Monday, February 4, 2013

Fibromyalgia Fun: When the chewing gets tough . . .

Glass containers are classy
but weigh too much, so 

use plastic.
Difficulty chewing is among the many funky features of fibromyalgia. Search Dr. Google and you'll discover that the precious few articles about chewing and fibro focus on TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) issues.

Here's another another take: chewing can be downright exhausting.

Really and truly, sometimes I simply can't wrap my brain around the effort required to chew. Usually I muster that effort because we fibro folk are Type A++ personalities. At other times, I come to what's left of my senses and toss stuff into a blender.

This morning was one of those mornings. My first big hint came while peeling a naval orange.  While wrestling off its rind, I realized that I didn't have the energy to chew. I thought about tossing it down the garbage disposal and that led to thinking "smoothie!" So I hauled out the blender and was sipping breakfast within minutes. No chewing necessary.  (Note to self: keep the blender on the counter to save energy.)

Today I blended break-the-fast, which is typically sweet but I've also blended savory and spicy meals, opting for mush over more exhaustion. As you might guess, I'm exceedingly fond of soup because of the low-no-chew factor. Alas, my bubble gum days are totally over.

3 comments:

  1. We Myasthenics have some of the same problems. Our jaw and neck muscles can become weak making chewing and swallowing difficult at times. The blender is a Godsend.
    I no longer chew gum and a stay away from Tootsie Rolls for the same reason. While they are yummy, they aren't worth making your jaw so weak you can't close your mouth. I posted something similar on my blog last year...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary Jane candy is also a killer, but then it was all that and more even before chewing became an issue.

      Delete
  2. You're right--it's the glass that makes it too difficult for me to use the blender.

    ReplyDelete

Please be kind and helpful. Don't make us stew!