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As I've said before, I don't usually wear bras. I wear camisoles and sag. But those ads were so tempting.
Well, the 3 garments came last week. I tried them on to be sure they fit then washed them in my usual sensitive formula All Free and Clear.
Well I wore the beige one today. It was so comfortable. It moved with me and felt like part of my body. I liked it so much that I just ordered another set of 3.
I took note of others' view on the Genie Bra's sizing and ordered the CamiShapers in one size larger than I would normally wear.
They are more comfortable with those lifting pads out, but "the girls" stand up better with them in. Either way, they are even more comfortable than my cotton jersey (T-shirt material) bras that have no exposed elastic.
Anyone else try them?
BetteView Thread

We are lucky in having a pretty good small town hospital. We have a crop of docs who came through an Appalacian federal program back in the 70's and decided to stay after their 2 years. Now most of them are retiring or retired. We have to travel 100 miles to Rochester or Buffalo to see most specialists.
One thing we do have is a GREAT pain clinic. People come here from Rochester and Buffalo! What a switcheroo!
BetteKView Thread

Mandy,
Those "creepy-crawlies" sound an awful lot like the symptoms you get if you forget to take your opioid medication--or if you are trying to stop taking them.
I think that some of the problem is caused by our generic medications. They--by law--are allowed to have from 75% to 125% of the stated dosage and still be considedred "equivalent." That probably works with normal people, but those of us with FM are not normal. This is especially true when it comes to how we deal with our meds.
The original brand name drugs are subjected to vigorous and lengthy testing both by the government and their manufacturers. The generics are more or less grandfathered in when the original patents expire.
Back in another lifetime, when I was young and single, I was a chemical lab technician for a pharmaceutical company. I found that one of the biggest way our pills differed from those of the generics was in how they dissolved in stomach acid. Ours were very carfully formulated to dissolve within a narrow 10 minute time band during digestion. The no-name stuff took as long as 24 hours to dissolve. Long before they could have disolved, they would have been further down into the digestive system where there was no proof they could be absorbed into the blood stream.
Now think about what would happen if SOME of your pills were digested as designed but others were not. You would have times when you had coverage and times when you did not. You would have some "24 hour" meds that lasted only 6 hours. Perhaps even more frightening, another "24 hour" dose might be a super-digester and all wind up in the bloodstream at once.
I often wonder about those competitive pills I tested so long ago. Our pills, the ones that dissolved when they should and only when they should, were Ortho Novum, the birth control pills. Our product was 98% effective taken as directed. I cannot believe that the generics could say the same. And I wonder at the cost in lives changed forever.
Now, with this in my mind, I can easily understand why the Duragesic pain patches worked for 72 hours, but the generic fentanyl patches give out in about 48 hours. And I am sure those of us with fibromyalgia who are the most sensitive of sensitized humans around are constantly being buffetted by changes in the delivered dosage of our medications. It does not matter whether the variation is caused by that 75-125% LEGAL variation of dosage in the pill or by the fact the the proper dosage is just not absorbed at the proper time. We are riding on a medication roller coaster.
I think this is probably one of the biggest reasons why so many of us--especially the long timers--choose to do without most of the prescriptions that didn't really help anyway.
BetteView Thread

About those abdominal adhesions. Let me tell you how mine went away. They were from gallbader surgery back in the 70's when they cut you deep and long. Well, in 2011 I had one of those electronic nerve stimulators implanted. The O.R. was set up different from any I've ever heard of. There was what looked like an upside down boot covered with gold tweed carpeting. That was to rest my pelvis on. There was a football helmet to hold my head. Between the two there was a lot of empty space and the O.R. floor.
After the surgery, I had incisional pain in my back. No big deal. What was a big deal was the horrendous abdominal pain where all of those old adhesions had been torn free from their "moorings" while most of my body was hanging down like a hammock between the boot and the helmet. It was awful. I went 12 days without a bowel movement, and I had every test known to medical science.
The adhesions are gone. It no longer hurts to twist my body. But I would NOT recommend that particular treatment for them.
Wierder and wierder.
BetteView Thread

There's something about losing a mother. For a year, I was "commuting" 300 miles to spend every other weekend (Wednesday through Sunday) with her and take her for her transfusions. The multiple mylenoma won.
All the pain, fatigue, and loss hit me like the proverbial Mack Truck. I had to go on disability way too early. But there was no way to continue teaching in such pain--even with the Duragesic pain patches. (The lowest dose was 25 mcg/hr. I was on 150 mcg/hr. and still in unbelievable agony.)
I don't think I will ever fully recover. But I know I will be able to live for my self and my family. Even on bad days.
Bette
(On a good day.)View Thread

Anon,
A beautiful beach town with moderate termperatures. That sounds great. Let us all know how things go for you.
Kristen Thornton, who did the Fibromyalgia Network newsletter for so many years, lives in Pheonix. She obviously still suffers from her FM--even in a much dryer climate.
20 years ago, before heat was a problem for me, I was considering a move to that area. Then I read an article in Kristen's journal about how when FMers moved to warm, dry areas they did well at first. Then, in a couple of years, they were back to the same old aches and the same old fatigue.
The more I know about fibro, the less I know about fibro. All my life, I've hated winter. I could never really get warm. Enter FM. Now, I still hate cold hands and feet (a little Raynards?), but those cold, clear, BONE DRY days of January are the ones when most of my pains (other than those fingers and toes) go away.
Here's to warm (not hot) beaches with white sands, fresh breezes, and beautiful sunsets.
BetteView Thread

The first night I took Ambien it was a good thing that I put the top back on the vial before I took the pill. I don't remember a thing until the next morning. That was a 5 mg. pill of regular Ambien.
It was also 1990. Now it takes a 10 mg. pill to do the job, and it takes an hour or two to work. I take it with whatever snack and/or drink I have around 8 p.m. Since my body is now more tolerant of the Ambien, I only use it 2 or 3 times a month--when I really need a whole night's sleep.
Ambien is an amnesiac. This means that if there is any lag time before you actually go to sleep you will not remember what you did during that time. (I tend to make fruit and yogurt smoothies. I can tell by the state of the blender the next morning.)
This amnesia is even worse if you take the sustained release version of Ambien. People have actually driven their cars while asleep! I would never use this form of the pill.
The generic formula is available and is much more reasonable. It is not timed release. It works just fine.
Hope this info helps and that you are able to enjoy a restful night's sleep.
BetteView Thread

Cymbalta was one of the many that shut my bladder up tight.
Ouch! (And where is that catheter?)
Hubby is on it now. It seems to be helping along with the Lyrica he is taking. Wierd, huh. He also seems to be able to go along without any major flares unless he absolutely abuses his body. But, of course, he's a 70 year old who still farms and works construction. There's a whole lot of abuse there.
Not fair. I stand up for 1/2 hour and my back is already 25 minutes into major pain. Hubby bounces around over rutted fields for 8 hours on his tractor, and he's still able to fall asleep in 5 minutes. Major Not Fair.
Hope you have a good experience with Cymbalta. It's worth a try and works for many of us. And if this is not the answer for you, there are many other options in the doc's bag of tricks.
BetteView Thread

This was the one good day sandwiched in among the rain. It gave hubby a chance to plant at least one field of corn. We are supposed to be on the northern edge of some wicked storms that are due to arrive by dawn Thursday. I hope it doesn't wash away the corn seed.
With the humidity and temperature both cooperating, I was amazed at how good my spine feels at the waist. Guess last week's nerve blocks did their job. Isn't it wonderful when a treatment actually works!
Still haven't heard back from the surgeon about removing the electronic nerve stimulator from my spine. He said he would set things up at the hospital and then call me. That was last Thursday. We can wait forever for them. But if we were ever late, we'd lose our appointments. This is the same guy who had me report for the initial surgery at 8 am. It was way past noon when they wheeled me up to the O.R.
Life is full of these small stressors. Those of us with fibro can either learn to ignore them or we can face some MAJOR flares. I think I'll choose to let all life's small stuff just float over me. I'll start as soon as I can stop gritting my teeth!
Towards better days and fewer flares,
BetteView Thread

It's wonderful that you are getting to know this young woman. I hope you get to meet her and her family soon. And I hope she realizes the sacrifices you have made.
Every child should be loved, cherished, and nurtured. Not every person (man or woman) is ready or able to do this.
You gave your daughter a chance you could not have provided. You did your best.
BetteView Thread
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