I didn't know what was wrong with me because I was a very active moving person. Weight lifting and racing were my best times in life plus making the money to help poeple who needed yearly. Then one sad day my doctor told me I needed to slow down I was over doing it. I had Fibromyalgia. Well I had never hard of it so there must not be such a thing. Well during my dance classes I had fore young girls during the day I would sometimes not feel my fingers or just felt like I needed a rest time for a nap. This just wasn't me at all. My doctor advised me to go to a locat Doctor library and he gave me information on how to recieve a card and I went. I remember reading the works and walking may become at a point where you may have to use a wheel chair! I looked at those words and cried and didn't care who saw me. How could this happen I was alway very healthy and my kids eat healthy too. I would just let this pass in my mind and keep working out they must be wrong its one big mistake.
A year went by and I was struggling to keep my racing time and feeling nausiated.
My hip was bothering me daily now but I would pray and meditate over what was happening to my body mine over matter. I don't like to take pain pills and try to stay off them as much as possible. I do take natural valarian root or dandlian or items like that.
Well I am 58 now and unable to enter in a race. I went from 112 ti 180 in a years time and it is killing me. I have trouble just weeding my yeard but, I push myslelf to do it.
Sometimes taking a bath is a effort that I would as no, one to help. My doctors do not consider me disabled even though sometimes I wish they would because I am not working now no one wants me. I can't remember at least half the stuff people tell me and leave stickem notes to remind me. I don't want anyone to feel said for me for this is how god mad me he never makes more then we can handle. I see it as a chalange and do the best I can even if the toilet paper is sticking out of my dress at the airport. Well it was funny and got a few laughs out of it. My family loves me and can see I have some real bad days and very few good ones but what the heck who is perfect.
I do not take pain med I have asked to not be put on them. I have told my doctor this but what was I thinking maybe I was out of my mind then!
I don't get along well with my family and have to appoligise more then other times because pain can make you ugly inside. I want to thanky all of you for listening to me
see I live on a farm all alone during the day because my husband works nights. I get stir
crazy when I hear the coyotees and elk rubbing on the trees and bugaling.
I do write when my hands let me not as much as I would like. And working people turn me away they need a health person who can work all day not sit around.
I want to thank you for your time it has been great but, I am looseing my hand control right now.
I too have fibro ( for over 25 years) and many of the same symptoms that have been mentioned. In fact I was relieved in a sense to read that someone else had gained so much wieght in a short time. I have gone from 120 to 190 in about a year too. This is not not good since I am only 5 ft. It's not good for anyone to be overwieght, but it seems to come with this disease, as many others. I know some of my problems are due to inactiviy because I hurt so bad, overeating to compensate for not feeling good, eating and not slepping in the middle of the night. Any of this sound familar?
I am very frustrated because I kow that limited easy stretching is good for me and in time would help me feel better, but I am stuck in a pain cycle that will not let go. My cervical muscles hurt so bad from chronic spasms I had to quit driving because my range of motion is so poor.
I DO take meds, strong enough that allow me to at least get out of bed and join my husband 90% of the time and most of the time join my kids and grand children. Without them,(and I tried for over 12 years) I was not able to get out of bed, visit with family & friends, or do any one of the painless art mediums I work with.
This is my life, these are my enjoyments. Without medications I would not be able to have even this in my life. I am grateful because it is the difference between exsisting with fibro or living with it.
I thank God every day that I have the use of my eyes, hands, ears, and sense of smell. And my doctor's good sense and courage to treat my pain to help me minimize it's affect on me. I will not and do not apologize or justify it to anyone anymore.
After all, it is the litle things.
tjhelser
Yes I have five disks in my neck out of place found out this year I have glucoma in my eyes and my left kidney hurts off and on. I am a short person too so when my weight came on it was shocking because I always worked out. At 5'2" It makes me look like a small hippo. It upsets my husband because I have a hard time doing things and well he would love to be doing things on each of his days off like we used to do together before I got so bad. I used to ignor it and well think it would go away and that the doctors mad a hug mistake. I have heart problems which scare me to death at time. so I am afraid to be left alone with my grand daughter that I might fall over dead on her and frighten her so bad. My allergies have gotten so bad this year I have trouble breathing at times and wheeze. The doctors where I live don't reconize Fibromyalgia at all and let everyone go who has it. It's all in our minds. Get this they have a doctor who dresses like a hippie with long hair but none in the middle its a laugh and he plays the bongo drumbs and he wants everyone who has this condition plus heart patients to learn to bongo and relax its the best help for our condition he says you dont need meds. So here I am in pain I would rather take a gun and kill myselt sometimes that is how bad it is. Well wait I will get my bongo drum out there better gee that is all I needed. Where do they spend money on these guys at but can't help us. I know how you feel exactly All I take is a bata blocker which sometimes will not help with my palipitations that I have to live with and the Aciphex still causes acid to burn all night and I feel nausiated. I had a hernia in 2001 they found and said it needed fixed then they sent me to some quack and said who said you had a hernia I cant find it. Good thing I kept the original paper on it. Now all the other doctors who see me say this doctor said you don't have a hernia. Well I have the original paper that says it is on my right side below my rib cage. It has his name so I am going back to him as soon as I get caught up with my doctor bills I have right now and now its 2008 and my hernia is bulging I look prego. People arent sure if to ask if I am expecting or not how embarrasing. My sister is on eight pain pills for her ruptured disks in her back and they haven't even done surgery on her. The place she worked at just settled because they wanted her out of thier place after working for them for seven years. I know how you feel and not being able to get out and do much its hard to walk or do house work. Since I haven't worked I feel like a caged animal. My daughter moved back in last week and well she didn't aske it was hello here I am.
She has had me baby sit about every day so she can get out. The thing is I used to baby sit for a living on my last job because I couldn't do anything else then it got where I could not life a child or run after them to keep them safe so its very hard for me to care for her and she is two and all over the place. Well I am exhausted but wanted to let you know that you are not the only one out thier we are just not noticed. And that camercial isn't even the bit like us I think.
Well you have a better day and I will think of you.
Sabine
Hi Sabine,
I appreciate you responding to my post with a huge smile
I am so sorry honey that you live in an area where Fibro is not yet recognized. I remember the feeling well, of not being believed and validated. From the moment I had a diagnosis my whole attitude changed and this was before fibro was so well known by the current name. Prior, the host of symptoms we feel were put off as other things which sounds like is happening to you.
I suggest that you check out the Americanpainfoundation.org web site for help with finding a physician to treat you. It sounds(without you telling me where) that you live in a small town and I too know how hard it is in small towns to find doctors willing to treat chronic pain. I moved to a much smaller town after living in Seattle WA for 10 years where I had a very couragous internist who found the right pain "cocktail" (combo of medications) to minimize my pain.
I believe for a large part doctors are afraid to treat our pain on an ongoing basis. It could jeapordize their practice and possible legal issues.
When I was interviewing doctors after I moved back to Oregon I realized I needed to be straight up with them and ask right off if they could possibly treat me. If not after hearing my history and treatment that was working I would move on and not waste their or my time. You should be able to have a first time interview with a new doc to see if the fit is right at no cost to yourself. Tell the receptionist upfront that is why you are coming in. Hopefully the 'painfoundation's website can help you locate a docor in your area.
Please feel free to communicate with me any time, I believe that this is the best support for one another. Each other.
Take care, be kind to yourself, and remember; we teach other's how to treat us by allowing ugly behavior in the first or second place.
tjhelser