In any case, I have CMP and FMS. For the past week or so, I haven’t been able to move my neck much because of pain on the right side that referred down my arm and around to my chest. I know I’ve got scar tissue there in my neck, and compression of a nerve between two of the vertebrae, but normally I can move my neck through a full range of motion. I have no idea what happened — maybe I slept wrong? I don’t know, and I haven’t really been sleeping much in any case.

I had my monthly visit with my pain management doctor today, and mentioned the problem. Right off, the PA asked if I wanted to try trigger point injections. Within 15 minutes, the pain was fading. I was afraid it would come right back, but so far it hasn’t. By the time I got home, I was falling asleep in part due to the intense relief.

I definitely hope that I wouldn’t have any particular place that is so painful next month, but I’ll definitely be ready to speak up about whatever is most painful.

If your doctor doesn’t offer trigger point therapy for you, ask about it!

If you’re sure that you have TrPs, you can also try treating them yourself. For laymen, the best book about TrPs is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by the late Clair Davies. I have a copy, and recommend it. I’ve found that it’s best used in conjunction with a TheraCane, but it seems there are several other nice tools available now, too.

I found it necessary to have someone else help me with the treatments, but they did work. They were more painful than the injections, and you need to do them three times a day. On the other hand, they didn’t require a trip to the doctor or a prescription, and once you learn how to treat yourself you can do it whenever you need it. Our former housemate helped me with the treatments, but I’m hoping that my partner will learn to do them. They do work!

Anyway, I had an insanely long bad period but I’m feeling better now. One factor in the improvement was stopping Effexor XR, which I’d taken for years. I didn’t actually do that on purpose — It was due to an insanely irresponsible doctor who refused to see me because of a screw-up in his office’s procedures, not anything I’d done wrong. I had to just stop taking it, cold turkey, which led to seizures and other problems. On the plus side, though, I’ve been far less drowsy and don’t need nearly as many hours of sleep as I did before. (I’m actually experiencing some insomnia, which isn’t good, but it’s a change.)

Anyway, my Social Security disability claim was finally approved after over five years of waiting. They haven’t started paying anything yet, but that’s supposed to happen Real Soon Now. I have to tell you, though — the Medicare thing is a confusing maze of choices, obviously designed by bureaucrats. You almost need to become a Medicare expert just to know what benefits are available and how to get them!

For now, here’s a link to an article I found interesting:
Do Fibromyalgia Pain Killers Make You a Likely Crime Victim?

I don’t agree with all of the advice. People in Georgia have been arrested for having legitimately prescribed medications because the medications weren’t in prescription containers. It’s a real nuisance to carry the bottles instead of just what you need, and it probably does put us at greater risk for crime — but is it worth being arrested? That’s a Catch-22.

I still miss my laptop!

And I have a pretty nice setup, but can’t help drooling at this: the Ergopod 500. I’m not about to look at the prices, though!

Why Mental Lethargy When Sick

During an infection, humans typically experience a set of physiological and psychological symptoms, including fever, confusion, decreased motivation, depression and anxiety that are accompanied by a slowing of movements.

These changes, collectively known as “sickness behavior,” are the body’s way of conserving energy during illness so that an effective immune response can be launched. This new study helps researchers further understand how cytokines communicate between the immune system and the brain to promote sickness behavior.

Since many people with CFS/ME have chronic fevers and other symptoms similar to those of infectious illnesses, I have to wonder if the results of this study will be examined with regards to CFS/ME.

So like an HPV diagnosis in someone would almost guarantee that others would know the person’s potential morals or lack there of, and HIV almost always denotes a gay man, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia could potentially indicate a woman who has aborted a child. Just a thought.

Gosh - so all those males who have fibromyalgia were actually born as women, and had abortions before they had sex changes and developed FMS? Everybody who is HIV+ because of blood transfusions or other issues is a gay man?

I’ve never even considered having an abortion. My child certainly hasn’t had one, and she developed FMS when she was nine years old!

I did comment at the blogger’s site, giving her information on all the proof that FMS does exist and that our pain is real. I don’t believe she’ll ever approve the comment, because she doesn’t care about the truth — she just wants to spread her nasty propaganda.