Monday, June 18, 2007

Night Owl 2am post

This list was published by a contributor on the Fybromyalgia Association UK forum boards. It's a compilation of the symptoms of FMS.

I actually stole this from a friends blog (thanks Gill) because I thought it was so good. I have other friends who come here that I know have Fibro and I thought they would be interested...but also I think it is good for people who don't have Fibro to see. In no way is this a woe is me post - I just thought it was illuminating and I do have to admit that even having had Fibro for over 25 years I thought "DANG" when I checked off what was currently going on in my body - and that was without even checking off what I have had issues with in the past. It is also a good reminder to me that not everything I have going on now is menopause or age related - that I have been feeling a lot of them for decades and have just started calling it age related. Which in a weird way makes me feel better ;) I'm not getting old and this is nothing new to me.


PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS:
__ recurrent flu-like illness
__ recurrent sore throats, red and injected
__ painful lymph nodes under the arms and neck
__ muscle and joint aches with tender and trigger points - up to 18 of them
__ night sweats and fever
__ severe nasal and other allergies
__ irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
__ weight change - usually gain
__ heart palpitations
__ mitral valve prolapse
__ severe PMS
__ yeast infections
__ rashes and itching
__ uncomfortable or frequent urination
__ interstitial bladder cystitis
__ chest pains (non-cardiac)
__ temporomandibular joint dysfunction (in the jaw)
__ hair loss
__ carpal tunnel syndrome
__ cold hands and feet
__ dry eyes and mouth
__ severe and debilitating fatigue
__ widespread pain
__ other chronic illness(es) usually present (like diabetes, hypoglycemia, asthma, lupus, ms, etc.)
__ numbness in the limbs, not painful like pins & needles
__ painful swelling in the hands, legs, feet, neck
__ GERDs (gastro-esophageal reflux disorder)
__ “growing pains” start in childhood and teens, continue into adulthood
__ widespread body pain during/after physical exertion

COGNITIVE FUNCTION PROBLEMS:
__ attention deficit disorder
__ spatial disorientation
__ calculation difficulties
__ memory disturbance
__ communication difficulties (problems speaking, confusing words)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS:
__ depression
__ anxiety and panic attacks
__ personality changes, usually for the worse
__ emotional lability (mood swings)

OTHER NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEMS:
__ sleep disturbances
__ headaches
__ changes in visual acuity
__ numb or tingling feelings
__ burning sensations
__ light headedness
__ feeling 'spaced out'
__ desequilibrium
__ frequent unusual nightmares and disturbing dreams
__ tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
__ difficulty in moving your tongue to speak
__ severe muscle weakness
__ susceptibility to muscle, tendon, ligament injury
__ intolerance to bright lights
__ intolerance to alcohol
__ intolerance to sound
__ extreme sensitivity to medications and their side-effects
__ alteration of taste, smell, and hearing
__ insomnia
__ inability to achieve stage 4 restorative sleep
__ morning stiffness in the muscles and joints
__ restless leg syndrome
__ muscle spasms
__ muscle quakiness and shivering during/after activity or exercise
__ sleep paralysis (related to stage 4 sleep deprivation)


oh and for knitting content I almost have one 4th of July sock done working on toe decreases and have to try to remember the Kitchener (did I spell that right?) stitch and hope to wash and block it and get a pic before hubby runs off with the camera Tuesday night.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Yard work continues

we had the irrigation guy stop by yesterday and today hubster went and got all the required parts for that - also ordered a mark out by electric and gas company so no lines get hit. No pictures still - waiting for a grand reveal - maybe when there is actual grass even.

The neighbor must have liked our hedges though because she had had hers done earlier in the year but today they were back and did them to the same height as ours.

We are lucking out on the cost (even though it is still going to run pretty high) because almost everyone we have used (including the company that has the parts for the irrigation) are members of the Fire Department and everyone is giving us breaks...... as annoyed as I can get at the time required for the FD it is a family that helps out when they can. Which shouldn't surprise me because hubster helps everyone out when he is able to also.

Talked to a friend who is a carpenter on how much it would cost to build the shed - if it is anywhere near the cost to have one delivered - I will order one already made and delivered. The company that does them does a good job but they are pretty expensive. So I will figure in time to get it done also.

Can you tell I want this done with lawnmowers in the shed so it will never end up the way it was again.

On the knitting front - my 4th of July socks are coming along slowly because I am also doing a bag as a knit along with one of my knitting circles - but the cotton ribbon in that is beating up my hands. Plus I had to rip it out as we decided that it should be done in smaller needles to make it stretch less when done.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

more dog than cat

You Are: 80% Dog, 20% Cat

You and dogs definitely have a lot in common.
You're both goofy, happy, and content with the small things in life.
However, you're definitely not as needy as the average dog. You need your down time occasionally.

thanks to Martha of Marfa's Mewsings
well I know the goofy part is right hehehe

Waiting on a bit of hedge clippings to be moved and some storage things to be moved before taking pictures of my finished yard - but believe me it is WONDERFUL!! I can only imagine how great it will be with irrigation and grass :D