Tag Archives: foraminal stenosis

Today’s a bad day ….

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Last night totally sucked. Actually, yesterday morning, too, but throughout the night things got much worse. I barely got any sleep. No matter how I laid in bed, my body fought with me. From my left hip all the way down to my toes, the pain and tingling sensation wouldn’t stop. And if I laid on my right side, then my right hip started throbbing. My neck was also against me. The pins and needles numbing pain was relentless… it was shooting up into my head and down to my shoulders…. Then to both my hands… And let’s not forget about my lower back that throbbed with its own aching pain. When I say that I hurt from head to toe, I literally mean that!

With all that going on, I did what I could mentally to hold back the panic attack that was trying to happen. Sometimes the pain gets so bad that I can’t fight the anxiety. It sucks!

It’s barely 8 a. m. and I’ve already had four pieces of chocolate… some homemade Christmas candy… But hey, it’s healthy right?! I mean, after all, it does have mixed raisins, cranberries and dried cherries with peanuts in it. Lol… At least I’m telling myself that it’s healthy candy. Yeah, I’m a stress eater…. Goes well with the second pot of coffee I’ve already made.

The reason why I’m writing all this isn’t to get sympathy points, but to hopefully raise more awareness of chronic pains and diseases.

A few months ago I was diagnosed with even more debilitating conditions that make my prior ones even more of a living hell. (Degenerative Disc Disease in both my neck and lower back, foraminal stenosis in my neck and lower spine, cervical stenosis in my neck, straightening of the cervical lordosis in my neck…. on top of what I was already diagnosed with…. bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, anxiety, insomnia and fibromyalgia.) So yeah, daily life is a challenge. The mobility issues, constant pain, stiffness, mental state…. the list goes on… Sometimes to crack a smile literally takes all my strength.

I know a lot of you out there live with chronic pains and diseases as well, and my heart goes out to you all. Stay strong and remember, life is what we make it…. One day at a time!

A BIG THANK YOU to each and every single one of you for always being so amazing! Much love and light to you!

~ Sheila 💋

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Another day in the life of Fibro….

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“Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain around the body. The pain stems from a problem in the way the nervous system processes pain signals.

Fibromyalgia also causes symptoms like tiredness, depression, and mental fog……

Fibromyalgia is a long-term, or chronic, condition. It causes symptoms such as:

  • musculoskeletal pain, or pain in the muscles and bones
  • tenderness
  • general fatigue
  • sleep and cognitive disturbances” ~ https://www.healthline.com/health/fibromyalgia/signs-of-fibromyalgia

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia on September 29, 2020. At first the diagnosis felt like a slap in the face. I was kind of in denial because to accept it was to know that what I have is something that I would have to deal with for the rest of my life, and it terrified me. Initially I went to the doctor for my chronic pain and was hoping for a quick cure, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

Months of testing… Blood work…. X-rays…. MRIs… Specialists…. Physical therapy….. Chiropractor care…

Now, I look at Fibromyalgia differently. It has taught me acceptance and patience, as weird as that sounds. It has forced me to acknowledge that which I cannot control and to respect my body’s limits. I no longer push myself to do things, because if I do, I will greatly pay the price for it and my body will hurt a lot more the next day.

I still try to make the best of life and enjoy things, but at a much different level now.

Along with my Fibromyalgia, the doctors have discovered that I also have, degenerative disc disease and foraminal stenosis in my neck and lower spine, along with several other issues including bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, depression and anxiety.

Each day is different. It’s hard to make plans at times, because chronic pain with fibro flares can happen so unexpectedly. And then there’s the nausea that can come at random. Even while out running errands I’ve had to pull the car over to the side of the road because the nausea associated with fibromyalgia has been so intense that it would make me vomit.

So many crazy things that make me appreciate the good moments in life all the more. Life is what we make it and no matter what…. Life is beautiful and it is a blessing. ❤️

My rheumatologist once made a comment about my positive attitude. He was like, “if you’re in pain, it’s ok to let people know about it.” My response was… “I know, but coming into your office with a negative attitude could bring others down and I don’t want to do that. I’d rather make people smile. ” My chiropractor and physical therapist have also made similar comments…. Yet, that doesn’t mean that I don’t get cranky… But I refuse to let my body get the best of me. I have all these conditions that I’ve told you about, but they don’t have me! Inner strength and my faith help keep me strong.

We are all blessed. We just have to see the light from the brighter days.

Much love to you all!!

~ Sheila 💋

This is not a good day….

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Oh my God, did I seriously write that as the title for this post?! So negative and you have my apologies!

But like I’ve mentioned before, it’s ok to have an “off day” .. And unfortunately, this is one for me.

Woke up hurting all over…. Head to toe … As many of you know, I have a lot of medical problems that cause me to have mobility issues and restrictions, plus I have fibromyalgia that intensifies everything.

About a month ago I had more X-rays, blood work and another MRI. The recent MRI was ordered by my pain management specialist. This time on both, my neck and back. In my neck they discovered straightening of my cervical lordosis… Also in my neck (like my lower back) I have degenerative disc disease.. and they also discovered foraminal stenosis in my neck and lower back. A lot going on!! So…. Pain, stiffness and aches still exist.

Also, I was asked a series of questions to rate my depression. I scored higher than normal (which apparently wasn’t good) and was recommended to start seeing a psychiatrist.

All of this is very embarrassing for me to openly talk about. So, why am I doing this?? Because I want others to know that we can all prevail, regardless.

I did sleep some last night and woke up hurting. My back, neck, and hip with a nasty headache, to add. Insomnia keeps me awake most nights and the previous night I was lucky to have gotten about 30 minutes of sleep.

Not just the insomnia, but the chronic pain makes rest very difficult to obtain.

With all the doctors, specialists and treatments that I get, the pain, stiffness and mobility issues still continue… But staying strong and positive the best I can… One day at a time! ❤️

Stay blessed, everyone. You are all loved!

~ Sheila 💋