Flare ups and Missing Cars...

Yesterday I wore jeans, a t-shirt and a sweater.  No, I haven’t run out of ideas to blog about and am now telling you what I wore.  Stay with me here…until yesterday for a week I’ve worn nothing but pajamas and I’ve been stuck in the bed unable to walk.  I had the first Fibromyalgia Flare this past week that I’ve had in a long time. What does a flare-up feel like? The best description I can come up with is an electrical storm inside your body. You know what it feels like when you hit your funnybone and it isn’t funny? Well imagine that magnified and all over your body. I wore nothing but soft pajamas because even clothing or a blanket can feel painful to the touch – like a straightjacket tightening on my muscles.

Day after day of lying in the bed in pain and one excruciating afternoon of going to the doctor knowing that he couldn’t do anything but knowing I needed a note for work. It took Ben, a nurse and a cane and a wheelchair to get me in and out of the car that day.  My doc agreed with my diagnosis and sent me home to bed after offering me mega pain killers which I declined as I think he suspected I would.

What caused this flare?  Well my pain triggers traditionally are stress, poor sleeping patterns, chemicals, and weather changes but who knows specifically what triggered this episode or any episode. Perhaps a delayed response to the injections for my hip? So does this mean my organic lifestyle is failing me? I don’t think so because this flare lasted a week. Yes, this is only day 2 of wearing jeans and I’m on my cane again something I haven’t used in almost a year but it only lasted one week and not months as it has in the past.  I think that proves I’m doing something right.

So here I am a week later, still hurting but nothing like before and wearing jeans - quite the accomplishment. So what does one do all week while lying in bed staring at the ceiling?  Well for me it was sleeping for the most part.  I followed my cat’s example and slept more hours than I was awake. When I was awake, I spent a lot of time reading on my Kindle, occasionally checking work email on my iPhone and on one particular morning talking on the phone with a police detective from Kansas City when he called to inform me that Kaitlyn’s car was stolen.

That day wasn’t the best on the stress meter but that was out of my control.  Fortunately, the car was found and so was the criminal.  Unfortunately, we have to pay to repair the damage done to the car. Fortunately, it was minimal since unfortunately this guy was a pro at stealing cars and yes, we are pressing charges.

I also stared at the ceiling. A lot.  Boring perhaps but about all I could handle most of the time. When I did read, I did some research on herbs and treatments and will continue to do so. I’m still a believer in my organic lifestyle and I’m still a believer in herbal treatments and cures.  I used them throughout this week and I think it helped.

I’m not completely well yet but I’m working on it and hey, I can wear jeans again.

Take care of yourselves and your families.

Chelle

Fibro Flare, Doogie Howser, MD and Orange Cleaner

Well this has been quite a week.  I went to my orthopedic doctor on Monday afternoon and he says he wants to send me to a surgeon and before I could get my head wrapped around the idea of seeing a surgeon, he just happened to have an opening on Tuesday.  So on Tuesday afternoon I go to see the orthopedic surgeon. 

I think his name should be changed to Doogie Howser, MD.  He looked 12 or maybe I’m just getting really old.  Lol.  Anyway, he gave me another set of injections and is sending me onto physical therapy.  I’m really glad he is taking a conservative approach and allowing me to try to do some things for myself.  So, I’ll do the PT for 6 weeks and then we can see from there.

I’m really happy my doctor sent me to the surgeon he did (even if he is 12 lol) because the surgeon really listened to me, examined me carefully and helped me and he finally gave me a good diagnosis. Even more importantly he actually understood how my fibromyalgia interacts with my treatments as he knows an injection of any sort triggers a flare up for me. It’s so helpful to have a doctor who understands without me having to explain and who can offer suggestions and help to alleviate some of my problems. Unfortunately, he was right and I did have a flare up this week.  It makes for a tough week.

When I was able to get back to work on Wednesday, it seemed like the day flew by and with school and work, I made it through another week. I wanted to drive to Cleveland, TN this weekend and spend time with my parents but my hip hadn’t healed up enough to drive myself. So instead this weekend is my cooking weekend and I spent part of Saturday going to Trader Joes and Publix to get groceries for a month.  The effort to do that really wore me out so that pretty much was all I was able to do on Saturday.

This morning I got up and started putting a few meals together for the next month.  I’m trying some new recipes and I’ll let you know what I think of them as we make them and eat them.  I still have some more meals to make. I can’t do it all in one day as I just can’t stand that long. An hour is about my max limit of time standing. Wimpy but true. 

Finally today I finished my citrus all-purpose cleaner I started two weeks ago.  It actually takes two weeks to make this cleaner.  So here’s the “recipe.”

Citrus Cleaner

Take a quart jar and fill with orange peels.  Fill to the top with white vinegar.  Seal and let sit for two weeks in a dark cabinet.

Two weeks later, pour the vinegar into a spray bottle.  I added about 5 drops of sweet orange essential oil for a stronger scent and 5 drops tea tree oil as an antibacterial. 

Use the cleaner on nearly any surface except for granite or marble.  I cleaned my countertops and stove top this morning and the smell was great and it did a great job.  Love when something works out like this so I give it 5 out of 5.

As you can see below the white vinegar is definitely not white anymore and is now a lovely orange from the orange peels.

Take care of yourself and your families.

Chelle

Fibro, Sinus and Hand Soap

What a week!  I have been battling something (aka the crud and fibro flare up) all week.  You see this week a major front rolled through and that caused the fibro flare up since I am weather sensitive and them some sort of upper respiratory kept trying to join the fun.  So here is how I’ve treated myself this week.

First the fibro flare up.  The best thing I can do when my fibro acts up is to rest.  I know, really high tech right? It helps though.  Unfortunately since I work full time and go to school full time it is hard to find time to rest but I tried to go to bed early as possible this week. When my muscles starting hurting to the point I couldn’t rest then I pulled out my essential oils and this will work on other things like neuralgia and arthritis pain as well.

Remember, I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on television so discuss your treatment (including home remedies) with your doctor.  I’m lucky that my family physician is on board with alternative treatments for my fibro and helps me with my care. I like to use doTerra Deep Blue drops essential oil blends for muscle pain (http://doterra-essential-oils.com/doterra). I add it to carrier oil (grape seed oil) and massage onto my aching muscles. On days I'm in extreme pain, I use it without carrier oil. It contains wintergreen, camphor, peppermint, blue tansy, blue chamomile, helichrysum and osmanthus that work together to ease achy joints and sore muscles and provide amazing relief! My massage therapist first recommended Deep Blue and I’m forever grateful. The camphor part smells a little funky but it works.  :) You can buy doTERRA oils at health food stores and online. I don’t sell it but I do recommend this particular blend.

Next, I use soaking baths.  There is nothing like a hot bath for muscle and nerve pain and I like to add a few ingredients to the bath to make it even better. The main ingredient I add is Epsom Salt.  It’s old fashioned but it works.  I usually add about a cup and a half or two of Epsom Salt. Next, I add a cup of baking soda, I added lemongrass essential oil (about 10 drops), lavender essential oil (about 20 drops), rosemary essential oil (about 10 drops) and about 5 drops of tea tree oil.  I soak in this mixture with the water about as hot as I can stand while drinking water while soaking and afterwards as well.  Feels wonderful and really helps me.

As to the sinus mess and sore throat I’ve had going this week, I’ve been treating with several tools and I’m feeling pretty good so they seem to have worked.  I used a pan of water with tea tree oil in it an inhale the stem when it boils.  This has no side effects (except that it will destroy your mascara and you look like a creature from the Black Lagoon lol!) and really helps to break up the congestion.  I like Thayer’s brand Slippery Elm cough drops (sold at health food stores, Whole Foods, etc.)  and for a headache white willow bark tea will do the trick.  Steep white willow bark chips in boiling water and let steep for about 30 minutes, strain and drink.  It does have a bitter taste so add lemon and honey to cover it up. 

The active ingredient in white willow bark is salicin which is a chemical similar to aspirin and works like aspirin does. It has the similar interactions with other drugs as well so be aware and be careful.  You can make a tincture using white willow bark chips and alcohol or vinegar but the tincture has to brew for a couple of weeks and I had a headache now. :) I may make a tincture and have that on hand for the future. I understand that you can buy white willow bark capsules to replace the low dosage aspirin so many take. You can buy white willow bark at health food stores. Make sure to buy the chipped not powdered for tea.

I also drank copious amounts of water. Water is one of the best things for sinus congestion. Water helps thin out mucous and your body needs water to take care of itself.

For the tickling in my throat I drank Traditional Medicinals Brand Organic Throat Coat Tea.  It contains all the herbs I would have made my own tea with and was already made up for me.  Convenience and organic – it’s a win-win for me.  If you want to make your own Throat Coat tea here is the recipe I would recommend.

Organic Throat Coat Tea

Licorice Root

Slippery Elm Bark

Marshmallow Root

Wild Cherry Bark

Bitter Fennel

Cinnamon

Sweet Orange Peel

Steep together in boiling water for at least 30 minutes and strain. Drink 4 – 6 cups a day.

And yes, this tea contains Marshmallow root not marshmallows and licorice root not licorice.  :)  You don’t need the sugar of those as sugar helps bacteria grow. I do sweeten this tea with a bit of Stevia. Really has a good taste too.

At work this week, they were giving the free flu shots.  Once again I declined.  I haven’t had much luck with flu shots.  When I have taken them, I still get the flu because I get a different strain than the shot protects you from. I’m not sure how I feel about flu shots to be honest.  One of those things I really need to research more in my spare time.  If I can find any spare time. I think that for some people the flu shot makes a lot of sense - think elderly and those with severely compromised immune systems.  I just have bad reactions it seems to anything I take that is not natural and so wherever possible I avoid it. It's one of those things that you have to decide for yourself what is your best course of action.

Hope you all felt better than I did this week and I’ll leave you with one last recipe that prevents all kinds of illness.  Foaming Hand Soap. I love foaming hand soap but I hate the price and not thrilled with all the extra chemicals added.  My theory is that if I can’t pronounce it I don’t need to eat it or rub it on my skin.  Lol. So here is my version of a “recipe” for Foaming Hand Soap from http://mymerrymessylife.com This website has lots of good recipes and free printable labels for them as well. As usual, I changed the recipe a bit for my tastes and you can do the same.

Foaming Hand Soap 

First, you have to have an empty foaming hand soap bottle.  Buy a cheap store brand and dump out the contents.  Believe me you don’t want all the sodium lauryl sulfate.

Fill your bottle 1/3 full of liquid Castile soap.  I like Dr. Bronner’s Lavender (of course!)

Add 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil (antibacterial properties)

Add 10 drops of Lavender Oil (antibacterial and scent)

Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water and use. 

Pretty simple, takes 5 minutes to make and works!

Have a lovely day!

~michelle