FLF #4 - The Bed Monster

I love to sleep.  In the past, when the alarm went off I'd press snooze a heap of times cause I was always tired. Then Steve would try and wake me and I'd pretend I couldn't get out of bed. I'd thrash around like I was being held down against my will by some invisible force and tell him the "Bed Monster" had me! For ages this was a running joke at home. But now I have a new Bed Monster. I don't have to try and pretend I cant get out of bed because this Bed Monster is in my body and it makes everything so sore and stiff that I literally cant get out of bed sometime. On the good days when I can get out of bed its very slowly and painfully. I call myself Tin Man; it's like I've rusted up overnight and need a good oiling. It's the worst way to start the day but it's a pretty good indication of what body parts aren't going to cooperate that day. It's all a matter of degrees really.

I've stopped the MS - Contin and felt no difference so that was ok. I went off the Lyrica as well but discovered that it is actually helping me, I'd just been on it so long that I forgot how much pain I can be in, so I'm back on the Lyrica. I'm also taking the mercyndol and the Chinese herbs for the pain.

I've been doing strengthening exercises for my legs where if I'm lying down or sitting I raise my leg (alternatively) and hold it for the count of ten then raise it higher and hold it for ten, and if I've got it in me I raise it higher. It can hurt but I fight through the pain. And the pain is not the "I just exercised pain" its a stabbing or aching pain. Then I bring my leg back down in the same degrees that I raised it for the count of ten each time over. Some days I'm great at this and others I'm not but I'm persevering and I'm happy to report that I'm not limping as soon as I get up.

YAY!!!!  In Your Face Bed Monster!!!!!

I'm doing so well that I had a day where I didn't limp until about 4pm! This is a major achievement so I'm very happy. After the Bed Monster lets me go each morning I no longer have an automatic limp. It didn't happen overnight of course but I've finally seen some significant improvement. This might not sound like much to some people but to me this a huge leap forward. I can hear Bill Bragg singing in my head right now!

On Saturday Steve and I went to the local pool and got a 3 month membership which give up a free forth month. We had an hour of swimming and playing ball games and generally mucking around in the water. It was great fun and I was pleased to see that I could still do a non-stop lap. The buoyancy certainly made a difference to my ability to do activity and I just had to suck up my embarrassment about the way I look. I felt like the both of us had achieved something. Then we went to my brothers place for the rest of the day. I felt pretty good all day; just like I had the flu (this in my everyday state). But the next morning I was in terrible pain and I slept and slept and slept. I got up around 11am and went back to bed at about 3pm. I didn't wake up until the following morning at 8am.   Now I'm back to the usual flu like state.

There is a lesson in this and I think it is one activity a day. It's like being at work. That's all I can really achieve then I'm pushing myself through the usual shite. I'm hoping that this is the start of changing all that. Now I've typed this I think it is a pretty good start!