Spring Forward? Yeah, I Don't Think So...

You know that phrase, "Spring forward"? Well, nothing about me "springs" anymore!

I don't "do" change well. My body doesn't respond well to temperature or any weather related changes, time changes, sleep changes, dietary changes, and ... well, you get the idea!

Oh boy, did the time change kick my franny! The weather got warmer, and even though it was for the better, it triggered a nasty headache that just kept escalating all week. After 5 days of increased water, tons of stretching and plenty of Tylenol, it kept getting worse. Ugh, why do I wait so long to break into my muscle relaxers and heavy pain meds?!

Welp, let's see... I can't think straight on the pain killers and I can't stay awake with the muscle relaxers. Put them together, and it is a recipe that can only bring sleep and LOTS of it. Do the meds help? Sure, most of the time the combination is helpful. Besides the side effects, the other big problem is that I have to unplug from life for a while. This means not being there for my family. In turn, it means that my husband won't have his assistant (OR his wife!), my daughters won't have their mom, and the house goes into anarchy. People are eating ice cream for dinner, dishes pile up, and even the dog gets into the trash and gets snarly. 


I don't like not being in control of my body. Which is a paradox in and of itself considering that no one really has control and anyone who suffers with chronic pain and illness has even less control of their body. But, in terms of being completely out of control and down for the count with medicine, it has to be REALLY bad before I break into the heavy meds. 

In the past, I was even more stubborn. I waited longer to medicate, to stop and lie down, or to ask for help. It became a pattern that lead to a cycle that started with my body shutting down and then invaded my thinking. It was like poison ivy that started out green and leafy but then created an unscratchable and uncontrollable itch that spread. I could easily go from being in pain to suddenly blaming myself for doing whatever activity lead to the flare and then on from there. Even now, I have to be careful with my thoughts. Before I know it, I could feel terrible about myself. I do still have those moments of guilt about my flares but I have learned to recognize the negative voices in my head that start to blame me for them and stop before it gets too far. 

I have also learned how important it is to really pay attention to my body. I got to know my triggers. I watch the weather and try to plan my activities or errands around any severe changes. If I start to lose energy, I try to take a break and lie down as soon as I can. I have gotten better at asking for help. Eh, I know that I do still have some work to do on that one for sure! 

Most of all, I have learned to be gentle with myself. It is an ongoing process. 

But, this I know:

I didn't cause my ongoing, every minute of the day pain and my condition is not my fault. A diet, medicine/vitamins, or exercise will not cure my illnesses. Surgery has not even cured me. Blaming myself only makes things worse. I am responsible for trying to take the best care of myself that I can. That includes going to bed and staying there if I have to!