The trouble with sickness is...

I had the stomach flu this weekend. I kind of still do on this somewhat foggy Monday morning. What is worse than the stomach flu on weekends? It is when you ONLY work weekends and start having symptoms of the stomach flu while at work. I had actually been looking forward to this weekend because my new co-worker on evening shift was starting and I didn't want to miss it. That means that I had to be extra careful not to infect others when my symptoms seemed to really start to manifest themselves in all their devilish forms. Thankfully the worst of it happened in my 8 hours off between shifts.

What is weird about getting this particular stomach bug is that I knew my source and the exact time frame that I received it. My eldest son was the source because he was sick on Monday and into Tuesday with the bug. I had cleaned up several of his messes where he had become suddenly ill and couldn't make it to the bathroom toilet in time to vomit. Combine that with the changing of sheets, cleaning of the carpets, and general care of him, I know that I had to have infected myself either during cleanup or during the care of him. I did better at work not to contaminate anyone since I knew what I had done to contract the bug. I was in constant contact precaution mode with always being in gloves and even wiping down surfaces that I had touched. I also medicated myself with Zofran to help with the nausea and Excedrin Migraine to help with the headache. I never ran fever or vomited at work so I felt pretty ok with being there, even though I still took precautions just in case. 

Something that I received was a gross amount of advice on how to handle the sickness. I had posted a little blurb on Facebook:

Jennifer Smyth Holmes was feeling sick.

January 21 at 8:58pm · Mountain Home · 

I'm regretting saying the phrase, "I'm just one stomach flu away from my wellness weight for work."

The responses ranged from people saying that they were praying for me (which I will always appreciate!) and various others whom had had the blasted virus and were giving me advice of what had worked for them to get them through the process. Even at work, I got several different remedies that would help with the healing process. 

I will always be a firm believer of the power of prayer and believe that God hears those prayers and gives you the strength to make it through whatever trial you encounter. I believe that there are times that he will heal you completely. There are also other times that he will let you rely on the things on this earth that have been placed here naturally and have been man-made to help you through whatever you face. This particular time of sickness was not of the instant nature. I am actually still on the recovery side as I write this. 

There were a plethora of suggestions that were given. Some were utilized and some were disregarded. Peppermint oil, BRAT diet, Sprite were in the top 3 of suggestions of the more natural relief aids. Zofran (leftover from my shoulder surgery a year ago), Dramamine, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Tums, etc. from the medicinal standpoint were also of the suggestions. Prayer was also a major suggestion for the spiritual standpoint. I did a combo of all three to make it through. 

You might be wondering how this relates to Fibromyalgia. Well, it does, in a weird sort of way. Fibromyalgia often is looked at as something that is made up or not taken seriously, yet the symptoms are very real. Many have the diagnosis and deal with their symptoms differently. Stomach bugs are taken pretty seriously because almost all have experienced them and can EMPATHIZE with someone else dealing with the symptoms. They are quick to tell what has worked for them and most of the time what has worked for one might have no effect on the other. 

That is the purpose of this blog. It is a place to share what has worked and what has not. What worked for me with this stomach bug (which was me praying not to throw up in my car as I drove home, praying that I would make it through my shift without throwing up or infecting anyone while there, Zofran, Sprite, and a ton of sleep) might not help another person at all. What has worked for me, or might not have worked for me, might be the exact thing that helps a Fibro patient feel better. We are all made uniquely and wonderfully. That means that there is not a single cure all that will fix everyone. While that thought is heavenly, it means that you still have to keep fighting and looking for a cure, whether it be for Fibromyalgia, or the stomach flu. 😊

I say all that to encourage you today. Don't give up on your cure! Don't give up on looking for ways to live your life to the fullest without the brain fog, the pain, and the lack of energy. Look for the things that make your life better. Keep fighting! You never know. Today might be the day that you find the anecdote that you have been looking for!

The trouble with progress is...

A year and a half...that is how long it has been since I have updated this blog. It's not that I have that many followers or that I have let a lot of people down. I just know that I have been busy and overall healthy. Well, I say that, but I have actually had 2 surgeries since then. One on my left shoulder and the other to remove my gallbladder.

I agreed to start a new journey in my Fibromyalgia war today. A friend from high school, who now manages our women's education house associated with the hospital that I work with, approached me about a month ago about taking over the Fibromyalgia Support Group that they host once a month. I went back and forth about the decision and decided that maybe I could expand my audience and actually go talk to people about what I have learned.

One might ask why I was hesitant about doing this. Two reasons come to mind. The first is that I am not the most sympathetic towards people and their chronic ailments. I kind of have the motto, "Suck it up or shut up!" I know that it is mean and not the nicest thought. I just feel that everyone has their own drama and that it is rude to vomit your drama onto others who might already have a heavy load. The exception to this is with concerned family or best friends. Another exception would be your doctor, or in this case, a support group.

My other reason for being hesitant is because of the stigma. I, being a pretty private person, don't want to be associated with the diagnoses of Fibromyalgia. It's not that I don't have it. I do! Yet there is a genre of people that LOVE having the diagnoses of Fibro and can finally have an excuse to stay in bed all day and have a reason to be on some horribly powerful pain medications. The majority of us that have this disease hate having it. The more outspoken people use it to their advantage and come off as whiners and complainers and are frowned upon in the medical community. This person isn't talked about to their face. No, it is done after they have left and the staff is discussing how pitiful they have become or are just a drug seeker. I don't want to be associated with that kind of person at all. Yet, I also know that some are just wanting an ear to listen to them, and have some compassion for this unknown disease, and want answers!

My hope, after talking to the director, is that I can help educate these women that have been given the diagnoses. The former leader of the group had a counseling background and did not have a diagnoses of Fibromyalgia. She saw the need for the group and implemented it. Since she has left there has been a void that needed to be filled. So I am going to attempt to fill that void.

The group meets the 2nd Monday of every month from 10am-noon. The format that I plan to use is to do a meet and greet with snacks and then do a focused discussion after on a specific topic (diet, exercise, natural remedies, etc.). I am hoping that all the pain and suffering that I have been through, and by finding methods that work, that I will be a help to all that come. There was also discussion of possibly starting a group that meets in the evening for those who work and cannot come to the daytime group.  I'm excited to see where this new adventure takes me and also what else I learn as I research and try to help those around me.