Ah, the pain of it all! I was diagnosed years ago with peripheral neuropathy (PN) due to my diabetes (Type 1 or IDDM), or more accurately, my mismanagement of the disease.
Over the past few years, the reactions to PN have been getting steadily worse. There was a time where I could apply a heat-like topical cream like capsacin which would ease the pain and/or cramping in my lower legs. That no longer helps. Now, when I start to cramp or get the (now) excruciating pains, I'll take a naproxen -- Aleve is the expensive name brand -- and wait an hour to let it kick in.
Bugger of that is the fact that these pains or cramps occur at night, usually after I have finally got myself into REM sleep. I mention REM because the pains have been invading my dreams, messing up whatever scenario my addled brain has concocted for the evenings entertainment.
Tonight's bout... no this morning's!! ... woke me up around 04:00. It is now 05:45, and the daylight outside isn't helping me to get back to sleep. The pain I originally experienced manifested itself into a dream I was having. Can't remember all the details, but I know I was trying to walk from here to there and it was darn near impossible to do.
As such. I finally gave up trying to go back to sleep after taking my pain pill, since the daylight and my overly active grey cells conspired to say, "MWAH-HA-HA!!" So, here I be. I do have to say that this scenario is common, but, I do have a way to avoid it or at least, alleviate it.
When the pains come roaring in at night, it usually occurs rather early, between 01:00 and 02:00 hrs. My tendency is to get up, walk around a bit, then go back to bed. I know the pain is going to come back. My aversion to taking pills of any sort for whatever keeps me from popping that single blue tab (no, silly! not THAT little blue pill!!) If I can train myself to use my little walk to head to the bathroom and grab a pill, maybe I could get a longer night's sleep. Perchance to dream without pain interruption!!
Oh well. The sun has broken over the horizon and much as I hate sunrises... well, no. I still hate them.
Keep The Faith*
