My New Life: The Voices Inside My Head

This week I have had plenty of sleep and rest. I haven't had any stress at all. I have been relaxing and just taking it easy all week. I'm not on vacation! I haven't quit my job...I have had the flu.

It was a difficult way to get some much needed rest, but I will take it any way I can get it. Sunday evening I started feeling achy allover and my throat started hurting. I thought I was fighting off a cold. However Monday morning I woke up with a temperature of 101.4 and I was achy and had a bad cough that made my throat and chest hurt.

Since I had a fever I decided to look on Webmd.com to check out the symptoms of the flu. I had most of the symptoms and called my doctor and left a message. I was trying to take a nap when they called me back and said the doctor wanted to see me.

Really?? I did not feel like going to the doctor. But just in case it was the flu I did want to get some Tamiflu. So I got dressed and went to the doctor's office. Hopefully I would not see anyone that I knew. When I first walked in and signed in the lady in front of me said "Hey Barbara, how are you?" Through my hoarse, weak voice I mustered the words "Not too good now. I think I have the flu." In spite of my flu fog I remembered to give her one of my handy dandy handouts about IC and told her I was trying to raise awareness about my bladder disease.

I sat as far away from everyone as I could. They promptly called me back. The doctor said based on my symptoms it sounded like the flu. He gave me a prescription for some cough medicine and Tamiflu. He also refilled all my other needed prescriptions.

It has been a long week but I am thankful that I am feeling better now. I told my Mama that having the flu is just like a Fibromyalgia flare. I have been saying that for months but until now I had never had the flu. So I know for sure that it is very similar. When I have a Fibro flare I feel achy and tired all over. All I want to do is rest. I've had a lot of time to think about it and I came up with a the top reasons I would rather have the flu than Fibro:

1. I went to the doctor and told him my symptoms and he gave me a prescription that will make me well sooner.

2. I felt sick, I was sick and I was able to rest.

3. The doctor gave me a piece of paper that said it was ok to be sick and that I could stay out of work.

4. People call and check on you when you have the flu.

5. Next year I will be able to take a shot to avoid being sick...ahh, if it were only so simple for Fibro!

Fibromyalgia takes over your whole body and controls the things you do in life.
Now I know what that voice is inside my head:

There is also another voice inside my head. It says I know that suffering can produce good things. Suffering can make you persist in difficult times. Our persistence makes us who we are. We are made stronger in our hardships and we learn to have hope. And hope is always a good thing. I hope that when I am having a bad day, resting in bed, completely exhausted and in pain that I remember the words of this verse. What are your thoughts??!!