I think you will be noticing a change in the tone of FibroHaven. For the past year I have been writing about all the changes I have made to improve my health – yoga, nutrition, support group, writing, etc.. Now that I am a working girl again, we will get to see first hand how much I have improved and what I need to do to maintain my current level of health.
After my first week I am feeling pretty good. I am back in sales. It is what I know and what I have done well for many years. I am really excited about the company I am with now. Very smart, professional internet marketing firm. Great potential for me as long as I do the work and maintain my health. And that is exactly what I plan to do.
I think what I am most concerned about is maintaining balance in my life. For example, I did not make it to yoga this week. My body is letting me know loud and clear that I need to get to a class soon. I have a lot of motivation to make that happen.
I didn’t realize how much I missed being a working professional. I love getting dressed up, getting motivated during sales meetings, going out and meeting with clients and strategizing with them on business opportunities. It is a completely different kind of satisfaction than the satisfaction I have experienced with FibroHaven – plus I get paid for it! Bonus!
I know I am in the honeymoon period with my new career. I know there will be days when I will feel awful and either have to push through it or take the time to recover. But it feels great to contribute again, and it feels even better to know that I did the work to prepare myself to go back to work. I made the changes and the choices that I knew would benefit me. I made the commitment to myself to take back a measurable amount of control of my health and my life.
When I signed on with my new company, I did so as a long-term commitment. But FibroHaven is my long-term commitment too. I plan to document my progress here, sharing what is working and what is not. Discecting what I can do better, and continuing to explore the many alternative and holistic options for better health and wellbeing. I am putting different stresses on my body now, so I may require different tools – like acupuncture. I have always believed I would benefit from acupuncture but could never afford it. Now maybe I can. It is like investing in a good business suit. Neccessary!
So yes, the tone here will be changing – but the voice will remain the same – all me. I will have some big decisions to make about my support group too. That may be a commitment I cannot continue, but there is time to figure that out. I have time. I have options. I have hope.
I saw this great quote on facebook the other day and I put it in my status:
I have become my own version of an optimist. If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present. ~ Rabindranath Tagore
There is always a door. One way or another, there is always a door.
I am an adventurous cook. I experiment with ingredients and flavors, seldom making the same dish twice. My husband always encourages me to write my recipes down, but I much prefer to “wing it” and see what tasty concoction I can create next.
All the things that make me a spirited chef, make me a horrible baker. I simply have no tolerance for carefully measured preciseness. I learned long ago that baking is not my forte, and I avoid it accordingly.
That being said, I recently discovered the easiest and most delicious Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookie recipe that even this girl can master. Simple, simple, simple!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter, any kind
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare pans: line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, or oil generously.
- Put all ingredients into food processor and pulse until well blended. Or mix thoroughly by hand.
- Make dough into (about) 36 evenly sized balls. Arrange balls on prepared pans leaving an inch or so between them. Add chocolate chips, if using, lightly pressing one or two into the top of cookie.
- Bake until they flatten out a bit and start to brown – 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and leave on sheet for several minutes, until they begin to firm up, then carefully remove to cooling rack
Yum, yum, yum!
But this adventure chef could not leave well enough alone!
Gluten free cookies are great, but I wanted sugar free as well (link between sugar consumption and chronic pain), so I substituted 3/4 cup Agave Nectar for 1 cup sugar (adding the chocolate chips adds sugar, so leave them off if you want sugar free cookies). To compensate for substituting a liquid for a dry ingredient, I added 1 tablespoon of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour.
The result was a moist, chewy, peanut buttery delight! I baked the cookies Friday evening to take to a Halloween party on Saturday. The cookies were a big hit! If I had not told them they were gluten and sugar free, I doubt anyone would have known.
Cookie Disclaimer
Just because something is gluten and sugar free does not mean that it is nutritionally good for you. But this is the time of year we all know we are going to indulge a little. So if we are not always going to make the best possible choices, we can at least minimize some of the indulgence. And with this recipe, you won’t even realize you are making a sacrifice.
Week two of the Pain Coping Skills research study.
Following up on the Progressive Relaxation guided technique of week one, in week two we learned a simple and useful technique called Mini-Practices.
Mini-Practices
For relaxation to benefit you the most, you need to learn how to relax and calm yourself upon your command. This skill can be very helpful when you are feeling increased tension or pain, but are unable to go to a secluded area to do progressive relaxation.
To Do a Mini-Practice:
- Stop yourself in whatever you are doing
- Take a deep breath
- Say the word “relax” to yourself
- Slowly exhale
- As you exhale focus on the sensations of relaxation
- Allow your jaws to relax, allow sensations of heaviness to flow downward from your shoulders throughout your body
- After 30 seconds go back to what you were doing – regardless of how well you have succeeded in relaxing
Reminders to do Mini-Practices
Your goal is to do about 5 mini-practices the first day and then gradually build up to about 20 mini-practices a day over the next few weeks. You can remind yourself to do a mini-practice in many different ways. Some people do a mini-practice every time they feel annoyed or tense. Other people do one every time they stop at a stop light or pick up the telephone. You can remind yourself to do a mini-practice by placing adhesive “dots” around the house (by the door, near your mirror) or on personal belongings (such as a watch, or pocketbook). Every time you see a “dot” you will be reminded to do a mini-practice.
It doesn’t matter how you choose to remind yourself to relax, what is important is that you practice frequently. Little by little you can develop a habit of keeping yourself relaxed throughout the day.
Learning to relax really is a skill. We live in a constant state of flight or fight. Learning to shut that down, even if it is only for 30 second increments is a powerful tool.
After practicing this technique for a week I can say it is something we should all learn and add to our coping skills toolbox. I have not counted to confirm that I am up to 20 mini-practices a day, but the cumulative affect of the number I am doing is very positive. I have a greater feeling of control over my emotions and enjoy the short sensations of relaxation. They are kind of addicting! I find myself doing one each time I wash my hands – and I am compulsive hand washer.
Try it for yourself. It is such a simple and useful technique there really is no reason not to try it. The researcher did mention that some people have an aversion to the word “relax” (feels too harsh), and if this is the case with you, it is perfectly acceptable to find your own word – chill, easy, breath, etc.
Be sure to get yourself a pack of the adhesive dots. They are a fun and useful way to remind yourself to relax.
Did you miss me?
This time of transition in my life has been trying to say the least. An emotional roller coaster would be a better way to describe it. One second I am excited by possibilities and the next second I am crushed with defeat. Sounds a lot like life doesn’t it?
It just so happens that a research study I was slated to participate in months ago started up last week. It is a local study on yoga and cognitive coping skills for the treatment of Fibromyalgia. I was hoping to end up in the cognitive group since I already have a good handle on the yoga, and since the trials of this past month have left me in serious need of some coping skills. Fortunately that is exactly where I ended up.
Last week was our first session and we spent most of the two hours getting to know everyone in the group. Then we proceeded on to the first of the eight Pain Coping Skills we will be learning over the course of the study. Progressive Relaxation is a guided technique. While laying or seated in a comfortable position, we followed the directive of the study leader and proceeded with a focused tightening and relaxing of targeted muscles.
Starting from our heads and working our way down, we slowly and purposefully tightened and relaxed major muscle groups. It was a controlled and relaxing exercise. Before we began we rated several of our symptoms on a sliding scale – pain, fatigue, brain fog. At the end of the exercise we were asked to rate our symptoms again.
I think everyone agreed it was relaxing and we all felt somewhat restored. But for me it did not elevate my pain. Some of my muscles that had been burning – like my upper back between my shoulder blades – did experience relief, but then other muscles where my pain was more sharp and focused seemed more painful after. It is hard to tell whether the pain actually increased from the movements or if I simply became more aware of it when the overriding burning pain subsided.
Our homework was to repeat the exercise twice a day listening to a DVD recorded by the lead researcher. My homework left me with the same experience. So I suppose I would say for me it is a good technique for burning pain, but not so good for sharp, stabbing pain.
This week we are learning a new technique, and so on throughout the eight weeks of the study. Their hope is that one, two or maybe even all eight of the skills they teach us will help us and be implemented into our daily routines. That is my hope too!
My second hope is that I will be able to continue on with the study after I have started working again. It is a possibility that it will conflict and I won’t be able to complete the eight weeks. That would be a disappointment, but I will worry about it when the time comes.
For now, I will continue on and report here what we are doing and whether or not it is helping me.
Do you have any experience with Cognitive Coping Skills/Behaviors? I would love for you to share your experience with it. Was it helpful to you? Do you continue to practice the skills you learned? Do you practice daily or do you target your practice depending on your symptoms?
FibroHaven is One Today!
One year ago today I sat down at FibroHaven for the first time and wrote this – Welcome!
In my very first post I shared what I hoped and intended to accomplish with my blog:
I have found the blogs I like best are the ones whose authors are aware they have an audience, yet they speak with a realness and simplicity. They are authentic. I image if I met the author they would be exactly as they sound on their blog.
That is the approach I hope to take in my writing. I want to be real.
One year later I think my blog is exactly as real as I was hoping it would be and so much more.
I had no understanding at the time of the relationships I would form and the people who would reach out to me because something I wrote made an impact on them. I knew there was a need for a positive voice in the Fibromyalgia community, but I had no idea how much it would come to mean to me to be that voice.
My heart, soul, love, hope, spirit, and joy are in this blog. I doubt that I have ever been more proud of a personal accomplishment. Maybe that game winning home run I hit as the only girl on my little league baseball team. That was pretty cool! But seriously, FibroHaven is my baby.
Every time I read a comment like this from a recent post, I know I am doing what I am meant to do:
Thank you so much for sharing! I have only recently realized how important it is to reach out to those around me instead of hiding. I’m not weaker as a result of my illness. It is people like you that have helped me realize this. -Terri Simmons
Heart warming!
I have changed so much over this past year, and I doubt any of it would have occurred without this blog.
- I am more accepting of my illness
- I understand that I need to be my own best health advocate
- I understand the value and importance of researching every possiblity
- I recognize that there is no quick fix, no magic bullet
- I do not blame anyone or anything for my current state of health
- I have become more mindful of how my lifestyle choices contribute to my wellbeing
- I have a new spiritual awareness through yoga and meditation
- I am more in tuned to my body and my environment
- I am hopeful
- I feel loved
- I believe with all my heart that I will continue on this path to wellness and one day be symptom free
- I accept that there will be setbacks and obstacles, but that progress is still being made
If I had to give a number to my symptomatic improvement over this past year, it would be about 15%. Fifteen percent better than I was one year ago today. Wouldn’t you take that? Using the most basic of math, and not taking any variables into account, if I continue at a “15% a year” rate of improvement, I will be symptom free in just under seven years. After 13 years of living with a range of Fibromyalgia symptoms, seven years is acceptable to me.
But I don’t believe it will take seven years, simply because I cannot ignore the variables. If I had to give a number to my emotional and spiritual improvement (the variables) over this past year, it would be 60%. I am happier and more hopeful than I have ever been. I am at peace with who I am, and excited about who I am becoming. And I contribute the work I have put into FibroHaven for guiding me into who I am becoming.
I have put the work in, and I will continue to do so. I will continue to share and relate my experiences here. Some you will relate to, some you will not. But by taking the time to research and read, you are becoming your own best health advocate. Knowledge is power.
Thank you all for reading and commenting here. You are a big part of the reason I am feeling so loved and hopeful.
