Working Hard to Get Better With Fibromyalgia

Oh my god, y'all. I have absolutely lost my mind. I'm accomplishing things, finally, and that's good, but oh my goodness this animation festival kicked my booty! I've been spending quite a bit of time sipping chocolate milk and watching brainless stuff on YouTube, waiting for this fun to pass, and then right as I started wondering why I was having such a tough time recovering from the weekend, I realized that...

Oh, yea. I live in South Louisiana. Even though it was in the 80s over the weekend, it's now freakin' cold. At least there's a reason I'm hurting- fibromyalgia tends to go nuts when the weather changes. Knowing that is a positive thing, because it tells me hey, there's a reason you're hurting. I figured since I'd figured these things out, I might as well share a few helpful hints in case any of you have fibro (or know someone who does).

One of the main ways I manage my pain took me the longest to figure out. It makes little sense to me, but when I'm hurting, I have absolutely got to get up and exercise. Stretching is good, walking is good... but I have to get off my butt and get my body moving. If I don't, I end up hurting even more, and for even longer. Exercise helps get the natural painkillers moving, and it helps my muscles loosen up and just stop hurting so much. It's a fine line between "enough" and "too much," but not enough will hurt me every time.

Also, a hot bath can do absolute wonders for me. Massage is good too, if you have someone who'll do it. Sometimes my feet and ankles get to hurting bad enough that I really need someone to rub them and stretch them- that's when my husband is even more indispensable than usual. After just a few minutes of intense stretching, it will usually take the pain down to a tolerable level.

But most of all? I don't know that I would be alive today if I hadn't found my pain management clinic. My doctors work with me to help control my pain, and they've given me back a large portion of my life. Don't get me wrong- you don't walk into pain management and say, "Hey, I've got this pain and I need uber-big painkillers." They'll laugh at you, and send you away. But if you're willing to work with them to manage your pain (see that bit about exercising?), then pain management can be the best thing you've ever done.

 

The Viva la Nails sample pack is back!

Just a quick heads-up for those of you who may be interested. Viva la Nails has a sample pack for beauty bloggers and YouTubers, and usually it's out of stock. However, for the moment it's back and you can get yours for free! (Well, if you live in the UK. Shipping out of the country isn't free, but it is cheap!)

Now, be aware. This isn't the uber-package of the past. However, it is three sets of nail decals and three sets of water decals, and you can't beat that with a stick! It's a £12 value (that's almost $20!), so it's really not a bad deal. Plus, their decals are absolutely adorable.

If you're not a blogger, don't feel bad. They still have some really pretty things to play with, and their prices aren't too shabby. For example, look at this selection of water decals for £1.95 a pack, or their glitter and flitter (£1.45-£1.95), dazzling sticker paper (£1.95), or a huge selection of rhinestones, crystals and pearls for your nails. Honestly, there's a huge selection for a decent price.

As for the quality? I love the stuff that came in my sample pack. I've used them a couple of times, and have more looks to show you (look back through my blog, or look at the viva la nails tag). If they were local, I'd be ordering from them all the time!

So check out Viva la Nails. You might just be surprised at how cool their stuff is!

The Viva la Nails sample pack was provided by the manufacturer for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.