Day 2

So, this is Day 2 of trying the Lyrica in combination with my other meds (Cymbalta and Wellbutrin.) It was MUCH better than yesterday.
The night before last I took the Lyrica before bed and skipped my evening Ambien because I was warned that the Lyrica can make you sleepy and you need to be careful of taking it with any other sedatives, narcotics, etc. I ended up NOT sleeping at all, which probably had as much to do with my awful day yesterday as did the weather.

Last night, I tried a different route. I took the Lyrica early (9:00) and took the Ambien once I was sure that it wasn't really making me sleepy. I had a very restful night and woke up feeling better than I have in a long time. I didn't hurt, I didn't have a headache, even my shoulders were not sore or stiff. This was a very good thing because I had a very long list of  To Do's that I have been putting off all week.

I did sleep in a little - DH was able to work from home so we both spent  an hour or so snoozing between kid drop-off and work start-time. This is one of those little luxuries I like to indulge in whenever I can. As a happily married couple with three kids, we like to take whatever quiet time we can get together. You know, good "bonding" time. Personally, I think one of the reasons we are still happy after all these years is that we DO take time to, uh, "bond" whenever we can. It's not just for date nights or special occasions. "One on One" time can happen whenever a few (or more than a few) minutes of alone or quiet time is found. We take time to kiss (on the lips even!) several times a day and especially before we say goodnight.

Anyway, (before I get lost in thoughts of "bonding") once DH logged on to work, I was up and out. I got to visit one of my sisters who lives in town. I love visiting #3 Sister because she has three kids who are pretty cool - Dudeman is her son who is such a little Gentleman, Awesome is daughter #1 who is just as spunky as any five year old can be, and Baby Spider is just learning to crawl and shake rattles and be as adorable as any baby ever was. I just love snuggling babies. Especially when they aren't mine and I can give them back when they get smelly and noisy.

Between waking up feeling good, getting dressed (including make-up and jewelry,) and getting to snuggle with Baby Spider and Awesome, I was doing pretty darn well. I even left my Poppa with #2 Sis and took off to adventure on my own for a bit. That's a pretty big thing considering I haven't felt good enough to leave the house, let alone drive, for several days. I managed to find my way around to all my errands with very few detours (ie., getting turned around and lost) and I knocked my Errands List flat. Score for me!

I was doing awesome, until about 2:00 when I finally made it to the office have my blood drawn so I could get the tests run to help define a diagnosis. Somehow between the bank to deposit a check and the test office, my shoulders decided they had just about enough of the whole "being productive" thing and decided to rebel. I made it until 4:00 (after picking up LH from school) before I gave in and took some OTC's for the pain and lied down for a bit.

I have been slowly learning my limits, especially over the past few days. I am getting more familiar about when I can push through the fatigue and at what point I need to give in to the pain. Something that has helped me immensely was learning that if I really am suffering from FM, the pain and fatigue is really in my head. Not that I am making it up, but that it is a mis-communication between my nerves and by brain. What should normally feel like a small bit of pressure is translated into my brain as pain. What would make normal people feel "a little tired" makes me feel exhausted. The good thing is that there is no real deterioration or damage happening to the muscles or joints that hurt so much. I don't have to worry that I am making things worse by pushing myself through. I might be using up the valuable energy that I have to spend each day.

Right now, the energy level is more of an issue than the pain. Pain, I can deal with for the most part (with help for the time being.) Energy is something I have in short supply and for the time being I have to deal with what I have. So, I am letting myself off the hook for resting or lying down when there is more to do. That, more than anything else, seems to make a positive difference in my overall mood, which translates directly to my overall health.