Feeling bad

I'm having a bad fibromyalgia flare up right now.  The weather triggered it by fluctuating wildly.  It would be around -20 F at night  and early in the morning and then it would drop to 0 or 1 F.  There was some light icy snow and wind that blows straight through you and the snow stung my face.  That's been going on for about 4 days I think.  I went to lunch with my husband on Friday and when we were walking to the door the wind was blowing in our faces.  It was so cold!

My neck has been hurting so bad and that's a new thing for me.  Fibromyalgia doesn't usually affect my neck that way.  Usually I get pain in my arms, shoulders or hips.  I've been having such a hard time getting to sleep at night because I can't get comfortable.  I can't sleep with my usual pillow and had to get out a softer one and I put a rolled up towel under the back of my neck.  That helped a little.  I also put some lidocaine cream on my neck but I barely felt anything.  I just felt a little bit of tingling but it didn't help with the pain.  It usually helps when I have pain in other areas but I prefer the patches over the cream.  I just don't want to stick something with adhesive on the back of my neck and end up pulling out my hair when I try to take it off.  I've been using ice today and I think that helps more.  

If it keeps bothering me tomorrow I will probably called the place that does Osteopathic manipulation to see if they can help.  They fix my muscle knots but the neck thing is new for me.  I hope it either goes away or they can do something to help.  

For now I'm trying to focus on something else.  I found a crochet blog post - Marly Bird - about planned pooling (color pooling).  They are using Red Heart Super Saver Stripes and the granny stitch to create a neat design.  My brain is a little slow today but I got it figured out and I can't wait to see how it looks when it's finished.  

Oh, and I finally reached my first weight goal yesterday.  I officially reached 218 lbs. and I set my next goal for 199 lbs.  I really want to get below 200.  I can tell my gut is smaller and that makes me happy.  I know my doctor will be happy because we talked about me trying Intermittent fasting again and just trying to go a little longer each day.  I did 16:8 before and didn't lose much weight.  I would just go up and down by little bits.  She suggest I start there and then go a little longer each day.  Now I'm doing one meal a day and haven't been hungry at all.  I also haven't been having the late night cravings anymore.  I think I've lost about 12 lbs and ready to lose more.  I saw her on Jan 24th and started fasting that day so I've lost this weight since then.  I can't wait to tell her I'm finally losing weight.

~D

Moving helps ease the pain

I've had this horrible low back pain for the past couple of days.  That happens from time to time.  I just wake up with my lower back hurting and it hurts to sit up in bed and even worse when I stand up.  I feel like I'm 100 years old and must look pretty funny walking around.  I think it's caused by tight muscles in my hips that connect at the top of my hips.  I get inflammation and arthritis in my hips so it must cause those muscles to tighten up and then it wont release.  It could also be a Fibromyalgia flare up.  I'm not sure.  The doctors don't really know for sure what's going on either and just tell me to take Aleve.  

I have my own little box of tools that I use though that I've found though trail and error.  I try different stretches to try to release those muscles.  When it's really bad I can't bend down very far so it's not possible to touch my toes.  I have to start off slow so I use a tall stool to support myself while I try to stretch my back muscles.  Then I move on to a kitchen chair and then to an large inflated exercise ball.  Eventually I get to where I can reach my shins or the floor.  Today I was finally able to reach my shins but not the floor yet.  

I also use an ice pack to help release tight muscles.  My Rheumatologist told me that you should always use ice to help relieve pain caused by inflammation and never heat.  Some people insist that heat makes their pain better and don't want to try cold packs but I've found that it helps me.  Heat may feel better for a while but cold actually helps it go away or makes a large improvement because it counteracts the inflammation.  I have a large ice pack that I bought on amazon.  It's for shoulders but when it's open flat it covers my whole lower back.  You can use the velcro strap to hold it around the front so you can get up and walk around when needed.  That ice pack stays cold longer and it is flexible and not hard like ice.  

Today when I got up it was still hurting but was not as bad.  I've been stretching some more and then I took my bike out.  I started out pretty slow but as I went my muscles loosened up more.  I went down 3 blocks and then around and back home.  I'm glad I did that because it helped more than walking.  

I was finally able to walk like normal again and my husband look me out for lunch.  It was so nice to get out of the house for a while.  It's a nice day with some sunshine but also a little cloudy with a breeze.  My flowers are looking pretty good considering I haven't done anything at all in my garden.  I only have perennials so they come back on their own usually.  

D 

Rolling Along those Emotional Hills of Life but still Jamming

Life is full of surprises and they are not all good.  I just lost another family member and was shocked because he was so young.  42 years old and suddenly gone.  No, it wasn't covid or cancer or a freak accident.  I guess I don't even know exactly what happened but It was a shock for sure.  I saw a post about him going into the hospital with trouble breathing and next thing I know he's going to hospice.  I am still reeling from losing 4 family members in the last half of 2020.  

So I kind of fell off the diet wagon but I'll get back on.  

For now I seem to be keeping myself busy with reading and making freezer jam.  I had never made freezer jam before but I remember watching my mom make jelly and know that seemed way too complicated.  A friend of mine mentioned that she was making freezer jam and I googled to learn more about it.  She created a monster and now I just want to keep trying different flavors.  I really do think I'm addicted.  

I didn't realize when I first started out that they had a low sugar or no sugar version of Sure Jell.  When my friend mentioned Sure Jell I remembered the yellow boxes that my mom used for making Jelly and that is what I bought.  I was grabbing stuff in a hurry so I didn't notice any other options.  I made dark Sweet Cherry Jam and it was good but it was very sweet.  I made strawberry next and it tastes like strawberry candy.  I finally got some of the low sugar version and just made blue berry freezer jam using this recipe.  I will definitely be making it again.  Next on my list to try is peach jam.  

It has been rainy here so I have spent a few days in bed.  I am doing okay though and just reading when awake and able to think straight.  I picked up one book that I've had a long time and started reading it.  That book is These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon (Book 3 in the Mitford series).  I'm enjoying that book and love the other two I read also.  That is definitely an inspirational series and I'm surprised I haven't read all of these books already.  

Then I happened to pick up another book, Darkhouse (Joe Lucchesi #1) by Alex Barclay, and started reading that one.  I often read multiple books at once and switch off depending on my mood.  I'm doing pretty good keeping it to these two actually.  This book is so good I quickly read half of the book.  Alex Barclay is now a new favorite and I'm already looking at her other books.  

D

Gaining Weight

I'm such a mess right now.  I am so upset with myself.  Over the past few months my weight has steadily been increasing.  Some months ago when I was going to Physical Therapy I was around 190 lbs.  I was trying to lose weight but just sat there like an anchor.  Since then I have been steadily gaining and I've been kicking myself with each pound.  I see the number on the scale and vow to work harder to lose, to eat less and to exercise more.  It just doesn't do any good and I feel so hopeless.  I feel like I'm fighting an impossible battle or some evil spirit has a ghostly toe on the scale behind me making the numbers go up.  

I know it could be part of perimenopause.  I'm getting older and that I know I can't do anything about.  I've been getting the hot flashes and been a bit cantankerous at times.  My monthly has been... well, not monthly.  At one point I went 6 months without one.  

I also have 2 conditions that cause me to suffer from chronic pain.  I have Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis.  It is difficult to exercise when it hurts to move but I did get a treadmill and try to walk every day - even when every step hurts.  I start off slow and gradually increase but I usually never make it to 2 mph.  I also can't seem to walk much longer than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.  My Rheumatologist suggested that I walk for 10 minutes 3 times a day but so far I haven't been able to.  That is my goal though.  

A doctor recently put me on Lyrica for restless legs and I read that weight gain is the number one side effect.  I take one other drug that also has weight gain as a side effect.  That means I need to work harder to offset that.  

I also have to fight myself.  I get down and depressed at times and just feel like giving up.  Sometimes in the evenings after carefully measuring my food and tracking my calories I start feeling down and resent myself for being so weak.  I feel like my efforts are useless and start binging on whatever I can find like somehow that will make me feel better.  It's like I can't stop myself even though I know that is silly.  

Today I stepped on the scale and it read 220.  I cried.  I've gained 30 pounds in a matter of months.  When my husband needed to lose weight he starting doing intermittent fasting and it seemed to be easy for him.  He only ate one meal a day (dinner) but tracked his calories and made sure he got enough.  He did though, eat whatever he wanted.  He likes to have a piece of cheesecake or a donut at times.  He likes potatoes and with fasting it seemed to not matter for him.  He did talk to his doctor and got her approval and she is very happy about his progress.  He's doing great and has been able to drop his blood pressure med and takes less blood sugar meds.  He wanted me to try it too and I did but even though I was doing the same thing it wasn't working for me.  He doesn't understand and keeps telling me, "you have to track your calories" as if he's sure I'm not.  

Recently I started reading about intermittent fasting.  I read that it doesn't always work as well for woman.  That means I have to do something different.  I think I need more structure and to eat lower carb foods.   I decided to start with the 16:8 version and downloaded the Zero app on the play store.  I have been doing it for about a week.  I still gained a few pounds.  I lost it and almost gave up but today is a new day.  It's Monday... the start of a new week and I'm going to begin again.  

I hit the button to start tracking my fast last night at 9:34 pm.  I usually like to start at 6 pm but I have to start somewhere.  Now I'm trying to keep myself distracted.  I'm drinking lots of water and I have been walking around the house.  I walked around the backyard with my dog and it's a beautiful sunny day today.  I did 10 minutes on the treadmill and did actually make it to 2 mph for at least a few minutes.  

I decided to blog about this thinking that would keep me motivated.  I don't care if no one ever reads this.  It helps to write it out and I think it might even help keep me from another crash and burn.  

D

I'm Vaccinated now

 I thought I'd never get an appointment to get a Covid vaccine because the appointments always got snatched up before I even knew about them.  I finally found a website through my state to help know which places had vaccine available.  If you are in Alaska you can use this site to find a provider.  Just select your language and city to find out which place has vaccine appointments available. Here is another link that was helpful (part of the same website).   Every state has their own system so I hope people in other areas are able to find a way to get an appointment without too much trouble.  I basically googled "Covid vaccine appointments in Alaska" to find that information.  

I got the Moderna vaccine and when I got the first shot it was only a bit tender at the injection site.  I think the person giving the shot just wasn't as gentle and put the needle in pretty deep.  When I got the 2nd dose yesterday the woman giving the shot was a lot more gentle and I think used a smaller needle.  I barely felt anything and the injection site was not painful.  After a few hours I did start to feel tired and laid down but never actually fell asleep.  During the night I woke up with that arm feeling painful and got up and took some Excedrin.  That helped so I could get back to sleep.  I did have a Fibromyalgia flare up also but it wasn't really bad.  I woke up late but I'm up and moving around okay.   I'm still dealing with the flare but Aleve has helped with that.  

I did ask about how being on immunosuppressant drugs would affect things.  I take Humira and Plaquenil for Psoriatic Arthritis, an autoimmune disorder.  They said I may have less of an immune response to the vaccine so I may not be as protected from the virus as someone who is not taking those drugs.  

I hope other people who have similar health conditions will be willing to get the vaccine.  I know I was pretty scared at first but my husband got the vaccine and didn't have any problems.  He also talked to several other co-workers who either had no side-effects or very minor achiness or fatigue.  I also did a lot of researching online to see what I could find out about it and finally decided to give it a shot (pun intended lol).

I'll post if I have any more problems but I think the worst of it is over.  

DJ