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Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Question of the Week: Waking Up Worse Off?

365:215 Sleepy HeadImage by angelsk via Flickr
If you live with fibromyalgia like I do, then you know that waking up can be painful. Morning is often when my body feels the most stiff.

Someone mentioned to me that this is so because our bodies don't like being in the same position for long periods of time. Of course, when you are asleep, you can't help but be immobile for much of that time.

So it goes without saying that the best cure for  morning stiffness is trying to wiggle, stretch and get yourself moving.

But then there are the mornings when I am just not sure what is going on when I am asleep...

For example, I woke up this past Saturday morning and could not put any weight on my right ankle. I went to bed the night before with absolutely no right ankle pain at all. It was like I injured it horribly while I was sleeping and now I was suffering the consequences...big time!

I have been employing rest, ice, compression through the use of an ankle brace and elevation all weekend. It is helping in small increments, but my ankle still hurts three days later. I almost think a visit to the doctor might be in order, but since this is my gas pedal foot, I'm not quite sure how I would get there safely.

Then yesterday I woke up and it felt like someone punched me in the breastbone.  I hurt so bad right in the middle of my chest.  I struggled for the first few wakeful hours and the pain did subside, but did not disappear completely.

I really have to wonder if aliens are borrowing my body while I am asleep and having a lot of reckless fun inside it.  At the very least, you'd think they could return it in better condition after a few zaps from their advanced healing gadgets.

I'm feeling like a weirdo now, so for my own sanity I have to ask all of you: do you wake up worse off too?

Kindly leave me a comment with your reassuring words here or over on the OMA&P! Facebook page. Let me know I'm not the only one feeling all beat up in the morning!
 


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12 comments

julie riddle said...

I've been known to accuse my poor husband of beating me up in my sleep. Also, if it turned out that I actually sleepwalk- and, perhaps, even ride horses, play soccer, or climb mountains while doing so- I wouldn't be surprised.

deb aka murphthesurf said...

This sounds like every ra morning of mine! So many of these diseases have so much in common and yet...no dang blasted cures!!! Yup, I can sooo relate to this post!! The Tin Man in the am.

Helena at Chronic Marriage said...

Oh let me count the ways! I wake up grumpy and stay that way until after my hot shower. Only then can I move without wondering who beat me up while I slept :)

Sharon Stevens said...

I can totally relate! I truly believe that when we sleep and have dreams our body reacts to what we are dreaming. ie someone is chasing you, breaking into your home, etc..we tense up from that and who knows, like the other poster said you might be walking in your sleep. Maybe you have to resort to recording your sleeping..yikes like parnanormal activity3!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I, too, wake up in worse shape than when I went to bed!

I live in an area that was formerly cotton fields. In fact, they still farm cotton not very far from my home. I am convinced that I pick that cotton, by hand, in my sleep. It certainly explains the neck and back pain.

Susannah said...

Hia Selena,

Sounds like someone's beating you up in your sleep, you poor thing! I wish I had some good advice to give ... I don't, but I do empathise!

I'm bedbound from ME, & I've always found that the first few hours after I wake up are usually the worst in the day. Oddly I have a different sort of pain (as well as my normal pains) when I am trying to wake up, (it often takes me quite a lot of time, I can't move much when I first wake) too, like a sort of buzzing - hard to describe ... but it can be pretty horrible at times.

Aren't chronic pain illnesses exciting? You just never know what'd gonna hit you next! ;)

Susannah x
http://www.thethingwithfeathers.me

Anonymous said...

I once read somewhere that when you have fibromyalgia, the best part of your day is over when your alarm clock goes off. This is my mantra!

Felicia Fibro said...

I always wake up groggy and stiff, but sometimes I also have specific body parts that hurt that didn't the night before. You're not alone!

Allison said...

My theory is that the Sand Man has started driving a Mack Truck. Maybe he gets sleepy himself from the sand and shouldn't be operating heavy machinery because I often wake up feeling like I've been hit (or run over) by a Mack truck. And my husband recently told me that I have spasms all over my body when I sleep so that can't be helping how I feel when I wake up!
I always get up early for more ice/heat packs (followed by getting back in bed) so I'm trying a new thing where I drink a full glass of water while I'm up and on a really good day do 2 min of stretching. I think the water first thing in the morning helps detox but I can't remember all the detail at the moment.

Anne said...

OMG I feelthe same way it's frightening everyday a different part of me hurts...I get these horrific pains in my arms and then the subside next day my back next day something else else but basically my whole body hurt it gets alitlle better as the day goes but there always pain somewhere.

Unknown said...

I recently moved to Colorado from Texas and since I have been here, I wake up with painfully stiff hands, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet. I'm only 32 years old! I and my doctor have no idea what's going on - bloodwork came out fine. I see I am not alone, but why isn't there a cure for this, whatever it is?

Anonymous said...

I agree... Sometimes I wake up and can't lift my right or left arm and I have to use my hand to lift it. And if I try and lift the injured one it's extremely painful.