Dealing With Pain Daily

As I've mentioned before, I have fibromyalgia (chronic pain) and arthritis. I thought I would share some products that make my day to day life a little easier. Nothing takes all of the pain away, but many times I just need to take the edge off.

I love my Fit Flop shoes. They are like flip flops but are sturdier with great support and cushioning. They are supposed to help tone your tush and legs... I don't know about that. I just know I can walk around in them for hours. They are pretty expensive; about $60 a pair at Macy's, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet to be comfortable. They also last a long time. I constantly wear the ones I bought last summer and I bought another pair a few months ago. They come in simples styles, but I like the flashy ones in sequins and rhinestones. My sister says I have an ugly shoe collection, but even she owns two pairs of these!

Salonpas are my next big go to item. They are patches that you place where your pain is. You can find them at most grocery stores, Target and Costco. The main ingredients are menthol and camphor, so you'll smell rather minty but it feels so good. Beware of wearing them too long or too much; they can hurt when you take them off because they are stickers and will take off the fine hairs on your skin and sometimes even a little skin. For a while I had small rectangle scars on my back because I wore these everyday for...hmmm.... a year?!? They are perfect to throw in your purse and there is no mess when applying like with creams. It also comes in a spray, but I like the patches because the medicine stays on longer.

I also love the aromatherapy heating pads that you can get at the mall kiosks. I heat mine in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes and wrap it around my shoulders. When I get too lazy, a plain old plug in heating pad will suffice (especially in the middle of the night.)

When I get a horrible headache, I take a hot bath and add a few drops of Kwan Loong Oil. (You can get this at Country Square Market or online.) The menthol steam penetrates soothes my sinuses and the oil relaxes my muscles even more. Between the Kwan Loong Oil and Salonpas, I smell like an old lady! Don't sit next to me in church!

Valerian Root helps me sleep at night. (I haven't taken it in a while due to pregnancy and breastfeeding.) This is an herbal muscle relaxer and you can find it at most stores in the natural foods section. Warning: it smells like stinky feet! Luckily, you won't smell like it and you won't taste it after you swallow it.

Well, I hope these products help you if you battle pain like I do. I've tried TONS of products and these are my favorites.

Pain in the Neck

As I've already written, I deal with fibromyalgia and have chronic pain. It really, really, REALLY stinks. The past few weeks it has been getting worse; I pop pills, take long showers, throw the aromatherapy heating pad into the microwave, and slap on a few menthol pain patches to no avail. There is one thing I keep forgetting to do and it should be the most obvious: pray.

I didn't really realize this until I went to church yesterday and the pastor prayed over the congregation. It got me thinking: "Why have I stopped praying for this issue that has plagued me for so long?" There are several reasons I've come up with:

1) Having a baby definitely keeps me busy. It certainly takes a lot of selflessness and my prayers are focused more on getting a good night's sleep (which is another dilemma unto itself).

2) It's so much easier to pop ibruprofen and hide in a steamy shower. When I pray for healing, I feel like I have to analyze my spiritual self and battle with feelings of doubt, forgiveness, and self loathing. I try to figure out why I'm not healed yet and after 13 years, that gets quite exhausting.

3) I've already had my miracle. God opened my womb and gave me the baby that I was longing to have. Asking for more just seems greedy.

4) I've given up. I figure if God hasn't healed me by now, this just might be the thorn that I have to bear the rest of my life. I'm tired of saying the same prayer and He's probably tired of hearing it.

Okay, all of these theories are complete garbage and my head knows it. I just get tired of fighting the same battle over and over. I guess now I have two things to pray for - healing AND a fresh touch from God. If I truly knew the character of God, I would probably never stop praying in the first place.