my battle for better health

My Battle for Better Health: Allergies, Fibromyalgia, and My Mother

8/12/2015 House of Geekiness 2 Comments

When you have fibromyalgia, your nervous system is hypersensitive. Pain, fatigue, etc., is more intense than what others might experience. I've often thought of myself as a wimp, but now, I wonder how others would handle my pain levels? Allergies are a huge problem. I'm allergic to dust mites, several types of mold, and certain trees and grasses. My allergies are year-round and worse when seasonal allergies pop up.

I experience chronic inflammation, which can leave me completely debilitated, and took a really weird turn this last month. I've always had really sensitive hearing. I hear really high pitched noises that adults aren't supposed to hear, etc. This sounds like fun, but it's gotten to be a source of contention in our house. Loud noises really hurt my ears. I'm always asking everyone to "Can you turn it down?" or "Please don't talk so loud!" In the last few weeks, its been even worse, but I noticed that louder noises started to sound like I was hearing them through a fan. You know how it sounds when you put your face in front of an electric fan and speak into it? All vibraty and stuff? We all used to do it. ;) I started to hear like that more and more, until it started sounding like my ears were plugged, like I was hearing everything from under water. Then, I started getting earaches, nausea, and dizziness.

The doctor didn't see anything wrong with my ears and decided that it's an inner ear problem caused by my allergies. He said that I'd been prescribed the same allergy medicine for too long, and it wasn't effective any more. So, my allergies were causing fluid to build up in my inner ear. Now, I've got a new allergy medicine, but he's also got me taking a decongestant (to get rid of the fluid), and an anti-inflammatory, which is heavenly! I try not to take the anti-inflammatory medicines (like Advil, etc.) too often, because they can be hard on your kidneys, stomach, etc. So, when I do get to take them, it's a huge difference!

After a few days, the ear problems are still there, but I did see one immediate change. The morning after I took my first allergy pill, I woke up less tired. I'm not sure if it made me more drowsy, so I slept more deeply, or if I could breathe better, but it was great!

Another wonderful thing is that my depression hasn't been as bad lately, and trust me, it was bad there for a while. Part of it might be that summer is winding down, and I'm looking forward to having a solid schedule again, but the biggest difference is that my mom got to visit for a few days. I'm telling you, I have the best mom ever! When she and Dad visit, they usually go through my house like a whirlwind, and leave it cleaner than when we moved in. Dad had to work this time, but Mom got to come. She tried to get some cleaning done, but we had errands to run and spent a lot of the time out of the house, playing.

When you have depression, change is one of the best treatments. They tell you rearrange your furniture, go walking, get out of the house, etc. Getting out did help a lot, but what helped the most was having Mom here. There is nothing like the love and acceptance of a mother. My house was a mess, and I was so ashamed and worried about her seeing it. I've had people be very judgmental in the past who criticize but don't bother to help. Not my mom. We talked about the mess, but she reminded me that how I'm feeling and what's going on around me is not who I am. Being sick, I always feel like I'm being lazy, but she helped me remember that whenever I am able, I am very active and always have been.

By the time Mom left, life just seemed brighter, everything seemed more possible. I wish everyone could have a mother like mine. The house still needs a lot of work, I still have fatigue, depression, and anxiety, but I've got this.