What's Your Number?

Reward yourself. I did!

             A couple years ago, I received a small bonus for some work I had done. I was the project manager for some restoration work on an historic landmark building which was damaged in a gas explosion. The damage ripped through the basement of the building finding an exit on the opposite side of the building. The exiting explosion effected storefronts along one whole city block. Those storefronts would become my life for several weeks. I had never been in charge of such a large project before, but I knew I could do it. I was rewarded for a job well done. I had a good crew to work with and I could not have accomplished it without the help of everyone involved. I rallied for a bonus, I felt I deserved one. I came in on time and under budget. I have to be honest; I was looking forward to that bonus. I needed a new mattress set.

The mattress I had was actually a mattress and spring set for a tube style waterbed that had been converted into an air mattress with an air pump and inserts. It was old. The warranty had expired and the mattress would lose air every night. You had to constantly fiddle with the air pump to get the right amount of air pressure. Towards the end of the restoration project I was waking up in the middle of the night AND each morning to a completely flat mattress. I needed a large intake of caffeine to get me through the day.

          If you have Fibromyalgia, you know how important sleep is. Good sleep that is. I am talking a sound, soul rejuvenating sleep. Ambien helps me achieve that along with my new mattress. Okay, it’s almost 2 years old now, but without that new mattress, I think I would be either crippled or nuts. It’s hard to take a vacation, sleeping on a different bed. I used to think I was the princess in “The Princess and the Pea.” I would feel EVERY little thing. I could not get comfortable. (But I think Fibromyalgia makes me a little hyper- sensitive.) I decided to take matters into my own hands. I tried several mattresses out in the stores. Nope, nothing, nada, zip. That is…….until I tried a Sleep Number Bed. Wowsza!!! The great thing was I could set my firmness to a different level than my husbands. Great! I could feel the pressure points on my body being reduced. This just might work. It was far superior to the air mattress inserts we previously had. It also had a trial period, if I didn’t like it, I could return it. Hey, it was worth a shot. When I got my bonus, I decided to buy one. The only thing is, you can try it in the store, but you can’t take it home with you. They have to come from a warehouse. No, I could not pick it up in the store when it arrived. It would be shipped to my home. “WHAT?!?” I cried, “Is there anyway to get it sooner?” Okay, so I would still have to wait a few more days, but yes, I could have it delivered and set up for me. I lived in Timbuktu so it would take a week, seven whole days as opposed to ten.

I have not regretted it, the wait was worth it. I would hate to think of how many more sleepless nights I would have encountered. As it is, any sleepless nights I do have, are not as bad as they once were. I can adjust the mattress easier with the numbers. I can vary anywhere from a 45 to a 75. Just depends on how I am feeling. The nice thing is I can tell immediately now when I get into bed what my number should be. No more fiddling with the controls. I bought the top of the line, sparing no expense. I didn’t really have the money for it, but I made the financing work. Even some hotels are now using these beds. So when I vacation now, I look for a hotel with an air mattress bed. No longer exhausted on trips, I can enjoy them! I can get a good night’s sleep or at least a close facsimile thereof. It may cost a few more dollars per night while traveling, but let’s face it…I am worth it. Repeat after me …. “I AM WORTH IT!”  Very good, now just keep repeating that to yourself when having a bad fibro day. Self esteem can be lowered when you feel pain. Just remember that you can endure it and that you are worth being kind to your body.

This style of bed is not for everyone. It is what I needed. I spoke with someone who had purchased a Sleep Number bed and was not happy with it. It turns out; it was her pillow all along. She could not be comfortable in any bed. So I would like to suggest to anyone and everyone that pillows can make a HUGE difference. Even if you have had the “same style” pillow for years, as you may have well learned, your body changes. Try different pillow styles. My bed is piled with a huge mountain of varying pillows and covered in 400 count Egyptian cotton sateen sheets. Okay, so I splurge on my bedroom. It is my sanctuary in fibro days. I want to be as comfortable as I can be. Yes, that includes a down comforter in the winter months. Am I worth it? Sure am. A person spends 6-8 hours a night in bed on average. That’s 1/4 to 1/3 of your life. Think about it, that’s a long time to be in one room. A very long time, since I realized that years ago, I have always made my bedroom my priority in comfort.

As I am writing this, I am looking forward to crawling into bed tonight. Then again, I look forward to bed each night. It’s been a very hectic week and the weather has been kind of crazy. In fact, on the drive home last night I suspected we would have rain. My barometric body was feeling a change in the weather. You know what that means, another fibro night, but that’s okay because when I finally did fall asleep, it was comfortable. I ended up missing work and being in bed most of the morning as well. Turns out it rained last night off and on, this morning and afternoon as well. Maybe I should become a weatherman. Who needs Doppler radar when your body can forecast it?

Get comfortable; make your room your sanctuary. Invest in a good mattress and pillows.

Sleep well my friends, you are worth it.