Swell day

What a swell day. This morning I did not get up despite the alarm clock, despite the fact that I know I had to get up to get something important done.

I was “aware”, but not able to get up.

More than 2 hours passed in that state. Finally I got up. LATE.

My body was aching all over, hands swollen. My swollen feet “ouched” when I forced it to bear the weight of this 80 kg giant.

FLARE!!

I was very angry with it coming at that time. Then I remember the good doc told me to catch my blood profiles during the flare.

What followed was frantic phone calls, going to one clinic after another and then finally taking blood, and getting an appointment to see my rheumatologist, at a reduced rate. The appointment is one month later, but at least I got my blood profile.

What a frantic day. To my classmate, she probably does not know what it is like. I talk to her, “like normal”. God knows how stressful it was. I was “fog checking” all the time, and pulling all my strength to carry on. At one time, I almost slipped and fell down the stairs.

To an outsider, I am normal. Ok, I am an overweight woman, who shuffles a little, probably due to the weight? Unless they shake hand with me, they would never notice that I have a special warmth about me. Yup. I am warm.

I am usally 36.5, and when I “flare” it goes up to 36.7 to 37.0. I never officially qualify for the typical mild fever. To begin with, I am colder than usual.

Should I be proud of myself? Yeap. I am very. I only took 2 cab trips. All others are by train and bus. In the train, I even gave up my seat to an elderly woman with a cane. I thought “young, “mild” arthritic giving up place to old, “severe” arthritic”. What is this world coming to? An old woman with a cane has to walk from coach to coach to find a seat. What happens when I become old? Is this the place where I should grow old? Horrible!

ANGRY

I have deep pent up anger.........

Before we moved, I spent days and nights packing our things. It was so triring, and triggered my fibro. Everybox was sealed and labeled before sent to my MIL's home for storage.

Yesterday, I realised that she opened up every single box to "repack"!!!! My diary appeared on top on the box. Great. So ,my diary became a public property, huh?? I almost felt like screaming to her!!!

Looks like one of these days i got to go and "rearrage" the things, and bring them all with me. Either that or i will have every single one destroyed. Period.

a sign of needed confidence boost... taking an IQ test

I took an IQ test, and it says that I am a "facts curator". My IQ was supposed to be 138. Is that a lot or very little? They dont tell me which percentile of the population I belong to. So, does that mean I am smart or dum.

Other "facts curator" include Bill Gates. Hmmmm. But I supposed you have "facts curator" of different quality, dont you? Bill Gates is porbabaly a top class one.

Like a meticulous collector, you've fed your brain a unique set of facts and figures over the years and this makes you a Facts Curator. Whether or not you intend to absorb every piece of information that comes your way, your mind is a sponge for knowledge.

The words in your head could almost fill a dictionary, and you're equally adept at manipulating numbers and detecting important patterns in number sequence

Oh really??? Yeah, perhaps when I am not fogged.

Anyway, this is a new thing to do for FOG check, other than sudoku. GO and try for yourself- free IQ test!

What works for my FIBROMYALGIA.. so far?

Things that make me feel good?
1) Avoid beef and red meat like hell
2)MASSAGE, especially Tui Na or acupressure
3)Alexander Technique lessons and "practice" at home
4)Stretching!
5) sleep
6) Takes lots of fish and omega 3 oils and also antioxidants when it flares
7)Ginseng and Gingko (for my brain fogs and speech slurs)
8)Muscle rubs
9) Hot bath!
10) NSAIDS...

Amitriptyline ease a lot of the pains, but I am so fatigued and knock out by it that I will end up able to do nothing but sleeping. I try to stay away from it.

Technorati Tags:
chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue

Head-hunted???

I am invited for an informal discussion with a potential employee, even though I have not submitted my application. Does that mean I am head hunted?

Hahah.. Well, i think they don't know I am a fibromite.. yet. Wait till I tell them tomorrow.

Hmmm... My CV does look impressive, other than those "gaps".I am sure they will ask about these.

Now I realise I have a problem. Did i get the second or the third place in the oratorial competition? I think I misplaced my testimonial. I want to ask hubby, but he is asleep in another time zone!!!

The first place went to the teacher's pet, and native speaker of language. He was very good too, and have made a mark in the artistic circles. I often see him in newspapers. Losing to him was an honour. Now, between winnie and me, who got second place?

NO idea. totally fogged. ALmost forgot that the discussion is tomorrow.

Hmmm... that might be an interesting discussion. Imagine me being foggy???

Heck whatever. I already have a job in hand. This is more for future jobs.

It is morning, and that means I got to get up early. Fingers have been having a "swell time" in the past few weeks.

Totally honest, yet Offered a job!!!

I am just offered a job.

It started with JOanne finding a job with a MNC, a very difficult to get position.
And then I thought, if Joanne could do it, so could I??? Joanne is younger and has a longer "list" than me, yet she managed, somehow. Wow. Maybe what the Chinese say is true, Heaven will not give man a deadend. Well, heck, just give it a try.

I had wanted to hide about my condition. But my experience tells me, no point doing so. If you get into a company who thinks that people like me are parasites, and wouldn't want to acknowledge my limitations and yet at the same time see my potential, I will go no where.

I need a boss, and a company who accepts me as I am, "lovely bone", foggy brains and all.

Yet, I was called up. They said they liked me!! Can you believe it?? They are willing to let me have a short contract for a try.

I liked my potential bosses too. My instinct told me that they are really really kind people, just like my thesis supervisor and my phd committee. With these people, I thrive.

Wish me luck. Please with me luck.

One up for fibromites.

And three cheers for people like my bosses. Heavens sent them to me, I believe.

But I should also let you know a little secret, seeking out these angels are hardwork. ANd I worked hard at it.

Things dont come easily for people like us. Just got to hang on, work hard, and if shit comes to you, think about that donkey!!

seeing friends, seeing flares

Having a chronic invisible diseases means that whenever someone has not seen you for a long time, they will tell you how good/bad you look, and ask you about THAT, what-is-it, RA or something that you have? Every meeting will start with a hello to the joints. Their well-being get asked about much more often than my husband.

Change of weather, and time zone means loss of sleep, ie flare city for me.

I am still adjusting, and a little to tired to type.


My mood is quite high though, i have a high chance of starting work in a job which is ideal for me.

What is the most important thing I did these last 7 days?

Educating a young, bring medical officer; my dear cousin. My cousin is one of those super-lucky people in the world. Identified as gifted since young, higher than average intelligence, born into a good, loving family, and pursuing her chosen profession. She is a young angel and I am just so proud of her.

HOwever, one thing worries me. Will she be able to emphatise with patients?

Her dad was a very popular doctor, and still is. what has changed is his style. More and more paternalistic as skill and confidence and reputation increase over the years. I am worried that my cousin would fall into the same trap.

So, I told her about my encounters with doctors. Some of them, she took some time to digest, and tried to defend her profession. ANyway, I just wanted to drill into her head about respecting patients, eventhough the patient is "isgnorant". The "ignorant" patients goes though the illness and the disease, and their experience deserve to be respected. As a doctor, you improve their life, what is important to them, and not what is important to you.

I am really drowsy now.
just hope that my message got through. Really hope that my cousin will be an angel of a doctor. She has a great heart. My only worry is she fails to understand patients. I just hope she would.

tired

tired. #

hand hurts.

hand as stucked in a Tube trap.

staff was in no hurry to help.

more pain now. bruised

more complains when less painful.

Tools for a neat little diagnosis: Are we getting that soon?

Almost every month or so, we will encounter a "new disease" or new "syndrome". Imagine you are a GP, harried and tired after hours of work.

In an attempt to simplify the process of diagnosis, researchers have attempted to come up with solutions, ie what questions can the GPs ask in order to diagnose?

Giving the GP a list of questions to ask, and telling him/her that if the patient answers "yes" to a certain number of questions, you can "diagnose" the patient of having a certain disease is very "helpful" to the GP!! That is a great "tool", isnt it? Cool!!!

You go to the doctor's office, the doctor ask you some questions, and then show you a chart;

Doc: Hey you have answers yes to x out of y questions, you most likely have disease Z.

With the huge logos of dissease Z's association, it looks and sounds authoritative.

Patient: Urgh, I have Disease Z?

Doc: Don't worry, they have a new drug which works very well for Disease Z. Why don't you give it a try?

Patient: OK! (relieved that there is name to some symptoms that he/she has been experiencing, and even more relieved that you could now pop pills to "cure" it!)

Errr, did I tell you who sponsored the research of such a tool? And did I tell you when they will sponsor the invention of such a tool?

Yes, despite your fogged out brains, you guess it correctly!

"They" will sponsor the research of these neat little "tools", or "questionnaires", when there is a "promising" compound in the pipeline.

Improving diagnosis methods ---->>>Increase RATE of diagnosis---->>>> Increase number of PATIENTS--->>>Increase number of drugs presribe-->>>Increase sales --->>> Increased Profits!!!

Well, we fibromites can only get jealous with those RLS people, cos they have a drug "successfully" developed for it, and get all these associated benefits. Till the, just hang on, and think of the even more unfortunate millions who die of malaria every year.

FYI: Malaria is a poor man's disease, and there is "no cure". Why no cure??? Well, you know the answer. They have no money to buy the "cure", even if there is one. So, how much funding are the drug companies dedicating to this area of research? WE fibromites have it better, cos most of us have "governments" who are rich enough to pay for a "cure", and they will start paying once they get sick of the "sick benefits".

Alexander Technique lessons, what if you can't afford?

I think Alexander Technique has helped my fibromyalgia.
And I really hope others will get a go at it. However, lessons are so expensive, and you need quite a number of lessons before correcting yourself properly!

Is it possible to not go for lessons and learn from videos or books?
I think that would be tough, expecially for those muscles and positions that are really bad. I think it is helpful to have someone guide you.

But what if, like many of us,(me included) we are jobless and broke?
We got to start somewhere. Even if we go for lessons, probably we need to learn "fast", as we dont have that kind of money to go for 20 sessions or 40 sessions!

What would help the student to learn Alexander Technique??
I think reading the relevant books help. While arranging a stack of books in the charity shop I am volunteering, I came across and old copy of "The Alexander Principle " by Wilfred Barlow. (Amazon Link)



It has words, words and more words, but I still bought it.

Last few nights, I began to really read it, and started to link what I am taught during lessons and the principles behind it.

Wilfred Barlow is a medical doctor by training, (and from Oxford !!!), so don't expect glossy, "reader friendly" stuff. The approach to this book is a little clinical, ie dry. I could barely go through more than 10 pages at a go(that is for someone who gobble up whole novels at one sitting). It reminds me abit of my student days, mugging my anatomy and physiology books. But somehow, I went on reading it, because it the examples and information is so relevant!!!

The charts and diagrams in the book points out obviously the difference between correct use, and misuse of the body. I also like illustrations on the problems with diagrams of the relevant muscles, as it helps me to visualise acurately which muscle had gone wrong and pay attention to it.

I suggest people reading it before starting lessons, as you will learn more quickly that way. Lessons are not cheap if you need to pay. Or just read it to find out if we are really misusing or bodies. Get someone to take your photos and compare with what you see in the books. May be that is a cheaper way to get something off, before proceeding to lessons.


P/S: Try to get from your local library- My local library has a copy. Or check out Amazon. If you are buying from Amazon, please do consider clicking my link above, as I will get a 5% commission from it, which would help me pay the bills. Thanks!

Related posts:
Make sure the Bra fits!
Alexander Technique-new hope for my fibromyalgia
Alexander technique- feeling benefits after one lesson?
Alexander Technique-second lesson
My limpy fibro progress-My 3rd Alexander Technique lesson

Technorati Tags:
Alexander technique;Coping strategies ; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue

What works for my FIBROMYALGIA.. so far?

Things that make me feel good?
1) Avoid beef and red meat like hell
2)MASSAGE, especially Tui Na or acupressure
3)Alexander Technique lessons and "practice" at home
4)Stretching!
5) SLEEP
6) Take lots of fish and omega 3 oils, antioxidants when it flares
7) Ginseng and Gingko (for my brain fogs and speech slurs)
8) Muscle rubs-esp Tiger Muscle rub or Tiger Balm (Got to ask around to get it, or get someone to buy back boxed when they go to Asian countries!)
9) Hot bath! (with Lavender essential oil)
10) NSAIDS...

Amitriptyline ease a lot of the pains, but I am so fatigued and knock out by it that I will end up able to do nothing but sleeping. I try to stay away from it.

Technorati Tags:
chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue

Alexander Technique- 10th lesson done!

I have finished the 10th Alexander Technique lesson. 2 more lessons to go, before I have to start paying, if I want to continue.

Last lesson, I was taught to concentrate on my breathing when lying down to release the muscle tensions. It was a little like meditation, the teacher said, and not exactly AT. That seems to help... but I can't seem to do it on my own at home! I guess I am the impatient type, always thinking of something else to do. But this is also the issue that I need to keep in check, as I think this sort of attitude will just exacerbate my fibro!

Suprise, suprise, I found myself able to hold myself better in the position that is halfway between sitting and standing. We are supposed to do that, is PAUSE while doing something to check ourselves and allow a chance for all the MISuse and bad habits to undo. This time, I found myself less shaky (despite a mild, ongoing flare!), my knees a lot less painful! I think I am beginning to use the correct muscles!

I think since starting the lessons, I am less tired afters activities like shopping, standing for a long time etc. Before that an hour or two of standing/walking will produce muscle cramps and I would be so fatigued, yet not able to sleep well at night because of the pain.

I have started reading a book for Alexander Technique, I think it helps me to understand and learn faster. I will write more about it another day. I guess it is pre-lunch time now, and I am so so tired. Keep on typing tried tried tried for tired. welll.. that is a sign of snooze time.

Some other Related posts:
Make sure the Bra fits!(THE "lesson" from my 4th lesson)
Alexander Technique-new HOPE for my fibromyalgia
Alexander technique- feeling benefits after one lesson?
Alexander Technique-2nd lesson
My limpy fibro progress-My 3rd Alexander Technique lesson

Technorati Tags:
Coping strategies ; alexander technique; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue

Tools for a neat little diagnosis: Are we getting that soon?

Almost every month or so, we will encounter a "new disease" or new "syndrome". Imagine you are a GP, harried and tired after hours of work.

In an attempt to simplify the process of diagnosis, researchers have attempted to come up with solutions, ie what questions can the GPs ask in order to diagnose?

Giving the GP a list of questions to ask, and telling him/her that if the patient answers "yes" to a certain number of questions, you can "diagnose" the patient of having a certain disease is very "helpful" to the GP!! That is a great "tool", isnt it? Cool!!!

You go to the doctor's office, the doctor ask you some questions, and then show you a chart;

Doc: Hey you have answers yes to x out of y questions, you most likely have disease Z.

With the huge logos of dissease Z's association, it looks and sounds authoritative.

Patient: Urgh, I have Disease Z?

Doc: Don't worry, they have a new drug which works very well for Disease Z. Why don't you give it a try?

Patient: OK! (relieved that there is name to some symptoms that he/she has been experiencing, and even more relieved that you could now pop pills to "cure" it!)

Errr, did I tell you who sponsored the research of such a tool? And did I tell you when they will sponsor the invention of such a tool?

Yes, despite your fogged out brains, you guess it correctly!

"They" will sponsor the research of these neat little "tools", or "questionnaires", when there is a "promising" compound in the pipeline.

Improving diagnosis methods ---->>>Increase RATE of diagnosis---->>>> Increase number of PATIENTS--->>>Increase number of drugs presribe-->>>Increase sales --->>> Increased Profits!!!

Well, we fibromites can only get jealous with those RLS people, cos they have a drug "successfully" developed for it, and get all these associated benefits. Till the, just hang on, and think of the even more unfortunate millions who die of malaria every year.

FYI: Malaria is a poor man's disease, and there is "no cure". Why no cure??? Well, you know the answer. They have no money to buy the "cure", even if there is one. So, how much funding are the drug companies dedicating to this area of research? WE fibromites have it better, cos most of us have "governments" who are rich enough to pay for a "cure", and they will start paying once they get sick of the "sick benefits".

The danger of misdiagnosis : A Single Question can diagnose Restless Leg Syndome ??

A single question to diagnose a condition? Wow, that is magical!!!

'The question, developed by the International RLS Study Group on the basis of standard diagnostic criteria, is:

"When you try to relax in the evening or sleep at night, do you ever have unpleasant, restless feelings in your legs that can be relieved by walking or movement?" '

"Unpleasant, restless": these words are so subjective, and its interpretation would vary across cultures. The Italians seems to have better acuracy in diagnosing it.

Are there any single questions to diagnose the PAIN, FATIGUE, fogginess that we experience?
Nope.

No easy diagnosis, no easy prescribing, bad market for drugs.

Bad market for drugs, less money to develop drug, no funding to improve diagnosis methods.

Till then , we got to count on ourselves.

Original article at:
SLEEP: Single Question Aids Restless Leg Diagnosis - CME Teaching Brief - MedPage Today: "International RLS Study Group"

Just what is needed to stay off chocholates! Salmonella!

Cadbury: 53 suspicious cases - Sunday Times - Times Online

They knew it was contaminated in January and now it is July!!!

Ewwww.. I took 2 of the Easter Eggs which is supposed to be withdrawn.

Did I have a diarrhoea? I might had, and might had just put it to another episode of IBS.

I lose my chocholate cravings!!!

However, microbiological experts and official agencies said high levels of fat and sugar in chocolate made it an ideal vehicle for preserving salmonella and carrying it into the intestine. This meant that serious illness could be caused by what appeared to be mere trace levels of the bacterium.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), the government’s watchdog, said: “Salmonella is unacceptable at any level and we would have expected Cadbury to have notified us far earlier than they did on finding this bacterium in their products.”

The contamination was first detected in January in chocolate at the company’s Marlbrook plant in Herefordshire. The plant produces nearly 100,000 tonnes of chocolate crumb a year, which is sent to other factories to be mixed with cocoa butter and made into chocolate products.

My own FIBRO-FOG T shirts and stickers!

I "opened shop" in Cafepress, cos I thought I need a T-shirt that says "ME!!"

I am fed up with warning my husband that I have a foggy day, and so don't bug me about where is the book, where is the toilet paper, where are the stamps, what happened to that bag of spagetti (not possible that I was foggy enough to eat it and then forgot about it?).

I decide to do a T-SHIRT and a stickers that basically tell him to get lost, dont ask me questions. I am foggy. Period.

If I have a car, I would stick in on my bumper... it is a foggy day, dont say I did not warn you!

I got this done from Cafepress. Quite cool.

If doctors are murdered, you know why......

I went to see the GP that day, running out of medicines, and hoping to get prescriptions for those heating rubs, and NSAID gels, and also something to help with my pain/cramps that got worse during the past few days because of my RA flare.

I told the locum doc I needed something to tie me over the post RA flare period, as the pain and cramps are very disruptive. I already have Alexander Technique lessons which seemed to help, but when the flare is there, everything cramp up.

The doctor (not my regular one) insisted that I go for acupunture, when what I asked for were:

• Celebrex or naproxen (which seems to give me less stomach irritation if celebrex is unavailable)
  
• NSAID gel - which I use when flares are better, it enables me to stop oral NSAID sooner
  
• heating rubs- great to kick start those stiff joints in the mornings
• Another medicine for those neuropathy like pains and cramps, as amitryptiline works, but the side effects was too much for me

He did not give me anything that I requested. Reasons?

1. Diclofenac is shown to be milder than naproxen on the stomach. I would be fine with EC diclofenac. (Yeah, studies show slight advantages, but then again, studies also show that sensitivity is quite an individual thing. EC gives you some marginal protection of stomach irritation, that is all! EC diclofenac is fine, but why insist on changing my prescription when I say it works best for me??? I have been using NSAIDS for more than 10 years!)
2. "Some rheumatologists" have told him that NSAID gels will make stomach symptoms worse when taken with NSAIDS. (stupid guy, I use it to cut down NSAIDs use, when the symptoms are subsiding and the gel is enough to stop one joint or two from giving me problems. Overall, used in the right way, I cut down stomach problems!)
3. Most heating gels contain salicylates (fine, that is true, but it works damn well in the cold mornings!! So, what is the GREAT danger? Stomach problems again?)
4. If amytriptiline does not work for me, nothing does. No point trying other stuff, go for acupunture. (That was plain bull shit!!! I corrected him that it did work, but the side effects were too much! He could have try starting me on others like neurontin, prebagalin or even other medicines from the amytriptiline's class!!)
   

Despite my pleas that I had try acupunture before, and did not find great benefit, acupunture will take a few session to fully work, and I got to queue for a date to see the acupunturist (which will take more than 1 month, at least!!!), I did not get what I needed.

Guess what he gave me?

1. Diclofenac EC: That was fine, I need an NSAID anyway, but I also need other stuff!!!!
2. Menthol gel 2%-Deep Freeze!!
3. Advise to see an acupunturist.
   

I was just too tired that day to argue with him. I felt like yelling at him

"My joints are already *stiff and frozenP, I dont need DEEP FREEZE!!!"

When I got home, I decided to try the Deep Freeze, anyway, since this very self-confident doc insisted it is good for me. It did not work for me!!!! I need heating rubs, heat pads! That works!

And the acupunture? I got to wait. They will get back to me again.

Meanwhile, I got to go to the pharmacy, and buy my own DEEP HEAT.&*&@$"&^ I am already damn broke, and trying to raise money for my PhD examination fees!

Heat, my dear doc, not FREEZE.

What happens to the deep freeze gel? It is nice to apply after shaving (great for hubby).

And my cramps? I just got to bear with it, and visit again when my regular doc comes back.

Could doctors please listen to patients?

Well, I guess he is not that bad, that young doctor has been following the news (about acupunture), and try to practise "evidence based medicine, EBM".

But if evidence is different from what an INDIVIDUAL patient experiences, which should be prioritized?

And remember evidence based medicine is based on statistics, which shows what works for most people, and what is most likely to work , not what works for everyone!!

Anyway, that Mayo clinic study about acupunture which could had influence his decisions had a sample size of 50 patients. My treatment should not be dictated by the fate of the twenty something patients given acupunture for a few weeks. (what happens to them after that???)

Get it??? If you still don't get it, it is fine. I can give you a talk about evidence based medicine. I still have some old slides, from the good old days where I used to work, and gave these talks.

Read the full paper, doc, not just the headlines.

If you want to read more about how we struggle with the docs and the medical system, look at LINZ's scary experience

Technorati Tags:
Medical; Patients; ; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue
rants

Acupuncture shows promise for fibromyalgia ??

...or so the study in Mayo clinic shows...CNN reported ( Acupuncture shows promise for fibromyalgia - Jun 16, 2006)

Overall, the fibromyalgia patients who underwent the real treatment showed a significantly greater improvement in their symptoms than placebo recipients did -- particularly when it came to fatigue and anxiety, Dr. David P. Martin and his colleagues report in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

It seems Fatigue and anxiety responds best to the treatment.

Fifty fibromyalgia patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture or to a "placebo" version of the therapy, where a dull surgical instrument was pressed against the skin rather than acupuncture needles.

The subjects were positioned so they could not see which treatment they received. All but one subject was female.

The patients underwent six treatment sessions over two to three weeks. None of the patients had been treated with acupuncture before.

Well, that is a sexy treatment, isnt it? Six treatment, over two to three weeks. Having tried acupunture before for my IBS, I know it works!!! The question is how long will the effect last???

Was these news articles the cause of my unhappy visit to the GP?

Technorati Tags:
Medical; Patients; ; chronic pain; fibromyalgia
; acupunture

Cherry Juice May Cut Muscle Pain

Cherry Juice May Cut Muscle Pain!

or so a report says in the British Journal of Sports medicine.

Before you run down to the health food store and part with those precious pennies, note that it was done in only 14 students, and the authors owns a share of the companies which produce the juice.

Meanwhile, pop more of those TART cherries!!

Technorati Tags:
Nutrition; Coping strategies ; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue

SHAKE IT OFF- Learn from that Donkey!

This is just one of the hundred of "forwarded" emails I have received. I got it in 2003, and it is still in my Inbox, reminding me that I should be better than a donkey.

Here it goes.........

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later,the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.

With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!

Life's too short to moan over the + DIRT +!! SHAKE IT OFF!!

Technorati Tags:
Motivation; Coping strategies ; chronic pain; fibromyalgia; chronic fatigue