Hi Everyone! Well the time has come for me to get away for a while and leave all this cold and snow behind us. It’s been a really bad January as far as snow is concerned. We are up to our necks in snow and everyone is ready for a little break. If only it were spring but we have another two months of winter left to go. Anyway on towards Hawaii my wife and I go the day after tomorrow!! During the time that I am away I’ll be putting up a guest post and might even write a quick hello from paradise! Most of all however I plan on taking it easy and not doing much of anything.  My pain has been kinda crazy this week because there has been so much to do. I knew that this was going to happen, and so I mentally prepared myself for a crazy week. As a result I’ve been able to keep things controlled a bit better and not allow the stress to have as big an effect.

I’ve been trying to think about what I wanted to say today but my mind is on overload. At the best of times my brain struggles to slow down and think clearly. So at the moment I’m finding it tough to try and think of all the things that I need to remember to do before we go. It’s as if my mind is racing within itself, and this causes my brain to have a hard time processing everything. This is another part of the CRPS that I’ve grown to really dislike over time. When your head gets this way, it becomes difficult to be able to control the pain. I even find that trying to do my relaxation therapy becomes difficult, because so much control is needed from within my mind. All around things become more difficult, and the pain starts to slowly creep up.

So I’m really trying to keep the stresses at a minimum and under control because this seems to be when things get really bad. If the stress increases, then so do the symptoms that come along with. So far with as busy as things have been this week, things seem to be going ok and I haven’t gotten to the point where I seem out of control. I’m crossing my fingers that things stay this way!! I need to ask God to keep things under control, and the pain at a level that can be tolerated. It really becomes a case of stress management!! I was saying to one of my therapists today that if I can control the pain at the base of my neck and at the back of my head, then I find it easier to control my pain overall.

It also helps that I have something positive to look forward to. I’m trying to keep my eyes focused on things other than the stress of it all. Trying to keep my nervous system as relaxed as possible this week has been a big focus of mine. I’ve been trying to get as relaxed as possible before bed, putting on music that just calms and sooths my mind to try and slow everything down. If you can find ways that work for you and that relax the mind, then you’ll again have an easier time controlling things. Even at physio this week the real focus this week has just been to try and keep things calmed down so that my pain doesn’t get crazy. I have to say that my goal going into travel day has been to have my pain at a reasonable level, and I would say I’ve accomplished that goal. Yet another answer to prayer!

As I mentioned before my mind seems to be elsewhere tonight! So it’s time to say goodnight and farewell for a week. Check back for the guest post that I’ll be putting in and I’ll see everyone after my trip!