On my quest to gain wisdom and be on top of my fibromyalgia, I had an appointment with a biofeedback specialist this week. Besides the fact that this is her job, she is a Christian as well!! During my session, we were able to talk about our faith and our beliefs that God can heal me of Fibromyalgia. Quantum Biofeedback is a very complicated thing to try and explain, but here it is in a nutshell:
Quantum EPFX/SCIO Biofeedback works by scanning you much like a virus scan on a computer. It is a technology that detects physical, mental and emotional stresses related to the 10,000 most common health factors from everyday allergies to chronic illnesses. The system then delivers balancing frequencies back to your body to correct the imbalances.
It was a very interesting hour and a half, to say the least! I found out a lot about my body and how Fibromyalgia is affecting me. Here are some things that came up on the computer:
* Fibromyalgia/Epstein Barr
* TMJ
* Karmic Backlash (this is negative comments by others that allow my subconscious to believe it to be true)
* Toxins in my liver from the 8 prescription medications I am currently taking to function, amalgam fillings, glue bond in my teeth and ink pigmentation from my tattoos
* Possible food poisoning due to overload of bad bacteria in my body
* A lack of good bacteria in my intestines (related to IBS)
* Sugar regulation (insulin levels)
* Kidneys, bladder and urethra popped up as potential infection or overload from medications
* Overload of sensory radiation
* My body was asking for insulin and potassium
* My fear about my health was elevated and the computer said my mantra for today was, “Today, I am free of fear.”
I am still in the information process and haven’t really started on the healing process. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves! Biofeedback will help me learn how to take care of myself to achieve optimal health. I am so excited!
I created a graph of my body systems as of today. I want to be able to track my progress and my fight against Fibromyalgia.
Here are the definitions of the categories in the graph:
Adrenal Function: Fatigue, Insomnia, Hormone Balance
Brain Function: Serotonin, Depression, Headaches, Brain Fog, Memory, Emotions, Amino Acids, Neurotransmitters
Overall Health: Immunity, Most Stressed Organ (liver and kidneys)
Hydration (Body's water absorption): Hydration at a tissue level/cellular level, Leaky gut, Pituitary Balance
Oxygenation (Ease of oxygen flow in body): Circulation, Cardiovascular
As the graph shows, I am low in some areas. I am looking forward to improving my health and learning to manage my Fibromyalgia.
I have spent most of my time the past two days reading. I have been reading as much as I can regarding Fibromyalgia. You see, I have this thing called Fibromyalgia, but I refuse to believe it! I instead want to hit it head on. I want to know everything I can about it. I have been diagnosed. Fine. It has consumed me every minute of everyday. It doesn’t go away and doesn’t pay attention to how my mind sees Firbromyalgia. I see it as a lie from the Devil!!!! Even through my faith, prayers and fasting, Fibromyalgia is consuming me and the life I once knew. However, I will not let it take me down! I will continue reading and gaining wisdom on the disease, so I can be a warrior and continue to fight!!!!
Last night, I had a polysomnogram, the fancy name for a general sleep study. This test records several body functions while I slept, including brain activity, eye movement, oxygen and carbon dioxide blood levels, heart rate and rhythm, breathing rate and rhythm, the flow of air through my mouth and nose, snoring, body muscle movements, and chest and belly movements. To start, they asked me to change into my sleeping clothes. I then sat in a chair while the technician hooked me up to 22 or so leads from my head, face, chest and legs. Like that wasn’t enough, they put not one but two, oxygen like tubes in my nose. I don’t know who this is, but this is what it looks like:
I wasn’t allowed to take my medication to sleep, so I was very anxious about not being able to sleep. On top of that, there is a microphone listening to everything and a video camera watching every move I made. More anxiety!! The lights went out at 11 pm and there I lay focusing on every breath and movement my body was making. I tried every falling asleep technique I could think of (going through the alphabet naming fruits and veggies…what one starts with Q? too frustrating so I did it again thinking of colors…what one starts with Q? gave that up too!) after what seemed like forever, I think I dozed off because I awoke with a huge sleep jerk! Of course it took a while to doze back off, but the crap taped to my face was tingling and really irritating me. I laid there and stared at the video camera wondering what they were thinking or saying on the other side of it. I tossed and turned get tangled in my web of cords and just gave up on ever falling asleep. When the technician came in at 6 am to wake me up, I was already awake wishing I could just go home!
Not so fast, Turbo!! After the technician removed the stuff from my body, I had these huge globs of hard wax like stuff in my hair. I spent 20 minutes in the shower pulling gobs of it from my hair, not sure how much of my hair came out with it! I got in my car to drive home, and I was so tired I wasn’t sure I was going to safely make it. I stopped at the first coffee stand, stuck my arm out the window and asked if she could just inject straight shots into my veins. No luck, so I took a tall iced latte. I made it home safely and can’t wait until bed time so I can get a good nights rest!
My follow-up appointment isn’t until July 31st. I just hope I don’t have to go back in because they didn’t get enough data due to my inability to sleep! That would be awful!!!
In just a while, I will be heading to a sleep center in Everett. I have suffered from insomnia for about 8 years now, and rarely do I go to bed without medication. If I go to bed unmedicated, I do not get a restful nights sleep which makes my Fibromyalgia pain awful. Apparently, there is a link between chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. So, my doctor wanted me to do a sleep study to find out what is going on while I sleep. I have had to journal my daily activities and my sleep for two weeks. One week was without sleeping medication and the other week was my normal routine. That first week was unbearable! By the end of the week, I was barely functioning! It only took one good nights rest, and I felt so much better. I will not be taking medication tonight, so they can accurately see why it is I don't sleep. It kind of freaks me out thinking about someone watching me while I sleep! I will get there around 6:45 and get hooked up to all kinds of wires which takes an hour. I can then watch tv or read until bedtime between 10 and 11. They will let me sleep for at least 6 hours, wake me up and send me home. It should be an interesting evening!
I have suffered from allergies since I was very young. Shane really isn't bothered by pollen unless the count is really high. I had never considered that our daughter Jordyn might suffer from allergies. Well, apparently she does. Pretty bad too! She spent a week with my sister in Idaho and had some difficulties while she was there. My sister informed me that I might want to take Jordyn in and have her checked out. My sister also said that Jordyn had troubles breathing after running around or climbing stairs. So, I took her in. Come to find out she has severe allergies and Restrictive Airway Disease. Hello!?? I do not win mother of the year?? When I returned to the pharmacy to get her meds, I almost fell out when they told me the total was $92. We left with a bag of goodies!! She now has to take Zyrtec, Nasacort, Abuteral and eye drops. It was tough convincing Jordyn that she had to take all of it everyday and some twice a day. She is doing good learning how to take them all by herself like a big girl (very important for a 5 year old)! Already, she is breathing better, the dark circles under her eyes are slowly fading and her eyes aren't nearly as puffy in the morning. Thanks Sis! Now I know why people say it takes a village to raise a child!
That's what I'm talking about!!!
I still am in shock, a little speechless and very upset! Yesterday, on my way home from Idaho, I stopped by to visit my mom's grave and show Jordyn where Grandma Marsha was buried. I drove to the spot where she was at to find nothing there. I walked over the the directory and it said she was buried in 58 G, right where I had been. Confused and upset, I walked around for 45 minutes looking for her spot. Well, I couldn't find it. I laid some flowers there anyway. I got in the car and just wanted to go home. I cried off and on from Idaho to Wenatchee. I am so sad that she is laying there nameless. After calling the City Clerk of the city she is buried in and speaking to my sister about filing a police report, it had been confirmed that my mothers head stone is missing. There have been no other thefts or vandalism noticed or reported. I find it very unsettling knowing someone went there and took her head stone! I don't have a clue where to start. My sister and I are going to replace it eventually. I went online to get an idea of how much a head stone cost. There is no way I can afford anything like that. I am so sad...I just need to get over this so I can think clearly about what to do next. What kind of person would go to a cemetery and remove a head stone? It is hard enough having lost her, but this is like a slap in the face! SERIOUSLY!
Thanks Shanna, for the idea! Wow! I know this is a generalization about my personality, but I can certainly relate!
Laid-back Doer (LD)
(Just visiting? Take the free test and determine your personality type!)
Laid-back Doers are friendly, happy persons. They enjoy being together with other people. Smart, eloquent, witty and charming, they like to be the centre of attraction. They do not like to be alone. Their zest for life ensures that others feel well in their company and that they quickly get to know people. Laid-back Doers get the best out of every moment - many people of this type have a gift for making their whole life one big party. Boredom is unknown in their presence because they are very good at carrying others away with their enthusiasm, their good mood and their optimism.
Abstract thinking and profound philosophising about the meaning of life appeal less to Laid-back Doers. They are pragmatic, realistic and live completely in the here and now. At work too, they prefer it when it’s all go and they can act out their purposeful manner to the full. They have no problem handling several tasks at once and they blossom out in crisis situations! A varied field of activity with a lot of social contacts is just the right thing for them. One will also seldom find them inactive in their spare time; due to their open, curious nature, they mostly have many hobbies and interests. They are not afraid of the unknown: as they are flexible and creative, they quickly adjust to new situations and make the best of them. They sometimes come into conflict with strict rules or hierarchies by which they quickly feel constrained and against which they rebel.
As friends, Laid-back Doers are generous, helpful persons who attach great importance to harmonious relationships and a good atmosphere. Their sociable manner means that they have a large circle of friends and they love having the house full of many different types of guests. They are happy to give in to their spontaneous moods and fancies in the just one or two important things. This makes them appear somewhat unpredictable to those with a quieter nature. When it really matters, you can rely on them one hundred percent. As partners, they are creative, impetuous and imaginative - as long as their partner knows how to fascinate them. They can hardly stand boredom or routine in a relationship. They do not like conflicts at all; if a relationship becomes too strenuous or involves too much effort, they tend to withdraw from the partnership and start to look for a new partner. However, if one manages to keep their curiosity alive in the long term and surprise them again and again, one has a loyal and loving partner.
Adjectives which describe your type
extroverted, practical, emotional, spontaneous, enthusiastic, friendly, playful, lively, talkative, nonchalant, tolerant, happy, pleasant, generous, flexible, wily, attractive, relationship-oriented, generous, adventurous, fun-loving, creative, helpful, action-loving, casual, sociable, open, sensitive, touchy, erratic, curious, noncommittal, action-lovingThese subjects could interest you
going out, dancing, parties, cinema, eating out, sport and travel (club holidays), music, trekking, camping, hiking, cooking, handicrafts, nature
On Sunday, my sister, who lives in Idaho, called me 5 minutes before church started on Sunday and said she was 2 blocks away and to save her a seat. I was totally shocked! Here she came with her husband and 3 kids to come to TRC for Father's Day! I was shocked!!! Long story short, Jordyn went home with her for the week. At first, I was thinking HURRAY!!!!!!! It has only been 1 day, and I miss her like crazy! The house is quiet and still clean, but I am sure lonely! I haven't heard from her yet, and I wonder if she has forgotten about her dad and I?!!? My sister has 2 horses, 7 pigs, a bunch of chickens, a duck and a pond with fish and frogs- no comparison to our boring house! I am sure she is having the time of her life. I keep reminding myself...she is having too much fun to call home. The dog is even wondering where she is. He keeps going to her room and sniffing around and will come back, lay down and just look at me. I am sure she will call soon! Shane said if she doesn't call before bed time he will be calling her up! I think I will start the book I've been waiting to read (without interruption)....and wait for the phone to ring!
The ceremony tonight was so perfect. The children walked down to Pomp and Circumstance and sang two songs. One about daddies and one about mommies. It was absolutely adorable! I will try and post a video later. Tonight was a very sad night for us. Jordyn has been with Christy since she was 18 months old. She has been in her care for a big part of her little life. We refused to say goodbye tonight, because we will see her again. I have known Christy before either of us had children. Our friendship will be forever, as will the relationship between our children. Jordyn is so excited to be a big Kindergartner next year!
