Swimming in the sea

I swam in the sea today, well technically a bay, the Chaleur Bay. And it was warm.

I floated in the shallows between the sandbars on a noodle, rising and falling with the gentle undulation of the swells, remembering the dark time a short couple of months ago when neuropathy held me in its grip 24 hours a day.
Now it is mostly under control; I am reminded from time to time during the day with light symptoms.

Today, I walked the beach in my bare toes and flip flops taking in the beauty of the sand and the tide worn stones.
I kayaked, I swam, I floated, the salt water doing wonders. I turned with my back to the shoreline gazing out to the endless horizon.
It felt so wonderful. I still fear the return of the all consuming pain, ever hopeful that I'm on the mend.

Gabapentin for neuropathy

I'm still taking a large dose of gabapentin for my neuropathy. I still remain hopeful that it might get better someday and I'll be able to get off it although the groggy side effects have worn off at least.
It really does help for me to stay busy as it takes my mind off the symptoms that are not completely eased by the medication. I still have some tingling, burning and itching at a moderate level. Doing something physical really helps. My husband doesn't like me to mow the lawn, but I insisted the other night that I really needed to do it. I couldn't sit still all evening!
Keeping busy during the day with my gardens and artwork help too.

I'd like to be able to sit and read a little more often. Depending on symptoms, sometimes I can't relax enough to do it.
I can only relate it to having a feeling of ants crawling allover and I have to move even though I'm tired. At night to sit and watch TV before bed, I have to add Tylenol or Benedryl into the mix.
I'm doing what I can and need to go about my day and do most of the things I love. For this I am thankful at least.

Getting away

There is definitely something about getting away from things! We've come to Hampton, NB to visit my son and his fiancé in their new house. We have our own room with a comfortable bed. Their house is sweet.
Today, I relaxed a bit while the men worked on a garden fence.

It really does the body wonders to get away and relax. I still have pain but it has gone down and of course I think about it less.
I took their new puppy, an Auussiedoodle, for a walk. He's such a sweety!

And quite well behaved for a puppy.
I gathered some wildflowers while taking him for a walk. I think a nicely shaped jar makes a great vase.
While the boys work a bit more outside, I sat at the table with puppy curled around my feet while painting in my tiny travel sketchbook.

Oh, and I do always take sleeping pills when traveling. It makes for happy days.
It's all a good prescription for well being.

Finally, a walk

I've been icing and my leg and wearing a knee brace and  it finally feels a little better. A noon hour talk show with a doctor convinced me to get out and give it a little spin. He said that contrary to old beliefs, one should use the injured limb lightly to build up muscles.
So I did.In between showers I took my poles and went for an easy 30 minutes. Seems OK.
It's silly isn't it the little things that can wear you down, and the equally simple things that can make one happy. good thing for that!

i picked the forget me knots near the beginning of my walk and gripped them with my poles all the way!d

And I picked up the little orchid while at the grocery store.
I've had a busy couple of days writing for a deadline. Between that and my knee, it was lovely;y to get out for a bit. Even the mosquito didn't darken my mood! They sped me on some though.

What do you do to cheer yourself?

A Strained ligament

A frustrating thing with fibromyalgia is that you can go about your normal exercise routine and without feeling a thing at the time, do serious injury.
For me, walking, biking, and exploring the outdoors is key for my mental attitude, my physical well being, and my struggle with weight. I'm sure many of you know exactly what I mean and understand that it's a struggle.
Hypothyroidism often comes with weight gain. Then several of the pills that I take have weight gain as side effects. But it's not just the weight, I love to be outside and moving. The gardening has made me scarcely able to move although I've been careful and used as many ergonomic aids as possible, limiting time spent as well.
This is a tiny garden space around my apple tree which I wrote about on my other blog. I put together the glass mushroom from thrift store glass, putting a solar light inside.

Somehow, in the last couple of weeks I have seriously strained a ligament around my knee. After a short bike ride with some yoga last night( it felt so good) I can barely walk this morning.
I took advantage of skipping my yoga class and chopped up my rhubarb which I had picked the other day. The rhubarb drying on the towel I froze. I made rhubarb walnut loaves with the rest.

I'll continue icing, resting, and easing off the exercise, but I must keep going.
How do you cope?

A little trip to help me out of my rut

I haven't driven out of town anywhere by myself in the last couple of years. Recently, I've been trying to get used to 2 new medications, gabapentin and elevil, to help with the neuropathy. I really hated taking them at first due to the side effects. I was in a haze and still they didn't seem to be working. Finally, after months, my brain cleared and the pain is at a bearable level.
I went to Prince Edward Island over the weekend to stay with my daughter who just started university there.
Wow, I really had such fun! And managed to take all my pills at the right time without it being tiresome.
We spent a lovely weekend together, lots of shopping and visiting my family. She took me to an opening of a very beautiful restaurant and art gallery with the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen!
If you have time go, look at some of their pictures.

The Dines

It really does take a little excursion out of town to make one see how much of a rut one can be in. I made it, I had fun, I spent time with my daughter, I was happy!
When I drove up into my driveway, I was greeted by a backyard in full bloom. I was so afraid I would miss it. My apple tree is at its peak.

Addison's and taking your cortisone

I've developed a pretty rigid habit for remembering my cortef dose which I take at approximately 7am, 12pm and 5pm.
My watch is set for the afternoon ones. The first thing I do in the morning is get up, make a cup of tea which I drink in bed and I take my first dose of cortef. Today, for some reason I only noticed at noon that I had missed my morning dose.
I took both doses but by 1 pm, I could hardly move my limbs. I stretched out with my I a Pad and a tea until around 3 pm when I felt better.
I'm wondering how others make sure to get their necessary pills. Suffering does go long way in helping to remember!

I did put it ether a little bird bath/ feeder from recycled glass vases and bowls earlier today. Planning to do more.