Hi All!
I don't know if I have told you all, but I do catering part-time. This is
physically demanding work that requires standing all day, shopping,
lifting etc. I had a big job last week and aside from the heavy work, it was
the 1st time since diagnosisi I have worked so may hours and got less
sleep cause I was yp so early and the pred doesn't allow me to get to bed
early.
Oh, did I say my other job is as a social worker with a group of kids as
their advisor... the week before the kids and i painted a room.
When I finished the catering - totally exhausted - I had to ride 3 hours to
a family reunion & hack the next day.
Then this week my social work office is moving and although I tried not to
lift... well you know...
So today my neck is killing me and spreading back to my shoulders, I am
wiped out, and feel as bad as I have since starting on pred...
So someone give me some encouragement and tell me the pred can take
this back over and I will be feeling well again in a day or 2? Or is there
something I need to do like take tylenol to bridge the pain, or talk to the
doc about a 2 dy boost or what?
I am so discouraged!!! Ideas?
pgrHi pgr, I am so sorry you are having such a time, I can't imagine how you
were able to do all that. Talk to your doctor about a boost and a stronger
pain killer, I take a med called tramodol, which is better than tylenol. Can
you take some time off, several days to recover? My thoughts and prayers
are with you, I'll keep checking to see how you are doing. Libeth I found that a few days rest and ordinary painkillers fixed it. Don't be discouraged, take the painkillers (remember pred is not a painkiller) and give it a good 3 days for your poor old muscles to settle back down, and don't do any lifting. ((((BIG HUGS)))).
Pgr, sorry you have this. It's so hard sometimes not to go bananas and overdo things. Sometimes it's just not a happening thing to be able to sit back while others are doing the hard graft.
But you know you do have to learn to pace yourself, harder said than done, and I think that we all have do it the hard way.
We're a bit like the little girl with the little curl - when we're good we're very very good, and when we're bad we're horrid horrid horrid.
My doc gave me some good advice - he said if you feel like a million dollars, don't spend it all at once, or you will go broke.
He reckons on 20 minutes physical, then 20 minutes rest - no matter how good you feel. Then repeat as much as you really need to, but once you start to tire or hurt, stop immediately. This goes for housework, gardening, yardwork, or moving office, painting etc. But absolutely no heavy lifting.
It's a hard lesson to learn, especially for an independent person, and I think the older we get the more stubborn we become
Sometimes I can just stay in bed for most of the day (or two) and the gaping abyss of depression, fatigue and pain narrows a little. Not everyone can do that, but it helps if you can. I take darvocet during those times. Unashamedly. Whatever gets me through. Thank you all! You made me smile & giggle... yes Chico I was BAD! Not the
1st time I ahve been called a mad woman either! And kiwi... I can't tell you
how good it felt to hear my mothers words!!! I have VERY curly hair and grew
up with the "curl in the middle of the forehead" saying. Haven't thought
about it or heard it in years!
I will do NO lifting in the move today and try to take tomorrow off! I already
feel a little better after a good nights sleep.
What would we do without each other?
Thanks for the hugs!
pgr So glad you are feeling somewhat better. Am still in wonder about all
that you are trying to do, amazing. Taught a sunday school class once, the
children were saying the Lord's prayer, and instead of "give us this day our
daily bread", they said 'give us this day our day in bed". So, take it!
Never thought that I would have to do a high wire balancing act, the falling
off is the hard part. But I am getting better at it, those falls really get my
attention! hugs, Libeth
Hope you're better now Phyl, I have to admit I was bad today! It is SOOO easy to get caught up in feeling good and overdoing it. It was sunny and lovely, so I exposed some skin for the sake of making Vitamin D, and pulled a few weeds out of the garden, but I felt so well and it was all going swimmingly, what with the birds singing and hubby whistling while he worked, and all the lovely new shoots springing up and the sun smiling on me.....anyhow, the end result is horrible muscle pain in my right upper arm (the arm I was working with), AND in the forearm muscle as well. I thought PMR didn't go down to lower limbs, but mine does.
PGR, I don't know how you can do all that? My goodness!!! I like Jeannes advice. 20 minutes physical then 20 minutes of rest. It's been the only way I feel good consistently. My doc said we need rest so our body can overcome this, that's why she also gave me some other medications to get by if I need them to get my rest. I'm envious of Britch...I'd love to spend a whole day or couple of days and just close out the world, stay in bed, watch movies/tv/read or whatever with no responsiblities. One can dream can't they???? My family would be frantic if I did that. They'd most likely call or come over and ask me how I'm doing hour on hour which would ruin the whole thing.
I hope you feel better after resting PGR? I know when I feel it coming on from too much activity I can usually make it go away with rest as long as I have Pred.
Well, it's almost 1 am again and I've been up since 7 am so I need to try to get some rest. I don't know what I'm saying anymore.
Good nite dear friends! I'm so glad you're here.
Kathy
Thank you all for your well wishs... they worked! I slept 9 1/2 hours! RightHi PGR,
Maybe you just really need the rest. Sometimes we just need to crash for a while. Your body is probably screaming at you to slow down for a while so it can do some healing.
I had mono as a teenager. I think the fatigue & depression that goes along with PMR resembles the mono symptoms.
I drink a lot of coffee to get going in the mornings. I feel tired and wired at the same time, but at least the pain is now minimal.
You take care hun!
Well, yesterday I finally didn't feel dead. Still rested much of the day, then
Hi all,
I've been on Pred for about 3 weeks and although the pain is GREATLY reduced, it does seem like it's only the case if I "sit in a chair" all day like PGR states.
I helped my daughter on Monday in remodeling her bathroom. Mostly I measured and showed her how to do things (remodeling used to be one of my favorite activities) but started feeling the pain after a couple of hours and then started getting bad cramps in my legs and hips and shoulders after only a few hours more of what I'd call very light work.
I've been reading the posts but haven't felt much like contributing....too depressed I guess.
Wishing everyone a good week!!!!
Kathy
Kathy,
Hi PGR,
I hope you're doing better now? Did you get your bloodwork back yet? I'm on 10 mg's of Pred and told the doc I really don't want to take more. I'd rather be careful with my activity. I really over did in on Monday and paid for it for about 4 days. I'm getting back to feeling better and will be more careful with projects requiring manual labor.
Take care, Kathy
Kathy