hypermobile spoonie

Today was... the allergist! Today I went to the allergist for the first time in 2 years. As you get older you go less, so from going 5 times a year, to once every 2 years has been a bit of a shock. Apparently, allergies don't change very much once you pass the age of.... 5. So 13 years later and finally my dairy allergy has shifted. It hasn't kicked itself all the way out the door just yet, but maybe, just maybe I'll be trying some food challenges. Although I'm slightly skeptical about the results. All the usuals are still here. The nuts, eggs, dairy, crustaceans, grass, dusts, wheat, cats and god knows what else! Still waiting on the exact results. Today was spent with an itchy, blue arm (photo attached) and answering questions that no 18 year old should have to answer. I got in trouble, maybe 5 times from two different people for one event in which I should have used my epipen and been carted off to hospital, but seriously, who wants to spend their 18th birthday in ...

I'm so tired I'm afraid my head it going to explode with all the information that I'm sure I'll have to listen to today. Yup that's right, mid semester break is over and its back to uni. And how did I spend my last night of freedom before uni? Working the close.... 5pm-12am YAY! So now my body aches, I can't walk and Uni... nope not for me. I think I'll do my lectures later online and go in at 4pm for my tute. I'm not sure that my body will handle anything else. Might need a long, hot bath and use my massager for a while. Gees! I can't even believe how sore I am, I knew that I would be sore because it was one of my only long shifts that I've done since I hurt my hip, but this is ridiculous. My whole left side it aching and even my leg and back hurts. This is ridiculous. Is this it? I think I'm coming to the sad realisation that I go to more doctors and physio appointments in one week than I work :( I feel like I made all this progress 2 yea...

I'm really feeling the effects of my stupid forgetful brain this morning. I didn't realise how much my medication helps (because sometimes it doesn't feel like it does anything) until I forgot to take it last night. I have to admit, it probably wouldn't have been a great combination with the alcohol that was probably still in my system when I went to bed, but still, I'm really feeling the effects this morning. The bad part, my rescue medication has some seriously horrible side effects so I probably won't be taking that any time soon. I guess I deserve the pain I'm in this morning, after all I did drink and then forget to take my medication before I went to bed last night, over estimating my pain management skills I think. Now even the sound of my computer keys tapping is sending my brain into sensory overload and I have no idea how I'm going to get all my assignments done today. I deserve this, but still I feel sorry for myself. The feeling of waking u...

Wjem did goal setting become so horrible? So revered? I know that I've been asked more times than I can count what my goals are. And I never really understood what all the fuss was about until a couple of weeks ago, when we learnt about SMART goal setting in my degree. Gees this degree is teaching me so much about health and the relation to my health conditions. Now if you don't know SMART goals by name, I can assure you if you've ever seen an OT or really any healh professional, you would have had to set these types of goals. So the reason I've been thinking about this today is because recently there has been a lot of bike riders for cancer, the ANZAC's, everything. And I've always wanted to do a fun run or the like, but now I can't run or walk without crutches so.... I thought why not do a bike ride? I have been told that bike riding is good for hyper mobile patients so I keep thinking, why not? Can't that been a goal for next year? Why not? It's ...

I hope that everyone had a lovely Easter! I guess everyone's going back to work and school as holidays are over. I just have lots of time for contemplation as it's uni mid semester holidays. Tonight I start an intro to Auslan sign language class which I'm actually very excited about, I've always wanted to learn sign language. Anyway as I've had lots of time to think over the past few days I just wanted to ask, have you ever had a health care worker that you just clicked with? Maybe it's a doctor, physio or OT. Someone that you could just talk to, that you felt comfortable with? I'm sure if you haven't you will at some point in your chronic pain journey. For me that was an OT. I just thought that she was amazing, she listened, gave me advice and after I left all I wanted to do was tell her everything that happened in my life. She happens to work in the same hospital I visit every 3 months and will visit possibly for the rest of my life , that does...

Happy easter saturday! After a long long day of work getting double time and a half! (Yay for that) I eventually came home exhausted and pretty much unable to walk after standing up for so long. So off to bed I went, hoping that sleep would make everything better. It did. Until 4am when I woke up with an excruciating migraine and my heart pounding. I think it was from some quite disturbing dreams but still, 4am is no fun. So then I ate some panadol, hoping it would work for once, got a wet towel for my head and listened to some calming music. After about an hour of that, I finally fell asleep as I felt the migraine subside. Thank god! I think that's the shortest migraine ever! Probably because of all the adrenaline. Anyway, a day of rest is in order, woke up this morning with a migraine hangover headache. Hopefully tomorrow brings something better! Happy easter and don't eat too much chocolate! :)

So I think I'm going to have to start using a roller coaster metaphor to describe chronic pain or really just any chronic illness. Yesterday I woke up feeling amazing, and I mean amazing, like I could take on the world. If there was a poster girl for pain management program's I would of been it. (Oh wait I sort of already am) it was the whole 'I even have my hair up despite the fact that it ways a tone and I'll get a migraine, I'm still amazing' kinda day. I thought I could take on the world.  I think I forgot that chronic pain is a marathon not a sprint. Because in a way I sprinted through yesterday, taking on the world, feeling as much like a 'normal' person as I have in years. I went to uni and then even managed to sit through a movie... At the cinema! And I enjoyed it! Something I haven't done in forever. Sure there was a little nagging in my head and some aching in my elbow and hip, but overall nothing to actually. Stop me from enjoying the movi...

I know its long, my posts won't usually be this long I promise! I’ve changed. I only just realised it. I no longer look at my reflection and are disheartened by the crutches starting back at me. I’ve accepted them. Acceptance. It’s a long road, which I’ve only just started to travel. It comes in waves. Yay for diagnosis and acceptance, relief one day, I’m in too much pain to get out of bed the next. Life was never meant to be a picnic. But suddenly all those flaws that I’ve seen for years make sense. I should not be ashamed by them, they define me. They make me who I am, and as much as I hate to say it, they make me a better person, a stronger one. When I look in the mirror I see the tilted head, possibly the coping mechanism or cause for the chronic migraines, I see the hyperextended elbows that I used to amuse my friends with when I was younger, now a source of pain and last but certainly not least, I see the uneven stance, slightly leaning to the left that I have taken up a...

Welcome :) a little bit about me... I'm a chronic pain patient as of two and a half years ago... I'm currently studying at university Well thats about it really... next comes the long intro of my journey with chronic pain. Just a warning, I can be funny about CP or be having a bad day, depends what's going on during the day. This is more about my journey as a CP patient and attempting to have a semi normal life than about my actual suffering. Welcome and please have a bit of a laugh and a cry :) after all we are CP patients :)