Month: February 2017

#Just5Minutes – Leg Pain Be Gone on My New Pilates Reformer

The last 14 days have been some of the hardest, most painful days I’ve had in a long time. I had two back to back reactions to medications and the per usual hellish time of month, which was way worse than it’s been.  Legit natural child birth pain – exact same pain, in same place as when I delivered baby #3 naturally. Pretty sure it’s a lock I’m headed for a hysterectomy soon.  My husband was unfortunately away for most of it, or had early morning OR cases. I’ve had to figure out how to parent, get my kids to school, deal with horrid medication reactions, intense pain like no other, and still run my small businesses — one being a new nonprofit (EDS Wellness & plan its upcoming retreats – Wellapalooza, etc.). All I wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep. Seriously, I just wanted a break from everything. One day to just have nothing to do and not worry about it, but that’s not my lot in life and it’s far …

When your pharmacist hands you your script refill and tells you that one of the only two meds you take was filled with a different generic….

You end-up mass purchasing the only clothes/loungewear/PJs that does not hurt your skin because everything else feels like a razor, and only adds to the burning feeling radiating off of your body in several places. I will surely say “no thank you” next time a script is filled with a different brand of generic of a medication or supplement I take, because feeling like my veins may burst open through my skin from the horrid pressure and swelling, should be enough in and of itself. Or, the feeling of my hands and fingers being inflamed, swollen, and stiff from pain would be enough as well. And the feelings of having hot spots all over my body and that my skin is burning in places should also be enough to make me say “no thank you” next time also. Oh, and the feeling as if my skin feels is burning on the inside, yet is actually so hot to the touch on the outside also that it does seem as though I may have been burnt …

Nope, did not have the MELT Method or Yoga Tune Up®, but now I do!

When you teach #Just5Minutes classes 2x a week live on your foundation’s Facebook page, and you are now holding a weekly movement and mindfulness-based program and support group, you feel obligated to purchase and “try” the various movement programs that say they help people manage chronic pain. Or, maybe it’s just an excuse, so my husband doesn’t say, “don’t you have enough workout stuff already?” Nope, did not have the MELT Method or Yoga Tune Up®, but now I do! My other excuse? These will be perfect for the Life Hacks table at Wellapalooza 2017! EDS Wellness’ “Just 5 Minutes” class on Monday at 11 am (EST), just got a whole lot more exciting. 😉 (Massage pillow, knock-off TRX bands, and resistance band set were purchased previously and are some of my necessities for living as well as possible with EDS, and ensuring that I always have a way to keep my muscles strong – all are easily portable for traveling)

You know that you have mast cell issues when … 

You react to something in an “organic” Cliff Bar – or, it’s probably the “natural flavors.” The reaction started as soon as I started taking bites and then just got worse. And that was this morning. It has not let up. I’ve taken cromolyn sodium and have tried to avoid needing something else, but I can’t get it under control. I feel terrible – sick to my stomach and like I have hot spots all over my body with a million needles pricking me. I also feel cold and chilled – like a cold draft is constantly blowing on me. My bladder is also been on fire. That was one of the first really bothersome signs that I was having a bigger reaction – bladder pain woke me up and I felt like it was burning inside of me. This is when I hate Interstitial Cystitis (IC) with a passion. My body is clearly flared and angry because I also got an ocular migraine for the first time in 5 years. Resources:  – What is MCAS? …