March 10, 2010 - My Journey

After reviewing my notes from the past, I know I am feeling better and in a better place. I remember the days I could not get out of bed, the fatigue, and pain I felt every moment of my life. While my pain and fatigue has decreased, I am experiencing some of those unpleasant symptoms again.

I do not stick to a schedule unless I have scheduled appointments or plans. I think it would be best to set a waking and bedtime schedule to follow on a daily basis. When you have no work or school schedule, you tend to be more relaxed and maybe even lazy. I am speaking from personal experience, perhaps nobody else falls under this category. I plan to start tomorrow, letting my hubby know when to give me my wake-up medication. I am just not sure I want to commit to it. I have to get motivated.

Today, Jerry gave me my medication (Concerta ER 54 MG) and pain medication at 8:30 AM, so I could wake up, bathe, get dressed, and take him to his doctor’s appointment at 11:30 AM. While I was in bed, I completed stretching exercises by slowly moving my arms, legs, hands, fingers, and toes. This gave me time to gain enough strength to get out of bed and bathe. It seems after a long hot bath my body tends to feel a bit more energized. Prior to the appointment, I took time for meditation and prayer. It cleared my mind from any negativity.

My planned activities were stretching, prayer time, driving Jerry to his appointment, updating my blog, washing a load of clothes, and cooking dinner. I was successful and completed my planned activities. I feel fatigued and unable to relax when I lie down to rest. I will have to figure out a way to relax.

I ate small meals throughout the day, watched television, and snacked on popcorn (my favorite). I can make a meal out of popcorn. Try to remember that during meals you should reduce the amount of fluid you drink (prevents the dilution of stomach acids). Drink water throughout the day (I did) and eat small meals, snacking on something before and after lunch to help stabilize stomach acids. I am eating very small meals because I do not have an appetite. I need to build up my strength.

I practiced stress relief by breathing deeply from my abdomen, not my chest. I also took time out to stretch throughout the day. I still feel fatigued. I am still struggling with headaches, stiffness of the neck, nausea, and dizziness. That might be the reason I cannot relax, the pain in my neck is uncomfortable. I may end up having to call my doctor prior to March.

I am experiencing pain on the bottom of my feet, neck, and ribcage. My concentration is off because my neck feels so uncomfortable. Hence, the reason I can't figure out how to post my daily journal creation! I have tried exercises, a heating pad, and massage. My head feels fuzzy, my nose feels stuffy, my ears are ringing, and I cannot relax. This process of recording my activities, pain and fatigue may help me identify problems. It is a struggle, but I want to keep it up. Wish me luck.

Meanwhile, I hope and pray you did not experience pain and fatigue.