What else do you have?

By tls Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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I am just curious. Does anyone else have other aliments/illnesses that you have to cope with daily?

Currently, (and there is always room for some more Big Grin ) I have BP II, fibromyalgia, degenerative disk disease, bi-lateral carpal tunnel, thoracic outlet syndrome, hypertension, barrett's esophagus and some unknow yet to be diagnosed reason for peripherial vision loss and possibly another autoimmune disorder because my blood work is funky.

Sometimes I don't know what to address first and sometimes I don't know what is the cause of the symptom of the day. My gp doc told me to quit smoking - now! He thinks I had a vascular event which caused the vision loss. Doesn't he realize that I'm bp and quiting smoking is like the hardest thing in the world to do besides getting out of bed every day. Actually he doesn't believe I am bp because I wasn't diagnosed until my 30's but that's another story.

I think today I am feeling overwhelmed because I go to the pdoc on Thursday and then on Monday I get to spend four hours at Strong Memorial where an opthonerologist will be poking around in my eyes and head trying to figure out what's wrong up there. I don't go back to see my gp until March I think and he expects me to be smoke free by then. I keep telling myself I'm really trying - but, am I really trying. Nope. I keep making excuses to buy one more pack.

So tell me, what else besides bp (as if it isn't enough) do you struggle with and how are you coping?

Health Care and all that crap

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none

1/30/08 7:41pm

Geez, you sound like me. I have bipolar II, fibromyalgia, degenerative disk disease, had carpal tunnel surgery and am having hand surgery for the 3rd time on the same hand. I've had Lyme disease twice, and a severe bout of Shingles.

I also smoke but have set a target date of May 1st to quit. That is the day my daughter is supposed to come back from Iraq. Until then I just can't focus enough to quit. My docs know this and still lecture me but they understand it's just not the right time. Anyway, I guess I just deal with stuff one day at a time.

I had a very bad experience a few months with a specialist for the fibromyalgia. She actually wasn't an expert in that field and didn't have a clue about the bp. I actually think she didn't understand bipolar at all and I probably scared her. Of course my pdoc doesn't really get fibromyalgia either so that doesn't help. Hopefully I'm getting a referral for a rheumatologist next month when I go in for my regular physical.

I'm allergic to most pain pills and I have to be careful with the mood stabilizer I'm on as far as mixing with other stuff. I've been on the Lamictal for 2 years now and it's been really helpful. Lately I am more on the down side towards late afternoon/night but I don't know if it's because the Fibro acts up more then or if I am just heading in a different direction as far as mood shifts go. Sometimes I just don't know which is worse to live with, the bp or the fibro. Both do an absolute number on the mind and body. My opinion is that the bp and the fibro feed off each other. When one flares up so does the other. I had to stop going to the gym because the fibro pain was getting too bad. Both illnesses need exercise so it's been a struggle. About the only thing I can do is a lot of walking which I do at work. Both require sleep and each has impacted that. Stress does a number on both also. When the fibro pain gets bad it affects the bp and when the bp gets bad it affects the fibro. They are sort of attached to the hip.

So for now the only thing that I can do is to try and take it one step at a time and not over do it. Easier said than done right? I'm working full-time and will continue to no matter what because I made some big credit card boo-boos when I was manic and take full responsibility for them. It hurts like heck both physically and mentally trying to do it but that's the price I have to pay for being a bad girl. My husband doesn't want me working because of all the problems with the bp and fibro, but heck, why should he have to pay off the bills I made when he wasn't looking? I made the mess and I am responsible for cleaning it up. I have to say that he is a very strong person for being able to put up with my bp problems and fibro problems. Having both really stinks but I am lucky to have him by my side.

So, seeing how their isn't a cure for either illnesses, I guess it's a day-to-day process. At least I know there are others out there who do this also. It's too bad that both illnesses are still so misunderstood by many.

su1

2/18/08 11:39am

That's funny - I was going to ask the same thing! My cousin was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia & had to quit her job and college & move home with her parents. They started treating her for depression at the same time, and immediately the pain went away. Years later, she is now almost done her accounting designation & very successful in her career; living on her own with a great guy. She still deals with stubborn back pain and endometreosis, these days, though. Our grandmother had all kinds of illnesses - depression for sure, and back pain requiring surgery, cancer, and many other troubles. I feel like me & my cousin are taking after her. I have had severe back pain (I was off for 6 months) & upon my return to work, I was treated for depression, which seems to have been the underlying problem; having undiagnosed bipolar (depression predominant) for so many years, I couldn't get proper sleep & couldn't handle stress well at all, so I was constantly getting colds; then getting strep throat lots; then my back pain started & worsened all on its own, for 'no reason' so to speak. The antideps helped lessen the back pain, but then another condition started for me, called vestibulitis. I have heard it is very similar to fibromyalgia, but just confined to the female area. Anyways, it is very painful & hard to manage. I have always wondered if fibromyalgia and other pain problems are related to Bipolar/Depression. It's all connected, so I would think it is. Especially fibro - Mary Ellen Copeland (author - great books, by the way) has this together with her BP & I think it's not too uncommon.

tls

2/18/08 1:30pm

I did a research paper last semester on fibro and one of the topics that came up consistently was that so many percent of people with fibro have a mental disorder (can't remember the details and don't feel like looking it up) and usually the mental disorder is diagnosed first.

Erin

4/20/09 10:08pm

Beginning at 17 I got a bump.. groin area and had to have surgery on it, an ingrown hair I was told. Since then, the "bumps" have been diagnosed as hidradenitis. A gland problem. It causes these bumps, much like boils, acne..in grown hairs. They are under the arms, breasts, groin. They last step is surgery in which they will remove glands and skin graft over top. A drastic measure I was told. They did try Acutane (prior to being diagnosed BP), but with the black box warning of depression and suicide..it is no longer an option.

Strangely enough, my face is clear.. well now that I'm off Li. its a horrible thing.. no matter what my progression is with BP, I still have the low self esteem of having my body being this painful and digusting looking.. bump.

Most other physical ailments stem from side effects of the BP meds. It does seem to look like we have to decide between physical health and mental health.

I can relate...

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