After the Accident...

You Can Spend Days With This List of Fibromyalgia Links

2005-09-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

I just tried out a new search engine that's still in it's beta stage. It's called DumbFind.

I Entered "Fibromyalgia" in the Keyword box, and "Health" in the Topic box. And this grand list is what the tool produced. It'll be mighty helpful for any of you dealing with Fibro.

And if Fibro isn't your issue, then go to the home page and search for your own need. This is really a great search resource!

You May Hvae Raed Tihs Bfreoe, But Jsut In Csae...

2005-09-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

Cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh, and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt.

What Is Gained from Suffering?

2005-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering where hope and healing can be found in the midst of suffering and pain, may I suggest Grieving.org?

The website offers answers to questions such as:

What Does God Know About Grief?

I Have Cancer, Now What?

Does the Bible Talk About How to Deal With Grief?

(each answer is explained on multiple pages, so make sure to click the arrow graphic at the bottom of the pages.)

Can Christians Suffer from Depression?

2005-09-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

From the Internet For Christians Newsletter:

Can Christians Suffer from Depression?
Is depression something that a good Christian should be able to overcome through faith and willpower alone? If you or somebody close to you has ever suffered from depression, you know that not only is it a difficult condition to live with, but it's poorly understood by most people in the church, however well-intentioned they may be. Andy Johnson has written an excellent article on understanding and overcoming depression[1] at Psychology for Living. The site has a great deal of information on many other psychological disorders as well, including conditions like narcissism[2], schizophrenia[3], and hyperactivity[4].

Also worth reading on the topic of depression is "Overcoming Depression"[5] at ACTS International.

-- Links in this story --
[1] http://narramore.gospelcom.net//bk_127_depression1.htm
[2] http://www.ncfliving.org/bk_129_narcissism1.htm
[3] http://www.ncfliving.org/bk_120_schizophrenia1.htm
[4] http://www.ncfliving.org/bk_113_adhd1.htm
[5] http://www.actsweb.org/articles/article.php?i=73&d=1&c=4&p=1

Closing In On Fibromyalgia's Main Pain Issues

2005-08-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Exploring fibromyalgia's mysteries, researchers look to the central nervous system, gaining deeper insight into why we suffer.

More and more, those who easily dismiss the pain associated with fibromyalgia are looking more foolish than ever.

Think You Know How To Choose A Doctor?

2005-08-11T08:26:00.000-07:00

Even if you already think you know how to best choose a doctor for yourself, read this article about the topic, from MedicineNet.com, and see what else you can learn.

This is a big decision, so invest a little time in order to make sure you choose wisely.

It could mean the difference between feeling relief this month or not until next year. Really.

I'm Back!

2005-08-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

One of the primary troubles with running a blog about one's life of pain is just that...trying to keep up with posting while going through painful days. I just finished a 6 day stretch of extra painful days. Today feels like an oasis in the desert. Yes, I am still in pain, but my pain levels are back to "normal."

I'm so thankful for breaks in my journey here with my compainion. My companion is Pain. And, he's a brat. He plays games on me all the time, and none of them are funny. Oh, he thinks his games are hilarious. It's just that we have different worldviews.

I look at the world as something to savor and enjoy with the others around us. My Pain sees the world as a playground. To him, it's a playground of places to inject pain and soreness, aches and struggles of many kinds.

Well, today is my day to call the shots. I'm feeding myself healthy food, and I took a good walk last night. I even slept better. Those kinds of things tend to put me in charge of the relationship between Pain and me. Sometimes it doesn't matter that I do all of those things, Pain has his way of still getting his games in on the days when it seems like I "should" be calling the shots. It's a mystery. But, I'm simply thankful for the good days.

As for imparting a resource to you today, check out this place for info on wheelchairs. If you are in need of one, might be in need of one in the future, or if you're just curious, check this out.

The colors are a little tough on the eyes (especially if you go back to their home page -- Wow!), but see if it's helpful for you.

Here's the link.

New eFibro.com Website

2005-08-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

eFibro.com launched a new redesign today. Check it out.

Here's a link to other great online resources for those of us suffering from the painful effects of fibromyalgia.

As I've said in the past, this blog isn't just about fibromyalgia pain, it's about dealing with pain in all of the ways it affects us. So, if you'd like me to find resources for your specific situation and for what you deal with, please email me and talk to me.

Email:
afteraccident at aol dot com

I'll do my best to find the best resources out there for you. You've got my promise!

If You Need A Laugh...

2005-07-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just need to laugh about our medication, or else we'd cry.

This time, we'll laugh:

"This morning I took two Ex-Lax in addition to my Prozac. I can't get off the john, but I feel good about it."

- Unknown

Migraines & Extraordinary Treatments

2005-07-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

The local (Chicago) NBC affiliate's news team put together this special report on dealing with migraine headaches. It falls on the level of a "Migraines 201" class as far as the content goes. So, if you haven't studied your options too much, this would be good for you as it might give you another option or two to consider.

If you're suffering from migraines, I think it's worth a read. It's a fairly brief piece.

I hope your headache is minor today at worst.

Let's Look At Pediatric Pain Management Tips

2005-07-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here are the top 10 things you need to know about pediatric pain management:

1. Infants do have PAIN.

2. If a child is lying still, pain may be present. Children may not always be willing or able to communicate the fact that they are in pain.

3. When there is pain, there may be nausea. Treat both.

4. Don't UNDERMEDICATE. Children often require more pain medication than adults (in milligrams/ kilogram) do to achieve pain control. Repeat patients usually need more medication to attain the same degree of pain relief.

5. Incorporate the family into the child's care, since family insights are very helpful at all ages and developmental stages.

Read the rest of the list here ...

Conserving Body Energy

2005-07-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

No matter what the weather is on any given day, it's important for those of us who live with chronic pain to conserve energy in our bodies.

Hot days are especially tough because the humidity and heat robs me of energy quicker, so my day becomes shorter -- as far as being able to be active in various ways. Sure, everyone gets tired out on really hot days, but it happens at a higher and faster rate for people like us. Fatigue sets in, and the pain levels rise quickly.

But, I know I'm preaching to the choir here.

Here's a link to a website page that gives some excellent practical ways to conserve energy in your body. Don't miss this one. It will help you make your quality of life just a little better today and into the future.

Have an excellent weekend,
mike

God permits what He hates, to achieve what He loves

2005-07-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

"God permits what He hates, to achieve what He loves."

If God doesn't protect Himself from feeling pain, then who are we, His children, to ask God to protect us from all pain? That's what I've been asking myself a lot lately.

My prayers have been changing too. They've gone from asking God to remove or reduce the pain in my body for a while to asking Him to give me the strength to bear the burden of the pain with His help.

I believe that's how the Bible directs us to pray, but I'm still learning. I can scarcely believe that it's taken my whole life (I'm 32 years old) to understand that God needs to use the things that make Him sad and cause Him pain to allow in order to bring us to places we'd never reach without feeling the pressure needed that brings us closer to Him than ever before.

I encourage each of you to find out what God might be saying to you through this example in my life. I'm not telling you how to pray or what to do in your life, but I am putting out the possibility that God might want us to accept the things that He has allowed in our lives, instead of fighting them. Because I truly believe that our pain causes Him more pain and sadness than we even feel. And if that's true, then we truly have a wonderfully loving Father God in our lives.

Best,
mike

I-PainRelief.com

2005-07-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

This new website officially launched yesterday. I-PainRelief.com

This website provides detailed explanations of pain relief procedures, including specific advice addressing chronic pain and natural pain relief. It also features special sections on relieving pain in specific body areas, including the neck, knee, back and lower back. I-PainRelief.com addresses specific types of pain, including muscle pain relief, with constant updates of new information.

Specifically, i-PainRelief.com provides information about arthritis, back, joint, lower back, neck, sciatica, knee, fibromyalgia, and muscle pain relief.

Bookmark it today and see how useful it will be for you in the coming months.

Comprehensive LIst of Health Websites For You!

2005-07-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

This health site directory is the true "motherlode" of online medical & health information.

Just remember to ask the questions about each site mentioned in my previous blog post.

10 Things To Know About Evaluating Medical Resources on the Web

2005-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading. This short guide contains important questions you should consider as you look for health information online.

Answering these questions when you visit a new site will help you evaluate the information you find:

Who runs this site?
Who pays for the site?
What is the purpose of the site?
Where does the information come from?
What is the basis of the information?
How is the information selected?
How current is the information?
How does the site choose links to other sites?
What information about you does the site collect, and why?
How does the site manage interactions with visitors?

Brought to you by: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain & Fatigue Email Archive

2005-07-19T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I've been a little slow in posting lately, but I'll get back to a regular schedule very soon. Hopefull back to a daily basis.

If you're dealing with chronic pain, especially from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, here's an archive of related e-newsletters from ImmuneSupport.com. It's a big list (literally, hundreds of fairly short newsletters), and the topics cover virtually every issue of these pain syndromes.

The archive goes back to 1995!

Managing Your Chronic Back Pain -- Patients Recommend...

2005-07-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Read through these nuggets of advice from patients of chronic back pain and see what can help you get through today, and your future days.

I also suggest checking out the rest of the Spine-Health.com website. There's some great information there!

How-To Set-up A RSS Feed For Medical Journals

2005-07-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

If you're an RSS feed reader, then this post is for you.

Here's a great, and short, description on how to set-up a custom RSS feed for medical journal information that you want to watch in order to help yourself in your recovery.

Just click here.

Pain Resources @ Back.com

2005-07-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best back pain resources online. If you haven't seen it yet, visit Back.com and check out all of their helpful resources.

Sections include:

Causes & Diagnosis
Patient Options
Exercises
"My Back Tools"
Treatment Options
Find A Doctor
Anatomy
Articles
Symptoms
Glossary
FAQs
and much more!

Don't just sit there rubbing your back ... go get some relief!

Tip: Four Tennis Balls

2005-07-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a tip, buy four tennis balls. Sure, they sell in groups of three, so buy two packages and you'll find use for the other two.

Tennis balls are best because they are firm, but they also give a little when pressure is applied to them. But, you might find racquet balls to be a better fit for your specific pain situation. Heck, I've used hard baseballs in a pinch on real bad days.

The reason I strongly suggest purchasing tennis balls is because of how much they've helped me control my pain -- specifically muscle spasms in my back and neck -- at all different times and places.

I suggest keeping on ball in your bedroom (maybe two, since you have an extra pair of them), then one in your living room, one in your car, and one at your office.

I use them by simply putting one behind me, up against my back and the chair, while I'm working, driving, reading, watching TV, or lying in bed. You can move around a little to really dig into those sore muscles, or just keep it in the same place and increase or decrease the pressure in order to release a muscle knot.

It's a cheap way to really help yourself when your meds just won't do the trick.

I hope this helps you today.

BONUS ROUND: Take two tennis balls and wrap them in an old t-shirt so the balls are right next to each other. Then put them under your neck, with you lying down on your back. It's a great way to massage your neck!

Help Someone

2005-06-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

One of the most consistent ways that helps me feel better (physically, mentally, & psychologically) is by helping someone.

Often, it's just a little way where I was able to do something for someone that they alone were not able to do for themselves.

Sure, these opportunities don't come your way everyday, but if you look for them in the right place, they're always available to you.

Here's one place you can bookmark and return to anytime you want to help someone you'll never meet. It just feels good to help, and that's good for the entire YOU!

Wiki How
The How-To Manual That Anyone Can Write or Edit
http://wiki.ehow.com/Special:ListRequestedTopics

Learning How To Say "No"

2005-06-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Living with chronic pain, or even in a period of pain, gives us less energy to work with than those healthier people out there. In fact, it's often the healthier people who ask us for their help.

It's not easy to say know, and it's even harder to know when those times are when you absolutely have to say no. Some of us might feel guilty when we turn down a request for help -- but it doesn't have to be that way.

At this time of your life, with the pain and exhaustion you're dealing with, you NEED TO learn the art of saying "No."

How To Say "No."
from To-Done.com

I hope this helps you in some way today.

WebMD.com's Pain Management Health Center

2005-06-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

Bookmark this page on the WebMD.com site for your current and future pain management questions.

It's an excellent resource for both you and your caretaker.

Try Pain.com's Pain Library

2005-06-28T10:22:00.000-07:00