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I’VE HAD A GOOD RUN, SO I GUESS IT’S ONLY TO BE EXPECTED…

barmac5

meditate

I’ve had a good run with my back for the last couple of months and was genuinely thinking that I had got my medication ‘spot on’. But, it’s been niggling for a few days now and has blown into a full blown storm today.

Dealing with chronic pain on a daily basis just becomes part of my life, I live with it, I have to live with it or my life would be very miserable.

My friends, and family are always telling me how well I do coping with my pain, how well I look, how well I manage doing this and that, and I know I do, but sometimes it just gets a little to much to cope with.

With also suffering from Fibromyalgia the awful sleeps you have endure with this horrible disease would leave anyone ‘fit’ feeling exhausted, so it doesn’t help that I generally start the day feeling like I’ve been awake all night. But, I have it all worked out, and have my teas-made make my first cuppa so that I can take some medication (pain killers and antidepressants) to pick me up before I embark on my normal days activities.

I then shower, pull the bed up and take Bess for a walk before I do anything else as I do truly believe that a walk helps to kick my endorphins in. But some days, like today, even that is to difficult to manage.

I have a terrible habit of blaming myself when I have a flare up but really I can’t this time as we have been away twice in the last couple of weeks for two nights and I have done little to aggravate my back. However, my friend said maybe it was the ‘breaks’ that have caused the flare up ?

‘Well’, I thought, ‘bugger that ( do excuse my language)’ because if anyone thinks I will miss out on any of our escapades to far away places in the beautiful UK, then they don’t know me well enough. NOTHING will stop me from getting away from it all while ever we can afford to do it.

However, the more I think about it, she is probably right. Strange beds, sitting in the car, sitting on different chairs, walking up hills, can all contribute to triggering a flare up.

Still I’ve had such a good week, what with all the excitement about my blog being in the running for an award, and what with my lovely few days in the Lakes this week, and then calling on Dad and seeing him look the best I have seen him in months…

I guess I really won’t moan for too long about my boring old back because as I said at the beginning of this post, ‘I just have to live with it’.

Buddha

Published by barmac5

I am a mum and wife to a lovely caring family. I’ve suffered with chronic back pain for over 30 years and started writing my first blog in 2007 which covered back and chronic pain. Since then I have written many more blogs for myself and customers. I find it takes me away from my pain to another place. I love it so much I think it should be part of a recovery process after illness or surgery. I hope you enjoy reading through my blogs.

36 thoughts on “I’VE HAD A GOOD RUN, SO I GUESS IT’S ONLY TO BE EXPECTED…”

    1. Thanks pp, I’m also well overdue for another spinal injection so I might need my GP to send a letter to try and get me further up the list. It was last August when I had my last one !!! 🙂

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      2. Thanks pp, when I phoned the secretary and asked how long the waiting list was, she said ‘how long is a piece of string’ !!!!

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  2. In my experience with backs and fibro there is not always a reason for flare ups. Don’t kick your self as it isn’t helpful and if you fall over you will really hurt. Hugs (gentle of course) and hope you are feeling better soon. LLLC

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  3. So sorry but your friend is prob right with all the different beds and chairs..even shoes flare my own problems up.

    Glad your blog has made the award status..

    Just you take care same as you keep telling me.

    P xx

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    1. Thanks p, I’ll try to be good for the weekend. I am actually due for another spinal injection as my last one was last August, which is ridiculous but the list just seems to get longer and longer. My GP told me to just give her a phone if I feel I’m getting desperate then she will write to the pain clinic so I think if it hasn’t settled down next week I will give her a ring.

      Thanks (re blog). Have a lovely weekend 🙂

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      1. No good them trying to spinal inject me….lol….I wouldn’t let them give me an epidural when Becci was born.

        Just take it easy over the weekend..I am.

        P xx

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      2. Thats exactly what I am doing p, in fact just going to bed with heat pad and some anti-inflammatories – C is cooking dinner and the house is straight and tidy so will get my kindle out and hopefully it should settle soon. If not I will ask for another injection. Thanks p, have a nice day x

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  4. Love your netsuke – is it?? So sorry your wretched old back is having the cheek to flare up – just when you were enjoying yourself! Don’t beat yourself up about it Barbara – maybe it might be a good idea to settle in at home for a while and just teach your back who’s boss. But I’m delighted that you’ve had a lovely time!

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    1. I’m not sure, I bought it from a picture site (dreamstime) – they do have some great copyright free photos for blogs etc (thats the top picture). The bottom one is mine which I bought in an antique shop years and years ago.

      Thanks gilly, like I said to Pauline, I am actually due for another spinal injection as my last one was August so I might have to ring my GP to give them a push. The waiting list gets longer and longer as the pain specialist that I have (and C won’t let anyone else touch me) only does one day a week now.

      It was lovely to see Dad so good and on such a high with his new TV. He’s coming to me for Easter, so I have to be better for then, and I’ve already told him he can’t moan about our small screen tv’s, just because he has a 42″ lol :))Hope you have a lovely weekend :)x

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  5. Have you tried cinammon? Andy has been dealing with chronic pain for over twenty years now – due to joint deformities which caused arthritic and mechanical pain. When we were in Greece the background pain decreased. We originally thought it was because of the weather, but recently I had a brain wave and wondered if it had been because of the diet. Out there we ate TONS of cinammon in almost every meal as they load it into every tomato based sauce as well as the desserts.

    I started doing the same and lo and behold his pain levels droppped back to where they were when we were living in Greece :))

    We stopped with the cinammon for a week and the pain came back. We know it wasn’t weather related because the first cinammon test was while the snow and hail and storms were kicking in.

    I’m trying to tell everyone I know with joint type pains about this now. A GP family friend says it doesn’t work for everyone – but I suspect efficacy may depend on how you get your cinammon fix. For example if you eat it by loading up on high calorie high sugar pastries and desserts I would doubt that would be good for you, but mixed in with spicy curries, and italian type tomato sauces in recipes you can get a good couple of tablespoons without making the recipe unpalatable and I think the vitamin C and acid in the tomatoes may help the body absorb whatever it is in the cinammon that acts as an anti-inflammatory.

    Worth a go any way. xxx

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    1. I absolutely adore cinammon M and add to most of my puddings, bakings etc. In fact I drive the family mad with it but I’ve not tried adding it to things like curries and italian recipes.

      I will definitely try it and see if that makes any difference as at the end of the day it must depend on the quantity you have that makes the difference, but like you say it’s worth a go.

      Thanks for this M, it’s really interesting. I’ll also look into this a bit more.

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  7. So sorry you are in pain again. I hope it is short lived this time for you. It must be really difficult to cope at times but you always seem so very positive. If you can’t go away don’t beat yourself up about it, you can always go when things improve and you will enjoy it much more if you are not in pain x

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    1. Thanks bda, when I last saw my GP (a couple of weeks ago) I did mention that the sciatica was stirring again and she said she would write to my pain consultant to try and put me higher up the list as they can’t tell you when you will next have an injection as the list is so long !!!!!!!!

      Just as long as I’m ok for Easter as I’m having Dad over that’s the main thing. Thanks again, xx

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      1. It is horrible that you have to wait at all. We have no NHS so it is all private which is a pain but means you do get seen fast at least. I hope it is ok for Easter x

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      2. You are so right bda, we are soooooo lucky having the NHS – you forget sometimes how lucky we are and I can at the end of the day pay privately if I want to so how lucky are we in the UK to have this option. Thanks bda, have a nice day, I’m resting in bed today 🙂

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      2. Thanks gg, hope you’ve got your garden work done today its beautiful here, I’m resting on my bed with the sun shinning in 🙂

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  9. Up to my old ways which never seem to change. You commented on my blog so here I am to return the compliment. One good deed deserves another. I would recommend the same move to one and all.
    We hope that get fast relief from your agony. I say agony because both Pam and I know just what you are going through. Pam is still regularly visiting the physio. I have nanaged my back problem for some time now. My problem peaked in the mid- eighties at the time of our first daughter’s wedding. Imagine that.

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    1. Sorry to hear your a fellow back pain sufferer skip, and what a shame it peaked at such an important time for you but unfortunately we have no control over our bodies, especially our spines. Hope Pam’s is not troubling her to much at the moment.

      I go up and down but manage my pain quite well with a lot of medication and spinal injections but whereas before I had them regularly, the list is so long now that months and months go by before I have another one. I’m desperate for one at the moment.

      Thanks again, nice to hear from you 🙂

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  10. It must be damn hard for you Barb. I can understand if you feel like a break from your pain relief routine. Godd luck Barb!

    I’ve been back to my physio for new exercises. Getting some more flexibility into my lower back – not easy for an old codger like me.

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    1. Well it can be at times hutt, I mean that’s what this blog is all about, the up’s and down’s of chronic pain but I have had a good run, so its to be expected. Resting up completely this weekend and see how it goes next week. Thanks, have a nice weekend :)x

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    1. Thanks liz, i’m resting in bed today with heat pad and meds so hopefully it should settle soon, if not I will go and see my pain consultant for another injection which is well overdue. Thanks again, have a nice weekend xx

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  12. I am the same i struggle with pain all night toss and turn and wake up feeling exausted. My neck as started playing me up and im so scared of it going so i cant move as it as done before.xx

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    1. We are sooo similar a, I’ve had two lumber surgeries and two cervical as my neck when after each lumber op. Apparently it’s quite common but don’t worry to much they can do so much more now than years and years ago. Maybe get a soft collar from you Physio to wear when it bothers you then you will feel a bit more secure.

      Hope you slept better – last night was another awful one for me so have been dozing on and off all day but it’s such a beautiful day here, it soon puts a smile on your face. xx

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      1. Yes i do have a collar and in bed i have a more soft one i wrap around my neck it helps a lot but no i didnt sleep much with it last night.xx

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  13. Hi,
    Ive only just seen your blog, and it kinda struck a chord.
    I had a serious rta in the late 70’s where i broke 3 vertebrae.
    Although the bones fixed themselves ok, it left an underlying weakness, which manifested a couple of years ago.
    I threw a disc, just getting out of bed. I was in total agony on the floor in a heap. The mrs called 999 and the paramedics even refused to move me. Eventually I got into A&E and after some manipulation, and drugs… I was allowed home and referred to physio.
    The physio took a hands off examination, bending, starightening etc and said “when did youy hurt your spine?, not last week, but really hurt it?”
    I was amazed…
    I walked in hunched over like an old man, and strode out tall and proud half an hour later…. acupuncture.
    I’m not saying its the answer to all back pain, but its gotta be worth a try.

    Good luck

    Mark

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