What I do for...

It's good to know what your options are when you're in pain and not thinking straight. Now that I'm starting to be able to manage my pain better and perpetuating factors (like IBS, PMS, hypoglycemia, etc.) I am slowly coming up with a good list of how to normalize my body as much as humanly possible. Sometimes when spasms or nausea/dizziness is unbearable and all else fails, I just drug myself enough to sleep through it. Sleep is so important. Do what you have to do to get whatever kind of sleep you need! For me, it's priority numero uno. And keep calm! My pain used to make me panic--now I'm easy breezy and it makes things go a lot smoother (and I make more rational decisions).

...muscle spasms/trigger points

• Muscle relaxants/benzos (like Ativan)
• Moist Heat
• Mixture of heat and cold (10 min heat, 10 min cold, 10 min off, repeat)
• Theracane
• China Gel/Custom pain salve (made on Etsy by a friend) of essential oils
• CBD gummies  (these help in conjunction with drugs, but not much on their own)
• Compression top
• Trigger point injections/medical acupuncture 
• Foam roller

...joint pain

• 800mg Ibuprofen (strong NSAID, ie. Toradol) 
• Bracing (I use ankle braces and EDS splint rings for my knuckles)
• Epsom salt baths 
• Flexiseq Gel (arthritis gel) 
• Comfort U Body Pillow
• Massage 
• Chiropractic work 

*Something I have started doing now that I have a few drugs that work for me is taking it before if I know I'll have a hard day or the second it comes on. The last few weeks, my pain has been a lot more controlled doing this. Usually I have a mixture of joint pain and spasms, so I take a muscle relaxant like Metaxalone and 800mg Ibuprofen and that has been helping me. I also finally got around to keeping a pill box one me for when I'm out and crisis strikes. Stay ahead of it. 

...vertigo/lightheadedness/nausea

• sublingual Zofran
• CLIF shot bloks  (Margarita flavor--high in salt)
• Compression cooling eye mask (also for migraines)

#themoreyouknow

I will add to this list as I think of more things. If anyone has any questions, please message me! 

Moral of the Story: Don't be a dick.

In the last day or so, a friend of a friend of a friend (I know, long connection) reached out because she was concerned she may have EDS and needed someone to talk to. So, I gave her some advice and sent her a few links to things I thought may be helpful. She decided to post one of the links I sent on her site and asked a follow up question regarding one of the questions. After I wrote my feedback, one of her friends wrote back on it "Hypochondriac, yes."

(This is the link--it actually is helpful, but poorly translated from a Chilean rheumatologist.Yes, some of it is probably a little bit of a stretch but a lot of things on this site I was examined for by my geneticist. It is pretty legit. http://zebrasoup.me/2012/07/27/when-to-suspect-eds-iii/)

Let me just say, I never purposefully try to come across as a bitch. But once shots are fired and when it comes to my medical conditions, I will verbally rip you apart. I have mentally and physically undergone too much shit to just sit here while people go on thinking nothing they say has repercussions or comes across as offensive to people.

I know I'm sensitive to this kind of stuff and whether people know or not they are fueling a fire within me, I just can't help but think what kind of a person you are if you feel the need to comment on a Facebook friend's post about a life-altering condition and make her (or me) feel even shittier about it.

I'm not sure how comfortable I would ever be with sharing my medical conditions on Facebook..(I don't feel like it's most of my FB friends' business and they aren't entitled to know. I write my blog for friends/family and other people with chronic pain. It's all I care about. I don't feel like someone I haven't talked to from high school needs to know what's happening to me.)

But, I feel like mocking someone with a painful condition is just about one of the douchiest things you can do so I have no problem being mean to someone who genuinely deserves be called out. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely try to make an effort to be nice to people (even people I don't like) and I never try to "start" anything but kindness has its limits and so do I.

Maybe that person will think twice about what they say to people. I am the first to admit I can be a bit hot headed and sometimes am a little too excited when I come out of an argument with my opponent in tears, but seriously people, back off. (I am also in the midst of a ridiculous flare that I've had the last few days, so that knocks any tolerance I would've had to this BS out the window.)

Noted to all non-chronic pain sufferers: do not f*&$ with someone in pain. It won't end well for you. I've seen it happen to other people from chronic pain people. We are not a group to be messed with. 

I went to fashion school, I have a tough skin and I'm used to dealing with petty people so I can shake it off but I can't help but feel bad for this poor girl and watch her experience (as a relatively new chronic pain sufferer) and see someone be so mean for no reason for something she's really struggling with. When I first started having pain, I was so beside myself and feeling so vulnerable that I would just break down crying every time I felt like someone slighted me with their ignorance.

Maybe I'm in the process and stages of grieving with what's happened to me, but I don't think I'll ever be the kind of person to just brush people off without putting my two cents in first.

I feel like the moral of every social related post I've been writing lately has been "Don't be a dick." but somehow it just keeps happening. Ain't nobody got time for that.

I also apologize if this post was slightly aggressive. I could blame it on drugs, but that would be a lie. I swear some people just bring out the crazy.

PS. I plan on getting a new opiate patch tomorrow when I get injections which could either miraculously help me or send me to the ER, but what else is new? Such is life.