The Road To Wellness

So the Fibro Class I attended at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN last week was tremendous. I have learned so much about Fibromyalgia and I now have a pretty good understanding of what's been going on with my body and my mind over the years. Most importantly I now feel like there is so much that I can do differently that could really impact my quality of life.

The good news and the bad news about what I learned is that 99% of what needs to be done is about changes I need to make in my habits, my thinking and my behavior. In other words, there is no quick fix and very little that doctors can help me with. These sorts of changes (habits, thinking, behaviors) are very difficult to implement and will take a good amount of time. It takes 21 days to develop a new habit and some 6 months to make it automatic or to fully integrate it into your daily life. That being said, this program has had great success in decreasing the pain and fatigue associated with Fibromyalgia and increasing the functioning and quality of life of those suffering with it.

Despite the somewhat daunting nature of making these changes, I am excited that this journey is not going to be one comprised of monthly (or bimonthly) doctor visits where I am trying one medication after another, trying to cope with side effects on top of symptoms. This route appeals to my instinctual self and makes me feel just as empowered as I feel overwhelmed. It is going to be a process - a journey of real value and benefit. It will be a journey of balance, moderation and kindness.

Of course, there is a medication component. I've been prescribed Cymbalta as some recent research has shown the Serotonin and Norepenefan Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI - sorry about the spelling) to have an impact on Fibro pain in addition to the antidepressant qualities. Honestly, I'm most concerned about treating the depression and anxiety as it has taken a horrible toll on my weight, which is now back down to about 105. I have now lost all of the weight I gained earlier this year on the Amitriptyline. I'm titrating up VERY slowly as it is clear my body tends to over react to everything.

This is getting long so I'm going to stop for today. There is much more to come...