Philip (Phil) England

1st : Here we go, 11th month, how did we get here so fast? Finally up, shoulders both in agony this morning and arms are aching terrible, neck and upper back too, and my left knee. 8:55pm - Feeling cold and very achy this evening, time to head for bed and watch something until I nod off 2nd : Woken up at 3:40am with shooting pain up my back, and a painful hip, plus a bit of acid reflux. 7:50am - Just a bit longer in bed, feeling like crap this morning. 10:10am - It's one of those days, cut myself shaving, and dropped a saucer on the floor which broke 😔 Only been out of bed since 9:30 🙄 7:50pm - Had to rally to put my recycling out, fireworks going off this evening, some making me jump out of my skin. Feeling a chill, heating pad for a bit then bed. 3rd : Not sure why, but I can't keep warm, feeling cold despite heating pad and electric over blanket. Also feeling very achy, don't know what's wrong. 5pm - Was getting something out of the kitchen cupboa...

New month, sane old problems, September... what will you bring? 1st : Health, bit achy, thumping headache. Issues going on (cant metion them) but.... Waiting on calls 😩 Not knowing whats happening 😩 Not knowing how to proceed 😩 Just need contact thats all, just a reply to an email, a quick text. 2nd : My back is killing me this morning but I have got things to do. Not too sure how I will manage but lets see shall we. Been a long and stressful day, with wmotions pulled from one way to the other. Put my head on the pillow tried to close my eyes, couldn't. Gonna be a long night. Cone on tablets make me drowsy... please   5th : Not been update to my blog last few days due to my Dad being in hospital, sadly he passed away this morning. I wasnt there when he passed, I wanted to be, I am sort of beating myself up for it, but it was out of my control. I think he went when he did so I didn't see it, he knew what I was like when Mum passed. I will miss my Dad. I feel holl...

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...

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 ...

I maybe suffering with pain on a daily basis, but a holiday is needed.  When you are a pain sufferer you have to at very least try to put on a brave face and get through it, all the while coping the best you can. Planning is the thing to do. In the first instance accomodation on holiday, finding something on the ground floor, which I managed to do, and something with a walk in shower, again managed to do  Next thing is assistance at the airports, both of which are booked and confirmed by Air France in an email, merci! Then there is extra pain killing, in this case pain killing patches to aid with that, again, an issue solved. The countdown is on! JUNE THOUGHT : Another trip is needed!

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...

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...

 Health Issues: Update Why is my right knee being a pain? It goes weak a lot of the time. I have had to get a crutch because when it plays up I feel a walking stick don't offer me the support that I need. I feel fed up , and when it goes weak when I am in my flat I am trapped inside . Sunday 30th June: Not long up, feeling a bit off this morning, hope that improves. Bit on the achy side, on my scale of 1 to 10, about a 5 Friday 28th June: Covered a show today, but as the afternoon went on my pain went from a 3 to a 7, hope it eases by tomorrow! Thursday 27th June: Pain at about 7 out of 10 this morning, did my Imraldi injection and within a few hours and a few gabapentin later pain had gone down to around my baseline pain level of about 4 out of 10. Wednesday 26th June: Really bad pain day - out of 10, its about a 9. Its more or less all over pain. Monday 24th June: Feeling wiped out, hardly no energy, pain at around a 7 out of 10. Knee really causing issues today, ok one mome...

Bad Knee Had an awful week with painful right knee on Tuesday, then thanks to painkillers and gabapentin the next day the pain had subsided and my knee was just very weak. I decided to put on a knee support and that helped. I managed the stairs on Thursday, and also decided to give driving a go, as was unsure if my knee was ok for doing this or not, glad to say it was. Friday, and thought my kneee was ok, stupidly decided not to put on my knee support. Drat - thought my knee was getting better, and had improved, had to pop to Morrisons for few bits and it gave way - I may have to decide if I should chance going to do my show or not tomorrow, will have a think and see how it goes, maybe I should have worn my knee support?  In Review: My bad knee this week, and looking how my hips and kness are on a regular basis, along with my back and other health issues really make the need for a ground floor flat or bungallow an urgency. I do not want to be stuck in an upstairs flat and trapped ...

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 ...

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/...

  19 th to 22 nd May 19th May Fibromyalgia is at it again, I had a feeling it would yesterday, pain up to about an 8.5 out of 10.   As I have mentioned before, Fibro is like an amplifier for the pain that I suffer with anyway. I have learned to live with it, I just carry on. Ok pain.... I'm going knock you down, or at least block you out!... it's all about pain management and learning to try to deal with it and not let it deal with you. Edit 1:45pm; finally starting to ease, been trying to focus my mind on other things to get my brain to turn down the pain it's at 6.8 out of 10. Edit 8:30pm; pain down to a 4, will it ever go down lower? I'm always in some kind of constant pain   20th May Thumping head this morning, is there a storm on the way? Sure do feel like it 21st May Not long up, very achy this morning but will get by, fighting the pain again, trying to take my mind off it, it's a difficult thing to do, but it can be accomplished if I t...

 Early May, and what a start to my birthday month it was 2nd May:  Every bone in my body is aching, my throat is sore, it hurts to talk, cold then hot then cold, been sneezing, been sick, got a headache... what is this thing I've got? and how have I caught it? Well it's not Covid, but still, how did I catch anything? I've kept wearing the mask even after the Welsh Government said we no longer had to. I've been really careful! 3rd May: Feeling a little better, but got a feeling my back is gonna be hitting me tomorrow 4th May: Just after 3am and OWWWWWWCCHHHH Aching from head to toe, slight high pitched noise in my ears, tingly all over, Fibromyalgia working with my Ankylosing Spondylitis to woke me up, hate this, I really hate this. Pain at level 9.5 out of 10 5th May: So after my full allowance of Co-Codamol, and Gabapentin backed up with 10 doses of CDB oil, the pain has FINALLY gone down to 7 out of 10, still not a good level but its getting there FACTS : The ...

9th & 10th MARCH Yesterday afternoon (9th March) : Not feeling too good, back killing me to the extent it is painful to breathe, was alright when I woke up. Feeling really drained and a little sick. Pain killers just not helping  Laying on my bed, hot water bottle in middle of back, heat is helping a little, this could be a very long afternoon This morning (10th March) : Back a bit better, after about 6 hot water bottles and a nights sleep, still hurts when I take deep breaths, so even that's an improvement.  Wednesday 30th  MARCH So, another day in excruciating pain (9 out of 10), tingly skin, thumping head, took me a while to pick my phone up  and type this... it is only 3am. Hate this feeling, no amount of CBD oil or co-codamol will have any affect and being woke up by it really sucks. It's 7am and I am still in great pain all over, can hardly move, so fed up.  I must try and get up... somehow, can't spend all day in bed, knowing the kitchen needs a...

 It is sure annoying, when you go somewhere and can't do what you really want to do because the pain is so great. Was down in Wallington dog and house sitting, and went out to walk the dog, Nikki, in Richmond Park. Started out ok, but soon went down hill. My knees started playing up clicking and popping, then my left hip followed by my lower back. Had to sit down and take a few pain killers. The next thing that occured wass I started to get problems with my breathing and a tight chest, nothing too bad, but enough to knock the wind out of my sails.  Headed back to the car and went back to the house. Once back I tried to relax and rest. Even sitting out in the sun in the garden didn't really help. The heat did with my back and other body pains, but the air was so still, dry and hot that I could hardly breath. Later in the evening I started to get more pain, all over, pins and needles overload, thumping headache and felt clammy. Had to go to bed, even though I wanted to watch a f...

So, in the middle of the night my body decided I didn't need any more sleep and woke me up. A tingly type of pain, which develops in to a constant aching pain which seems to then spread from my mid to lower back and then moves up the back to also cover the top part of my body. Sometimes I get one pain in the mid to lower part of my back and my neck and shoulders at the same time, then the two seem to join up. I am really not liking trying to live my life with pain, it really gets me down. Seems my medication isn't really doing much to counteract it, it eases a little, but that's about all. Think of it as the sound on a hifi. The pain I wake up with and live with on a daily basis is at 9 or 10 - full volume, which gets reduced to 6 or 7. I am ALWAYS in pain and that makes my life horrid.