Hot Hemp Muscle Rub

One of our fellow fibromites/chronic pain suffer has some really sensitive skin and could not use many topicals such as Sombra. They recently discovered "Hot Hemp Muscle Rub" and did not have a skin reaction and really liked the product. I am not sure of the brand etc but I just love google and found some here http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/181-7765163-1847468?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Hot+Hemp+Muscle+Rub if you want to read about it or check it out.

For those of you who like or are interested in Sombra the link for that is here http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sombra&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asombra

For myself, I like to really burn it up with Tiger Balm. LOL! I should NOT use it because I have horrible skin but hey, I like how warm it gets. And when I hurt I want to feel like it is 'doing something.' Even if its not. These items can be found at your local shops too but I just love amazon. If I am patient and not in a hurry I can just click the mouse and it comes later that week. Lazy? No. Smart? Yes! I detest walking up and down the aisles fighting people when I can just click and get. Much less stressful for me.

I, myself, found a handy little tip. It works great for me! I've said it more than once. More like a million. But its the little things for me. I am just discovering the wonderfulness of essential oils. I won't pretend to know everything there is to know about it. But I'm really interested in learning more. I always put a Altoid mint in my mouth first thing because its so pepperminty (yeah I made that word up, roll with it!) that it blasts through the fog in my brain in the morning and gets me up and going just by that punch of mint to my senses. So the other day I was feeling really anxious so I took some lavender oil to work and was going to put it in my warmer in the office and just see if that would work on calming me. The thing is, the guys at the shop loathed the smell of lavender. Way to girly for them. (Um, whatever, see the door? It says exit.) But to be nice I turned the warmer off for a bit but my anxiety returned. Then I had a lightbulb moment. I had recently attached a ribbon through my hoodie zipper that I always wear. Long story on the ribbon, but just keep rolling with it. Anyhoo... I saw the ribbon and was like AH HA!! Grabbed the essential oil and put some on the ribbon. Viola! A subtle scent of lavender wafting up to my senses and the calming began again. I am absolutely giddy at this simple but ingenious idea. Looking forward to trying different scents for moments like those.

I am using lavender alot.  Another one I use alot is lemon. I find the scent of lemon extremely comforting. But you can put any oils you need on the ribbon. Try peppermint for clearing the mind and giving you a bit of pep!

I am now carrying a few ziplocks with a couple cotton balls soaked in different scents to expand on this concept. Its really working for me. Well, when I remember I have them. Its still a routine I am practicing on. But has come in super handy. If its a really stressful day at work I just take out the little cotton ball and have it sitting on the desk near me. Usually I have a calming fragrance. I didn't realize how anxious I tend to be. All the time. Over nothing! So really enjoying this new 'ah ha' moment. Hope it helps some of you. Have a blessed and amazing day!

~Kristie

January - A new beginning.

Happy New Year to you all! I hope your holidays were crazy and full of boisterous cheer. I know I sure enjoyed mine. And I have to admit, I was spoiled rotten. Again. Oh darn... :)

I am going to make a concious effort to get this blog up and going strong this year. I want to fill it full of useful information. Not only to record meeting notes and topics but to also supplement information through out the month. So be checking back in every so often to find a helpful tidbit or two. And use that comment box below! We love hearing from you. If you have a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. If you want a certain topic to be covered, please let me know. We will do our best to get more information out there to you.

This months meeting was of course ran by our wonderful and lovely Janice. I don't know HOW that woman does it. But I am so grateful for her. She was looking for ideas from all of us on what we'd like to see the group become or a direction we want to go. We all agreed that it is a fabulous group and wonderful people partaking in it. But is it meeting your needs? Do you have ideas or thoughts on what you think it should be? Have? Become? Feel free to email me, Janice, or leave a comment below and I'll make sure your suggestion is addressed. Can we accomodate everyone? Maybe not. But Janice does try to make sure that everyone is heard and gets the info they are seeking. We aren't going to have a magical get well pill. We don't possess any magic wands to fix you. You must actively seek out the tools too. You must use and adapt our suggestions to suit your needs. Do remember what works for one, might not another. But don't stop. Keep looking. Keep trying. And never, ever, give up.

Gentle Dental has now moved into the Pain Management building and is letting us use their lovely new chairs. So pretty and comfy. Thank you Gentle Dental! And I saw some lovely paintings and such in the waiting room. I really like how they make the space comforting and homey. Don't you?

Janice spoke of a movie coming out with Jennifer Aniston in it. The movie is called "Cake." Here is a link to the trailer https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=UTF-8&fr=crmas&p=the+movie+Cake  also staring Anna Kendrick and Sam Worthington. "Claire" played by Aniston is a chronic pain sufferer and is in a support group. She is struggling with another members suicide. Hopefully it will raise awareness of what all of us go through daily--- We'd all love to go see it together so I'll pass on the information as soon as I hear it. Even if you can't make the group showing, I encourage you to go on your own. I'm really looking forward to it!

Something you might want to mark on your calenders is January 21st. They are having a continuing education class for medical cannibis and pain management. The speaker will be Dr. Ethan Russo. There is a charge for going. I will let you know more details as soon as they come in as far as costs and signing up. I do know it will be at the Eugene Downtown Athletic Center. This is a personal decision for you and we are not leading you in any direction. Just getting information out to those who would like to know more. The presentation is from 6:30 to 8 but you can get there as early as 6:00 pm for networking.

Would like to do a quick reminder that the Tamarack is open to the public for free on Saturdays from 3 to 4 for Ai Chi unless there are five saturdays in the month. Go to their website at http://www.tamarackwellness.com/to look at everything they have to offer. And I would like to remind everyone to check the bulletin board at the Pain Management Office because its full of great resources!

Thats about it really. We shared some funny stories to get everyone laughing because its true, laughter IS the best kind of medicine. Just really enjoyed everyone and all the positive vibes that were floating around. I left feeling exhilerated and peaceful all at the same time. And most of all, I left feeling like I belonged. They have become my extended family and it means so much for me to be a part of it. I hope to see you at the next meeting!

Fibromyalgia Awareness Day Notification

April Meeting

Happy Friday! Hope life is treating you all well. I finally made it back for a meeting. I missed it. J Everyone is just so fabulously supportive and you just don’t get that everywhere you go. At least I don’t. To me, walking into a meeting is like walking into a warm hug. Instant acceptance and understanding. Yep… I missed it!  

Linda and Charlie weren’t there. Which I was quite bummed over. I mention this for two reasons. One, I want to kid them a bit. I show up so they don’t??? LOL! But the REAL reason I mentioned this was because they took the night off to reconnect. They took time for themselves! This is so very, very, important. You MUST make time for yourself. You MUST make time for your partner, caregiver, etc. Please, if you are not doing so, make this a priority!

As usual the superwoman we call Janice (founder of the support group!) did the introductions and asked us to think of one positive thing that happened that week that made us either laugh out loud or at least smile. That’s a really good habit to get into. Learn to focus on the positive.  

I will upload the Fibromyalgia Awareness Day poster at the end so you can mark your calendar accordingly. And while you have the calendar out, it’s a good time to just go ahead and put a reminder on next months page for the second Tuesday. That will be when the next support meeting will be. Every second Tuesday of the month.  

Janice mentioned that there is Tai Chi classes and yoga classes available at the Oregon Heart Institute. So if interested, that’s something to look into. Really does wonders for those of us that have balance issues. They do so much more for your mind, body, and soul but it’s up to you to decide if its right for you. 

Our guest speakers were Dr. Scott Pengelly and Dr. Joshua Haber from Pain Society Of Oregon. http://pain-consultants.com/our-practice/  They were really great. Told funny stories and explained things in layman’s terms. Which was very helpful to me J If you don’t keep it simple, I tune out. They introduced the concept of R.A.F.T. to us and broke it down so we could follow. They use the R.A.F.T steps in their office to treat you. I did take some notes but was suffering silently with a migraine and nerve firing. So any mistake or error in what they said is mine and I apologize.

The R in R.A.F.T stands for RESCUE. Finding some relief not only with medication but with alternative care options. But the first step is to rescue the patient. Stop the spiral fall they are on and get them as comfortable as they can so they can focus on phase two. Phase two is the A in R.A.F.T. Which stands for ADAPTATION. They work with the patient to find out what works for them. Making small changes in your everyday to make them work optimally for you. Whether it involves changing the time you take your medication etc. As for the F, that’s for FUNCTIONALITY. Being able to address the issues, show with learning and adaptations that you can still learn to enjoy and perform tasks. Finally the T stands for TRANSFORMATION. This entails you using all the skills they teach you (like breathing exercises etc) to make permanent changes so you may step away from the chronic pain and start living. Just like kitchens and garages have different tools for different tasks, you should have different ‘tools’ to use against your chronic pain.

Dr. Pengally mentioned the function of the limbic and amygdala in the brain. It was very enlightening. I encourage you to look up their functions. I’m currently at a loss on how to explain it. The limbic is always on and everything gets processed through it. Really quite fascinating! 

Just a really great meeting. We were treated to a train poem by Verna at the end. Hope to see you soon. Every second Tuesday of the month to be exact! Until then, soft hugs to you all J

December 10th Meeting Cncelled

Hello everyone :) Are you cold enough? If you're like me, they can turn up the heat anytime now...

Unfortunately the meeting tonight has been cancelled. We will just resume normal schedule on the second Tuesday of January. 

But due to the crazy ice and snow we are having, tonights meeting has been cancelled. I hope today finds you safe, warm, and hopefully, pain free. Or at the very least, a little less painfull. Soft hugs and warm wishes to all of you!

November 2013

Meeting began as usual with the meet and greet. Had some new people so thats fantastic. Means we are getting ourselves out there and heard. Thank you Janice and Robin!

A phrase that our dear Rob came up with was "Don't let your struggle, become your identity." Profound isn't it? Take a moment and think on that statement. Totally epic in my opinion.

Few things came up as reminders. The Tamarac pool is offering free sessions the 1st and 2nd Saturday of each month. Ai Chi (like tai chi but in the water) in a salt water pool from 3 to 4 pm. Located on Donald street, its a great treat for yourself if you can make it.

As of January 7th, we'll be adding new support groups. The first tuesday of each month from 2 to 4pm in the community room downstairs.  So if you can't make the evening ones, this gives you another opportunity to get more resources.

December 10th meeting will be our Christmas meeting. Our third annual meeting. Woohoo! 3 years strong. Love it. Couldn't and WOULDN'T have happened if Janice hadn't made it happen. You go girl! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for pushing, making it happen, AND keeping it going. The follow thru is often a breaker and you have not failed. You've even blew by the defense and are going long...

So. As I was saying. December 10th for our next meeting. Bring a small gift that is wrapped and costs under $5.00. The whackier the better. If you are bringing a spouse or support member make sure they too bring a whacky gift so it will be a even exchange. Its the white elephant game that can get slightly out of control. I've never seen blood but I think a few got over eager for a few items last year. Certain members have a very competitive nature. LOL! So bring a whacky gift, a sense of humor, and a small treat to share if you are able or care to do so. Most importantly just seeing you their to partake in our silliness is what matters! You don't even need to spend money on the gift. If you have something in your stash that you think will bring a laugh, wrap that bad boy up and we'll see you there!

We even got a gift this meeting. A timer! I use this method all the time so I know exactly where Janice was going with this. You might be skeptical. Thats fine. Be a skeptic. But "DO" it. "USE" it. And I gaurantee at the end of the month or even the week or day! You'll notice a difference. Its impossible not to. What am I yabbering about? If you follow Flylady you'll know exactly what it is. But for the others... The concept is simple. Do one thing for fifteen minutes. Set the timer! In fifteen minutes if your project isn't done, tough noogies. Move on to something else and set the timer for fifteen minutes. You might not finish your project til' later in the day or even maybe the next morning but you WILL finish it. And you won't be in as much pain. Why? Because (for us with pain issues esp. fs) repetition KILLS. Okay, maybe thats a bit overly dramatic. But seriously folks, repetition of using the same muscles for endless time is not good for us. And following a timer really does help. You just have to get used to it. Here is an example. You have a stack of dishes and its looming over you. Stop. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Get to work. DING! 15 minutes is up. MOVE ON! Not done? So what? They will still be sitting there waiting for you. If you are tired set your timer and rest for 15 minutes. If not move on to sorting laundry or picking up the house. DING! Not done? SO WHAT?! MOVE ON! No one is here to judge you. And don't make the mistake on judging yourself, you are far too critical. 15 minutes of vacuuming. 15 minutes of rest. 15 minutes back on those dishes. 15 minutes to fold laundry. Pull the weeds. Whatever. Just keep moving to the next thing. So a ton of stuff is getting done but you aren't taxing one set of muscles. Awe. Eye opener huh? Told you she was brilliant. ;)

Lastly, I will leave you with this. Put together a small survival kit. Not a tacklebox people. But just a few things that help you in your 'real' life. You have errands to run etc. Pack a small survival kit to aid you in getting from task to task and errands ran. Janice brings a chair cushion. Because it helps her. Another lady brings a walking stick. I bring heat wraps. Whatever works for you.

Look forward to seeing you December 10th at 6:00 PM @ Pain Manager Partners 2401 River Road.

Depression & Suicide

Depression and suicide. What a conversation starter I am, right? No wonder I don't do well at parties...

Tuesday night was a pretty intense evening. At least for me. I didn't take notes for the most part. Our group shared very personal stories about their personal struggles. Each had five minutes to share. How do you share that you were 'this' close to losing it and why in just five minutes? As a whole, our group is very upbeat. I have to say this is the first meeting I've been to that we discussed such a heavy topic. But as usual, we fit in some jokes, here and there to lighten the moment.

We'd like to share that you are NOT alone. If you have any feelings that are leading to self harm or suicide, call the suicide hotline right away: 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273 Talk. Here in Eugene you can call the white bird clinic at 541-687-4000. Don't be afraid to reach out for help.

A very important thing to do if you suffer from depression is to form an immediate support team. People close to you that know you the best. Make sure you tell them if you are feeling low, share your thoughts, ask for help. It can be a close friend, a parent, a spouse. Whoever you feel most comfortable with. Let them help you! And get in to see a doctor. They can help as well. Get that support team and USE them.

You really do have a lot to live for. Think about what you'd be doing to the people left behind. What you would put them through. Everything that is bad usually does go away. Just get to your team and ride it out. There are online chat boards to use as well. If you just can't get the courage to form the words. But really, its nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone is susceptible to depression. Its worth repeating, you are not alone.

I have a few more things to share in the next week or so. And our next meeting will have a pshychologist to help us build our tools so when we do get depressed we have more resources in our personal arsenol. Look forward to seeing you Tuesday, October 8th, at 6:00 pm. Willamette Pain Center on River Road. Same parkinglot as Albertsons. Next to Shari's.