[kaplods]

Stress and drastic weather and weather changes trigger my fibro pain and fatigue flares. Last night was a doozy and I have to share or my head might just explode (don't want that to happen, very messy).

A little background to this very complicated story. About a month ago, a couple moved in and the guy told us he was on day release at jail and would soon be released on ankle bracelet for a sexual offense - he claimed that he had been dating a girl who lied about her age. Hubby looked up his arrest record online and found that he'd originally been charged with unlawful restraint in addition to the sexual contact with a minor charge, but the restraint charge had been dropped.

The guy isn't physically very intimidating, he is shorter than I am (a bit under 5'7") and weighs about 115 lbs. He looks about 12, and acts about 15 (he's 26). He seemed kind of immature, but not necessarily a continuing threat to humanity. Soon he became a complete nuissance to nearly everyone in the building, constantly knocking on our doors to "chat" or borrow stuff. I was starting to get creeped out, because every time my husband left the apartment, this guy would be knocking on my door to borrow something or ask some dumb question (I think trying to get me to let him into our apartment). He would knock on our door at all hours, and he and his girlfriend living above us and have loud arguments and "banging" around at all hours. When he wasn't home, the girlfreind was more cheerful and talkative, but a quiet, friendly neighbor. When around him, she was shy and barely spoke.

It all came to a head the other night, when several of the tenants in the building (only 8 apartments) including the girlfriend (now, apparently ex but still living in the same apartment because he won't move, so now he's taken the second bedroom) got together and started talking about the guy. He knows I was a probation officer, so he hasn't said much of this in front of me (though he has to my husband) bragging about violating his probation/parole rules and even of hitting the gf (he didn't tell my husband this, because my husband had already made comments to him that would lead him to believe hubby would beat the snot out of him if he did. Even though my husband is disabled and walks with a cane, he's still physically rather intimidating at 6'2", 350 lb, with long hair). After we all compared notes, hubby and I called the guys probation officer and filled her in. She said she would probably issue a warrant for his arrest.

Last night, hubby left for a night out (or rather a night in) with the guys at one of his friend's houses. Sure enough, though this time about an hour later, the guy knocks on my door. I'm very creeped out, and I then heard him pounding on his door (gf had locked him out, I later found out from her he had wanted to bring a new gf to the house). But all I heard was a crash and bang that sounded like he'd broken through the door (he did, he broke through the security chain). I called the sheriff's department. I couldn't actually call 911, because we have skype as our phone, so I had to call the non-emergency number but I told the dispatcher that I'd only not called 911 because I couldn't on my phone). I called my husband to come home as I was quite shaken by the event. A deputy came out and arrested him (there was an active warrant). He probably will not be getting out for quite a long time, the deputy and the probation officer told us. I sure hope so.

I'm a pretty confident, emotionally strong person, ordinarily slow to panic, but this really shook me up. I mean, everything went as smoothly as it could in a situation like this, but while the deputy was interviewing the gf, we watched her 8 year old little boy. He was pretty upset and needed to talk, we heard an earful for the next 30 minutes, as he pet our new cat. She's 8 years old and generally runs for cover at the first sign of anyone under 16, but she sat beside him and allowed him to pet and play with her for the entire time (quite a miracle, really, but I guess she sensed that he needed the reassurance).

Anyway, I woke up today feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. The most extreme fibro flare that I've had in months. I know it's stress piled onto weather that is causing it, but I'm still shocked by the severity of it.

Ahh the cathartic relieve of spilling my guts. I think the explosion risk has passed. Thanks for listening.

[Tomato]

Sorry to hear about all this trouble, kaplods. I hope you will feel better soon.

[SoulBliss]

I am sorry this happened. Everywhere I have lived prior to the current place I live has had SO much DV and violence in general.

Man, I sure hope that your "neighbor" does not come back. I hope your flare resolves soon too.

[tybeeanna]

Hi Kaplods, Sounds like you really had a bad weekend .. Now that the fear of your head exploding is over, Hopefully this week will be much more peaceful.. Thank God for pets, sometimes they help when no one else can...and you are right I always say STRESS it can kill you .... Hope you feel better soon K

[kaplods]

I already feel alot better. My muscles still are very sore, but I know if I take care of myself, the flare should resolve fairly quickly, in a few days at most. It's funny, but the symptoms aren't bothering me nearly as much as how sudden and extreme they were. So many people, even doctors who don't know any better, will tell you that fibromyalgia is a hypochondriac's disease, all in the imagination. I've gotten over thinking that way myself, and then this flare makes it so obvious why other people think so, and even has me wondering.

But the pain isn real. Especially the back of the legs - my hamstrings feel like I've been doing squats. I can't help but thing "what's that all about?"

But, I remind myself that stress effects all physical diseases, even cancer, and fibro is in the head to a certain degree, my neurotransmitters don't work right. They over-react, so that pain signals are magnified. I'm blessed really, because my pain does respond to meds and restful sleep. I'm only on tramadol, a non-narcotic pain medication. I know people who are on a lot stronger pain meds, that aren't even working very well. I just read an article in Reader's Digest, I think, that narcotics, even Oxycontin and morphine don't work very well for many fibromyalgia patients, so I definitely count my blessings on that one.

And my cat is a blessing. I can't help but be proud of the old girl, because she really doesn't like kids. She is not quite as perceptive as our cat that passed away (although considering last night I might be wrong), but she's very sweet and loves being petted (her crabby meow would make you think otherwise, but then she cuddles closer, so you know if it was a complaint, it was a complaint about not being petted enough or in the proper way.

Yes, feeling a lot better. I've never had to call the police on someone like this before. It was more stressful than calling in deputies when a probation client got in my face (but one of the deputies was right outside the door waiting to be needed). So on one hand I'm thinking, "I've been in more physically threatening situations, but on the other, I've never been in such an unanticipated situation (besides, I only had my husband's giant ornamental sword in the apartment for protection, not my trusty law-enforcement grade pepper spray. And I've been trained in the use of pepper spray, not in swordplay).

It's kind of funny really. I mean, what was I going to do? I certainly wasn't going to unsheath the weapon like some barbarian queen. I would have had to hold it by the leather encased blade and swing it like a baseball bat to bop him with the giant baseball sized wooden pommel at the base of the hilt. Yeah, I can just read that police report!

[zinkemomx2]

Originally Posted by kaplods

I called the sheriff's department. I couldn't actually call 911, because we have skype as our phone, so I had to call the non-emergency number but I told the dispatcher that I'd only not called 911 because I couldn't on my phone).

My mom is a dispatcher for the sheriff's department. She has always told me as long as you have an attached phone jack that any phone will work to call 911. Even if you don't have a land line phone. As a matter of fact, they have had calls come in where the children have plugged in a phone and accidentally dialed 911 thinking it wouldn't work because the phone was disconnected. I wonder if it is like that everywhere or just our old rural area?

Sorry that you had to go through all that. Sounds like you have a very perceptive cat.

[Lovely]

Gentle , Colleen. I'm sorry to hear you had such a stressful night! And that poor little boy. My heart goes out to him.

[kaplods]

We still have the phone jack, but we no longer have a phone to plug into it. Although that's good to know, as I can easily get a phone from goodwill to plug into it, for emergencies.

We went to meet with the guy's probation officer today and so did the ex-girlfriend and her son. Looks like the guy won't be getting out any time soon, as they've got alot of doctumented violations of his probation/parole.

The little guy asked if he could call my husband "daddy," and my husband said, "no, but you can call me your friend," and that made him happy. It is tough to see a kid so hungry for attention and stability. His mom is trying her best to do what's right, but I think there's a long history of instable relationships and she just doesn't know how to break the cycle. She did contact the area women's shelter though, so I think she's on the right track.

I'm really feeling alot closer to my normal self. My heart is beating normally again. This morning, I woke up in a panic from a weird "chase" dream with my heart pounding so strongly, I could feel it. I think though, now that the situation is resolved for the most part. When the guy is eventually released months or more probably years from now, he will not be allowed to return to the premises except one time if any of his stuff is still in the building, and he might be required to have a sheriff's deputy escort - that's what the states' attorneys office is going to recommend anyway, but it'll be up to the judge.

[sacha]

Originally Posted by zinkemomx2

My mom is a dispatcher for the sheriff's department. She has always told me as long as you have an attached phone jack that any phone will work to call 911. Even if you don't have a land line phone. As a matter of fact, they have had calls come in where the children have plugged in a phone and accidentally dialed 911 thinking it wouldn't work because the phone was disconnected. I wonder if it is like that everywhere or just our old rural area?

Sorry that you had to go through all that. Sounds like you have a very perceptive cat.

I'm also a dispatcher for a police department, some phone systems are not set up that way (although most are), so it's very important to always check with your local phone company/police department!! Cell phones will dial out as long as the battery isn't dead (even if there's no account), however the subscriber info (we use this to trace people if they can't/refuse their name/address) is not always available :-)