Fibromyalgia and pregabalin

For those who have found the illness a bit confusing - it's a real one. Fibromyalgia. Chronic pain gets in a way of a lot of things... But you can still do others.

to not be able to read this in one sitting. Damn Fibromyalgia flair-up showed up at the worst time. Well it took 2 days and it was better than I thought it would be. I'm a sucker for happy ending and w/Gene on the wagon and his secret finally out, the family is starting to become just that a family once again. Ok Ok I know there is still Barb. But i think in the end...well I have a theroy on that, but I don't want to say it. I mean if I'm wrong I'll look so stupid...hehe-he.

it took me long enough. I hate fibromyalgia flare ups. It is hard enough to sit for more than 10-15 minutes let alone have a clear head to absorb what I'm reading. Well finally I finished and what a great job you did in closing everything up. Everyone is happy, the bad guys are in jail, and life is returning to normal if there is a normal for the Queen and King of the Vampire Nation. I also like how you left the story open so that if these wonderful characters won't stay out of your brain you can easily bring them back. Another fantastic story that I thank you for sharing.

Not once did you identify the main character had Fibromyalgia. until you responded with post story comments in response to criticism. Furthermore, there are times depending on many factors this condition varies in pain levels even throughout the day and some can deal with it better with medication where others not so fortunate. You never identify any details as to the serverity what efforts for easing might have been available to deal with this deabilitating condition. The fact you have the sister acting completely ignorant time and time again throughout this story in causing him physical pain is absolutely stupid and inconceivable. And then--- sending a roommate over to extol physical contact with no understanding is just plain dumb to boot. Lack prudent information and the tasks you ask the main character to ignore without proper communication of what all the parties to contend with is just lacking integrity and the story is just a complete flop. negative 100 stars.
I have numerous friends with different levels of this disabilitating condition and in every case each of the relationships are very intuned with their partners conditions and they are very keen about the knowing whether physical activity is not always possible with their partner. Very disappointed you be this ignorant to make this a vital part of the story and never reveal the said condtion only using vagueness for a very real critical piece of information.

I loved this! I, too, suffer from severe neuropathy due to an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Thankfully, it's mostly under control right now thanks to Pregabalin. Before that I was on Gabapentin for years until I was eventually on the max dose and it no longer had the desired effect. I dread the day Pregabalin no longer helps me. While reading, I kept wondering why she didn't take any meds. Life was pretty unbearable before them, for me. I chose to assume that she tried them and they didn't work for her or she eventually became immune to them. I remember what it was like to not be able to be touched because the pain was too intense. That pins and needles, itchy, tingly feeling of being on fire is miserable. I was nodding my head when you mentioned tight constant pressure not being as bad as loose touching. It reminded me of how I'd lay in bed and it'd hurt to lay down but eventually I'd get used to it. The real torture came from someone trying to put a bed sheet over me. Fuck no. The pain of a thin little bed sheet was unbearable. When I read that I kept thinking, but being underwater helps. I'd spend entire days in the bathtub, sometimes even sleeping in it, just so the pain would be lessened, to have just an hour or two where I didn't want to scream. I preferred warm or hot water over cooler water though. I always felt like I was on fire so the temperature change with cool water was uncomfortable. Anyway, while I was thinking about how much being submerged helps, you introduced a pool not a page later. Really great work on accurately describing life with neuropathy and how painful and isolating it can be.
I often think about how I'd love to read a story on here in the BDSM category where the sub was chronically ill and how that'd change the play. I'd love to read the steps the Dom would take to make BDSM accessible for the sub while still being mindful of her symptoms and limitations, which can be a broad, varied, long, and constantly changing list. It'd be fascinating to read the tricks and work arounds the Dom would use to still accommodate the sub's desires while constantly having to keep an eye on her health and limits considering that the chronically ill often push themselves harder than they should in every day life and pay for it later with pain, exhaustion, and/or an increase in symptoms of their illness. I've considered pitching this idea one of my favorite authors here but she's in the middle of a long series right now. Anyway, this story is the closest I've come to finding something like that here and it was lovely. Usually what I come across that includes disability, especially in Romance, are stories where a person is either blind or deaf, or a spouse or parent finding love again after cancer has taken their spouse/child. While those are great, they don't necessarily encompass the often shifting landscape of living with many neurological or rare diseases or even of living with cancer (rather than being the widow/widower). Representation matters and it was great to come across a story where the person has a symptom like mine. Thank you.

Sometimes on this site I go from link to link to link and end up reading all kinds of stories. Today I read one in the romance category called The Naked Gardener about a woman who is in pain when her skin is touched. I left a long comment on it and I'm sharing it with you because for a long time I've thought you could write an excellent BDSM story where the sub has a chronic illness and the Dom has to accommodate for that in their kink and personal life. I know you've had cancer and I'm sure you have experience being sick and tired of being sick and tired, how it fucks with your head, your emotions, how you just want to be your old self again (but with chronic illness you will never ever get there, even just physically), how you push too hard to keep doing what you did before, how treatment and testing will literally never end, etc. It'd be such an interesting dynamic to explore and I think you'd do it justice. Just an idea to add to what I'm sure is a long list of future story ideas.
And here's my comment on that story:
I loved this! I, too, suffer from severe neuropathy due to an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Thankfully, it's mostly under control right now thanks to Pregabalin. Before that I was on Gabapentin for years until I was eventually on the max dose and it no longer had the desired effect. I dread the day Pregabalin no longer helps me. While reading, I kept wondering why she didn't take any meds. Life was pretty unbearable before them, for me. I chose to assume that she tried them and they didn't work for her or she eventually became immune to them. I remember what it was like to not be able to be touched because the pain was too intense. That pins and needles, itchy, tingly feeling of being on fire is miserable. I was nodding my head when you mentioned tight constant pressure not being as bad as loose touching. It reminded me of how I'd lay in bed and it'd hurt to lay down but eventually I'd get used to it. The real torture came from someone trying to put a bed sheet over me. Fuck no. The pain of a thin little bed sheet was unbearable. When I read that I kept thinking, but being underwater helps. I'd spend entire days in the bathtub, sometimes even sleeping in it, just so the pain would be lessened, to have just an hour or two where I didn't want to scream. I preferred warm or hot water over cooler water though. I always felt like I was on fire so the temperature change with cool water was uncomfortable. Anyway, while I was thinking about how much being submerged helps, you introduced a pool not a page later. Really great work on accurately describing life with neuropathy and how painful and isolating it can be.
I often think about how I'd love to read a story on here in the BDSM category where the sub was chronically ill and how that'd change the play. I'd love to read the steps the Dom would take to make BDSM accessible for the sub while still being mindful of her symptoms and limitations, which can be a broad, varied, long, and constantly changing list. It'd be fascinating to read the tricks and work arounds the Dom would use to still accommodate the sub's desires while constantly having to keep an eye on her health and limits considering that the chronically ill often push themselves harder than they should in every day life and pay for it later with pain, exhaustion, and/or an increase in symptoms of their illness. I've considered pitching this idea to one of my favorite authors here but she's in the middle of a long series right now. Anyway, this story is the closest I've come to finding something like that here and it was lovely. Usually what I come across that includes disability, especially in Romance, are stories where a person is either blind or deaf, or a spouse or parent finding love again after cancer has taken their spouse/child. While those are great, they don't necessarily encompass the often shifting landscape of living with many neurological or rare diseases or even of living with cancer (rather than being the widow/widower). Representation matters and it was great to come across a story where I share a symptom with one of the characters. Thank you.