WAIT…Is This What Normal Feels Like?

Today has been a day like no other day in the last few years.

I woke up refreshed, which took me off guard.  I'm so use to waking up to the gentle alarm and slowly increasing simulated sunlight and feeling as though I was running a marathon in the dream state.  Today, I opened my eyes and immediately noticed that it was five minutes before my alarm.  My eye lids were not sticking to my eyeballs.  They were unusually moist.  I turned the alarm off before it went off to avoid waking my husband.  The process of getting my legs off the bed and sitting up is typically at a snail's pace.  I started the process taking it slower than molasses, but felt some energy and strength in my legs.  I swung my legs to the floor, sat up and stood…all within seconds.  Any other day, if I had tried that, it would have either been excruciatingly painful or I'd be on the floor.  Not today!  Up and at-um.  I think my hair may have even been floating in the wind with the swift movement.

I reached the floor at the bottom of the steps and paused.  I looked back up the staircase and realized that I alternated legs and didn't hold the handrail all the way down.  I was tempted to try it again, but I didn't want to push my luck.

On most days, I throw a long winter coat over my PJ's to drive the kids to school, but not today.  Today, I got dressed!  I can hardly believe it.  A nice fleece top, jeans and sneakers.  Not that anyone would notice the difference with the long coat, but I could.  Once the kids have been dropped off, I head back home and slowly crawl back into bed with a heating pad.  I'll get up for lunch, dinner and the bathroom but my body aches so deeply when I move that it's hard to get anything done.

I got home from the school run and cleaned the living room, put the laundry away, planned dinner and set up a list of things I could do for the rest of the day.  At noon I left for a day of errands, driving in the sun and visiting the great coast of Maine (about 40 minutes from my home).  I returned home at dinner time with much accomplished.  There was some pain in my neck and torso, but nothing strong enough to knock me down.  Since I've been home, I've done about two hours of paperwork and a Skyped tarot card reading.  Oh, and I'm writing my blog.

This day looks a lot like what I observe from most of society.  Putting daytime clothes on and physically moving and being productive for most of the sunlit hours.  Who knew I'd see this kind of a day again?!  What an incredible blessing!

Now I'm shooting for two 'Normal' days in a row.  Whoo Hoo!  Three cheers for good days!!!

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri

A Blip on the Radar

Today, 14 of our friends and relatives helped us move my mother-in-law's belongings from her apartment to our garage.  Over the last 3 weeks, my husband, kids and I have been packing the apartment, organizing and cleaning to prepare for today.  I was impressed that it took only 30 minutes to fill 7 cars with boxes and furniture.  One trip and we finished.

Although, I began to get overwhelmed with the process going so quickly, I experienced no fibro pain.  When I realized this, it occurred to me that we're well into November.  For the last few years, once the fall hit, the pain crept in.  My legs ached, my hips hurt, I got shooting pain in my back and my shoulders burned.  Lately, I've been out of bed more often than I've been in.  This must mean, PROGRESS with my healing!

A week ago, I felt some pain in my hips and my shoulder popped out of the socket while I was sleeping.  This happened last winter also.  While sound asleep, I roll from my back to my side and as I roll onto my shoulder, the joint dislocates…and it hurts; waking me from a deep sleep.  I usually have to focus on breathing calmly and relaxing my shoulder to coax it back into place.  My Rheumatologist told me I have lose joints.  It doesn't sound like a medical diagnosis, but it is a bit strange.  Over the years, once these symptoms flared up in the cooler weather, the avalanche of fibromyalgia symptoms grew.  Summers are easiest for me when it comes to fibro, but it seems as though this year is different.  Other than this little blip on my fibro radar, there's no avalanche.

After a day of packing, I would tell my husband that I'll be paying for all the effort, lifting and moving for the next week, but there was no consequence to my increased activity.

I'm noticing some improvement in my health and I'm grateful.  I'm also glad that I have a doctor who can give me a clearer picture of my overall level of health.  As someone who has learned to acclimate  to moving through life with extremely low energy, when I have a drip of energy, it feels like I could leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Dr. Bier brings me down to reality and helps me see that, yes, there has been improvement, and to continue to hold back on any leaping of buildings.  I have a long way to go to build my energy stores and repair damage to my body's systems.

There really is something to say about learning what works for you and doing it no matter what!

Thank you for reading, forwarding and following!!!
Terri