Today's post is all about pain and how we can manage it. Something that I am pretty sure we all know a little something about, pain has become my best friend and biggest enemy.
Explaining to someone that you live in pain everyday is hard enough, then add in pain storms and you are onto a killer combination!
So what is a pain storm?
Pain storms are literally fire, blackness, awe consuming agony! The kind of pain that makes you feel sick, feel like passing out and simply hiding in a dark room with no one around.
For me I live everyday at around a 6 on the pain scale. On a bad day it may go up to an 8, but in the midst of a pain storm it will head to a 30 (which isn't on the scale I might add) with suck speed that you have zero warning.
This kind of pain can happen when you are out in the middle of the street, at school, at work, out at a bar. Handling it can be so extremely hard that all you can do is scream!
Know the triggers for a storm to arise
As with many chronic diseases, pain is often triggered by something externally. There is nothing we can do about the internal triggers so we work on the external!
For me it's the common triggers such as stress, upheaval, an unexpected event or simply a change in my plans. Another reason planning is so important to me.
There are other factors though. Over exercising or pushing yourself to hard, in the case of lupus it can be too much sun ( damn it I love my tan ) or it can be lack of sleep!
Keeping a diary to indenting your triggers is very helpful. This way you can keep track of things you are doing that you can avoid in the future.
What can you do when the pain hits...
There are many things that you can do and it will be your personal choice to determine which is best for you!
For me I try to suck it up, it's the only way I can do it. I will ignore it until it either goes or it gets worse. At this point I head to the NSAID drugs and a hot water bottle. Most of all I remind myself that it won't lat forever, as quickly as it came it will go.
Some people worry about the things they have to do that day! Like getting up, playing with the kids, getting the washing up done. Some of us have to do this, but if you can avoid it and get yourself in a comfortable position then do so. I find standing and pacing is better for me than lying down but we are all different.
Remember to only take the tablets that you need to. When pain is that bad you can simply want it gone straight away! However taking small doses of painkillers as you are prescribed to is the only way to help the pain!
Other ideas to try are ice baths (no thank you), breathing deeply, drinking fluids at a great rate and telling someone close by that your pain is to extreme for you to handle alone!
Hope you're all having a pain free day!
