cruising now for a couple of weeks doing stuff at home and with regard to several projects. This is not to mention my usual training sessions that I am involved in. All in all I have made some progress over the past couple of weeks, but I know what is coming around the corner... the crash.

The crash for me is usually the result of pushing myself a little hard for a single burst or over a period of time. For the most part in this instance it is the second one. This one has been building up for some time and I have been putting off the rest-breaks I should really have been having. What does this mean? This means I am going to pay for it in the not too distant future. It will probably result in some severe down-time for a couple of days while I recuperate.

At the moment I am putting this one off until after Easter. I have an examination to test in Renaissance fencing to do down near Gosford. My accommodation has been paid as has my flight down so all I have to do is hold this off until I get back and it will all be good. Of course this is going to have to result in some "artificial buoyancy" for the period, mainly consisting of more sugar and caffeine in my system while I am up and the possible increase of some pain medications overnight. Why would I do this to myself you would ask?

Because the effort is worth it. I would rather have some big high points in my life and have to put up with the lows that accompany it than just coast where it is comfortable. This is my nature I am stubborn and I refuse to let my condition determine what I will do in the future. I want to be able to do stuff now, and have the chance to do it again later. If this means that I have to pay for it... so be it. As far as I am concerned hitting the heights is most definitely worth the lows that accompany it.

Cheers,

Henry.

My Coping Mechanisms

Greetings,

The previous blogs have been designed to introduce you to FM and some of the issues associated with it. This was designed to create a level of understanding so that you can understand the problems that I face having this particular condition. The important thing here is that it is understanding that I am seeking, maybe a little empathy, but sympathy is not the goal. To this point this blog will be dealing with some of the ways that I deal with having FM, and the counters which have been developed. Some of these are medical and some are things which I have worked out for myself.

One of the greatest problems with FM, aside from the varying symptoms, is its randomness. Not knowing how well you will function tomorrow leads to frustration in a lot of ways. In most instances I approach this by living day to day except for those instances where this is not possible. You can plan for some of the days where you know things are going to be a problem, but this is really only a modicum in the grand scheme of things. Medication also helps level out the ups and downs also.

The biggest element in medication is getting on to one which suits you. This requires a lot of negotiation with your doctor. I have been prescribed all sorts of medication and it took quite some time before we found a combination of medications which enabled my symptoms to be dealt with, without having any major side-effects from the individual medications or the combinations of them. Anti-depressants are the prime way for dealing with the depression associated with FM and for the most part they work quite well. Unfortunately this does not deal with all of the problems associated with the condition. They do help, but they are not the total answer to all of the problems posed by FM.

Pain is an element of FM which cannot be ignored, as much as I have tried to over the years. I have a relatively high pain tolerance, but painkillers do help quite a bit in dealing with this. Once again it is important to get a painkiller which suits you and of course, does not interact badly with the anti-depressant. There are some over-the-counter painkillers which can help take the edge off the pain associated with FM. In most instances pain is an element which is pretty much constant and the painkillers bring it down to a level which I can deal with. Of course on those good days I am actually free of pain and this is a god-send. Getting decent sleep is a great thing and helps with the condition, but it is not always possible to do this naturally. This is where sleeping tablets can help the process.

Sleep is the time when your body recovers from the day's activities and if it is not quality sleep you will not recover from the stresses of the day. Sleeping tablets can help with this and prevent a person from lying in their bed for hours thinking too much, and eventually counting the ridges in the ceiling or the amount of panels in the walls. The best sort of sleeping tablet is one that gets you to sleep and keeps you there. Of course it also needs to run its entire course before the next day comes so you do not wake up drowsy. The selection of this medication as with the other two above has to be done carefully so there are not interactions, and so the side-effects are minimised. The combination of these three medications help you to smooth out the rough patches in your existence, but never quite completely do the job. The individual also needs to find other things to assist them.

Foods which you enjoy eating are always a good thing as it encourages you to eat them. A loss of appetite in my case is usually the result of stress or pain depending on the particular situation, and of course food is fuel. Trying to run on an empty tank is bound to result in failure. My diet in general has not changed all that much from previously. There are supposed diets which help with FM, but I have never tried one. I have found that eating healthy foods which I like works much better than most diets that I have seen. This is where we will see a little irony in my case. According to some doctors, red meat, sugar and caffeine are all bad for people with fibromyalgia, along with several other things. I looked at this particular list and went "No way." This would take a great deal of things out of my diet that I actually enjoy. This is where the randomness of FM truly shows its face, especially in my case, with regard to food. I actually found that caffeine actually reduces my level of fatigue, increases my level of energy and increases my capacity to do things that I enjoy. I told my doctor about this particular situation and he told me if it works use it. The result of this is that I actually drink quite a lot of caffeinated beverages, eat what I want, and feel much better for it.

I have categorised individuals with FM into two main camps. Now, before I do this I must say that this is my classification and nothing medically based, just something that I have observed. The first group tends to be rather inactive. This is usually the result of them being afraid of being in pain due to activity. These people tend to wrap themselves up and don't tend to do much. The other group are those who decide that going out and doing things can only improve their outlook on life. These individuals go out and find active things to do and tend to push themselves in these activities. Of course this can result in them being in pain afterward, but it is the achievement that they have made which is more important to them. I have quite squarely landed myself in the second group. I have found that an increased level of activity actually improves my feelings of myself and also my pain levels.

With regard to activity, there are two types of activity that I use in order to cope with my condition. These are usually dependent on what I am able to do during the day. The first type of activity is less active. It is things like playing computer games, reading and other more inside activities. The second type of activity involves going out and actively participating in activities which involve physical activity. These activities are things such as walking, playing sports and others.

I use the less active activities on those days where I am not feeling so good. These improve the situation as I am able to see achievement in what I manage to do during that day, even if it is only achieving words written, or some game played. These activities are designed to keep the mind active while giving the body a rest. It is the self-recognition of the achievement of the activity which is important. Anyone who knows me knows that I love fencing. This is the major physical activity that I am involved in when I am feeling well. Once again it is the achievements resulted which enable the me to feel good about it. I will actually be writing a later blog about the benefits of fencing to the individual with FM. Both of these types of activity relieve a level of stress and this is important as it does improve my overall well-being.

The final coping mechanism I would like to talk about is an external one. It is not something that I take and it is not something that I do. It is something that others do for me. One of my greatest assets in coping with FM is my family and my friends. The supply a support network which has helped me a great deal in coping with my condition. This is not just through doing things for me that I can't because I am having a bad day, it is simple things like simple visits and communcation with me. A simple conversation to see how I am and what sort of issues I may be having is always helpful as it allows me to get things out of my system. This sounds really simple, but I can tell you for me this has been a hard path. I used to not talk about how I was actually feeling, I would hide my pain and discomfort as I felt that they could not help me, so why burden them? The encouragement to do the various activities that I participate in outside and also my more solitary activities has been a great asset. This level of understanding from their point of view has helped me greatly to understand that I can get help when I need it, and there really is the achievements that I only really percieved to that point in time. To these people, and you know who you are, I must say thank you, you have all helped me greatly.

While there is no recognised cure for fibromyalgia, it can be dealt with, even on a day to day basis. It is only through negotiation with others, my doctor, and friends and family that I have found that I can cope, and most of all I am not alone. Each one of these people may have suggestions for things that you can do in order to improve yourself, or may just be a friendly ear to talk to. I would not be in such a more stable condition that I am now without the help of my current doctor. Through his various medication regimes and support my symptoms for the average day are quite level. Without the combination of these coping mechanisms I would not be in the more positive situation that I am in now. I realise that I will continue to have good days and bad days, but at least with the coping mechanisms that I have developed myself and those given to me, I will push through it.

Cheers,

Henry.