Chronic Pain Webinar Dates

I'm holding a chronic pain webinar and hope you all join me, so that WE can all start educating and advocating for a cure for chronic pain/fatigue illnesses!  The more informed and educated that WE are, the more WE can all start making a difference.  Join me for discussions on research evidence that Fibromyalgia IS a real disorder and how that's been proven.  Learn what some of the top myth's surrounding Fibromyalgia are, and why they're myth's.  I'll discuss ideas and ways for you to try and get your family members, friends, and community members to understand what living a day in the life of a FMS/CFS/ME patient is really like.  WE'll go over some of the hurtful, rude, stereotypical comments that are sometimes directed at us.  Some of the information that WE will cover would also be very useful for you to open up a discussion to your doctor and/or his staff, if you are being treated by a doctor that doesn't act like they really believe what this awful syndrome puts us through.  We'll also go over some tips that may help you in a pain flare, along with just how little money for research the federal government hands out for research on Fibromyalgia compared to some other diseases.  I'll also be covering some statistics related to living with chronic pain that will be a real eye opener to some of you.  If WE don't start advocating for ourselves and others with our same conditions, then how can WE expect any one else to?  WE have to stand up and make people start taking notice of us, and let them know that WE refuse to sit back any longer. That WE demand our peers take notice of what WE go through on a daily basis just to survive.  I can't fight this fight alone, I need YOUR help.  This is something that WE can accomplish together though!

March 23, 2013 I'll be presenting the webinar at 2pm EST and then again at 7pm EST.  I'm also planning on presenting the webinar again on Sunday March 24th, at the same times as the Saturday presentations.  I'll except sign-ups until 10pm on Friday March 22nd.  If you'd like to join in, the cost is $25 and you're more then welcome to have your whole family, or some of your friends, sitting in with you at the webinar.  I know for me, it was a constant struggle in the beginning for my family to really grasp how Fibromyalgia truly effected my life.  My mom and youngest daughter accompanied me to my first live seminar and afterwards my mother told me that she "gets" it now.  She told me that she'd learned things from my seminar about my condition, that she hadn't known just from us talking about my condition at the mother/daughter level.  She had tears, when she finally "got it".  My daughter gave me a huge hug and told me that she's sorry that she'd blow me off when I'd want her to sit down to discuss my illnesses with her.  She also apologized for not helping me as much as she could have.  If your family & friends are having a hard time realizing what this does to your body and mind, they will really benefit from sitting in on this webinar.  

Send payment via PayPal by Friday March 22, 2013. The email address to send the money to is: jaammull (at) aol (dot) com.  Please make sure that you send it to me as a "gift".  Also, make sure that in the notes section you give me your name and which session you're signing up for.  By 12am Saturday, March 23rd, I'll email you with the instructions on where to go, to gain access to the webinar.  

The webinar will run for approximately 2 hours, give or take due to audience participation and questions.  You should have a notebook and pen handy, in case you'd like to jot some notes and/or questions down.  The more people we have joining us in our discussion, the more we all have the potential to learn from one another so please pass this webinar information along throughout all of your social media sites and by word of mouth to your friends, family, doctors, hospitals, clinics, etc.  I hope to see you all there!  

Gentle Butterfly Hugs to you all!

Fibromyalgia Is A PITA - Literally

"You have a charlie horse where??!"  

"I have a charlie horse in my butt cheek.  When I told you that fibromyalgia is a pain in the butt, I meant it literally!"

Yes ladies & gentlemen, this was a true conversation in my household today. 

 Just that short quote should be warning enough that this post will contain some whining.

Now tonight, or this morning since it's 2:20am, my entire body is screaming in pain.  The top of my shoulders, where they hook onto my neck, seriously feel as if I have metal claws that keep digging in and gripping them, then releasing.  I feel like I have a little invisible Gargoyle sitting on my shoulders.  Of course, I  haven't been helping myself any with the shoulder/neck pain because I keep catching myself having my shoulders all scrunched up and tight.  I don't even realize that I do it. I have to make myself let them down,to where they're supposed to be.

Seeing what a talented, experienced master crafter craft challenged person I am, I got the bright idea to make. yes make all by myself, all of these cute, adorable makes me want to rip my hair out and throw things craft ideas that I found on that time sucking, budget blowing site Pinterest for my daughter in law's baby shower this coming Sunday. First, I finished a tutu for my 19 month old granddaughter last night.  Every. Single. Tutorial. I watched on YouTube or read on a blog said that making this tutu would take right around an hour from start to finish.  They all fibbed! -They obviously haven't been around anyone that's as awesome craft challenged as I am. I started making this gosh darn adorable tutu for a little 19 month old on Friday (I believe anyway.  Thursday or Friday .....&!*&& fibro fog!!)  Just shy of 3 hours, ....yes you read that right three fun and enjoyable stressed, painful hours, I had the first layer of tulle on the blessed thing!  -Now, just in case you don't know, I was putting three layers of tulle on this blessed thing! 

 I didn't stick with just doing a simple tutu attached to a piece of elastic. Or attached to a pretty ribbon.  No, that wouldn't be me.  I always do things the hard way!  I attached the tulle to a stretchy, crocheted headband.  I thought they looked so cute that way.  -Easier for more layers, different lengths, etc.  Boy was I a genious an idiot!  The left side of my neck, my left shoulder, and the right side of my middle back kept spasming. It must have been something to do with the way I was sitting and holding my tutu while making it. I guess I shouldn't complain too awful much, because the second project that I started tonight has everything hurting me.  My shoulders and upper arms are honest to God, almost making me cry with the pain.  That constant non-stop, deep muscular, burning sensation with the occassional, almost rhythmic, sharp stabbing pain thrown in every few minutes. Here's a few pictures of the blessed thing on my granddaughter.  She was incredibly cranky and wouldn't stand for us trying to make the bow in the back pretty, or to fluff her tutu once it was on her. I do have to admit that I hollered Thank You Jesus!! I think it turned out really cute, and I was so proud of myself for doing it when I'm not a crafty person and had never done anything like this before.

The craft I've started next?  Holy moly, if only I was a psychic had a clue, I probably would have never bought the stuff to make it.   Alas like an idiot I spent the money on the supplies so I'll be finishing it! The funny sad thing about it, is this was the craft I was looking most forward to creating. I'm making a wreath, and to make it, you have to cut all of your material into 2x2 inch squares.  My mom lend me this huge plastic mat/board type thing that has inches going across it on all four sides.  She told me to lay my material on it then line this other, much smaller, plastic thingy-ma-jig on top with it matching up to the inches on the big board.  She handed me this thing that looks almost exactly like a pizza cutter and told me to just move over every two inches and then run the pizza cutter looking thing down the slots in the top board. Then, to turn the top board and go across every two inches and run the cutter through the slots again and I'd have all of my 2x2" inch squares cut out easy peasy and quick.

My mom really is a master crafter!  She paints (both oil and acrylic), she crochets, she knits, she sows, she embroiders, ...and she can do  any other craft if she wants to do it.  -She used to have the largest ceramic shop in all of NW Ohio.  She even gave classes to people twice a week. Me?  I didn't get one single drop any of her artistic abilities what-so-ever.  If a straight line was drawn for me, I wouldn't even be able to cut the straight line out!  I can't draw a straight line, to save my life.  -Anyway, the pizza cutter looking thing-a-ma-bob does NOT cut all the way through each and every square.  I ran and re-ran it up and down those dumb slots and still, almost every one of the squares was still connected at some random spot to the square above, beside, or below another connecting square.  

From having to stand up (because the dang board is too big for me to be able to reach the top if sitting), lean over the table and board, then running that dumb cutting tool, my upper arms, shoulders, and neck hurt worse then they ever have.  -Especially the upper arms.  Excruciating, make me gimmace, pain.  I finally gave up on cutting out the squares for tonight.  I'll resume again sometime tomorrow.  Then, I'll have a diaper cake to put together, and a newborn tutu to make for Sophia, then I'll be done until the actual shower on Sunday!

I'm not going to lie, the pain of my stupid defective body fibro honestly has stolen a lot of my joy from me on doing these crafts.  A typical one hour craft took me a couple of days to do.  The pain in my arms tonight is almost unbearable.  I feel like the pain could drive me crazy, and I've been cussing out fibro in my head for hours & hours now.  

Of course fibro affects different people in different way, and to varying degrees of pain and symptoms.  With me, my symptoms most definitely have been progressive over the years.  We traced my fibro pain all the way back to my teens.  To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it started around the time I was in 4th or 5th grade.  I had to have bi-weekly cortisone shots in both knees due to all the pain I had in them.  I'd lay on the living room floor, curled up and rolling back and forth while crying from the pain I'd have in my knees and legs. I have to keep hoping & praying that some time soon, a cure is found. One has to be found, so I can take my life back.  Because as it is, I don't really have any type of quality.  Some ADL's (activities of daily living) I absolutely can't due anymore do to loss of range of motion, swelling, and pain.

Well ladies & gents, it's now 4:10am.  With my arms hurting as badly as they are, it took me almost 2 hours to write this post!  When the pain got too bad from the typing, I'd take a break.  Feel free to come on over to The Fibro Frog's facebook page if you haven't done so yet.  I'm much more active there, interacting and connection with others dealing with pain issues.  Sending butterfly hugs and soft whispers to all of you.

$75 Visa Card Is Up For Grabs!

Here's another great giveaway that I'm excited to be a part of! I don't know about you, but I can always use an extra $75! It's about time for one of my fibro froggies to win one of these giveaways, so make sure you get your entries in and share the giveaway with your friends! Good luck to all of you!

Hosted by:

NYSavingSpecials

Co-Hosted

Your Fashion Resource, Simply Sherryl, 

SPend With Pennies, Barbara's Beat and Kaisy

 Daisy's Corner

Come and join us on these great flash giveaway!

2/20 to 2/23

You can be the lucky winner of:

$75 Visa Gift Card

This giveaway is open worldwide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The Fibro Frog  is  not responsible for prize. If you have any questions about this giveaway please send an email to nysavingspecials@gmail.com.  All entries are optional, if you do any of the tasks with the 10 extra entries, even if you do one entry you can get the extra 10 entries  but if the winner tasks is a tasks you did not complete, a second winner will be chosen. If the winner tasks is the one you did you will be the winner.

Win A JJ Cole Broadway Stroller

Again, I participate in these giveaways when it's a product that I either think is personally useful for those with Fibromyalgia/other chronic pain illness, or when it's something nice that would maybe cost more then we'd like to spend on something. I know that not all, but a lot of us with a chronic pain condition sometimes doesn't have quite as much cash as we'd like, because sometimes we can't work due to our health. This is a quality product that I thought some of you may be interested in having a chance to win!

When I received the JJ Cole Broadway stroller I was so excited to see what this baby could do!

The only stroller that I've known to do some of what the Broadway stroller can do is the Peg Perego Skate but at a much Costlier price. 

The JJ Cole Broadway Stroller, which weighs a light weight of 20 lbs easily converts from bassinet mode to a toddler seat for fashionable versatility with full 360 degree spinaway without disrupting baby! We all know that's a big plus! No parent wants to move a sleeping baby and we all know that if we take a baby out they're most likely not going to want to get back in.

To Spin the seat 360 degrees either to face mom or face away mom simply twist the 

handle and spin the seat. And Yes.. you can spin the seat while it's in bassinet mode!

The Broadway stroller is great from Birth to 50lbs. I tested my 4 year old and he was way too big.

The seat has an adjustable recline so a sleepy toddler can nap without having to put it in bassinet mode.

Just simply pull the lever and adjust the seat.

I love the 5 point harness but the belly pad I could do without since it falls off allot. The fabric on the seat is also removable for easy cleaning.

The bumper bar is removable and can detach from either side for easy entry for independent 

toddlers. I also love that there is zippered fabric on the bumper bar that you can remove and wash!

The Broadway easily converts from bassinet mode to a toddler seat in three easy steps:

Pull the tether to the upright position

Snap the hooks underneath the foot rest

And wala! Toddler mode!

I love the large storage basket on the bottom. That's a must when I travel.

The JJ Cole Broadway stroller comes with a height adjustable handle that extends from 
36-42 inches which is great for taller parents.

The canopy is great! It's enough to keep baby covered
 & comes with a peekaboo window.

The wheels are sturdy and NON air filled so you don't have to worry about 

flat tires and the front wheels lock for harder terrain. I love that there is a light indicator 

letting you know whether the back tires are locked or not.

The JJ Cole Broadway has an easy one hand fold. The only thing I don't really
like is that you have to remove the seat to fold. BUT, I am willing to
accept that considering all the cool features this stroller has to offer!

Another cool thing about this stroller is you can change the canopy 
color out to fit your style! These are optional accessories you can purchase.

The car seats that will attach straight onto the frame is 
 the JJ Cole Newport car seat, Lamaze Via and First Years Via I470 

The Broadway stroller also comes with a car seat adapter which will fit the following car seats.

                                (works with specific car seats such as Graco Snugride, and Chicco Keyfit)

Here is a quick run through of the JJ Cole Broadway on YouTube
Now who wants to win one! I'd like to wish all of my readers the best of luck if entering this great giveaway!
Giveaway Ends March 16th to U.S residents only
I will contact the winner Via Email

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who Wants To Win A $150 Amazon Gift Card?!

Boy I know I'd love to win one! I'd use it to buy a Kindle Fire!! I know that for those of us with a chronic illness that a lot of the time we can't work, which makes money tight for any extra's or wishes. That's why I was SO excited to be a part of this event with so many other great bloggers; to bring this giveaway to all of my readers! I'll be so psyched if one of my readers wins this!

Welcome to Tip Hero's celebratory 7,000 tips giveaway event!

For years, Tip Hero has been proud to share helpful tips that help our community save money. It seems like only yesterday that Tip Hero was a collection of a couple hundred tips shared by us and our amazing readers. Now we are very pleased to announce that we have reached 7,000 money-saving tips on Tip Hero (and growing)! And we thought, "what better way to celebrate a milestone like this than to host a giveaway that would offer all the chance to win something that would save more money?"

That's why we'll be giving away a $150 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader to make our celebration even grander. We at Tip Hero love Amazon for its many and varied savings opportunities. So we're excited to share the opportunity to win this fabulous prize with all of you.

This giveaway begins on February 6th and will run for 2 full weeks, closing on February 20th at 11:59pm US Eastern time. Open to residents of the United States and Canada, 18+.

Enter below for your chance to win this excellent prize. Just fill in the PromoSimple form below for your chance to win. Also, be sure to come back daily for more opportunities to enter. Good luck to all!

Make sure you keep checking out tip hero, as they sure are able to save the day a lot of time!

The Fibro Frog is not responsible for the shipping of this prize, nor have I received any type of compensation for this post/giveaway.