All Fired Up

As usual, I'm a day behind on my newspaper. As I open it this headline catches my eye, "Study Questions Treatments for Chronic Fatigue." The jist of the story "--taking it easy is not the best treatment, exercise and behavior therapy are." Good! because I have had relatively little sleep the last few days. I am fired up by events of the last couple weeks, and I have a lot to do. What a change from a week ago.

I had another restless night. I took an Ambien with the hope of getting a solid night's sleep, but I didn't take anything for muscle pain. Too many things rushing through my head, combined with lots of pain and discomfort, completely wiped out the affects of Ambien. I woke up numerous times through the night in extreme discomfort. My arms and elbows were stiff and painful. The same burning pain from the previous night radiated across my back to each hip. My skin hurt.

Around my usual time, I awoke to my two very large labs hovering over me, waiting for signs of life. My younger cat lay on top of my painful hip. The moment I opened my eyes, the dogs were ready for action. They pounced with wet tongues and large clumsy paws.

"I'm not getting up yet," I groaned irritably. I struggled to roll into a fetal position, finally toppling the cat from her perch. My muscles were stiff and screaming. I had to get into a position that alleviated the pain enough so that I could eventually sit up.

After some of the muscle tension subsided, I ran the water for a hot bath. I don't have any jets, but I am fortunate to have a large soaking tub.This is not a morning luxury. A hot bath is an absolute necessity for me. It is my morning therapy. Soaking loosens the stiffness and alleviates the pain. When I arise from a hot bath, I feel energized and loose.

A shower doesn't cut it. It doesn't get deep into the muscles. A shower is a way to get clean quickly. A bath is physical therapy. I also use warm baths to alleviate the discomfort of Raynaud's Syndrome and to help me get into a sleep state before bed. I am determined to never lose my ability to bathe.

So now that I am warm and loose, why am I so excited? Volunteers for this project are coming in by the handfuls. I am only in the third month and I no longer fear not having enough subjects. I am thrilled because whether or not a publisher becomes interested in this book, the ones with fibro see it as a viable opportunity to help themselves and others understand this syndrome. I am also excited because a dance venue in Rochester, with a nice wine and coffee bar, is willing to show my art this spring.

So despite my initial fatigue, I am ready to accomplish things today. Fired by the determination of those I've interviewed so far not to let fibro interfere with their lives, I hope to continue to get much done in the next year. Of course, I might need a little Tylenol to set me on my way this morning.