Philip (Phil) England

1st : A new month, same issues. Feeling very achy and full of wind today, pain about a 5. Let me put this here as a reference to the levels of pain. 2nd : I should get out of bed, but hip killing and feeling strange again, neck also in agony. I'm going to try to push through the pain, had a gabapentin and two paracetamol about half hour ago (keep some at side of bed). Pain at a distracting 5 . 3rd : Slight pain, normal aches, a bit of an ok kind of day, pain at a 3 . Got lots done today. 4th : 4:30am - Hell, fibro flare up, in great pain currently, hate being woken up by it. Pain is at a 8 . I need the toilet but can hardly move. Gabapentin and paracetamol ( lucky I keep then by the side of the bed ) as soon as I can move a little and can reach the socket on the wall will turn the electric blanket on as heat helps. It's always the same after a day of relative normality, and a day of getting things done, wallop, my body hits back, why don't I ever see this on...

We are in May, the month of my 50th. The month started ok, not too achy or in too much pain, about a 4 on the scale of things. 2nd : Had runs in the middle of the night but didn't get out of bed quick enough again. Just as I thought things were looking better.... false sense of security on that one. Pain at about 5. . Over did it again today, the pain killers patches not working, as pain is at about a 7 right now, things to do but can't. Here's a reminder.... 3rd : Woke up feeling sick, but not sick because of pain, pain level by the way at about 4, the sick feeling feels more like anxiety. Why is it setting in? well my mind is getting prepared for my birthday break. I need a few days to get myself in the right frame of mind. It's not easy and can't just be done. I also had to change the sheet on my bed again, had another accident in bed and couldn't get out of bed fast enough. I'm fed up of this. Over did it again today, pain in the ...

2nd April : Trying to juggle fibromyalgia and life isn't easy. I have some wonderful friends who have been a massive help along the way, then there's Carl, who was a star and a massive help as he got the kitchen cupboards on the wall.  I also have friends who listen to my outpourings. Thank you to those, Neil and Carl.... big time.  I try to push on through the Fibro and pain, but am very aware of my limits and know I do push through them, then wonder why I am rendered useless the next day. I get very frustrated when I can't do what I want to do, in fact that is the general rule in my entire life. I'm so fed up of having to watch what I can do .  I do need to take some me time, but know this won't be possible for a while. I'm going away for a week in May, setting off late on the 5th May and returning at some point on the 11th May.  7th April : Finally picked up new TV for Dad from Currys, not the correct one as ordered, 40" seemed to illude the ...

APRIL 3RD: Woke up with thumping headache at 3am, my back in excruciating pain and left hip feels like it's itchy inside, want to crack it open and scoop the itch out, and got trapped wind too. Couldn't get back off to sleep. As day went on pain subsided just a bit, mostly due in part to gabapentin and CBD oil.

Wednesday 19th March: Well, I may have found a way to wake up not feeling too bad, but it's not sustainable. CBD oil every hour. Draw backs are lack of sleep, and I need to buy more CBD oil, almost used it all up. Have a feeling my need for CBD may rise ... so will need an oil tanker full. Pain is still there but I can get out of bed - it's at about 4 out of 10.  That was a stupid experiment.... I need sleep  #fibromyalgia #constantpain #chronicpain Thursday 20th March: Woops, I left my electric blanket on high heat, if I was a joint of meat I would be well cooked, it's as hot as hell under the duvet. I normally turn it down to half, but I was so tired due to lack of sleep last night. Can't tell what my body is doing as I think I cooked my back and other joints! I MUST phone Rheumatology at NPT hospital today, chase things up. So, after cooking myself when I slept, am up and moving about, but as I'm doing so can now feel the aches and pains, obviously the heat jus...

Wednesday 12th March: Had the initial persistent pain meet up, learnt about different pains, and different families of pain killers, most interesting. Good to meet with others in the same boat. Now to work out my pathway, starting with medication review. Thursday 13th March: Nero today, he knows when I'm feeling down, sat beside me most of today. He's such a good dog. When I do move to a ground floor flat or bungalow I need to get my own dog. Slight twinges set in early evening. Friday 14th March: 4am - waking up in early hours with your left arm feeling like you want to crack open the bone and scratch inside it.... another reason why I hate fibromyalgia. Neck and back in agony too but not as much, 8 out of 10 - need the toilet, but it's difficult to move. So need help with nights like this, but I can't predict a fibro flare up at all. Maybe I should have taken that flat in that complex, but wasn't ready for that. Looking at what the council have, I DON'T WANT...

A friend of mine commented on  my post last night... "...Did you know they are no longer accepting fibromyalgia as a disability as Labour states it can be managed?" IF it can be managed, what with? my doctor has no idea what to prescribe me for it. Fibro affects people in many different ways. In my case it ramps up my daily pain, causes me to feel my bones are itching on the inside, I get brain fog and forget simple things.  It causes me stiffness and stops me in my tracks. I get woken all hours of the night, can't get back off to sleep. Can't get out of bed in the morning, even when accomplished that I end up trapped in my flat.  How can it be managed? I would like to know. Chain saw to chop off affected part? Sledge hammer to my head? I use part of my PIP to get CBD oil to take the edge off my pain, but even that don't get shot of it. I also use my PIP for my Motability car. Without that I would really be stuck. I suffer with social anxiety so public transport i...

Persistent Pain Service - My Journey Went to the initial Persistent Pain Service group. Learnt all about the service, which I found most interesting. Found out about the different types of pain, and it seems I fall in to a mixed pain group. Also the differences between accute and persistent pain. It was over with quicker than I thought it would be, seems like it was a gateway to the service. Now to figure out what pathway I need to take. On the sheet we were given its got a few options, I do feel a mix of them all would benefit me, including group therapy... at some stage. If you suffer with persistent pain, then please do get your health care provider or doctor to get in touch with the Persistent Pain Service in your local area. In the Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend area its based at NPT Hospital, and can be contacted on Port Talbot 862418 , and search Google for SBUHB Persistent Pain Here is a useful link for you  https://sbuhb.nhs.wales/hospitals/a-z-services/improving...

  I have just the other day had my 'Migration to Universal Credit' letter through the post, so have filled in the online form and now wait. Getting it has made me decide to push on with more of a blog on Fibromyalgia and Anxiety, to name just two things that run my life. Just yesterday I made a massive decission to stop doing my voluntary work with SA Radio Live, the local community station for Swansea. There is a very good reason for this. I am finding my new time slot a difficult one to cope with. My slot was at the end of the day, and getting through it leaves me totally exhausted. It hasn't been an easy choice to make as I do live doing my show with them. At the same time, I have decided to keep doing my home recorded 1 hour show for Islands FM as this will give me a bit of an escape and take my mind of things in a small way. I do need to put my health first. I have joined a few groups on line for Fibromyalgia and am awaiting my GP to get me in with the Persistant Pain ...

  Rhumatology department at Neath Port Talbot Hospital refered me to the Fibromyalgia Clinic. I had a phone call from the clinic yesterday, and thought I would do a blog to show how my life an Fibro co-exist. I can tell you I have reminders on my phone and bits of paper pinned to the wall. Forgetting what I got up to do is the norm for me, as is forgetting words. Here we go then with the first night time report and the start of the day. Thursday 1st August: A night of interupted sleep, was too hot in the flat to sleep, the downside of a lack of sleep is a body that won't function as it should, so lets see how the day pans out. Pain this morning is at about a 5 out of 10, I took all my dose of Gabapentin yesterday. The day continued, and when I went to bed the pain had risen to about 6 out of 10. Friday 2nd August: In the early hours of this morning woke up to fibro tingling, but because I took all my doseage of Gabapentin, it didn't turn in to much. When I got out of bed my p...

Continuing struggle with Fibromyalgia As I have said before, it is a bit like an amplifier, turning up the volume on my pain and other issues. Just because I've not written about it, don't mean to say I'm not living it. My pain level most days is around 4 to 6 out of 10. The last few days, however, things have not been too good, as my Facebook posts show! THURSDAY 29th FEB Well, as you may know, I am always in pain to some degree and do push myself on a regular basis.  Well in the last few hours been getting twinges which point to one thing, a fibro flare up. It's been a while since I've had one, but here it comes, wonder what time it will show up? FRIDAY 1st MARCH Well I've been awake since about 2am, in agony, pain at about 9 out of 10, am all tingly and feels like bad pins and needles, with horrendous aches - it's one hell of a fibro flare up. Off to bed, still not right after flare up, feels different to past ones in a way. SATURDAY 2nd MARCH Didn't ...

October 2023   This is the month of my holiday to Austria & Slovenia! Wednesday 3rd October: Damn it, fibromyalgia strikes in the night again. My whole body is in agony, feeling extremely tingly and achy. Not even sure I can remember a warning sign of its impending visit yesterday 🥺 Not a way to be woken up in the night that's for sure. Think I may have forgotten my gabapentin though, so that could be why it's dropped by 😔 Thursday 5th October: Well, a sluggish day so far today, got Nero later (he always cheers me up big time, bless him) Doctor will be phoning later to discuss my diabetic readings of the last few days. Also today am waiting on Amazon delivery, and I think one other parcel too. My mind is going... I thought I had Amazon order coming today... guess who forgot to check out his order? never mind, will come tomorrow now. Had Nero today, he’s a fantastic dog, he looks after me, he’s like my shadow! Friday 6th October: Just gone 5am What the.... my lower back,...

I have been trying to raise awareness about Fibromyalgia for ages, and also have a car sticker in my car. In any health blog I try to include Fibromyalgia and how is it affecting how I am feeling. I have been a sufferer of Fibromyalgia for a number of years, it coupled with Ankylosing Spondylitis makes my life a living hell.  I think of Fibro as an amplifier for pain, seems to double or triple the pain I suffer with. Plus I've been getting more forgetful forgetting simple things like words and what I am doing. It also makes my body tingle and go itchy.  If I forget to take my gabapentin it's like asking for my body to be attacked. Why does Fibro do this to me? It's really affecting my life, I just hate it. My GP doesn't seem to know. Fibromyalgia seems to be shroud in mystery! If you suffer with Fibromyalgia , share your experiences here so others could benefit from anything we post. Useful websites to help: NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/...