Four weeks went by in a flash, with flare-ups, MRI scans, room changes, trips away, and an apocalyptic heat wave. All that was just what I experienced. On June 2nd, we all came back together again for another four days of physiotherapy for chronic pain, ending on June 5th, we would have a packed roster of activities teaching us more ways to manage our conditions. This week also included a medication review, I had been lucky enough to have mine on the Monday, the day before we came back, we went through my fibromyalgia medication and saw that two weren’t working properly for me and changed them. It was a great relief that someone was finally listening, taking notice, and doing something about it.
As we gathered together for the first time this week, we sat with the occupational therapist and did a joint review of the break period and goals for the upcoming week. We listed what went well, challenges, and goals for the week. Below is what we came up with:
What went well: Exercise regularly, self-compassion, noticing approach-lower targets, group support, pace self-exercises.
Challenges: Flare-ups, family emergency, fitting it all in at home.
This Week: Regular exercise, embed habits, how to bring in whilst life is busy, try new things, sleep hygiene, relaxation.
We were also at this time given our one-on-one sessions for this week, and I had mine with Jess on Thursday at 9 am. With all this done and our goals clearly set, it was time to get on with the week. Week two had some similarities to week one but also differences.
Tuesday
9.30-10.15: Review of break and goals
10.15-11.00: Gym circuit strengthening
11.00-11.15: Break
11.15-12.00: Hot cross Buns (not the food) A Pacing Technique
12,00-12.45: Explain Pain 3 -outputs, Explain Pain 4- Managing your Pain
Wednesday
9.30-10.15: OT Industrial Workshop, also medication Reviews
10.15-11.00: Gym circuits – Cardiovascular, Also medication reviews
11.00 – 11.15: Break
11.15 -12.00: Pacing session 2
12.00 -12.45: Challenging thoughts and feelings
Thursday
9.30 -10.15: Sleep hygiene
10.15 -11.00: Walking Workshop
11.00 -11.15: Break
11.15 – 12.00: Tai Chi
12.00 – 12.45: Communication in chronic pain
Friday
9.30 – 10.15: OT Industrial workshop
10.15 – 11.00: Relaxation
11.00 – 11.15: Break
11.15 -12.00: Pilates
12.00 – 12.45: Managing your break, setbacks, and flare-ups
We were all soon to discover that this week had more physical activities included in it, even though the activities were gentle and made to fit our chronic pain needs. Some of us were to discover that even with pacing ourselves during this time, we experienced flare-ups, which was more due to us having a total change to our daily routines.
During my one-to-one with Jess, we discussed my ability to exercise during the break, we came up with instead of focusing on the amount of time I do each week, look at doing blocks of two exercises a day, making it more manageable during flare-ups, I also have the Tai Chi I can do as well.
As we come to another break, we go away with more skills, more exercises, and ways to deal with setbacks and flare-ups. We still have our little WhatsApp group to keep supporting each other during the break, which is such a laugh, it’s now down to us again until our final week. One of the things I have learned this week and am keeping as a positive mantra, and I’m going to leave you with, is the following:
MOTION IS LOTION! FIND YOUR BASELINE, PLAN YOUR PROGRESSION, BE PATIENT, DON’T FLARE-UP, BUT DON’T FREAK OUT IF YOU DO!!
This was written by our contributing writer, Leah Palmer.
Image Source: Unsplash, Zen Bear Yoga
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