Sorry this is so late, as the title will tell you I've been having a 24 hour flare up! We all get them, sometimes they are caused by over exertion the day before and sometimes they just hit you like a bus.
These are not just bad days where you feel slightly off either. These are days when you feel like you are in the middle of a flare up but it comes from no where. They can really screw you over and mess with your entire day.....but they don't have to stop you!
My mini flares
I tend to get my flare days at the weekend and this is because I work and I do a lot of activities during the week. My body just wakes up at the weekend and say......nope I don't think so, you are going no where.
I actually have a voice in my head when I write about my body talking to me....it's a cross between the witch from Snow White and medusa!
So this is how I woke up yesterday. In reality I knew this was happening at 2am when I woke up with a night sweat and temperature. My body was starting the attack and I was caught unarmed! I woke up feeling like someone was pinning the front of my head and eyes in a vice! The pressure was almost unbearable and nothing would stop it. I also felt nauseous, aches from head to foot and had so little energy just sitting up was hard work.
All the plans I had went out of the window right there and then! I was awake at 4am, could not find a comfortable position and realised I was at war.....but I didn't give in! It's the weekend, my own chance to relax and do what I want to do....it shall never win.
How I handled it and kept smiling
When I wake up like this I immediately re access my day. I run through my plans in my head, I consider what I can still do and what I can't, then I make new plans. I won't wallow in bed unless I absolutely have to. So I got up, very slowly, got dressed and faced the rest of the day feeling encased in a bubble of pain and sickness. Oh the sickness is the worst part for me.
I started with making sure I ate a lot. When I feel like this I will eat whatever my body wants for fuel. I have had cake for breakfast before....it was a smile making moment! I will indulge as I usually feel starving all day long during flares and I know my body needs it. I try to be healthy, so I will have extra vitamins too through either fresh fruit, veg or tablets. I find the dissolvable ones to be the best.
(A favorite of mine.....)
I will also drink and extreme amount of water and fruit teas. If you read the Sjogren's post you will know why. My mouth gets so dry I swear tumble weeds travel across it. Plus the night sweats and low grade fever leave me dehydrated and this needs to be avoided at all costs.
Then you have the medicines. I will need extra painkillers during flare days. Now please don't just pop them like sweets. Always read the limits and know what you can and can't take together. My moto is .... If in doubt don't take them!
I will have one extra dose of painkillers at midday. That helps to keep the pain at a level I can function and frees me up to maybe go for a short walk....I will get into this next!
Exercise and flare days is a must for me! No I don't mean going to the gym or doing a ten mile hike.... I mean doing a gentle 10 minute walk or some yoga at home. Anything really that gets my joints moving and less stiff. I also find that if I can go outside, even just to wander to the local park, then I will as fresh air helps no end. If you simply can't, then one trick I have learnt is to set an alarm every half hour where I will move around my bedroom or chair. As I have Hughes syndrome (sticky blood) I am terrified of blood clots and I feel the movement helps with the circulation.
Finally I will distract myself mentally. This is where smiling comes into play. The power of a smile is immense and can change the whole outlook of the day. Yesterday I read for a while, so relaxing and lovely to get lost in another world. Then I chose to watch a terrible, but exciting film, made me giggle and cost me zero energy.
You see, not everything has to end with a flare. I have found new hobbies like learning languages, writing this blog, watching old films, catching up on my mountain of books and chatting to friends! A smile is the first step!
