Lissabird Makes Good: some crazy thing I did while I was still in my 20s

Monday, February 16, 2009

some crazy thing I did while I was still in my 20s

That's the back of my right calf. It was an uncomfortable experience, but not terrible. The healing process, on the other hand, has been ridiculously painful.

My artist is not from around here, so I went to see her at the convention this weekend. The people watching was fantastic. It was just the ticket for ignoring my leg. But even better than that, was gossiping with my sister. She should rent out her services.

3 comments:

Mrs. Grigg said...: Wow, that looks really pretty, I hope it heals well and heals quickly! Awesome for gossip, that's always fun :); February 17, 2009 at 6:46 AM
CrazyMonkeyHouse said...: Love it! The colors are very vibrant. Using a high-end artist usually means high-end ink too! My hibiscus around my ankle still looks really fresh, just the yellow has faded and it has been 11 years this year. I bet you will have similar results!; February 17, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Somer Love said...: LOVE IT!; February 17, 2009 at 10:00 AM

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Who am I?

I have lived with Chronic Pain for 20 years-- that's two thirds of my life. I have RSD/CRPS in my left foot as a result of an auto/pedestrian accident when I was 10 years old. RSD has been called one of the most painful diseases out there, and the stress of it on my growing body caused a whole host of new problems. After a few years, pain took over every inch of me.

A few years ago, I decided to look at my health (or lack there of) from a whole new perspective. Whole, being the operative word-- whole body and mind. I have resisted the idea of the mind/body connection because, to me, that meant the pain was somehow in my head. But I have come to realize that of course stress would affect my overall health and my pain level.

So I decided to face the greatest source of stress in my life, even though it had been one of my most closely guarded secrets: mental illness devoured the last recognizable shreds of my mother's personality when I was a teen. I didn't know what was happening, and I worried that it was somehow my fault (because she told me it was). We didn't really have the internet back then (Yep. Feeling old-- and loving it!) and mental illness is one the last taboos to fall, so I was pathetically alone in my attempt to understand my life. This is my shout out to anyone else stuck in a similar situation. Life can get better, but you have to take care of yourself first.

My mom eventually did take her life-- a few weeks before I found out that I was pregnant. Suddenly, I found myself facing motherhood, and feeling slightly less than ready for the task. So I started writing. I wrote about my mom. I wrote about living in pain. Then the two began to intertwine in ways I had never let myself consider. It was an amazing experience.

Once the mess in my head was a little more organized, I went back to the doctors to learn all that I could about what happened to my body. I read the research myself, I did everything I could think of to break the pain cycle long enough to let my nervous system reset. Regular massage and chiropractic appointments lowered my pain levels on their own, but on top of that I did yoga, walked regularly, and took a laundry list of supplements and natural remedies. (Most effective: Fibro Response by Source Naturals: Magnesium, B and D complexes, MSM and Apple Cider Vinegar) Check out the Body Project Tag to see what I did.

I still have RSD/CRPS in my foot and I always will. But I learned to separate that from the pain I felt in my other limbs, back and face. I have determined that it was all a giant breakdown of my body's natural cycle and ability to process pain signals caused by the RSD, and the stress of losing my mother. This breakdown is sometimes called Central Sensitization Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. The way I thought about the pain went from it being a horrible disease that would never go away, to being an interruption that I could correct.

I'm working on it.

Monday, February 16, 2009

some crazy thing I did while I was still in my 20s

3 comments:

Who am I?

me and the hubs

Rosabella Eliza Alice

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