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Tag Archives: fatigue

Life can be tough, but so are you!

Chronic Life, fibromyalgia, lifestyle, mental-health, motivation, psoriatic arthritis January 23, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life with one or more chronic illnesses is tough.

Life with chronic pain is tough.

Life, whether you are chronically ill or not, is tough.

But I have news for you! You are tougher!!!!

Yes, that is right.  I know that there are times when you don’t feel tough.  I also know that there are days when you truly lack physical strength, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t tough.

As long as you are fighting for your life, looking for ways to improve it, finding joy in every day, and not giving up, YOU ARE TOUGHER THAN YOUR ILLNESS OR CHRONIC PAIN!

I know that taking a nap may feel like your illness has won, but it isn’t true.  You win when you acknowledge that your body needs to rest.  It takes guts to do what your body demands of you, instead of forcing your body to follow your desires.  It takes immense strength to go to physical therapy, to keep trying new treatments, to change your lifestyle, to make healthier choices, and most importantly accept that all these things must be done in order for you to remain strong enough to survive.

Here are three  examples to help you build and maintain the emotional strength that is necessary for living with a chronic illness or pain.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number One: Spend more time with people who lift you up and less with those who bring you down.

Those who constantly remind you of your limitations or are always bringing up your shortcomings, are only going to weaken you.  People who point out your strengths, help you find alternative ways to do things, or just cheer you on when you try something new will build your confidence.  Who are you spending most of your time talking to?

My life isn’t filled with people who understood how difficult living with fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, endometriosis and its fallout, degenerative disc disease, and coccydynia is.  The difference between my life then and now is that I choose not to spend much time with those whose favorite word is CAN’T.  The more I hear that I can’t do something, the more I believe that I can’t do anything.  I may not be able to do everything the way I used to, but I CAN find new ways to do what I want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number Two: Seek counseling

I am not talking about joining a social media support group.  Those are okay to meet other people who “get” it, but not for truly dealing with your fears and life choices.  Nor is it fair to expect your family or spouse to be the ones to counsel you.  There are many options available for counseling depending upon your needs.

 If You Need A Crisis Hotline
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) – 1-800-662-4357
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) – 1-800-656-4673

Lifeline Crisis Chat
Veterans Crisis Line – 1-800-273-8255 (Press Option #1)
National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233
MentalHelp.net (An American Addiction Centers Resource) – 1-866-308-2184
NAMI Helpline (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – 1-800-950-6264

And for those wanting regular therapy with a licensed therapist, but either have crappy healthcare coverage or none, and have either transportation issues or are just in too much pain to travel one or more days a week, Online-Therapy.com offers therapy when and where you want it.

My readers save 20% when they enroll via my affiliate link.  Click here to check them out and enroll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number Three: Start envisioning your future WITH your chronic illness.

I know that you are hoping and praying for a cure. I am too…. But the reality is that our chronic illnesses are most likely going to be with us for the rest of our lives, especially for those of us over 50. If your chronic illness isn’t included in all of your future dreams and plans, your future will be filled with disappointment. Not only that you, but you will be unprepared for the hard times that await you. Sorry to sound like a Debbie downer, but living with your head in the clouds waiting for life to magically be transformed will only lead to more heartbreak.

When you envision a future that includes your chronic illness, you aren’t giving up. Instead you will grow stronger because your mind will be focused on figuring out what you will be able to do, making alternative plans, or finding a different way to do what you had originally planned for. Will things go wrong? Of course they will! Do you know anyone who hasn’t had anything go wrong in their life? I don’t! The difference is that you will be better prepared.

I know you are tough, because if you weren’t you wouldn’t be reading this blog post. If you are feeling like you are stuck in your life, take a deep breath, assess your situation, make plans to move forward, and never forget that you are a warrior!

Therapy when you need it, where you want it…. ****** Save 20% when you click here to enroll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Riding out the storm: How I deal with rain pain

Chronic Life, pain relief January 14, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days ago, I shared on Facebook how a cluster of storms heading towards southern California had knocked me down. The pre-storm pain forced me to take a day off from working on anything other than tending to the needs of my body. The pain and fatigue my body experienced decreased just as the first storm hit, giving me just enough time and energy to enjoy a few hours at Disneyland over the weekend.

Typically, I only experience joint/muscle tenderness and a low level of fatigue once a storm has hit. However, this round is a bit different as we are expecting rain most of the week. When dealing with multiple storm fronts, I have to make changes to how I live, work, and play in order to keep my world from falling apart. Today I am sharing my secrets to surviving a week of rain without losing my mind and body to pain.

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

React

I’m a weather watcher. My favorite app is the weather app on my phone.  I always have my eye on the extended forecast and watch for changes.  When I see a disturbance nearing I react by going into a mode of defense. I pay extra attention to my main pain source. In my case that pain source is my spine, from my the tip of my tailbone to the top of my neck.  When I experience swelling at any part of my spine all hell breaks loose.  To keep the inflammation down, I alternate treating the base of neck and my lower back with ice, heat, and PEMF treatments.  As you may already know, PEMF treatments are part of my daily pain management plan, but when weather increases swelling I increase the number of treatments I would normally run on a typical day.

 

PEMF therapy with Oska Pulse reduces pain and inflammation like nothing I have ever tried or have been prescribed. Promo code DIVA saves you $55.00.  Click here to check it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rest

A stormy week is no time to prove how much I am capable of.  To come out of the storm feeling strong, I need to rest when my body wants to.  Multiple naps are not unusual, nor is sleeping later or falling asleep later than normal.  It is not uncommon for me to be awake at odd hours or to have my nights and days turned around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remind

I remind myself that storms don’t last forever.  Ramping up my pain relief treatments may feel burdensome at the time, but I have to remind myself that this I will be back to my regular routine once the storm ends.  I also remember how I felt after the last time I paid extra attention to my symptoms throughout a storm and vow to work as hard this time too.  Most importantly, I remind myself that I can’t control the weather and this upswing of pain and fatigue is not my fault.

How do you get through a week of wicked weather?

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My Favorite Pain Relief Device Just Got Better!

Oska Pulse, pain relief January 9, 2019 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook groups.

As you may already know, I have been successfully reducing pain and inflammation from fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, degenerative disc disease, and coccydynia with PEMF therapy. I use a portable device called Oska Pulse and run treatments on my pain sources all day long, every day, no matter where I am or what I am doing.

My device, which is the original version runs 30 minute treatment sessions. Having to turn it on every 30 minutes has been one of my complaints, especially when napping. I and many others requested a longer treatment running time and my friends at Oska Wellness listened. From this day forward, the drug free pain relief device that people like me are falling in love with every day now has a 90 minute treatment time and extended battery life!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you were waiting to get one, now is the time!!! The latest version sells for the same price as its predecessor, $399, but you can get it for $344 when you use my discount code DIVA at checkout.

Click here to order your device today and don’t forget that discount code DIVA will save you $55 off the new device!

Click here to discover all the different ways that Oska Pulse has improved my chronic life. It has done more than relieve chronic pain, it has reduced the frequency and severity of my migraines, sinus pain, bouts with bronchitis, and more…..

Click here to compare Oska Pulse with other PEMF products

What are you waiting for? You have nothing to lose but pain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Twelve Ways to Improve Your Chronic Life

Chronic Life, diet, Home Life, pain relief, travel December 27, 2018 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twelve Ways to Improve Your Chronic Life

Every year I see hundreds if not thousands of posts on social media from people with chronic illnesses wishing for a better new year.  Their wishes for less pain, more energy, and for an easier life are not unreasonable.  The problem is that they are just that, wishes……..   Today I am going to share 12 ways to make them a reality.

*Disclosure: I am NOT a medical professional and am NOT issuing medical advice.  I am sharing my opinions, thoughts, and experiences. You should always confer with a medical professional when considering changes to your medical or pain management plan.  This post includes affiliate links. Meaning that at no additional cost to you, I receive a commission when you make a purchase through my links. The proceeds earned fund the giveaways I host in my Facebook Groups.

1.  Identify dietary triggers

You may have heard about keto, paleo, low fodmap, and other diets, but there is not a one size fits all diet that helps reduce pain from your particular chronic illness.  You may not need to cut out an entire food group, instead you may find that it is a certain ingredient or additive that you need to avoid.  I tried and failed to experience relief from multiple diets.  What helped me find my triggers was to journal what I ate and drank and compared that information to how I was feeling.  You can find details about how I did this in my eBook Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life.

2. Move your body

I know being told to exercise is the last thing you want to hear, but as I have learned, lack of movement only increases chronic pain in my hips and spine.  Movement really is necessary.  Now before you close this tab, hear me out….. I am in no way suggesting that you begin with intense workouts at the gym or going for 5 mile walks every day.  What I am suggesting is that you find ways to move your body that doesn’t increase your pain.  Before I was able to walk for miles, I had to start with what I was able to do, which at that time was one or two five minute walks a day.  There is nothing wrong with having to do seated yoga, tai chi, or simple stretches.  Click here to discover another fun way to incorporate movement into your life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Listen to your body

Do you feel like you spend all of your time recovering from every activity or outing?  Listening to your body could decrease that time.  Rest when your body wants to rest.  Unless you have to keep a set schedule, nap and sleep when your body demands.  Pace yourself by breaking large tasks down into sets of smaller amounts of time.

 

 

 

 

 

4. Utilize mobility aids

If walking or standing for extended periods of time are forcing you to stay home instead of going out, it is time to start using a mobility aid.  Seriously, get over yourself and do something your body will thank you for.  Click here to read about what helped me get past the stigma of using a mobility aid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Ask for help

Put your pride aside and ask for assistance!!! Stop assuming that people know your needs.  Just as difficult as it is for our friends and family members to understand our complex chronic illnesses, it is just as difficult to know how to help us.  Most don’t want to insult us, while others truly have no clue, so do everyone a favor and speak up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Plan with your chronic illness/pain in mind

Always consider your chronic illness and pain when scheduling appointments, outings, and social events.  I like to think of mine as invisible traveling companions.  Click here to see how this mindset helps me plan, prepare, and enjoy traveling with my chronic illnesses.

7. Stop living your old life

If you haven’t made changes to how you live your life, it is time to do it!  I know you want to show your chronic illness who is in charge and that you are hopeful that you’ll be cured in the near future, but let’s get real, it is NOT going to happen.  I too want a cure, but not making changes to how I lived until that day comes would be a huge mistake.  The only thing living my life the way I did before becoming chronically ill only resulted in more pain and less time enjoying life.  Putting my pride aside and making changes decreased my pain level and allows me to spend most of my time seeking adventure.  Need help recognizing the changes you need to make?  Check out my eBook to figure out what they are and be challenged to made them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Stop comparing yourself to others

How often do you find yourself comparing your life to others?  STOP!!! There is no comparison.  Even if you are comparing yourself with people who have the same chronic illness, there is no comparison.  Another person you may not have realized that you are comparing yourself to is the old you….. Life changes whether you like it or not, get over it, adjust, and move on.

9. Try something new

For twelve years I did everything the same and for twelve years the quality of my life plummeted. It wasn’t until I allowed myself to try new ways to combat chronic pain that I finally experienced a lower level of pain.  By permitting myself to do things differently than I did in the past I opened the door to a new and better life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Don’t give up

I see too many people give up after they discover that they are unable to do something the same way that they did before becoming chronically ill.  Stop it!!! Don’t give up! Get creative and find new ways to do what you love.  Need help?  Click here!

11. Embrace the tools available

There are so many different tools and devices to make our lives easier.  Stop resisting them and put them to use.  Whether it be a mobility aid or assistive devices to make getting around your home safer, be thankful that they are available to use.

 

 

12. Take care of your mental health

Living with a chronic illness or in constant physical pain takes a toll on your mind as well as your body. I am no stranger to therapy and highly recommend seeing a therapist if you are struggling.  Our illnesses and pain often trigger bouts of anxiety and depression.  Let us not forget the fact that we need to mourn our old life and figure out a future that includes our illnesses/pain. The good news is that you don’t have to do it on your own. If pain or lack of insurance coverage is keeping you from seeing a therapist, you may be interested in Online-Therapy.com.  Online-Therapy.com is a service that gives you more access to a therapist for less than what it would cost under many insurance plans.  Caring for your emotional health is the most important thing you can do to improve your life.

 

Are you under estimating your ability?

Chronic Life, exercise, Home Life, mental-health December 12, 2018 Leave a comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living with a chronic illness and pain can take a toll on our self esteem. It plants doubts of unworthiness and more into our brains.  There are times when we struggle to get in a shower and others where we are in so much pain we wonder if we will make it home from the grocery store.   Our illnesses have the ability to make us doubt everything about us…. but could there be times when they are lying?

Disclosure: I am NOT a medical professional and I am not issuing medical advice. This post contains some affiliate links. Meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission from sales. The proceeds offset the expense of operating this site and fund the giveaways for my Facebook groups.

My readers save 20% off of online therapy when they register through my link. Click here to learn more and register today.

 

Many of us went from living our lives at full speed to crawling slower than a snail within a short period of time. That itself is enough to make us doubt what we are capable of.  There may come a time when we might experience an extended portion of our lives stuck in bed, unable to do much at all.  While we are thrilled when we emerge from that time, we are also often terrified of having to discover just what we can do.

Look I get it, after spending years unable to walk, stand, or sit for five minutes I had no clue what I could do.  I was either over cautious, which frustrated me or I would go full speed ahead and often trigger another flare.  Personally, I had to follow a rule of caution.  This kept me from landing back in bed and allowed me to create some type of a physical routine.

The drug free pain relief device on my back keeps me moving! Discount code DIVA will save you $55.00 should you decide to try it.

 

When I first decided to make walking part of my daily life, I had no clue what I was capable of.  In fact I often under estimated what I could do.  But I didn’t see that until I my daily ritual had become a part of my life for some time.  When I realized how far I was walking without pain or need of time to recover, I hesitated to add more.  What if I couldn’t handle it?  What if my body freaks out?  What if…… the what ifs never stopped.  Then one day I decided to slowly start increasing my expectations.  Over time my ability grew.

One of the tools that made it possible for me to stop under estimating my ability has been my fitness tracker.  In the beginning I used my Fitbit to keep me from exceeding an amount of activity that would increase my pain or trigger a flare.  Now I use it challenge myself to do more.

Is your chronic illness/pain preventing you from doing more or are you under estimating your ability because you haven’t tried to do more for a long period of time?  When you are ready to challenge yourself, start slow.  And even if you end up not needing it, plan some recovery time just in case.

The truth is you won’t know what you are capable of until you try.  I won’t call anyone from my fitness group out, but there are many of us who are afraid to commit to a higher number of steps, not because of what we are capable of doing now, but what we were capable of doing at our worst.  Don’t let the memories of a bad spell hold you back or make you think that you aren’t as capable as you are right now!  You won’t always have a five star day, but every day that you give your all will be a winning day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Ways to Dominate Christmas With a Chronic Illness

christmas, Cynthia December 3, 2018 Comments: 6

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For many years I dreaded Christmas.  It wasn’t  that I hated the holiday, but that I loathed how physically draining keeping up with traditions and extra commitments were.  Thankfully I was able to rekindle my love for Christmas a few years ago by making some changes.  Fall back in love with the season and dominate your holiday by following these tips!

Disclosure: I am NOT a medical professional and I am not issuing medical advice. This post contains some affiliate links. Meaning that, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission from sales. The proceeds offset the expense of operating this site and fund the giveaways for my Facebook groups.

1. Make New Memories

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Are you wearing yourself out trying to recreate past Christmas memories?  Do you exhaust yourself trying to decorate, bake, and entertain like you did in the past?  That’s exactly what I did before accepting that my chronic illnesses had changed my life.  It was unfair to expect myself to be able to keep up with the pace that I had in the past.  To reclaim the holiday I zeroed in on which traditions were the most important for me to keep. Later I incorporated new activities that better fit into my chronic life.  Letting go of Christmas past isn’t a form of giving up.  Instead it is a sign that you have accepted that life has changed and so have you.  Embrace your memories and never give up on creating new ones!

2. Limit Commitments

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Are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of invitations you are receiving for holiday parties or activities?  The key to dominating the Christmas season is to limit your commitments.  I know you want to do everything and attend every gathering, but you need to be realistic.  If your chronic illness hasn’t allowed you to take part in one or more events per month, you are deluding yourself if you think you will be able to do more than that during the holidays.  The first reason is that if your illness isn’t fond of colder weather you will be feeling worse than you did during the summer months.  Secondly, the Christmas season involves more than gathering with friends and family.  There’s shopping, baking, and decorating that also needs to be done.  Keep your illness and limitations in mind when accepting invitations.  Give yourself time to rest beforehand and afterwards.  Do what you can and enjoy the heck out of every moment!

3. Watch What You Eat and Drink

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Think twice before indulging in holiday foods or beverages.  Your favorite treats could steal your  joy faster than the Grinch stole Christmas from the Whoville! Most holiday menus include sugary and fatty foods.  I won’t tell you to replace your favorite pie with a bowl of salad, but instead I suggest that you limit how much you eat.  Alcohol is often a trigger for many chronic illnesses, so be careful to not to get caught up in the spirit of the season.  If you find yourself giving into temptation, try only allowing yourself a few bites or sips. While not all flares are avoidable, there is no reason to suffer from one triggered by food unless you are willing to pay the price.

4. Shop Online

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Why waste precious energy by standing in long lines or driving all over town when you could order your gifts online?  Give yourself the gift of more stamina by paying a few extra dollars to have your presents wrapped and/or shipped directly to the recipient.  Wouldn’t you rather use the time and energy spent wrapping presents, or going to stores and the post office celebrating with friends and family?

5. Less Is More

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My family used to compare me to Clark Griswold from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  There wasn’t one inch of my home, inside or out, that wasn’t decorated.  While I am no longer a contender for winning most decorated home anymore, I do have more time and energy to do other things that I want.  If decking the halls like you used to do is inflicting unnecessary pain, it’s time to cut back.  Limit how much you put up by choosing your favorite decorations and don’t forget, what goes up must come down!

6. Take Care Of Yourself

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It is not uncommon to spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to make the holidays special for our friends and family that we forget to care for ourselves.  Listen to your body and take time to rest when your body demands it, pace yourself, eat healthy, exercise, and enjoy the simple things.  You’ll surely spend Christmas day in bed if you forget to take care of yourself.

This year’s Christmas may not be like last years or the year before, but that won’t make it any less festive or special.  Embrace what you can do and let go of what you can’t.

My new eBook Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life will help you dominate your entire life, not just one season! Order your copy today!

book cover web

Never miss a post! Subscribe to my email list.

The holidays can be an emotionally trying time for some.  If you are struggling, but don’t have time to see a therapist check out OnlineTherapy.com.  Their qualified therapists are there for you everyday, not just once or twice a week!

Give yourself and the one’s that you love the gift of drug free pain relief from Oska Pulse.  Click here to learn more and use promo code DIVA to save $55.

Join Spoon Rest, a Facebook group for the chronically ill dedicated to empowering and supporting each other while sharing a laugh.

Join The Disabled Diva’s Alternative Chronic Pain Fighting Forum, a Facebook group for those who are seeking information or already treating their chronic pain with alternative treatments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dominate the Holidays with These Energy Saving Gift Ideas

christmas, Cynthia, Gift Ideas November 12, 2018 Comments: 4

Having one or more chronic illnesses and getting through the holiday season can feel like a recipe for disaster.  However, with a little planning and creativity, we can get through it without pushing ourselves too far.  Here are a few gift ideas that your friends, family, and body will love!

*This post contains affiliate links

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1. Gift Cards

Gift cards make fantastic gifts when your energy level is non-existent.  Many can be purchased and delivered online, which will save you from having to go out to purchase or send them.  You can also take your gift up a notch by going to stores that you were already going to be going to for your basic needs.  For example, for a Pizza Hut Gift Card, you could purchase napkins and paper plates with holiday prints.  Boost your gift of a Red Box code by placing it along with popcorn, flavored seasonings, and candy into a large plastic bowl.

diva christmas coupon 2.jpg2. Coupons

This idea won’t only save you energy during the holidays, but it will also save you money! Give coupons to your friends and family that offer a service like house, pet, or baby sitting! Personally I wouldn’t offer baby sitting as that would be more exhausting than purchasing a gift, but if that is something you would like to do go for it!! These gifts are far more valuable than you might realize.  Watching and caring for a friend’s house and/or pet while they are on vacation saves them a large chunk of change and puts their mind to ease knowing someone who cares for them is on the job.

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3. Host a DIY decorating party

Give the gift of a handmade ornament or a gingerbread house.  But instead of you making the gifts, host a party and have your friends create their own masterpieces! There are a slew of gingerbread decorating kits on Amazon to make prepping easy. For ornaments you may want to purchase kits that have everything you need to make a particular ornament or a bunch of different items to give your guests options.

Whatever gifts you choose to give, remember that wearing yourself down to the point of not being able to function is not what the season is about.  Be good to yourself as well as those you love!

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Wishing you and yours and Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season!

The Disabled Diva

Never miss a post! Subscribe to my email list.
The holidays can be an emotionally trying time for some.  If you are struggling, but don’t have time to see a therapist check out OnlineTherapy.com.  Their qualified therapists are there for you every day, not just once or twice a week!
Give yourself and the one’s that you love the gift of drug free pain relief from Oska Pulse.  Click here to learn more and use promo code DIVA to save $55.
Join Spoon Rest, a Facebook group for the chronically ill dedicated to empowering and supporting each other while sharing a laugh.
Join The Disabled Diva’s Alternative Chronic Pain Fighting Forum, a Facebook group for those who are seeking information or already treating their chronic pain with alternative treatments.

My eBook

Make Pain Your Bitch: How to Dominate Your Chronic Life

will help you dominate your entire life, not just one season!

Order your copy today!

book cover web

 

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