Keys to Surviving SLE / FM

[Guest guest]

Keys to Surviving SLE / FM:

" If you can't change your situation, change your viewpoint. "

As we all know, stress triggers Lupus and Fibromyalgia

Flares. Taking a daily scheduled rests, no matter how

good you feel, can be the most helpful tool in surviving

SLE / FM. Rest is so VERY important in SLE and FM,

giving the body time to re-charge. You will be amazed at

what a difference short morning and afternoon rest period

can make in stabilizing your life, increasing your stamina

and reducing your symptom level.

Resting everyday according to a fixed schedule, not just

when you feel sick or tired, can be the number one factor

from living in response to symptoms, to living a planned

life. Without this scheduled rest, SLE or FM life is

often experienced with the cycle of push and crash,

swinging from too much activity to periods of rest and

back. Being more active than the body can tolerate, then

experiencing intense symptoms and then use rest to recover,

is letting the disease be in control, and not you. Daily

resting, puts you back in control of your life!

At first, it will be human nature to resist a daily

scheduled rest period. Just the thought of resting, when

you feel good, will make you mind restless, and you will

resist the voluntarily rest. Why? Because rest is

thought of as a victory for the illness.

How do you start? Just try one 15 minutes rest period.

You will be totally surprised at how this small time

can help reduce symptoms of pain and fatigue, and make

your life more stable. After a while, make it two

daily 15 minute rest periods, morning and afternoon.

Think of the rest periods as recharging your body

batteries, and secondly, as the first step in taking

Control of your lupus or fibromyalgia.

The next step to taking control is thinking of your rest

periods as preventive medicine. Not only are you

recovering from doing too much, you are taking measures

to prevent flares. Try practicing some relaxation

techniques during your rest periods, and " feel " your body

relax from head to toe, letting out all the stress of the

day.

The difference between recuperative resting and

pre-emptive resting:

Rest = Lying Down, Eyes Closed

Rest means lying down with your eyes closed in a quiet

place. Watching TV, reading, talking to family, eating,

petting the cat, talking on the phone, are not rest, but

activities. They may require less energy than housework,

errands, or paid work, but they are activities nonetheless.

Resting with eyes closed is completely different, so to get

the full benefit of rest, you should lie down in a quiet

place with your eyes closed.

Scheduled Rests

Pre-emptive rest means resting according to a planned

schedule rather than in reaction to symptoms. This type of

rest is done as part of a regular routine, a time you set

aside to nurture yourself and promote recovery from over

doing, and taking charge of your disease. You will gain

maximum benefit if you are consistent, making rest a part

of your daily routine regardless of how you feel. It will

be tempting to skip the rest when you are feeling good,

so remind yourself, this is part of " taking charge " or the

Lupus Wolf, or Fibromyalgia controlling fatigue. You will

have more energy with lower symptom levels, and an

increased sense of control.

Resting the Mind

When you begin using pre-emptive rests, you may discover

that your mind is pre-occupied with worries. Lying down

may not feel restful if your mind is full of anxiety. A

solution is to use a relaxation technique or meditation

practice during your rest.

Frequent Short Rests

You may want to experiment to see what works best in

your unique situation. If you tire easily, and need to

recharge your body batteries more often, then several daily

pre-emptive rests periods may be more suited for you. Break

up your day into one - and two - hour blocks, and take a

10 to 15 minute rest during each block. After your body

has adjusted to the rest periods, you may be able to reduced

your total rest time by an hour and a half over a period of

two months, and after six months had cut your rest time down

to three hours a day. By resting in small blocks, you may

be able to add three hours of activity to your day.

By having an experimental attitude toward our illness,

we can learn many things about how our bodies reacts to

disease and treatments. We can study our illness to

generate ideas or hypotheses about what might help.

Then we try a new strategy and observe the results.

Much Love,

Deanna

LUPUS Serenity Prayer...

Lord,

grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to

change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of doctors I shot when

they said, You're perfectly healthy, it's all in your head "