It’s starting to make sense…this chronic pain thing. I’ve been very fortunate that almost all my symptoms of fibro have faded away during each of my pregnancies. In fact, my very last trip to physical therapy was the morning I found out I was pregnant with Owen. About four months after Owen was born, I woke up feeling the slightest, yet familiar aches that I had worked so hard to eliminate in physical therapy.

Now, Charlotte is, you guessed it, four month old and the past few weeks the aches have been creeping back in. I have been working hard on getting into shape with a trainer, I’ve been trying to get back to my pre-preggo weight, I’ve tried to limit my caffeine intake…I am sure there are a million other suggestions out there that doctors (and people who honestly have no idea what this feels like) can suggest, but it is what it is. No doubt these new life changes are good for me no matter what, but thus far, they have had absolutely no affect on my pain that I can tell. I’M SO TIRED OF HEARING SUGGESTIONS FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE!

For those of you that haven’t heard of the Spoon Theory (I’m fairly new to this as well), I encourage you to read it here. It really has helped me put things into perspective. Over the past, I’d say, five years, I have unknowingly made modifications to my life that I would have never related to my fibro until now.

It’s the little things. Honestly, how do some people get ready to go anywhere in half an hour? This is mind-blowing. If I am going somewhere with Charles, say just a date night out, I have to set aside two hours to shower, dress and actually make it out the door {and this was BEFORE adding kids into the mix}. I have to take breaks during the whole process to recoup some energy. It takes about three different attempts to get my hair fully dried because I have to pause for the burning in my arms to subside. Let’s not forget the heat flashes…yeh those are fun! Oh, and don’t plan on those cute heels in the closet. I will pay for those for days in the form of burning knees. But I’ll take them regardless. Along with my trusted flip flops because I’ll be back in those after 15 minutes in heels.

So again, please take a few minutes to read the Spoon Theory. For now, you can find me here on the farm with the tingling and popping in my wrists and what feels like a nail in my back…but trudging onward, one day at a time.