Sumo Wrestler Smack Down: How Fibro Fighters Reign Supreme Despite Pain
Photo by ivanx Recently, a conversation brought home how my thinking has shifted to accommodate the peculiar limits that chronic pain and fibromyalgia (FMS) put on my daily activity level.
"I'd like to make appointments once a week for the rest of the month. My goal is to move up from one appointment per week to two per week as soon as possible. I am really working hard to achieve it."
The cheerful receptionist: "Well, that's very strange, most people do it the other way around. They start off coming here three times a week and their goal is to gradually decrease their PT visits until they stop coming altogether. You're definitely a first!"
It took me a minute for me to realize why what I had said would seem odd and counterintuitive to most people outside the Fibro World.
- My body coils up on itself.
- My muscles scream.
- My body goes into a full-fledged fibro pain flare up and migraine attack.
- And I collapse in bed for a few days.
It's like being permanently trapped in a fighting ring with an enormous 400-pound sumo wrestler who is assessing my every move waiting for any opportunity to lay me flat on my back with the ultimate sumo smack down.
But time and experience has taught me some tricks of my own as I slowly move out of his path for the time being.
In another post, I'll talk about some strategies I use to keep the sumo wrestler at bay. And how some day, I hope to tip him out of the ring.
I once saw the famous Hawaiian born sumo wrestler Jesse Takamiyama, a mere 450 lbs, and I think I can take him! (On a good day).
What happens when you overdo it and have a pain or fibro flare up? How long does it last and do know when it is coming?
Dot
Reader Comments (2)
Ha :) That definitely confronted how I think about physiotherapy and the ways in which it's used - thanks for shedding light on the ways in which you use it as part of your routine and motivational tools!
Thank you, Ad. Sometimes it's hard to appreciate physical therapy when your body obviously doesn't want to be there and is resisting like crazy. But experiencing a breakthrough, even a tiny one, is always worth the pain and effort. Even sumo wrestlers probably have to go to PT sometimes!