HA! yes it is...oh! and hot chocolate too
If there were a picture that screams to me it would be this one. Sitting all alone while my thoughts are screaming at me...are days and nights I'm all too familiar with. And you know what? it's not just my thoughts that go through my head. I hear the words of my past, the painful taunts, put downs and other stones too...are hurled at me over and over again. I'll be honest...sometimes I give them way too much weight and credit. I believe them. I live them. I let those words dictate how I feel about myself. I let them control me at times too. I let them win. My thoughts and I have a little dance that we do and I will admit I let my thoughts lead for a little while. And sometimes...I let them lead far longer than I should. I have to fight my thoughts to win back my life...to win back myself. I have to fight for me. I have to believe that I'm worthy of it and that I'm strong enough to fight. I have to believe. I have to hope. I have to. Picture found at Bruised But Not Broken on Facebook...go check her out. Now that pain is a part of our lives...we are never more aware of the impact it can have on a life...we know because we're living it. Pain has a way of impacting our lives in many ways and it can change us too...but we already know that. We know it's not all in our heads...we know it's real. We are living with something that people can't see and most can't seem to understand...including our doctors.
Living with pain has taught me many things and it has caused me to fear others as well. I've learned a new understanding and appreciation for what my life is now. Coping skills are important for people like us. The things we do or don't do for ourselves can either see us through our pain or it can see us under it. And then there are times when nothing we do for ourselves seems to work. It's a painful truth and sometimes...we just have to endure. It's during this time that I think we are most vulnerable to the hidden dangers of life with a chronic pain. When our days are manageable and our coping skills are working...we're doing better. But what happens if you haven't found coping skills that work? what happens if they stop working for you? We can learn to pace ourselves in our activities, we can reach out for support from our friends and family, we can have all the coping skills to see us through...but sometimes? even the best strategies can have their limits. I've been at the end of mine lately and I think that's why the last few days have been a struggle for me and I'm thinking I'm not the only one who has been here. Have you ever been at the end of yours? It's an uncomfortable feeling and it can lead us down the road to the hidden dangers of life with a chronic illness. Today I'd like to share something to get you thinking about your life and how you're living it. This information is shared for your entertainment only BUT I do ask that if you notice yourself in this entry that you speak to your doctor. Sometimes we can't beat this on our own and we need professional help...it's available so if you're needing it now...please ask for it. Love yourself enough to get the help you need and let your healing begin. Many people expend tremendous energy to hide their pain, poor health and problems just to function in this world. Be kind, we're all fighting some kind of battle. ~~Unknown~~ (HINT: that includes yourself too!) Picture taken at the Pinery. Before we get to the medication I need to remind you...
For this installment, I have chosen Carbatrol GENERIC NAME(S): CARBAMAZEPINE Uses: Carbamazepine is used to prevent and control seizures. This medication is known as an anticonvulsant or anti-epileptic drug. It is also used to relieve certain types of nerve pain (such as trigeminal neuralgia). This medication works by reducing the spread of seizure activity in the brain and restoring the normal balance of nerve activity. OTHER USES: This section contains uses of this drug that are not listed in the approved professional labeling for the drug but that may be prescribed by your health care professional. Use this drug for a condition that is listed in this section only if it has been so prescribed by your health care professional. This drug may also be used to treat certain mental/mood conditions (such as bipolar disorder) and other types of nerve pain. **Please read this information carefully** If you have any questions about what is provided here....talk with your doctor or pharmacist please. You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. ~~Maya Angelou~~ Picture found on-line - original source unknown The journey through pain is always further than it looks. There are days when you will wonder "when will it ever end" and there will be days too when you question your abilities to keep going. You're tired, you need a break, and you need the pain to stop. And the work to make it through? Well that's harder than it looks too. Sometimes I think we get lost in the pain and forget that we have options. We forget that we are in control and not our pain. We forget our strengths and we forget our courage. We forget. Yes things have happened to us...things we had no control over...but you know what? We have the control now. We have the control in how we respond to what life brings us. We control how we will allow those things to change us. We have the control. A journey through pain is always further than it looks, harder than it looks, and it's always worth it! The things we can learn about ourselves, our abilities, our thoughts and more...we can grow through our pain. We can make something positive out of it all...and that can be ourselves...our thoughts, our care for our own needs, and our lives moving forward. We are worth the effort we make for ourselves, our health, and our healing too...we are worth it. Yes...the journey through pain is always further than it looks, harder thank it looks, and...it's always worth it...and so are YOU! Take good care of you eh? So now that you're living a hurting life with a chronic illness...what treatments have you tried to help minimize your pain and improve your life? Prescription medications are usually the first "go to" and they are a very personal choice...but what else have you tried? ...or have you?
Now please keep in mind as you try different coping skills and treatments...not every treatment will work for every one person. We are all different and we need to find what works best for us. And you may even find that a treatment works for awhile and then snap! it doesn't have the same affect anymore. Has this ever happened to you? If so...what do you do? Do you give in thinking there is nothing left to try? NO! You keep trying and you find what works for you. There are many alternative treatments available for people like us and today I'd like to share some information for your entertainment and to give you something to think about. If you have any questions about what you read here or curious to learn more about the alternatives....speak to your doctor and/or treatment team. There are viable options and it's up to us to educate ourselves and to research them...to try them and to see what is best for us. The more coping skills we have and the more treatments we explore...we can learn how to live with, prepare for and even manage our pain. Find what works best for you and take good care of your needs... emotionally, mentally, and physically too. And if it stops working for you...don't give up! keep exploring your options and find what works for you...and do it without leaving scars behind. The following is a suggestion...there are still even more things we can try...but this is a good start...are you ready? Today we believe God wants you to know that you are connected to all living things. You may think you are separate and all alone, but the truth is there is so much interconnection. When you feel alone, allow time for connection and communion. If there are no people around for good company, then be with nature; a dog or a cat, or a tree or the ocean. Good company comes in many forms. Picture taken at the Pinery |
Tammy...is living life with chronic pain...doing the best I can with everyday. Categories
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