A Pocket Full Of Change For Managing Pain This Fall

 

Not every day presents a crisis of earth-shattering magnitude. However, those of us who experience chronic pain do have challenges to overcome on a regular basis making it important to be aware of system breakdown predictors. Factors apparent in a total system breakdown include a loss of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual safety net (the four-seated teeter-totter we discuss in this series of books). If we are aware that mounting daily stressors are precursors to a crisis, can we be better prepared should a crisis occur?
 
Symptoms that risks are mounting:
 

• We become short-tempered.
• We don't feel rested for several days in a row.
• We have more difficulty than usual concentrating.
• We feel overwhelmed and without resources.
• Our pain is not being managed adequately.
• We struggle with tasks that we normally manage well.

 
What can we do when we find a consistent pattern that could be leading up to a coping failure? We can:
 

• Delay chores or break them down into segments.
• Approach each day individually and break it down by each hour if necessary.
• Summon help from support system members or healthcare providers.
• Give ourselves permission to rest.
• Change what we can, and let the rest go.
• Accept that some days doing the minimum allows us to charge our battery and prevent a total breakdown later.
• Focus on our successes.

 
Preparedness Is the Next Best Thing to an Apple Pie, Day Three, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, Fall Devotions by Celeste Cooper RN and Jeff Miller, PhD. Read the reviews on Amazon here.
 
An effective tool for combating the effects of stress is positive thinking.  So when my stress meter is about to blow mercury into the universe, I open my tool kit.
 

• Say no to negativity.
• See opportunity in adversity
• Say, “I will.”
• Do a kindness.
• Create a positive word list.
• Imagine positive energy.
• Have a positive dialogue with my body.
• Write an affirmation.
• Write an “I am” or “I like” poem or phrase.

 
From my private collection...

The Promise of Like ©
 
I like camping, picnics, mountains with streams,
Invading my space and into my dreams,
Loony family, self, friends, and birds,
Even failing to speak with words.
 
Fortune to learn, watching children at play,
Scenery, lakes that reflect on the day,
Cakes, spirituality, flowers, a good book,
And cactus that winks with a funny look.
 
Mixed sun, rain, fall, a cloud that churns,
Laughter, antiques, Hummel’s and urns,
Gentle music, dogs, sea horses and cats,
Wildlife inspires me, even the bats.
 
I like promise and hope, flowers I like.
I like beginnings and endings, I just like.
 
Written by Celeste Cooper, author (Colorado, 2011). I wrote this poem from a random list of things I like.

Find more tips that are helpful in our Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain series and Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-body Connection available at https://www.amazon.com/Celeste-Cooper/e/B002X2IZYG
 
 In healing

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

The Pained Ink Slayer

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Accepting Our Limits While Exploring Our Passion

 

Courtesy Celeste's Photography

ACCEPTING OUR LIMITS

As people who live with chronic pain and illness, we know the importance of identifying our limitations and learning to work within our boundaries. These coping impositions and repositions mostly affect our physical capabilities and our abilities to perform certain tasks.  We talk about “Measuring Limits” in our book Integrative Therapies for Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Myofascial Pain: The Mind-body Connection. (Cooper, C and Miller, J, 2010

…Regardless of courage or decisiveness, your first task is to accurately assess your ability today. You need an objective measure for determining if this is a “terrific” or “semi-terrific” day... Every day you should spend all your available energy pennies, but not one more. One extra penny of effort today will cost a dollar tomorrow. Make daily deposits in your well-being bank... At the same time, you need to do a balancing act with your unconscious process of self-accommodation and deceit, the permission we give ourselves to loaf, stall, or nonperform. This tendency to give up prematurely, surrender to dread, to drop our own ball at the first sign of difficulty is universal. That’s right, universal. Everyone knows the decision to let the Frisbee pass without diving to try to catch it... The key point is that the one judging is also guilty

at some time.

 

“Who we are is more than the body or the personality.”

Ram Dass

 

It is equally important to explore what we can do. In Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing theSee-Saw of Chronic Pain Spring Devotions,  we call this “Optivity."

 

Optivity (our word for envisioning positive thought, word, and deed) empowers us to balance the four-seated teeter-totter we talk about throughout this series. Each seat, which makes up our teeter-totter, represents physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual elements of who we are as a total package, and it is based on - and inspired by - the wisdom of the Native American Medicine Wheel. Each seat should be equally off the ground with the same weight and attention.

 

EXPLORING OUR PASSION

There are many ways to become full of life in thinking. We can be present in our compassion for others, be active in mindfulness, and look at things from a different perspective. These things help us broaden the boundaries of not too much, yet enough. It allows us, gives us, permission to explore our hidden talents. For instance, I learned that writing poetry allows me to immerse myself in learning new words and new ways to express something I find interesting. It gives me a different perspective that takes me to a place where I can put my pain or current health issue in the backseat.  It was really fun and rewarding to write this poem.

 

The Promise of Like ©
 
I like camping, picnics, mountains with streams,
Invading my space and into my dreams,
Loony family, self, friends, and birds,
Even failing to speak with words.
 
Fortune to learn, watching children at play,
Scenery, lakes that reflect on the day,
Cakes, spirituality, flowers, a good book,
And cactus that winks with a funny look.
 
Mixed sun, rain, fall, a cloud that churns,
Laughter, antiques, Hummel’s and urns,
Gentle music, dogs, sea horses and cats,
Wildlife inspires me, even the bats.
 
I like promise and hope, flowers I like.
I like beginnings and endings, I just like.

I wrote this poem from a random list of things I like and found a stirring of many passions I might not have thought of otherwise.  Maybe you will try it.

In healing

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

The Pained Ink Slayer

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Additional Reading:  

The Texture Of Pain Through Poetry

Creating an "I Am" Poem

 

Spring Pleasures: Hobbies, Pain Diversion, And Discovery

 

Photograph Courtesy Celeste Cooper, Author

Spring is a time of reawakening after a long cold winter and this year it means so much more. It is a time to explore things that bring us pleasure as we break through the shell of our own winter cocoon.

 

I find great enjoyment in photography, and I am thankful that I have found ways to fill up my thought spaces on this learning journey with my digital Canon EOS. I am grateful to have hobbies that occupy my time in isolation from chronic pain, but this past year has been difficult because of the COVID-19 virus. In some ways, those of us who live with chronic illness have had a head start on the isolation that has affected so many because of this horrible pandemic.

 

That said, I still have plenty to learn about my camera, so there was no shortage of building on the mental seat of this four-seated teeter-totter I try to keep off the ground. Understanding the importance of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual balance has given me the foundation to make it through these trying times.

 

The canvas of life to a photographer is limitless and spring provides many photo ops as the season of birth gives rise to new photo moments. I anticipate a plethora of opportunities as I guide my lens toward my new granddaughter, who is full of light and life. I look forward to capturing butterflies and bees spreading their wings, trees blowing and bowing to the wind beckoning me outside to experience the essence of light and love for photography.

 

…Hobbies create the presence of desire in our lives and keep our mind open to opportunities for exploring our creativity. Learn to make jewelry, read palms, fish, line dance, take photos, make bird houses, collect antique watches, start a joke book, crochet, or hand glide. Take up scrap booking, wood burning, or calligraphy; it's totally up to you… [Excerpt, day 69, Spring Devotions in the Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain series.]

 

My hobbies are huge self-esteem boosters for me as one who lives with chronic pain. 
What hobbies would you like to explore this spring?

 

"We are all subject to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; they are around us, in a space we do not control. This book is a gentle, yet forceful reminder that the best defenses against them reside within- in a space we do control, welling up from resources we can learn to cultivate. Hope here is equally soft and irresistible, much like Spring itself."

 

Dr. David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP

Director, Yale University Prevention Research Center

 

[Inside the Cover, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, Spring Devotions.]

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others. 

Fellow Patients, We Can Help Others Cope With The Side Effects Of This Coronavirus Pandemic

I understand this is a trying time for everyone.  COVID-19 is disrupting the lives of people all over the world. People told to shelter in place are experiencing the effects of isolation. As people living with chronic pain and chronic illness, we know what that means.  We know the experiences associated with having our lives disrupted every day. We can help.

It makes us feel good to share helpful measures with our fellow warriors, and today that includes the world. What can you contribute? Following are excerpts from old blogs that everyone might find helpful during these times.

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SPRING IN TO HOBBIES THAT CREATE PRESENCE AND DESIRE

I find great strength, comfort, and diversion through poetry and photography, and I am thankful that I have found ways to fill up my thought spaces by writing for others who share this journey with me. 

 
…Hobbies give us reason to relax and take a break. They are our weapon against boredom and idle hands. They create the presence of desire in our lives and keep our mind open to opportunities for exploring our creativity. Learn to make jewelry, read palms, fish, line dance, take photos, make birdhouses, collect antique watches, start a joke book, crochet, or hand glide. Take up scrapbooking, wood-burning, or calligraphy; it's totally up to you… [Excerpt, day 69, Spring Devotions in the Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain series.]

***Presently, I am working on a jigsaw puzzle I bought a couple of years ago. I had forgotten how much I loved to do them. But, like so many of us, I have to be careful not to sit with my neck bent for too long. The good news is that I don’t need to worry about it being on the table for as long as it takes. We won’t be having company.

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BREAKING THE SHACKLES OF CHRONIC PAIN THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS

In my blog, The Setting, the Shutter, and the Power of Resolution, I talked about my 2015 New Year’s resolution - "Learning to use the manual settings on my new digital SLR camera". I think of that blog as a metaphor for transforming adversity into opportunity.

***Photographs speak a universal language. Whether you are taking pictures or going through old albums, we can become mindful and create feelings that soothe us, especially during trying times.

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BALANCING PAIN AND ILLNESS THROUGH POETRY

For me, writing poetry heightens my senses and provides an alternative path that promotes mindfulness. The words I chose give my thoughts texture, making them palpable, at least to me. Writing poetry provides a beautiful detour because unlike physical pain and illness there are no boundaries, no limitations. We have unabashed freedom to explore and express ourselves using colors, shapes, and concepts we might not otherwise.

I am in awe of the power of randomly chosen words and their ability to bring me peace. Whether I am working through a difficult situation or embracing the wonders of the world, I know when I'm done I have formed a connection to my inner being I only know through poetry.

"Poetry is writing about yourself waiting to see what will show up, the words are the finger points of your soul.”

~Sandford Lyne, author of Writing Poetry from the Inside Out

*** Like photography, poetry is a creative way of chronicling our life’s events and provides a conduit to express our feelings. You may have one you would like to share, maybe one you wrote after you read my blog on how to write “I am” poem. It’s time for all of us to be creative in our own midst ─ to share with others things we never thought we would.

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As a once board-certified emergency nurse, I know the risk to our people on the front lines of this virus.  I am pleading with people to follow the CDC guidelines. This pandemic is serious. We must take personal responsibility for protecting others and ourselves.

BE THE LIGHT

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others. 

How Aware Are We? Fibromyalgia And Aggravating Conditions

Courtesy Celeste’s Photography©

Many things can make our fibro symptoms worse.  So, we should ask ourselves, “What am I doing, or not doing, that adds to my misery?” “How can I identify and manage perpetuating or aggravating factors?”

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This blog post, Fibromyalgia Awareness And Aggravating Conditions, originally appeared May 5, 2016 on ProHealth. With ProHealth’s permission, I am sharing it in its entirety here on The Pained Ink Slayer.

______________________________________________________________

May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month. And what a month it is! In many parts of the US, spring rains of April have brought an environment exploding with color and texture as saplings emerge, promising hope and feelings of rebirth.

All these things make May a wonderful month to raise awareness for fibromyalgia. We will see many campaigns across social media platforms, and we should all contribute in some way, if only to share it with someone else.  However, we should also remember, as the month begins to warm, other things need our attention.

As the season beacons us outdoors, our activity increases, as it should.  We will experience the reality of spring storms and, if we aren’t paying close attention, weather changes that can affect us. We may, and probably do, have overlapping or co-existing conditions that put us on red alert, but we must pay attention because while our emotional well-being often improves by getting outside, not all conditions bode well with sudden surges in physical activity.

Three reasons for us to remain aware:

1.     When our spirits are high, we tend to ignore warning signs of an impending problem.

2.     Managing all conditions, not just fibromyalgia, is necessary.

3.     Awareness of symptoms improves the likelihood that we get the right treatment for the right problem.

According to the American College of Rheumatology, having other rheumatic conditions increases the risk of developing fibromyalgia. Dr. Robert Bennett has suggested to me that fibromyalgia is usually accompanied by another painful disorder as outlined in the Alternative Criteria for diagnosing fibromyalgia of which he is lead investigator.

While some of the following may not be directly related to FM, they should be considered as aggravating conditions if you have been diagnosed.

Aggravating and Possible Overlapping Conditions

·        AIDS/HIV infection

·        Allergy

·        Autonomic nervous system problems (neurally mediated hypotension, loss of heart rate variability)

·        Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) or RSD

·        ME/CFS or Gulf War syndrome

·        Headaches, severe

·        Hypometabolism – adrenal insufficiency, insulin resistance, reactive hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism, thyroid resistance

·        Infection – candidiasis (yeast), viral, or bacterial

·        Inner ear dysfunction

·        Irritable bowel syndrome or leaky gut syndrome

·        Mouth problems associated with fibromyalgia (dry mouth, teeth grinding, TMJ)

·        Multiple chemical sensitivity

·        Musculoskeletal problems – myofascial pain syndrome, piriformis syndrome or sciatica, plantar fasciitis, carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis

·        Neurological disorders – costochondritis, degenerative spine and/or disc disease,

·        Multiple sclerosis, neuralgia (nerve pain), peripheral neuropathy, thoracic outlet syndrome, restless leg syndrome

·        Psychological distress – anxiety and/or depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

·        Urological problems – vulvodynia, impotence in men, chronic pelvic pain, irritable bladder, endometriosis

·        Raynaud’s phenomenon or disease

·        Rheumatic disorders – ankylosing spondylitis, bursitis,  hypermobility syndrome or EDS, polymyalgia rheumatic, post-polio syndrome, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Sjogren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus

·        Sleep disorder

Other Aggravating Factors

·        Poor posture

·        Repetitive movement

·        Structural deformity, scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis (one foot shorter than the other)

·        Overdoing and paradoxically under-doing – a really big one to consider as we emerge from hibernation

·        Disorganization and poor time management skills

·        Brainfog

·        Cold intolerance

·        Poorly identifying problems with medication and therapy

·        Ignoring diet

·        Thinking your symptoms will wait

While we may not be able to change overlapping or co-existing conditions, we can manage them better. After all, it is human to have room for improvement –  everyone does. And, be sure to report any new or escalating symptoms to your physician, as the treatment for other conditions are not the same as those for fibromyalgia.

We can do things to minimize the effects of a flare, such as taking it easy, avoiding known stressors, eating healthy, practicing mindfulness, moving, and identifying any important factors to avoid in the future.

I’m not going to vacuum ’til Sears makes one you can ride on.

~ Roseanne Barr ~

If you benefited from this information or have questions, please leave them in the comments below. I love learning from you.

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others. 

The Texture Of Pain Through Poetry

"Poetry comes from the highest happiness or the deepest sorrow."

~A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

When Yellow Tundra Meets the Sky© Courtesy Celeste’s Photography

Those of us who live with chronic pain and illness understand respecting our limitations. But, there are many ways to be energetic, despite having a low physical battery. We can:

·        Be mindful.

·        Be compassionate.

·        Be grateful.

·        And, we can ALL write poetry!

Poetry has become a conduit to my most intimate inner feelings. I think that’s because I have learned to face the relevance of both anguish and joy, the reality that those of us living with chronic pain and illness know. Whether writing or reading poetry, I find there is a positive role for intervention, resolution, and learning to let go, which allows me to explore the diversion of creativity. So much is waiting to be explored.

When I prepare to write, I am energized by favorite words that tempt me with their sweet nectar. I have a favorite word list in my journal, which includes famous quotes that inspire me. I find the rich texture of expression that is born from the words I choose.

I try to share at least one of my poems in April to raise awareness for poetry. The following started as an “I Am” poem.

Dear Pain, Much to Your Chagrin© by Celeste Cooper

Don’t cloud my wits—attack, bother, or nag.

You know you have nothing positive to add.

You fractured the ability to create a red flag.

Dare not threaten my spirit or make me weak,

A tender, tired body deserves not your grief,

This survivor will not stop searching relief.

Mindful of judgments you pose in my ear,

My spirit remains positive in the absence of fear.

Affirmations are the armor that protects what is dear.

So, as constant and unyielding as you try to be,

I continue to bear arms to make you retreat.

Pain, you may have my body, but you don’t have me!

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...Poetry has been described as the conduit to our soul. It provides us the emotional and spiritual energy to hurtle over life’s obstacles. It heightens our senses of sight, sound, touch, and smell, and it can be delicious. It offers a feel, a texture, to all we experience and work through in our mind, because it knows no time, no era, nor limits. We can express self and circumstances through the written word…

Pick up your favorite book, a thesaurus from the dollar store, a magazine, whatever, and make a list of some of your favorite words. ...Begin your journey of inner expression—start writing ...

[Excerpt, Broken Body, Wounded Spirit: Balancing the See-Saw of Chronic Pain, SPRING DEVOTIONS https://www.amazon.com/dp/0615958664/ ]

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All our books have tips for writing for self-exploration. Poetry is one of those.

Additional Reading:

Creating an I Am Poem

Balancing Pain and Illness Through Poetry

In healing,

Celeste Cooper, RN / Author, Freelancer, Advocate

Think adversity?-See opportunity!

http://www.CelesteCooper.com

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

Learn more about Celeste’s books here. Subscribe to posts by using the information in the upper right hand corner or use the share buttons to share with others.