I will be the first to admit that I don’t have the patience of a saint. The truth is that I am quite impatient, especially during the healing process of an injury or chronic illness flare.
You’d think that after living with multiple chronic illnesses for as long as I have that I would have this waiting game down pat. I’m improving, but boy is it tough!
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Just breathe
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The first thing I had to remind myself of when I was told that it would take six weeks of bed rest to heal my ribs was to BREATHE!!!!!
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Seriously, if you have been following my blog for an extended amount of time, you know how much being able to be out of bed means to me.
The first ten years of my diagnosed chronic life were hell. I never improved, I only got worse. I hit rock bottom in 2012.
From that point on I spent the next five years making changes to how I lived and treated my chronic pain and illnesses.
Slowly, but surely I began improving.
Then in 2017, I made even more changes that took my body back to my pre-diagnosis days! It wasn’t that I never experienced pain or anything, but that it didn’t bother me enough to slow me down or disrupt my life.
Different strokes
One thing that has always stood out while getting to know other chronically ill people is that there is no one size fits all pain relief or treatment plan.
The reasons for include but are not limited to patients having more than one illness, even if we have the same illness(es) each affects our bodies differently, we don’t have access to the same treatments, and our bodies react differently to treatments.
With that said, I had to find what would work best for me, my body, and life.
My approach
The approach I am taking is not just for healing multiple broken ribs, but to also keep my chronic illnesses under control.
The last thing I want or need while recovering is to add a flare from fibromyalgia, psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis.
To make matters worse I began experiencing extreme flares of costochondritis last year and it has been disrupting my current healing process.
Here is what I am doing and using to combat the inflammation from the broken ribs and costochondritis:
Technology
- PEMF therapy: Because I am allergic to NSAIDS there isn’t really anything my doctor could prescribe. Personally, I am just fine with that as I would rather not take prescription medication unless absolutely necessary. Instead, I am using PEMF therapy with Oska Pulse by running treatments all day long on the site where I felt the bone crack. It is actually doing a great job, as I am just reaching the end of my third week of bed rest and my pain is no longer widespread. Instead, I can feel not just the major break, but also a few other less significant breaks throughout my ribcage. Knowing exactly where the injured sites are located helps tremendously.
Natural
- Cannabis: Cannabis is another fantastic anti-inflammatory. It does well on its own, but when combined with my PEMF device the results are phenomenal. I use and consume it in many different forms. I use a topical CBD oil to relax the muscles surrounding my injuries. When feeling anxious or restless, I vape CBD to calm myself. I dry vape cannabis strains that produce more of a body versus a mind high during the day for pain relief and to reduce inflammation. At night I vape both flower and concentrates to prime my body for a good night’s sleep. I consume edibles when I don’t need to be mentally sharp for the day or when I need longer-lasting relief at night.
- Ice: To keep my icepack in place when getting up to use the restroom or while readjusting my position in bed I am using my awesome icepack wrap. I wish I would have fount it after my car accident last year, it would have been great for my shoulder.
- Magnesium lotion: I use a natural magnesium lotion that also contains lavender essential oils to help me fall asleep at night. I rub it on my neck, shoulders, legs, and feet before bed on nights that I struggle to get comfortable.
- Herbal tinctures: The last thing I need or want to happen while recovering from broken ribs is to get sick. To build up my immunity, knock out allergy symptoms, and fight inflammation I have been using herbal tinctures from Earthley. While not formulated for it, Feel Better Fast has replaced my daily allergy pill. One or two doses a day keeps my eyes from itching and watering and keeps my sinuses running smoothly. In addition, I am taking Elderberry Elixir and Candida Cleanse. Something I didn’t expect from the Candida Cleanse is that with just 5 drops a day, I have noticed a significant reduction in inflammation throughout my entire body AND from my sugar cravings. My sugar cravings were out of control and now they are gone.
Have a little patience
The hardest part of the healing process is being patient. #chroniclife #injury #flare
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Being at the halfway mark is both exciting and frustrating. I am beginning to feel progress, but yet it isn’t as much as I had hoped to experience by this point.
I just keep reminding myself that good things come to those who wait and wonderful things come to those who take action do everything possible to make sure that the body has the opportunity to heal.
Are you currently healing from an injury or going through a flare?
What part of the recovery process is frustrating you?
