Waaaay Toooooo Looooonnnngggggg!

Sorry it has been soooo long since I last posted about my fibromyalgia study. I am still plugging along and some days are still better than others. We had graduation and a cello concert and family came and we rearranged our little apartment and lots of other stuff that has kept me from posting. Things have slowed down a little bit since we got graduation over with.

Last Thursday the Dr took x-rays with my weights on to determine what needed to be changed and to monitor the progress. Unfortunately he couldn't show me the x-rays because it is for a medical study and showing the patients the x-rays could positively/negatively affect the study through pschological lines. But I will get to see all of my x-rays as soon as the study is over in the first week of July. So my progress is going good. Of course I do not have the perfect curviture in my spine yet, but there is a change. The Dr said that if you started with ligament damage and a negative curve that it would take longer to achieve the desired results and I am so lucky that I have 2 torn ligaments and a negative curve. With the progress that I made I do get to change my weights! I no longer have to wear 8 pounds of weight around my waist, but I do have 1 extra pound on the right side of my head. So I lost 7 pounds of weights, which makes my bag a lot easier to carry!!

So I'll just keep plugging along, doing my exercises. I'm tired and I do still hurt, but it is different pain. And really whose body wouldn't hurt if they were trying to change the position it has been in for years! The study will end the beginning of July, but the Dr has said that he will continue to treat us if we are not at the point he wants us to be at, for free. Also, he has contacts with a Dr that can cure food sensitivities and the treatment is covered under most insurances with chiropractic coverage....so if Kaleb gets the contract position with benefits I will be visting this Dr very soon! Wish us luck! We could really use some good health insurance!

Fibromyalgia Study - week 17 & 18

Yes, I missed last week. It was the boys spring break and we tried to do as much as I could. We also went to Salt Lake on Saturday and Sunday so I didn't get a post up. But I am just plugging along. I do my exercises and I get very tired, but I just keep going. I have noticed the hump at the top of my back is getting smaller, YEAH!! Now I'll post some funner stuff, pictures from the boys spring break!

Fibromyalgia Study - week 16

My neighbors have certainly had something to talk about this week! It gets boring really fast, walking around a 900 square foot apartment for 20 minutes. So when the weather is nice I go outside and walk around our apartment complex. I saw a few neighbors one day and they looked at me weird. So I walked around in circles while I explained to them what I was doing. The boys have enjoyed it though. I let them come out and ride their bikes while I walk around. Too bad they are forecasting more snow for tomorrow and Tuesday. I really thought spring had come, since this week is spring break for my boys, but I guess not.

Ideally I should be doing traction, wobble, and weights three times a day. Some weeks the ideal can't happen. I have managed to do what I can and I am feeling better today, so next week should be better. We did find out that when I wear the posture strap it applies pressure in such a way that my hands go tingly. The Dr said that wasn't good and had me a do a couple things, took the strap off, said is the tingly/numbness gone, and yep it was. So I don't wear the posture strap for now, might wear it again in the future, we will have to wait and see. A few years ago I did physical therapy for numbness/tingling in my hands and arms and the posture strap seems to irritate the same nerve.

Below is my new favorite quote that I heard in a talk today during General Conference. As soon as they post the text on-line I can find out who said it. I was listening while I did my hair and heard this said. I hurried and wrote it down, but didn't get the name.

Never let an earthly circumstance disable you spiritually.

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 15

Its the end of week 15 and nearly the end of the day. Today was a busy day! I had to get up at 6 am so I could do traction, wobble chair, and weights before we left for Salt Lake for the day. We hunted eggs with Kaleb's family, went to an 80th birthday party for Kaleb's grandma, and stopped by my sister's house to play with the cousins for a little bit and pick up a bag of clothes. We got back home around 7:30 pm. It was a long day and my knee started hurting by the middle of it. I played the piano for about an hour at the 80th b-day party, and that may have started the knee pain; however, I really do enjoy playing the piano and since we don't have one I take all the chances I get to play. It really isn't too much fun to ride 2 hours home in a car when your knee is hurting. :)

So this week on Thursday I started the weights. Someday I will post a picture of how I look when I have all of my weights on, but for now you will just have to image how funky I look. The first night I put them on Kaleb said that we should take a picture so I could see how I look. I quickly reminded him that we have a full-size mirror in the hallway so I can already see how "cute" I look with them on. First, I strap on 8 pounds around my waist. They are in two pouches that hang from a belt that I buckle on. Next, I put on a posture strap, no weights attached to this. The strap is supposed to keep you in the correct upright posture while you are wearing the weights. Then, I add what looks like half of a vest on my right shoulder and buckle it around my chest. In the front part of the vest is 5 pounds and in the back 3 pounds. Last, I put a strap on my head that holds two 2 pound weights. These stick up above the strap, making me look like I have metal "bunny" ears. The strap sits right above my eyebrows and wraps around the head. Once I have this all on, I set the timer for 20 minutes and then have to walk around. I can walk in place, which gets boring really fast, or I can walk around and around my little 900 square feet apartment. I have to try and keep my eyes and head level and look out level in front of me. Luckily, the time doesn't drag too bad. At the end of the 20 minutes I sit down and unbuckle all of the weights. Wow! It sure does feel good to take off 20 pounds in less than a minute.....sure wish I could take off 20 pounds of extra body weight that fast!!!

So here is my new daily exercise schedule:
Morning = traction, wobble chair, weights
Mid-day = traction, wobble chair, weights
some time during the day = 6-way dorsal stretch, 20 thoracic rolls
Just before bed = traction, wobble chair, weights, blocks

Traction = 60 pulls for 7 seconds each
Wobble Chair = 4 warm-ups with 10 reps, 1 warm-up with 25 reps, 100 front-back, 100 side-side, 75 figure 8's w/down first, 75 figure 8's w/up first
Weights = 20 minutes walking
Blocks = 20 minutes

It really is quite a work out!! It takes me about an hour to do traction, wobble, weights. On Monday and Thursday I also go into the clinic. There we have to do traction and weights and then get adjusted as needed. I had planned to complete tons of half finished projects after I graduated in December. But then we found out about this study. I was so blessed to get into the group of 11 that get all of their care fully paid for. I was soooo excited to get the opportunity to get to change my life and get feeling better and hopefully cure my fibromyalgia. They told us it wouldn't be easy and that it would take a lot of work. I don't think I thought it would take this much work, but I'm not complaining about that. I'm excited to be learning how to heal my body and how to care for it for the rest of my life, but all those half finished projects...?.... Well I have finished a couple.....but the rest will have to be patient. Eventually I will finish all of them, but right now the most important thing is that I take this opportunity to get better!!!

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 14

Yes, I missed week 13...that's what happens when you have fibromyalgia and a cold...your brain doesn't always work right! I totally forgot about posting! So anyways....

Week 14
The cold is getting better, but it is still lingering around. The weather has gotten warmer and that should help me start to feel better also.
Up till now the study focus has been to align the neck and strengthen the muscles to prepare to start the head weights. And now, we are ready for the head weights. On Thursday we are having a meeting and the dr is going to explain it all to us and what other exercises we will still need to do. Supposedly when you start the weights you start to see bigger changes in how you feel...I am really hoping this is true!! I've been very tired, but really when you look at all I am putting my body through right now it is understandable. My knees and elbows have been hurting and the dr checked them and put them back into place, not necessarily a very fun thing, but now they are feeling better. I just keep going because I've been in pain for so long, that I figure that what is some more pain.

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 12

End of week 12
--- good news -- I don't have to do the turtle exercise any more. The muscles it was working are now strong enough. Dr says I'm almost ready for the weights.
--- bad news -- Major fluctuations in the weather! Nice and sunny one day, snowing the next, makes my fibro hurt tons more. Add in the lovely time of the month and you get Alicia in lots of pain.

Firbromaylgia Study - Week 11

We'll I learned something this week that didn't make me the happiest. I really wish it wasn't true, but it is, and even though I may get better in this study, this thing will never heal. Turns out that torn ligaments don't heal. Once you've torn it, its torn for good. So I have two torn ligaments in my neck that will always be torn and weak. The exercises will strengthen the muscles around them, which should help. But having torn ligaments means that my neck will always be susceptible to getting out of place, even by simple things like hitting a bump while riding in a car. So this all means that I have to keep my neck muscles strengthened and be careful of bumps. Now there is a medical reason for Kaleb to avoid the potholes on the roads! lol!

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 10

Another week has gone by. This week we added another spinal molding block to lay on at night, at the same time I am laying on the other one. Also, I have to drink 2 oz. of Himalayan salt water, followed by 12 oz. of water, every morning. How does it taste? Just like salt water. Not too bad if you just hurry and drink it. The Himalayan salts are supposed to provide all of the minerals that my body needs. They also are supposed to act completely opposite from regular salt and instead of dehydrating you they are supposed to hydrate you. I've had some bowel problems like week and I'm not sure if it is from the salts or from a bug. I just hope it gets better soon! Found out that I am supposed to be doing traction and wobble 3 times a day now and not just 2. Some days I feel overwhelmed with it all. I just want to go back to bed and go to sleep. I keep trying to tell myself that I need to do the exercises if I want to get better, but it sure is hard when you feel so tired and feel so completely unmotivated. I think if the weather would warm up it would help me out a lot! I am so tired of the cold and the snow...and the weather man said we have a chance of snow this weekend. Wish I could get out of this depression and stay out!

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 9

Week 9 of the study brings doing y-traction for 4 days. 2 down and 2 to go. The y-traction is where the dr puts a strap around the back of my head and then pulls on it. He pulls for 15 seconds two times and then for 45 seconds once and at the end gives a tug. Doesn't feel very good at all! Makes my neck hurt and I have to ice it off and on for 20 minutes all night long. The dr did it yesterday and this morning I felt better, hopefully I will feel better tomorrow morning too!!! The bonus of the y-traction is a funky hickie looking thing on my neck. Since he has done it 2 days in a row so far I have two of these. By the end of the week I may have four. Here's a picture:

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 8

It's the end of week 8 for the Fibromyalgia Study that I am in and boy has my brain fog been bad this week! Tonight I can hardly type! Drives me crazy when I can't remember things that I've known for years! The other night I couldn't remember my friends name and she was sitting right next to me. I've been so very tired lately too! I've been making some hats, 4 for my friend and her kids, and then as many as I have yarn for for the humanitarian basket at church. I will be working on the hat and fall asleep and it's only 11 o'clock in the morning. I can't seem to get rid of this cold that I've had for a month either. On a good note, my joints have felt a smidgen better.

I thought I would share with you all what I have to do everyday for the study.

Twice a Day:
traction - 60 pulls
wobble chair - 4 warm-ups with 10 reps of each, 1 warm-up with 25 reps, 100 front to back, 100 side to side, 75 right side first figure eights, and 75 left side first figure eights

Once a Day:
thoracic roll - 20 reps
praying mantis exercise - 3 reps of 45 seconds each
turtle exercise - 3 reps of 45 seconds each
6 way stretch - 45 seconds in 6 directions
neck molding block - 20 minutes, right before bed

Any day that I go to the Dr I also do an extra set of traction and wobble chair. Right now I have to go in three days a week. The dr also adjusts me almost every time I am in. There is more to come, when my muscles and spine are ready for it. It may not look like much in the list, but you should see how tired and how much it takes out of me to do all of that. I had Kaleb try the praying mantis exercise and he was done after just one rep! And now....I have to go do traction, wobble and the molding block so I can go to sleep.

Fibromaylgia Study - Weeks 6 and 7

Wow, I didn't realize that I totally missed a post last week. So anyways, last week went pretty good. Did my exercises, didn't start anything new. Felt ok. Sunday started to feel like my cold might be coming back, but then the dr said it was probably allergies acting up with the inversion. So I started back on my allergy nasal spray and I do seem to have less of a scratchy throat today and less congestion. Let's hope that it will clear up soon!

Week 7 - Started two new exercises. First one is what they call the praying mantis. You stand up againist the wall with your heels, bum, back, and head touching the wall. Then you raise your arms to a 90 degree angle and then touch your elbows and hands together and hold it for 45 seconds and do it three times. By the middle of the first 45 seconds my muscles are shaking like crazy! But I keep going, it is an exercise to strengthen your muscles. The second new exercise is the thorasic roll. They gave me a 7 or 8 round and around 24 inch long styrofoam roll. You lay on the floor with it just under the end of your ribs and slowly walk it up to the top of your shoulders and then back down. You are supposed to start at 8 and work up to 20. Eight was plenty for me yesterday! It relaxes the muscles in your back, but it really works your abs as well.
Today, after doing the wall traction and the wobble chair at the dr office, he checked my range of motion in my neck. He said that I have about 100% going left and right, but not full motion tipping my head back. So he said he was going to do the y-traction on me. He had me lay down with my upper body slightly elevated. Then put a strap around the back of my head and over my ears. The strap continues out to a handle that the dr pulls on, which basically feels like he is trying to pull your head off! The first pull I closed my eyes and the room started to spin and I felt like I was going to pass out! So I waved my fingers and he stopped and asked what happened. He adjusted the strap and then said to keep my eyes open. The next pull went a lot better. Each of the first two pulls is supposed to be for 15 seconds, then the last pull is for 45 seconds and then he gives a tug and releases your back or neck. I felt it in my neck, but he says as we continue I will begin to feel it further down my back. And now, my neck hurts and I am going to go lay down and ice it!

Fibromyalgia Study - Weeks 4 and 5

So I think I'm a little off in my week counting...I think I didn't count the week I was in New Mexico. Kaleb looked at the calendar last night and said I had been doing my exercises for 5 weeks now, so there you go.

Last week and this week have been a little rough on me. To start off we have had horrible air in Cache Valley, with the inversion and we've had lots of red air days. Then with my "time of the month" last week and having a cold this week has made this hard. I have really tried to keep doing the exercises twice a day, but somedays I have just hurt too bad. The dr did tell me that this is not a no pain, no gain thing. If it is hurting too bad to stop. So I've done what I could.

I am up to 60 pulls on my traction unit. I've been doing good on my neck molding block, so the dr said to try turning it over where there is no cut-out for my neck. Wow, that hurt! I only made it 3 minutes and then turned it back over to the cou-out side for the rest of the 20 minutes. Kaleb asked me last night if I could tell a difference and I said it sure is hard to tell with all that has gone on in the last couple of weeks.

Firbromyalgia Study - Week 3

This is my third week in the fibromyalgia study. This week I have to go in three times. I already went once this morning and came home and rode my bike for 20 minutes and went 3.4 miles. I felt pretty good, but tired. I iced my neck and then took a nap. I think I have been feeling a little better, but the weather is so cold right now that it makes it hard to tell. I am up to 40 pulls on the traction unit and have to work up to 60. Somedays I'm not sure I can even do 10, but I keep going. I'm still doing good on the molding block and only had one night that I couldn't do the full 20 minutes so far. I'm getting faster on my wobble chair.

Fibromyalgia Study - Week 2

So I started my study the week before Christmas. I went in twice a day for four days. Each time I went in I did traction and the wobble chair exercises and then the Dr worked on my spine. At home I have a traction unit and a portable wobble chair. I took these with me to New Mexico for our Christmas vacation. I was supposed to do them both twice a day and I only had one day that I didn't. The trip down, 15 hours, was a lot easier on my body. I only took one nap and really didn't have any aches. In the past when I have traveled home I usually need at least one day of rest before I can do anything. This time I didn't! We went to church the next day (which always makes me hurt anyways) and I felt like I do here at home. I really had some pretty good days until Christmas (and that may have been in part to getting up so early!) I had a headache and just felt awful and had to go back to sleep after breakfast. My little niece was so cute the first time I did the wobble chair. First she watched me, then after a couple minutes her eyes lit up and she said, "I want to try that!" I told her she could try it once. So when I got done I put her on. She is just 3 and her little legs couldn't reach the floor, so I held on to her and wobbled her back and forth a couple times. Then she said, "I think my legs are too little to touch the floor." Some how the wheat bucket that I was using to put my wobble chair on kept migrating around the room. Although never seen in the act, I think my nephew and niece helped it.

The trip home was a little harder and I took several naps and my right knee began hurting quite early in the trip. But I did drive for a few hours so Kaleb could have a nap. And we did finally make it home safe to our own beds!

On Monday I went in to the Dr. and he worked on my spine again. He said that I could start coming in only once a day. He also gave me my first molding block, made out of foam. I have to lay on it every night, preferably just before bed, for up to 20 minutes. It is placed under my neck. The Dr said that some people can only stay on for a few minutes to start and so I should try and work up to 20 minutes, but no longer. Sometimes people fall asleep while laying there, so you have to set an alarm so you don't go over 20 minutes. I set my alarm and laid down and felt ok, except that my right knee was hurting me. I stayed on the whole 20 minutes.

Today, Tuesday, I went back in and he was impressed that my neck was still in the right position and so he didn't have to work on it. He did work on my knee a little to see if it would feel better. I have been quite tired today, but what do you expect after a long vacation?

Fibromyalgia Study

About a month ago my friend called me saying she saw an ad in the newspaper to cure fibromyalgia. It sounded interesting, so she cut out the ad and brought it to me. Kaleb and I called and signed up to go to a meeting about it. I was worried they were going to say they had found the perfect pill to cure fibromyalgia, but it just had a "few" side effects. Luckily it doesn't involve taking a pill at all!! The doctors theory is that Fibromyalgia pain can be taken away by using the Pettibon system to realign and strengthen the neck. It sounded very promising! Kaleb and I both felt that this was something that could really help me! So we signed me up. They had tons of people want to participate! There was only 10 fully paid for spots and 30 spots to do another study, at cost. I had to fill out paperwork and get a couple x-rays. Then the dr selected those that fit the study criteria and then randomly selected those that got in the group of 10.
We told everyone to pray that I would get in the group and our prayers were answered! We received a call saying that I was in the group of 10! We went in and found out more of what I would have to do and then we got to see my x-rays. First the dr put up a sample x-ray of how a neck should look, with a nice curve and how they measure the alignment from the pituitary gland. Then he put up my x-ray. Wow!! No wonder I have felt like crap for soooo long! I have absolutely NO curve in my neck, completely straight! Also he showed us on the x-ray where you could see that I have 2 torn ligaments. The alignment from my pituitary gland is 29mm off, causing my head to put 30lbs of pressure on my neck instead of the normal 15lbs! Then he put up the front x-ray that showed that my spine leans to the right. At this point I wasn't sure if I should shout for joy or cry. For the past 10ish years I have been trying to get the many doctors I have seen to believe me that there was something wrong with my body! I have done so many tests and they always come back in the normal range, and now, finally, there was a test that showed how messed up my body was!!!
So on Monday I started the 6 month study. First I have to "hang" from a traction unit. Then do exercises on a wobble chair. Then the dr adjusts my spine. But it is not as easy as it sounds! My body is totally in shock! We are trying to move the spine and let the spinal fluid flow through my body like it is supposed to. Imagine a kinked hose and how much pressure is released when you let it go! I can definately feel a change in my neck, but also have pain with it. I also have been feeling sick to my stomach, which the dr says is normal as your body starts to recognize the toxins that have built up in your body and as it tries to eliminate them. Of course I am in pain, but the pain is different from fibromyalgia pain and we are very hopeful that this pain will be for a short while and then I will be feeling better for a long while! I've had so much fibromyalgia pain for so long, that I really don't care how much pain I am in now, as long as I get better!!
This week I have to go in 2 times a day for the first four days. Next week we will be in New Mexico for Christmas, but I will have the equipment I need to take with me to continue the exercises twice a day. As I progress the schedule changes on how often I have to go into the doctors office. I will keep posting and let you all know how I am doing. Wish me luck!

Winter Has Come

It may not look like winter outside, since there is no snow yet and it's December 1st.....BUT my body will definitely tell you winter is here. I'm so lucky with my fibromyalgia I seem to catch everything from everyone. Right now I've got a lovely cold and I'm supposed to go to choir practice tonight. If I tried to sing right now I think I would be a bass...hahaha. So I'll just have to go and sit in the corner and sing along in my head. Our concert is on December 16th so I really can't afford to miss.
So I'm trying to decide....is it better that we don't have the snow and I'm still sick like I am all winter every winter....or have the snow and be sick? I guess we really need the moisture so we have water all summer. But I guess I'm glad I haven't had to clear the car or drive in the snow. :)