I should have started this diary at the onset of my chronic pain, in order to narrow down exactly what is going on, but I suppose starting it now is better than never.

About the middle of May of this year, I lifted a box of leftover rummage sale items that was way too heavy for me and I knew it as soon as I put it down and picked it back up. I had hurt myself. I didn't realize how badly, until the pain just didn't go away...here it is, 3 months later, and I am in as much, if not more, chronic pain as in the beginning.

Below is a list of symptoms that I have or have had:

Sevier pain around right shoulder blade that seems to radiate down into my arm and elbow...this pain is a burning pain that can put me down in a hurry if I'm not careful to not lift or reach for running children...I am absolutely unable to sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

I get headaches almost daily...usually on the right side of my head. Occasionally these can be debilitating and I have to go to bed and have total quiet (migraine?).

I can't cough or sneeze without peeing. I didn't realize this was also a "symptom" until I did some research on neck and back pain online yesterday. This started about the time I hurt (actually a re-injury from an auto accident years ago, I believe) myself in May, possibly not starting until sometime in June.

I've also experienced "eye jumping", if that makes any sense. This may or may not be allergy related, but in my research this symptom shows up in some of my web searches.

I have some hearing loss I believe is due to not wearing ear protection from loud music or my carpet cleaning machine I used for several years until about 2 years ago when I sold it.

I am very emotional (hormonal?) and can cry if you look at me the wrong way, or if I'm trying to explain my pain to someone I will break down and just cry and not be able to continue explaining, which is part of the reason I'm keeping this diary now.

It scares me that at only 43 I can walk into a room very often and not remember why I came into the room in the first place. I will sometimes return to the room I was in first and then remember what I went to the other room for and have to repeat it to myself in my mind all the way back so that I don't forget again.

In February, 2008, I had double pneumonia and was sick for about a month or more with that. I'm sure my cigarette smoking contributed to the long recovery period. It probably has contributed to a lot of things.

I have hot flashes and night sweats all the time. I sweat so much at night that I have to take the covers off and then I get cold and have to change clothes and then only get hot again. This also happens when I eat or do daily household chores when I'm able to. Most of the time, doing daily chores can cause muscle spasms to return to the point where I'm back down for a few days up to a week or so. This is happening more often since a Kenalog injection a couple of weeks ago, but was happening fairly regularly beforehand. I asked the pharmacist if the cortisone could cause heavier incidence, and he said it definitely could.