New Blog Look - Calming

Are you wondering about the new blog look?  Are you thinking it's strange I changed it again -- that I even took off the header I loved?  Let me tell you why.

Last night, I wrote about hypervigilance and the aggravation of too much light and noise coming into the brain of ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients.  I didn't say that this also happens to people who have Fibromyalgia.  I have been diagnosed with both;  and for the first time ever, it hurt my head to look at those bright colors and polka dots.  It was just too weird.  I love bright colors and quiet blues.  I enjoy the spectrum of colors, but my head felt like it was getting tighter and tighter as I saw the polka dots and the bright orange and pink.  I tried quieting it down, widening the sidebars and page, but nothing worked.

Therefore, I used this watercolor I had painted to give me a quiet background.  I tried some nature photos, but then I decided original would be nice.  The point is that the quietness of the blues were calming to my eyes and brain.  I could not read anything on the orange and focus, but I could with the blue.

Do you notice colors affect you?  Are some colors overstimulating at times?  I would love to hear what you think.

To read more about Hypervigilance in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue patients, read Adrienne Dellwo's blog. 

Sandpaper on the Brain

Image Courtesy of [Idea go] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I felt very off yesterday. 
I was having symptoms of noise sensitivity;  and my husband suggested I get off the computer because of the light.  Usually, I can block a certain amount of sound, but I felt bombarded.  I went out on the porch, and the birds sounded loud to me.  I had to turn off our little fountain, because the water was like sandpaper on my brain.

Hypersensitivity to noise and light is an annoying symptom of Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS.  I haven't quite figured out what triggers my symptoms.  Have you?

These kinds of sensitivities can be found in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder too.  It is also called Hypervigilence Syndrome.  Could it be some of the same changes that occur in the brains of people who struggle with PTSD  also occur in the brains of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?  For those of us that deal with this, whether it is all the time or when something triggers it, we must find solutions that help these areas of our brain to calm down, because it often seems to affect how our whole body feels.  It is an uncomfortable feeling to feel like your nerves are jittery.  They actually feel as if they are moving inside of your body.  I have heard this described as the heebie jeebies, having the jitters, one's skin is crawling, and one's nerves are on end.  

Sometimes, you can get away from the light source or noise to rest, and that helps.  Sometimes, it just seems more irritating to be still, because your nerves feel like they are moving inside your body.  Visualization exercises can be helpful.  And some people can distract themselves by reading, but only if they can focus.  Some doctors will dispense anti-anxiety medication for the times you cannot find relief.  

Something, that has helped me in the past is taking Omega 3 rich fish oil, which is something I have gotten out of the habit of doing.  I got so busy, I began to tire of getting together my weekly supplements.  Maybe, I should be taking it again.  What works for you?

Light, Noise, and Nerves

Sometimes, as women or men with Chronic Illnesses, we have to bend to the way the wind blows.  For some reason, my blood sugar is going up – I know it is not diet, so that leaves illness or stress.  I suppose my diabetes could be getting worse, but I doubt it.  And the other thing is that I have felt extremely jittery almost all day, with it increasing early this evening.  It feels as if every nerve in my body is standing on end.

[David Castillo Dominici] / FreeDigitalphotos.net

One of the things that is really getting to me is noise.  Some days, I can listen to different stations as my husband surfs stations during commercials; but today, I am cringing inside with the different noises in the house.  It is as if my body is wired and the nerves are being attacked.  Why that changes from day to day is a mystery to me.

However, today, I was reading an article by Adrienne Dellwo, and she had written, “We don't know the causes of light and noise sensitivity, but they're often called "generalized hypervigilance." That means our bodies are constantly on high alert. It's also a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder.”  I don’t know if a nightmare, right before you wake up could aggravate hypervigilance, but I had a humdinger that was about the dearest people in my life right before I woke up today.  I remember waking up grieved and sad.  That might be enough to start a bad day that would stimulate hypervigilence.

However, I have not let that keep me from going on to Day 7 of  FlyLady’s 31 Daysof Beginner Babysteps.  And it is worth it, because tomorrow, I can say I have done a week’s worth of steps. I congratulate myself for following through.  I don’t have a clean house yet, but I am going to.  I am sure of that. 

One more thing:  I have found FlyLady Bingo is a game that encourages me to make headway.  I played it today, and got some things done that were on my to-do list.  Action is sometimes a way to make it through a day that starts off badly.  That at least gives me the satisfaction of knowing I am in charge, not my illness.