Fireworks

[Lou38]

Does anyone else have sensitivity to the loud noise and bright lights from fireworks?

My daughter was performing yesterday at a fairly big festival with the band she’s in at school and we were all given the opportunity to stay on for the fireworks display after. I was really reluctant because we were away from 9am & wouldn’t get home til 1am the next morning then have to go to work plus I had to try & arrange childcare for my younger daughter overnight. I also have a fear of fireworks.

In the end up I agreed to go because if I’d said no the whole band would have missed out. OMG I had no idea how sensitive my ears were to loud noise or my eyes as sensitive to the bright lights. I jumped with every bang, was shaking like a leaf & was sitting with my head down because I couldn’t even watch them & tears streaming down my face. It actually felt like the fireworks were inside my ears the bangs were so loud. There was nowhere to escape to either, it was in the middle of a huge park. I felt so stupid reacting the way I did but I’ll never make the same mistake again & put myself in that position!

I’m suffering big time too, we were on our feet all day & walked over 7 miles in total plus the lack of sleep. I wish I could just have a nice day out with my family without having to pay such a high price with a faulty body!

 

[links56]

I also get severe sensory overload not to mention shellshock from fireworks from when I was in the service. Even when I'm at home after I've endureded a certain amount of stress I can't even handle my wife playing with our son in the same room it's so loud and it's painful to my ears. So then you don't want to be mean and say something but if I don't the it builds up until I can't take it anymore then I blow up and no one understands so you're damned if you do or damned if you don't.

 

[Cemaner]

I had a son at the festival was hysterical about fireworks, I had to leave at the very beginning of the festival, it's a shame and what to do .. The health of the child is more important.

 

[Keri]

(i realize that this post is really long, i don't know how to make short replies, LOL)
Hi Lou38,
Sensory overload is definitely a trigger for many fibro sufferers. I haven't been to live fireworks in a couple years, but last year I had gone to a very large exposition/fair that happens in our area with my boyfriend. We have been together for a couple years and he knows all too well about my fibro and takes good care of me.
I hadn't had a full blown panic attack/flare in some time and had been feeling decent. We browsed around the exposition buildings for about 2 hours at a leisurely pace, there were thousands of people (this is the largest fair in the northeast, and 7th largest in the country) and it was a little loud but my boyfriend kept me close, we were having such an excellent time, towards the end of the night we hit the Fairway (where all the rides and carnival games were, the bf was going to try to win a stuffed animal for me, lol) and it happened. The bright flashing lights everywhere, the loud blaring music coming from each and every ride, the game carnies yelling, children screaming, young people running from ride to ride, people pushing through the crowd (you get the idea.) My bf said he could feel my hand tightening around his as we were walking, and within minutes I was in full panic attack, the sounds were deafening, the lights were so bright that I couldn't see, and the world was spinning. Every muscle in my body began to tighten and my bf could see it in my face as I tried to bury myself in his arms. He scooped me up (I am 5'2" -125lbs, he is 6'5" -280lbs, so a very easy task for him) and got me off the fairway and as far as he could get me from the noise and lights, found a bench in a quiet, dark corner where I could take my pills, and we sat there for a good half hour while we talked and he rubbed my shoulders and arms (during a flare my arms tighten and lock up folded into my chest). I was able to walk back to the car where I fell instantly asleep for the 30 minute ride home, and then into a hot bath to try and relax my muscles, then straight to bed from there. During a flare I don't sleep well at all. My body "sleeps" but my brain stays in overdrive. It took me a couple weeks to get out of that one.
I did go to the fair this year, but we steered clear of the fairway. lol.
We have limitations, it sucks, but I have "given in" to my limitations. I know what I should not do and try to not do those things. But I also don't keep myself locked away in my house. I do as much as I can of the things I know I can do. Yoga everyday, I go to the gym 2-3 mornings a week (I have a workout that has been tailored for me by my physical therapists), I still work 5 days a week, for 5 hours a day, and I still go hiking at the local arcadia, and many mountain trails in my area. It's not all "easy-peasy-pumpkin-pie", I take my meds and often have to "force" myself to get out of bed. I still hurt ALL THE TIME, but that is now my new norm. As long as I can keep my flares under control I am happy.
I know all fibro sufferers can relate to my story. We feel like we are all alone in our suffering, but we are not, we just hide it as well as we can so we can avoid the stigma that accompanies this illness. I say **** the stigma, we are who we are. Hello All, I am Keri, and I live with fibromyalgia.