Philip (Phil) England

APRIL 3RD: Woke up with thumping headache at 3am, my back in excruciating pain and left hip feels like it's itchy inside, want to crack it open and scoop the itch out, and got trapped wind too. Couldn't get back off to sleep. As day went on pain subsided just a bit, mostly due in part to gabapentin and CBD oil.

2nd April : Trying to juggle fibromyalgia and helping my Dad who's not well is really getting to me. It's all falling on me to help keep the house tidy, keep the kitchen clean, and try to push the house forward to get sorted and moved along. Sometimes I just want to go to my sister's and shout at her entire family (I know that will cause more issues than it will solve), I'm not well and having to do it all is really annoying.  I have some wonderful friends who have been a massive help along the way, such as Neil, who helped me clean when Dad was in the hospital and after he got out for a vit. And 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...

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...

  I have just the other day had my 'Migration to Universal Credit' letter through the post, so have filled in the online form and now wait. Getting it has made me decide to push on with more of a blog on Fibromyalgia and Anxiety, to name just two things that run my life. Just yesterday I made a massive decission to stop doing my voluntary work with SA Radio Live, the local community station for Swansea. There is a very good reason for this. I am finding my new time slot a difficult one to cope with. My slot was at the end of the day, and getting through it leaves me totally exhausted. It hasn't been an easy choice to make as I do live doing my show with them. At the same time, I have decided to keep doing my home recorded 1 hour show for Islands FM as this will give me a bit of an escape and take my mind of things in a small way. I do need to put my health first. I have joined a few groups on line for Fibromyalgia and am awaiting my GP to get me in with the Persistant Pain ...

  Rhumatology department at Neath Port Talbot Hospital refered me to the Fibromyalgia Clinic. I had a phone call from the clinic yesterday, and thought I would do a blog to show how my life an Fibro co-exist. I can tell you I have reminders on my phone and bits of paper pinned to the wall. Forgetting what I got up to do is the norm for me, as is forgetting words. Here we go then with the first night time report and the start of the day. Thursday 1st August: A night of interupted sleep, was too hot in the flat to sleep, the downside of a lack of sleep is a body that won't function as it should, so lets see how the day pans out. Pain this morning is at about a 5 out of 10, I took all my dose of Gabapentin yesterday. The day continued, and when I went to bed the pain had risen to about 6 out of 10. Friday 2nd August: In the early hours of this morning woke up to fibro tingling, but because I took all my doseage of Gabapentin, it didn't turn in to much. When I got out of bed my p...

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 ...

My first ever book is out! MY LIFE IN BLOG FORM Welcome to my first ever book, it contains a number of my blogs, and some added extra bits from other social media outlets of mine. It follows my life since the first lockdown and focuses on my life. I do like cooking, and enjoy watching Saturday Kitchen as well as other shows! A cut of profits from the sale of each book will go to a Fibromyalgia charity, so please do buy a copy, either physical or electronic. It's on Amazon right now at this address https://amzn.eu/d/7C9NgbS It's in paperback or for kindle

October 2023   This is the month of my holiday to Austria & Slovenia! Wednesday 3rd October: Damn it, fibromyalgia strikes in the night again. My whole body is in agony, feeling extremely tingly and achy. Not even sure I can remember a warning sign of its impending visit yesterday 🥺 Not a way to be woken up in the night that's for sure. Think I may have forgotten my gabapentin though, so that could be why it's dropped by 😔 Thursday 5th October: Well, a sluggish day so far today, got Nero later (he always cheers me up big time, bless him) Doctor will be phoning later to discuss my diabetic readings of the last few days. Also today am waiting on Amazon delivery, and I think one other parcel too. My mind is going... I thought I had Amazon order coming today... guess who forgot to check out his order? never mind, will come tomorrow now. Had Nero today, he’s a fantastic dog, he looks after me, he’s like my shadow! Friday 6th October: Just gone 5am What the.... my lower back,...

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/...