Wow! It's been over two years since I was last here! I knew it had been a while but I hadn't realized it had been this long! Although, now that I think about it, I'm not surprised. All of last year (2023) was taken up with developing a new approach to coaching as well as developing, launching, piloting, and refining a leadership accelerator journey with my business partner/brother-from-another-mother. So, yeah, I've been keeping busy 🤩
That said, fibro is still very much in my body. In fact, I had a flare a couple of weeks ago. And this was a long one - it lasted almost five days instead of the usual one or two. Maybe it's menopause (oh, yeah, I'm officially menopausal).
Anywhooooooooooo. What's been happening fibro-wise?
**First: Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease remember that nothing I say should ever be** **taken as medical advice. I am not a medical professional and what I** **share cannot and does not replace professional medical advice.**
1. Meds - all changed again 😅 After the macular water retention caused by the pregabalin (which I still have a liiiiiiiiittle bit; but it's gotten miles better! I took the boxes that were covering up my gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows in my bedroom down over a year ago and I can look at a phone screen now without the brightness being turned aaaaaaaaall the way down) I was on gabapentin for a couple of years but, during covid, I ballooned up to 80kg (that's a 20kg weight gain 😭) so that had to go quicker than quick. I've been on two very mild antidepressants for the last three years or so: amitryptylin e hydrochloride and chlomipramine. And, so far so good, knock on wood and thank God. One huuuuuuuuuuge benefit of the amitryptylin: sleep!!! Instead of the barely six hours a night, I now comfortably sleep a minimum of eight hours a night!! I haven't slept so well for forever!!!!!
2. Tinnitus. I had an interesting development with this: I started getting vertigo about a year ago. Now, for all the (10) years I've had tinnitus, I've been told it's stress. And stress is psychological. However, my vertigo is physical in that it's caused by a physical anomaly in the ear. So I was sent to a physiotherapist last Christmas/New Year in Lebanon. I was only able to squeeze in three sessions before flying back to Dubai - and you better believe I'm not letting any "medical professional" here touch me - but between the deep (very deep, ow!) tissue massage, the back and neck cracking (didn't like that), and TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine which was on such a high intensity that I was almost jerking off the table 😂 the tinnitus got better 🥳 I have no more vertigo and the volume is quite a bit lower - pitch and noisiness are the same, though. So, let's all watch this space and see what happens. I'll be going back to Lebanon for a little bit over summer so I'll get some more physio sessions in.🤞🏼
3. Fibro. I had a realization here and it shocked me so much that I was speechless (which doesn't happen often!) Unless I mention that I'm in pain - like when I'm having a flare - everyone presumes I'm "normal". I heard this from both my business partner and, when I told my mum that that's what he thought, she said "that's what I thought". Bro ... i. was. pissed!!! 🤬 Like, which part of "I hurt every day" that I've been saying for over ten years didn't land in your ears???!!!! Which part of "It hurts to cook every night so I don't cook anymore." did you not hear???!!! Which part of "I can't, it'll hurt" when I answer various "Hey, Lara, come do blah blah blah" invitations did you think I was making up???!!!!
So, that's been that.
And with all of that going on I've also:
- begun speaking publicly at events about all things leadership, cx, ex, and corporate culture (can you say "thought leader"? 🎉)
- been growing a second consultancy (got my first consultancy to operate on autopilot and work while I do other things 💪🏼)
- started dating (quietly 🤫)
Life's good, thank you, my God 🙏🏼
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