I am extremely grateful to be writing this post in a MUCH
happier state of mind than my last one. But it’s those difficult days that make
good ones so much more meaningful, right?
For over 15 years I have tried what seems like every
medication out there to relieve various symptoms or the chronic pain – mostly to
no avail. My fellow spoonies can attest that with any new medicine the side
effects are generally worse than the original symptom you’re trying to fix! It’s
a very emotionally draining process of getting your hopes up for a new medicine
to just have it not work, or to make symptoms even worse! BUT! I can say with pleasure
that for once in my life, I am now on a medication that helps!!! Not only does
it help, but it has made a HUGE difference in my daily life – such an
unbelievably huge answer prayer.
Though there is a small caveat – the fact that this medicine
works means I get to add another chronic ailment to my list: RLS. Restless Leg
Syndrome (RLS) is a very irritating condition that most people have actually
heard of, that is characteristically known for a strong urge to move your legs
(or arms as well, in lovely severe cases such as mine) to relieve
discomfort/pain that get worse with inactivity or around bedtime. This is why
it’s so hard for me to travel!! It’s such a relief to finally have an answer,
but an even bigger relief to have a medicine that helps!!! I’m sleeping better
than I can ever remember, and I have energy for the first time since I can
remember, and the medicine is helping my nerves chill out.
While unfortunately I cannot say it’s helping with the daily
pain I have, it’s made a world of difference even still. At this point I will
take anything I can get! It’s really hard to describe how I feel now. Honestly,
I’ve never really had much energy, so now that I have little spurts of it, I
don’t know what to do with myself! Waking up every morning used to be a
miserable process of forcing myself to get out of bed despite the fact that I
felt like I hadn’t slept for a week. But now I wake up with enough energy to
pop out of bed and greet the day – feeling like I have actually slept! Granted
my new abundance of energy is probably equivalent to a healthy person’s slow
day, but it’s still a dramatic improvement for me! Now my new battle is
moderation! It’s so hard now that I have some energy to not go out and do a
bunch of things which will lead to being burnt out!
This situation has confirmed yet again, that you are your
biggest advocate!! I am SO blessed to have a doctor in town who is willing to
help me try new things if it will bring some relief, and she was open to
prescribing this medicine. But I had to ask for it! I was the one who had to
tell her I thought I had RLS! It is strange to me that for all these years no
doctors have ever mentioned it either. It may seem a small thing to have a new
medicine, especially one that isn’t a miracle pill that magically takes away
all pain and exhaustion….but it’s made my life, already just in the week I’ve
taken it, SO much more bearable. My mom has always told me (and she’s right, as
moms usually are) that my biggest advocate will always be me, and that’s true
for anyone! Whether it’s medically, or in a situation with friends or work, or
whatever life circumstance – it’s okay to stick up for yourself and be your own
advocate, chances are it will be worth it!
