Left side flank pain

[sunkacola]

Precisely, @JayCS . The way to "outsmart" fibro is to fully accept it. All the time in all ways.

I never would've thought of that as outsmarting fibro, but if it works for any individual to see it that way, why not!
It is, after all, using one part of your mind to manage another part of your mind's reactions to what is going on.

One thing I have learned from living all my life with animal companions is that suffering is at least in part in the mind. Pain is real, but suffering can be optional. I say "can be" because there are circumstances such as a person being very ill, in pain, unable to walk, no money, no home or help, living in a refugee camp under a tarp with holes in it in the rain, no food, no hope. Pretty hard not to be suffering in that condition. Not impossible but harder than anyone should be expected to manage.

But for most of us it is not necessary to suffer even if we are in pain. Here's an example: One of my beloved dogs once tore a cruciate ligament. The only sound he ever made was one yelp when it happened. The vet manipulated his torn knee in the exam, and my dog never flinched or protested. Now, I know that a torn ligament is seriously painful. But because the dog doesn't attach any emotion to it. A dog feels only pain, not suffering.

The dog is not going in his head: "this is awful! I can't walk properly! What if I can't ever walk right again? And it hurts and what if it never gets better and what are they going to do to me now and what does this all mean and why is this happening to me ........" and so on, the way people tend to do.

The more acceptance you can have of whatever IS in this moment, each moment, the more peace of mind you can have and the less suffering and mental anguish you will have.

 

[Dimps TheAlien]

Thank you all. You put it all into words so well and are very thoughtful.

As a side note, I have been using a TENS unit on my left side pain. I put it on my back and left side rib areas. (I hope that's safe for my heart.) The first time I used it I was in so much agony. But when I began using the unit, my pain left. I felt 95% better in that area. And it lasts too. So I know it's nerve pain. No wonder all the doctors and tests couldn't explain it. But thanks to this group, I have some relief. Bless you all. I just don't understand why any of the doctors, including chiropractors, didn't suggest it.

 

[Auriel]

Glad your feeling a bit better dimps (I was just gonna post to see how you was?) Fibro's such an awkward one I honestly don't think drs know really how to make it better (apart from testing us with meds, anti seizures and muscle relaxants to see if they help) ️️

 

[Dimps TheAlien]

I am very fatigued today. I think all the holiday stuff is overwhelming me. LOL. It doesn't take much. But yes, my back isn't killing me. So grateful for you all and your kindness.

 

[cookiebaker]

so very glad to hear you are feeling at least a little better, @Dimps TheAlien - that is great news!

and I have to agree with sunkacola on the suffering bit.. (see my signature - snagged from a comment in a video i saw about fibro)

Someone once said that life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to those happenings (personally, i think it is more like 20/80, but, eh, whatever). We may not be able to control the 10%, but we do have at least some control over how we handle that bit... we can fall to pieces over it, and think how miserable we are, or, we can accept it as a fact and do our best to work with/around it.

 

[Auriel]

And we're grateful to have such a lovely forum member

 

[Dimps TheAlien]

Awww

 

[JayCS]

I just don't understand why any of the doctors, including chiropractors, didn't suggest it.

Fibro's such an awkward one I honestly don't think drs know really how to make it better

"Succinctly" put! Unravelled a bit:

• TENS machines seem somehow underrated and easily forgotten,
• docs' toolkits are enormous for all the many conditions, so can't be very big for ours,
• the many "awkward" ones, not just ours, are difficult to understand,
• what may help us "awkward" ones is much less sure-fire than for simpler illnesses, such a matter of trial and error, meaning we need an enormous toolkit just for that one condition,
• it's probably harder for docs to empathize with people with invisible sicknesses, so praps there's a bit less motivation to find out what might help.

Electrotherapy was recommended to me in my rheum/pain clinic, and trying it is how I know for sure that my seizures don't tolerate any electrotherapy, aside from having tried EMS gym. There seem to usually be no heart complications though, but if you have real reason to worry you'll have a cardiologist you can ask.

 

[sunkacola]

@Dimps TheAlien , a TENS machine should be just fine with your heart as long as you don't put it right over your heart, just as you wouldn't put it on either side of your head.

Now, if you have any kind of heart condition, even a mild one, check in with your doctor about that.

I agree with Jay that TENS machines are underrated. It's amazing how much they can help. On me, they only help certain kinds of pain, but, hey, I am happy to take what I can get!

 

[kap]

Once I realized I had been not only dealing with this for years but also rolling with it and managing without so many "hands in the pot" it I've been able to just recently get my head in a better place. Moving forward with only my primary right now who is the one who finally made me feel like I wasn't crazy and gave me a diagnosis and started treatment. A ton of specialists sometimes doesn't get you anywhere.

 

[cookiebaker]

One thing I will say about the TENS machines.. I was told not to cross from one side to the other with one set of pads.. like across the spine/spinal column..
keep the pads on the same side.. you can use two different sets of pads, if your unit is capable, and have one set on one side and the other set on the other side, but dont cross sides with one set of pads.

like for me - i have bilateral low back issues.. pain on both sides of the spine..
my TENS unit can run 2 sets of pads at the same time...
for me to do this, one set of pads would be placed on the right side (one high and one low) and controlled by setting #1
another set would be placed in similar positions on the left side and controlled by setting #2
I hope that makes sense?

 

[Auriel]

Dimps I forgot to mention how I used to go back and fore my surgery with pain in my kidney area (they put it down to fibro but had to check kidney infections just in case), I used to get pain in that area quite often , but I found a really good muscle pain cream from holland and barret a few months ago it's helped a lot

 

[sunkacola]

One thing I will say about the TENS machines.. I was told not to cross from one side to the other with one set of pads.. like across the spine/spinal column..
keep the pads on the same side.. you can use two different sets of pads, if your unit is capable, and have one set on one side and the other set on the other side, but dont cross sides with one set of pads.

Interesting. My PTs (two of them) taught me to place the pads on either side of the spine, one higher than the other, and that is how I always do it. My chiropractor agrees that is the best way.

the only place you shouldn't put it on either side is your head, according to the directions that came with mine.

 

[Dimps TheAlien]

Or over the heart.

 

[cookiebaker]

Interesting. My PTs (two of them) taught me to place the pads on either side of the spine, one higher than the other, and that is how I always do it. My chiropractor agrees that is the best way.

the only place you shouldn't put it on either side is your head, according to the directions that came with mine.

huh, that is interesting, because both my chiro and a PT told me not to do that.. guess it all depends on who you talk to oh well.