Each Day Already is a Challenge

Fibro stuff - Read at your own risk

Grrr. My ears are killing me. No, I don't have an ear ache. It's the outer part of the ear that hurts. I've often said that it feels as if my ears have been frost bitten. It would make sense if this happened after being outside in the cold, but it doesn't have to be so. One could be sitting in a warm and toasty house and have this happen. That's what's been happening the past few days.

Good news about my stomach problem, I guess.

I've been taking some kind of medication for heartburn or whatever it is for about 3 years. The docs have changed the meds from Prilosec to Protonix (expensive) and back again. They've done tests and looked at my innards with x-rays, ultrasounds and MRI's. The only thing they ever find is some mild inflamation. But my whole abdomen is really sore to the touch. There have been lots of things that make me sick almost immediately after eating. And I burp all the time after eating anything. (You don't want to take me out to eat.)

Some have said that it's just my fibromyalgia acting up. Any muscle - including organ muscle - can and does spasm. That makes a bit of sense, I guess.

Then I recently read that as we age, we can make less stomach acid than normal. The meds I take are to reduce excess stomach acid. What if that's not my problem?

The article I read about this said that it's easy to figure out. One only has to take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water before meals. I decided to try that, and you know what?

I haven't been sick. The tenderness to touch is almost gone. And I think I have been burping less. (We'll have to verify that with hubby. )

Meanwhile, a new friend recommended something more natural for pain, and since my doc said, "it can't hurt you" I'm giving that a try too. I'll report about it when it's evident whether or not it's made a difference.

Sometimes it's hard to tell if pains are from really doing too much or a flare up of the fibro. I had both a back and knee injury, and those old injuries give me lots of pain as well. I've noticed that even with pain pills and muscle relaxers, some will work on parts of the pain and not other parts.

You know...I never wanted to be a nurse or doctor or medical researcher or anything of that sort. But with most "invisible" illnesses or syndromes, one has to do a lot of research. Most docs - at least those covered by "normal" insurance - are not specialists.

And here in good 'ol Cincinnati, the one doctor who is a specialist charges big, big bucks and does not take insurance or medicaid. Fortunately, most fibro patients in the area have been to him at least once or twice and can pass on tidbits of his treatments.

I'm tired. I'll share more about the world of fibro care tomorrow.