Good Day / Bad Day ...

That's the pattern that is life as a fibromyalgic.

As is typical for a fibromyalgia sufferer, you do today, you rest tomorrow.

Yesterday was a good day.  I was able to go into Ottawa and enjoy a nice leisurely lunch with my former boss-man.  OK, I felt the discomfort of sitting for three hours in an over-plush chair with no place to rest the back of my head (and thus my neck), but it was nevertheless a very pleasant outing.

And when we got home, I heated my neck (numerous times) and did my stretches and ouchie-ouchie-ooed as I went about my business.

It was definitely evident to both John and me that my neck had improved significantly by yesterday.

And then I got up this morning.

And my neck is oh sooooooooooooooooo sore.

You'd almost think it was last Friday all over again.

To be sure, the lower Cesamet dose is playing a role in this development.

My drugs go down; my pain goes up.

Also, since reducing the dose of Cesamet, I continue to wake every two hours all night long.  So as my sleep quality reduces, so too does my pain level increase again.

But also adding to my discomfort is the fact that I endured yesterday without benefit of any additional pain killers (I am still refusing to take anything other than my regularly-prescribed meds -- I think that's plenty under the circumstances).

My doctor will tell me I'm my own worst enemy, or I deserve what I got, or explain again how silly I am to have put myself through this.  But frankly, a regular Tylenol isn't going to do anything for the kind of pain I'm in.  The day before I had my seizuire, I had taken a Codiene Contin for the additional pain I was having.  While I have always tolerated Codeine in the past, I don't know if that is true since I'm taking Cesamet and I'm not prepared to take any more chances until I have more answers to too many questions.

I have long since learned to trust my instincts.

And my instincts are telling me to follow my instincts on this one until I see my doctor on Thursday.

So until then, I'll continue to treat my discomfort with heat pads, ice packs, my TENs machine, and my Acupen.

John has taken a much deserved day off today to spend the day hunting birds with his bird dog.

I will spend it here vegging.  It's good for the soul.

Not to mention what it can do for the neck and shoulder muscles.