Pain Management Programme Day 8

My eigth day has been and gone at the Pain Management Programme.

You can catch upon my PMP Days here:- Pain Management Programme

Pain Management Programme Clinic

Today we had our reviews to go over what we had learned, any questions etc, but first of all we started with Deep Muscle Relaxation Techniques and then Circuit Training.

However, I did go in this morning with my left buttock in pain, deep in to the buttock muscle, pins and needles in my feet and tingling down my left leg.  I had never had this before and am convinced it is from doing this Circuit Training, perhaps one exercise or two that my body really does not like and I really don’t want to add pains that I have never had before.

So I did the circuit training but really quietened it down, however the leg was still feeling bad.

Pain Management Programme Day 8

During our Assessment time we had an opportunity to go and talk to various people to ask questions.  I voiced my concerns with my leg, that I think I am already pretty active, but am very willing to have a set of exercises to do at home.  But I really want ones that will either help improve my posture and or work the areas that I am not working with the current activity levels I embrace already.

I did voice that a couple of the exercises felt ‘wrong’ to me and was told that actually those exercises are going to either be changed or taken out of the circuit training, phew is all I can say.

During my ‘actual; assessment we talked about ‘one’ thing we should all do this weekend as a change or improvement.  I have chosen to cut down one piece of medication and see how I go, so I discussed this and the best way to go around it.

I also discussed about friendships, my intention to make contact with a couple of friends that I had become distanced from since having chronic pain.

My other thing is that I need to have a more positive frame of mind when it comes to sitting and chairs etc.  For me, I see chairs as the enemy, just pain givers, it is something that happens even just looking at them and I realize the situation will never get better unless I ‘try’ to work on this somewhat.  I will try to work out ways to have a more positive attitude.

I also need to pace myself better, to work on a timetable, which is something also that I am going to do.

I have my kids book on chronic pain which I am going to read to my children over the weekend.  I hope this will help them.

Now to go on to the article below, I copied this, because I still feel that though I am resigned to having chronic pain, perhaps for the rest of my life, I will still seek to improve my pain levels and or hope to get rid of it, because I am an eternal optimist however I won’t send myself going mad that I will discover some amazing thing that will just take it away.

Pain Management Programme Day 8

 

So I don’t know if this is all progress, I hope it is.

I am writing this on Monday, yup not following my rule of writing it on the day and I have made some changes.

• Medication – First of all I cut down one codrydamol, the evening one.  Oddly and it may be a coincidence or something else, the first night I was so so hot and the second night (Sat night), literally I woke up drenched, my nighty was soaked as if i had been in the shower, the bed was horribly wet from sweat, I could not sleep on it.  Luckily the third night everything ‘seemed’ to be back to normal.
• Sitting – I also bought a chair, yay, it is a vintage chair but re-upholstered and stuffed etc, it apparently is an old nursing chair.  I saw it some weeks ago, I just thought it looked nice.  I sat in it with no idea that I would buy it so there was no pressure there and hey presto it felt comfortable.  I went past the shop again and tried it with my son.  He really liked it and it was still comfortable.  Then I started to think about buying the chair haha.  I got it!  I am waiting for it to be delivered.  I shall work on it day by day bit by bit for a few minutes at a time.
• Friendship – Well I contacted one person who I have not seen in at least a year, it was a return message through Facebook to one of those weird chainmail letters which I really hate.  However, I suggested meeting up etc, still yet to hear back.
• Pacing/Time for self – Actually having been on a course all week, one of course gets behind on all the housework and things one needs to do, but also you ‘really really’ end up appreciating having at the weekend a small time slot to yourself.  I was ecstatic actually.  I did go out and treat myself, which I also have not done for ages.  I think it is important for anyone, not just someone with a chronic illness, to ‘remember’ to take time for yourself, it’s not selfish in my mind, it is necessary.
• Mindfullness & Achievements – I have been pursuing this job now for about two weeks.  I finally got to have an interview today.  I was initially very excited, then very nervous.  I found myself walking down the road towards the interview suddenly thinking of all the things that would stand in my way and stop me getting the job, my ‘pain’ was constantly in my head and I just stopped and thought OMG what are you doing?  So I reversed in my mind and totally started to think about all the great things I could offer the people I was going to see, what I could do, what I would enjoy about working there and yup thoughts are thoughts, but very powerful.  Did I get the job?  Still to find out.

That is all for today, Justine xx

© Justine Nagaur