Real Love and Good Sex: for Chronic Pain Patients and Their Partners by Ms Barby Allyn Ingle and Mr Ken Ray Taylor

Posted by twinklev

Real Love and Good Sex: for Pain Patients and Their Partners by Ms Barby Allyn Ingle (Author), Mr Ken Ray Taylor (Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Love-Good-Sex-Patients/dp/0615961010/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403059408&sr=8-1&keywords=real+love+and+good+sex

I was honored to write the forward to this book.

Please keep in mind that the Ms Barby has Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and the tips she gives is her own, she’s not a sexual professional or expert. But a professional in her own life and sexuality living with a chronic, incurable, neuro autoimmune disease which affects the Central Nervous System, the Limbic System, Autonomic Nervous System, and most of all the Sympathetic Nervous System (also known as Fight or Flight) and multiple other bodily functions. The Autonomic Nervous System consists of both the Sympathetic and the Para Sympathetic. Depression is often a secondary diagnosis to RSD/CRPS, however that is not an issue here.

Barby and Ken attempt to help the reader or partner dealing with pain understand that the sexual component in a relationship is still possible. Perhaps not each and ever moment of the day, but that it is possible. Sex induces endorphin’s which in turn reduces chronic pain.

I am in my 14th year with this same disease.

All things are possible. You won’t know if you don’t try.

Nobody Said It Was Easy..

Posted by twinklev

Sometimes people only see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, but do they really “hear” , “see” it”? It’s all perception! We live in a world of perception and deception especially online. The typed word is “perceived as “tone of type”. People take from it what they will. Imagination goes with it, fantasy, an idea of who or what you are. Tone of Type means how the other person takes your post, how they imagine it as if it came from your lips. It may not be what it is intended to be though after all there really is no tone, there is no voice, there is no body language.. it’s all the typed word. No seen or heard emotion. Nothing to actually base the tone on. I’ve shared so much through Social Media over the years, but I assure you, even with those who I thought were “friends”, I’ve never shared everything.

Since December of 2012 my life, our lives have changed drastically, but let me be fair in saying that just because I haven’t shared like I used to that it hasn’t continued.

(I know some of you know)

Due to betrayal, I haven’t revealed what I might have. I’ve shared pieces and parts. At the end of 2013 I learned a valuable lesson. One that carries with me. I already had reservations and a trust issues.. that person only reminded me that barriers and walls are meant to be kept up.

My husband had already had 2 heart attacks, he had 2 stents in his heart since he was 37 when the first occurred. The second occurred in 2011 if my memory is serving me correctly. Not many months after that our son, who was a freshman at the time sustained several brain injuries that still exist today, so while I praise all of his efforts and good deeds online, we are still working to relieve him of symptoms, like breathing, smelling and other issues. I will not be ashamed to say that he was diagnosed with ADHD and was on Adderall for it for some time. By choice, partly his choice, we decided to go off the Adderall over a year ago and let his body take it’s course. He’s strong! He’s young! My Lil ‘ OZ! My husband had a quad bypass 17 months ago and is still dealing with Diabetes, Neuropathy, and the aftermath. He takes 11 medications upon waking, 4 in the afternoon, 11 at bedtime. I could care less about me anymore, even though it’s hard. Yep, hard! He took care of the me, I couldn’t keep up on so much, now I have to pull for all of it and I …

Will!

Some people think because I have hope in my heart, once every 3 months or so that I’m able to go out that I think my shit don’t stink, that I’m better than someone else…

I’m not! Nor would I ever think it. Seriously? ! I’ll be the play’a in my own game!

A pretty outfit, a little make-up, one leg leaning to the hard left while the other holds it up, wheelchair in the van, the stick out of view, but no one knows..

Invisible diseases are even invisible among the very people they should be acknowledged from.

Even those in remission are looked down upon, I mean you can’t have a bad day, you’re in remission, right? Wrong! Remission only means an absence of symptoms for a time being it doesn’t mean that no symptoms will present.

A time being can be minutes, hours, days, weeks.. there is no absolute!

Those people still hurt too, still feel fatigue and get sore, wear down more quickly than someone without an illness.

I’m not in remission! I just understand those who are.

Now have a CRPS patient taking care of another ill disabled person… add struggles, surgeries, life, precious children, the grand baby. This has been my life. As my son approaches another surgery next week…

When you think you’ve had enough and you can’t go on…. Go On!

Don’t ask me how I do it..

Auto pilot!

Don’t ask me how I feed the dogs, the cat, love my children, my grandson, my family, however distant…

Or how I take care of my grandson…

Don’t ask me about me..

Don’t even ask me how I lift my eyes..

Just know that I do..

~ #TVa

#StrongerThanPain

(But he leaned in and whispered it might be worth it)

I originally wrote this weeks ago and used the same title recently on FB to show how proud I am of my (our) grandson De’Mantai Xayvier Howard who made 8 consecutive honor rolls and graduated at the top of his second grade class (and the entire school) . … (this post was written before that and left in drafts)

Fight for Tomorrow

Posted by twinklev

Always have faith that a better tomorrow will come. We have to or we won’t survive. The life of chronic pain becomes a family disease. In the last few months we have lost over a dozen people in the CRPS/RSD community. At least half to suicide. Most people do not premeditate their suicide. Many do experience suicidal ideations. It has been noted by professionals that “wanting to die or commit suicide” and suicidal ideations are not the same”. If they were more of us would be evaluated and helped before we get to the point of knowing our pain is never going to managed and into the sudden taking of our own lives. When it happens it is often spontaneous. There will have been signals and signs misread. There is always a cause and there will always be an affect. So many are not afforded proper medical care to reduce pain levels. Opioid medications, such as Hydrocodone, continue to be well versed as a gate way drug to harder and heavier medications such as Oxycodone. It has been said a like a broken record over the past decades that Marijuana and narcotic use causes a person to become high risk for Heroin use. I do not believe this to be true. I do believe it’s possible in some personalities. Addictive personalities perhaps, but this does not include our entire population. I am offended for honest chronic pain patients that need pain care who have been dismissed as drug seekers. I am offended by good providers whose practices have been raided for prescribing Opioid medications.

It’s not the Opioid itself that is the epidemic in our society, it is the person who does not take it exactly as prescribed which can lead to abuse and misuse. Re evaluate the patient for possible addiction or consider another pain management plan of action. Either way they need help!

If pain patients aren’t taken care of and the pain cannot be controlled..

The number of deaths continue to rise. The epidemic will be chronic pain related suicides.

Your autopsy report will probably read.. as a result of depression, misus, abuse or other. There will be nothing about really happened. There will be nothing about the fact you couldn’t get pain relief and your last, very last resort was taking your own life.

DEA.. You don’t know pain until you’ve contemplated.

Speak up and speak out!

Let there always be a tomorrow. Fight for your tomorrow!

From Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome to Fibromyalgia to ME/CFS? The Spreading Neuroinflammation Model – Health Rising

Posted by twinklev

From Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome to Fibromyalgia to ME/CFS? The Spreading Neuroinflammation Model – Health Rising.

I hope you find Health Rising as informative as I have.

~Twinkle V.

CRPS/RSD and Chronic Pain: Should We Stop Living Because It Hurts?

Posted by twinklev

We should not stop living because it hurts! I’ve heard so many times if so and so has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Chronic Pain in general if they go out for the evening, wear a certain type of clothing, shoes, accessories, move their bodies they can’t possibly hurt that bad. Wrong! It means they are not letting the pain and disability rule their lives. They want to live, laugh, enjoy a moment, make new memories, perhaps experience some of the old.

Too often we become trapped in the cycle of isolating ourselves. Maybe even feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s okay to feel that way from time to time it’s not okay to let the illness take over our lives and that which we love. Family, children, goals, dreams and wishes for ourselves.

If you see someone doing something you wouldn’t do or your body isn’t capable of doing please don’t judge them. Maybe all it means is that they are pushing past the pain for a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. Granted there are people in the world that like to be sick, they crave attention and pity, but not all Chronic Pain Survivors have this mentality. It is not fair to group them into one category. One size does not fit all and it never will.

Some of us use medication to try to survive, other’s have gone off of all medication and use alternative strategies for coping and managing pain, other’s use a combination of both as I do. Just because someone can survive without medication doesn’t mean they feel better than you do it only means they have learned to manage their pain a different way.

If you love to dance as I did, dance! I do! I may last 20 seconds, I might make it through a half of a song, I already know my body is going to pay for it, so why should I hold back because I might end up down for a week after? I shouldn’t and you shouldn’t either! If you love to garden, do it! Pace your activities so you can enjoy your time. If after a half hour you can’t do anymore, don’t. There is a fine line between doing too little and doing too much! Learn you and what you are able to achieve. It doesn’t matter that the next person only lasted 5 minutes or another person lasted an hour. You are you!

Make daily goals. Lists can be helpful. I often have 5 things on my list, my goal is to be able to mark off 3 of them. If I can mark off all 5 it’s just a plus for me and if I only make it to 2 I’ve learned to let myself know it’s okay. Don’t put yourself down for not completing a task just move the one you missed to the top of the list and start again.

I tell myself “I will” instead of “I’ll try” it’s just something I’ve found quite useful after completing my Functional Restoration Program back in 2009. The word “Try” sets me up for possible failure from the moment I say it to myself. “I will” motivates me! There is no pass or fail here. We can or we can’t. We will or we won’t. We are not only individuals but individuals in our own pain, depression and mindset also.

Many of us deal with depression and/or anxiety secondary to our chronic pain. Close your eyes, relax and go to your happy place. Using imagery can be helpful. Don’t forget to laugh and laugh with others. Laughter produces endorphin’s and endorphin’s decrease physical pain.

Physical pain and depression can be a vicious cycle in itself. Depression causes pain to increase and the pain causes the depression to worsen. Living, smiling, loving, practicing appreciation and gratitude goes a long way in helping us overcome and survive the diagnosis’ we’ve been handed.

While there are times I suffer, I know we all do, I do not consider myself a sufferer, but instead a survivor. I am surviving this! I am alive! It’s been said that pain is that one reminder that we truly exist and for me I believe it. I am reminded every moment of the day that I am living, I am alive.

Be good to yourselves!

Don’t stop living because it hurts, survive the pain and go on.

~Twinkle VanFleet

‘The mystery of chronic pain’ TED Talk #pain

Posted by twinklev

I hope you found this information helpful and the video educational.
Well wishes,
~Twinkle V.

CRPS UK

Elliot Krane talks about his 20 years experience of working with individuals who suffer complex pain. He describes a common scenario that I see in my clinic, whereby the pain has persisted beyond the expected timeline, sometimes by many years, and is accompanied by a range of other signs and symptoms that are all manifestations of the sensitivity that has evolved and become entrenched. This includes a variety of protective behaviours and beliefs about pain and what it means, the latter usually informing the former. The belief system is molded by experiences throughout life and messages given by those responsible for their healthcare. These messages and metaphors can often evoke potent imagery and fear that leads to avoidance and strategies that appear to be useful but are actually preventing the move forwards.

Moving forwards is a challenge. But, we are designed to change, grow and develop. Hence by creating the…

View original post 62 more words

The Doctor’s Corner: 5 Recent Medical Study Developments

Posted by twinklev

Excellent information from Royal Claims Advocates! I hope you find all 5 Recent Medical Study Developments helpful.
~Twinkle V.

Royal Claims Advocates

There have been several studies released in the past few months that offer promises for better understanding and treatment of several different chronic conditions. Today’s post is going to review some of these advances and how they may affect those with these chronic conditions and how they may impact disability claims.

Study Shows Antibiotics May Relieve Chronic Lower Back Pain: This new study shows that 4 in 10 chronic back pain cases may be caused by bacteria and that 80% of these cases may be successfully treated with antibiotics. In this double-blind Danish study, patents were treated with either a placebo or antibiotic regiment 3 times a day for 100 days and then re-evaluated. The placebo group showed no noticeable improvement while patients who received the antibiotics were better able to function after one year with less lower back pain, less leg pain, and fewer days off work due to the condition…

View original post 693 more words

adequate pain relief and suicide

Posted by twinklev

The following blog is about Adequate Pain Relief and Suicide! I found it both insightful and worth sharing. CRPS/RSD and Chronic pain itself causes suicidal ideations within us. Many will not discuss it, some will say it doesn’t exist within them, other’s will admit it. I am one of them. When you live with constant non stop burning, stabbing, hypersensitivity, deep visceral pain that doesn’t seem to let up, muscle pain, atrophy, your skin discolors, you have lack of blood flow, your hair falls out during one period of time, grows during another, your nails are thin, cracked with lines running through them, your flesh is on fire and you just can’t seem to get a break enough for the continuous wave… yeah, you think of ways out. Most of us do not really want to die, on the contrary, we want to live, but…

midnightdemons7

Was going through some old journals and came across an article on pain and suicide. This was the “first” study to find that moderate to severe pain caused suicide to happen. **clap, clap, clap** Tell me something I DON’T KNOW. I don’t get how they have to do a study in order for doctors and other mental health professionals to realize that any type of prolonged pain (physical or mental) is going to result in suicide. It astounds me, it really does. And the worse part is that these people are not being treated. That’s the other thing that drives suicide, untreated pain. Granted you can’t treat psychological pain like you can physical pain. There just isn’t a pill you can take to relieve psychological suffering. That is the sad part. But you can assess it. You can hear the person talk about their pain. That is all the person…

View original post 400 more words

A New Beginning: My Life with RSD

Posted by twinklev

A New Beginning: My Life with RSD.

The above blog belongs to featured Blog Talk Radio Host Trudy Thomas.

The Living with HOPE Radio Show is Sponsored by the Power of Pain Foundation.

Living with HOPE began in 2007 under the original title Living with RSD. It was Trudy’s hope to learn more information about her own health issue, the debilitating and painful illness RSD/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and with that a show was born. Trudy interviews doctors, therapists, caregivers, and patients; both traditional and alternative practitioners with expertise that runs from prevention to cutting edge technology.

Trudy empowers, informs and educates her listeners with information that may not be readily available in their local area. Through the power of the internet she has the ability to communicate with and speak to some of the most knowledgeable doctors and researchers in the world.

Some Topics have included: Meditation, Biofeedback, Guided imagery, Relaxation techniques, Breathing exercises, Holistic healing, Coping strategies, Distraction, Depression, Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Pain Management, Medications, Chronic Pain Treatments, Ketamine, Calmare (Scrambler Therapy), Cortical Integrative Therapy (CIT®), Mirror therapy (Mirror Box), DMSO, Low Light Laser Treatment Therapy (LLLT), Functional Restoration, IVIG, Neuropathies, RSD/CRPS, Neuro Inflammatory Disease (NID) and much more.

For more information on how you can listen or even call in please click HERE.

—————————————————

Listeners are encouraged to call in to ask questions of the guests during the show 1-347-884-9691, and if you miss the show you can listen later by clicking on the play button or downloading the shows archive. If you are on the go, you can call into the show through your home phone or cell phone at the above number and listen live. To speak with the host or ask the guest a question press 1, you can still listen to the show while waiting to go on the air, don’t hang up! Your questions and comments are important! A chat room is also available during the live show.

Living With Hope is broadcast live on Monday’s 4:00 p.m pacific and Friday’s 9:oo a.m pacific.

You can post your questions in the chat room to be answered on air. If the time is not convenient to stop by the live shows, you can listen to the archives at any time on the radio page.

Savy Seniors, Trudy’s newest show is live on Wednesdays 3:00 p.m PST. with co-host, Sharon Rowell covering all the latest news about health, medicine, safety, care taking and programs that are available to help seniors live a fun, productive and long life.

And, for fun of course Trudy does a Saturday show, 3:00 p.m PST, with readings from spirit given by Seers of the Soul and lots of fun music from the 50′s-80′s. Oldies but goodies.

If you are interested in being a guest on any of these shows, please email Trudy at goldfield_nv@hotmail.com.

FAQ: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy | The Dr. Oz Show

Posted by twinklev

FAQ: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy | The Dr. Oz Show.

Philip Getson, D.O. • Yesterday (July 25, 2013) “I was given the honor of having a post on RSD featured on droz.com Please feel free to comment on it”
“I am delighted to get the disease the exposure it so deserves”. “Here is the link for the RSD post” These above are the personal words of Dr. Getson, I have quoted.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/faq-reflex-sympathetic-dystrophy

I am delighted that Q & A’s regarding CRPS/RSD (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) made it back to Dr. Oz. via Dr. Getson.

In addition, the differences between CRPS/RSD and Fibromyalgia were touched on.

Paula Abdul tried to do her part in sharing the debilitating outcome this illness causes, but as some of us know television editing can leave a lot out.

Even so I think Paula made her point. There were some people that tried to convince me of how terrible she did, I re watched that segment I can’t tell you how many times and the bottom line is she did great! How much can you do in so little time. It wasn’t an RSD specific show in the first place it was to showcase a vitamin line of healthier living. So yep, good job for what she had to work with.

For Dr. Philip Getson who has been educating and treating CRPS/RSD for decades, I am honored to have spoken to him briefly via email and look forward to again. I also look forward to the P.A.I.N. SUMMIT hosted by the Power of Pain Foundation during Pain Awareness month where he will be Guest Lecturing. I would love to meet him in person and attend the conference in Arizona but if not, I will still be attending via UStream and have already registered.

~Twinkle V.