Not to be a total downer but fibromyaliga is rude. This weekend I started feeling really dizzy. We had gone on a family outing with our church to a corn maze 2 hours away. I felt horrible all day. It was cold and I felt like I was floating most of the day. It just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I still had a good time and enjoyed being there. I enjoyed my family and friends. I was just exhausted, more than I should be, by the time that I got home. The following day was spent at church and out navigating some of my in-laws land on a 4-wheeler. It was a fun day, yet again, I came home feeling absolutely exhausted.
Yesterday I woke up with chest pain. Normally that would kind of freak me out, yet I have been down this road before. Last year I went through 3 weeks of being mis-diagnosed with my chest pain. Working at a hospital I have the advantages of being able to talk and get opinions from physicians. One ruled out a heart attack, one ruled it as reflux, another said it was pleurisy, and finally after all of that with treatments that did not work, I went and saw my family doctor and said, "I know this is weird but I have pain right in between my breasts, worse on the right side, yet sometimes it radiates into my back and up my right shoulder. It is a dull constant ache that comes in waves, but never leaves." Dr. Lawrence nonchalantly replied, "Oh, that's easy, you have costochondritis." I was put on prednisone and told to take ibuprofen for the pain. After about 3 days I started to feel a little better. And thus, my reasons for not being alarmed. I was pretty sure that I had it again.
And my suspicion turned out correct. I ran by the doctor's office yesterday afternoon and was put back on prednisone and, this time, naproxen, but the souped up version. What was even crazier is that it was almost a year to the date of having it again. How bizarre is that? Not as bizarre as one would think. I write all that to say that costochondritis is actually really common in fibromyalgia patients. I didn't know this until I saw an article while I was on facebook.
http://bodyprinciple.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/costochondritis-in-fibromyalgia/
Then as I started to look I found there are several articles just by punching into Google the words Fibromyaglia and Costochondritis. So as annoying as these symptoms are, I suppose I can consider them normal, which is just wrong and not nice at all.
I read something the other day while reading my Bible though that makes this bad time all the more better. "Proverbs 25:27: It’s not smart to stuff yourself with sweets, nor is glory piled on glory good for you". What I took from that is that if every day was just peachy-keen, I wouldn't appreciate the really good days that I have. It also teaches me to look for the good in a bad situation. Sure, fibromyalgia is no fun at all. However, I refuse to make that my focus. There are going to be bad days, but I want those bad days so that the great days are that much more sweet. So if you are facing a stinky time in your Fibro life, remember to cherish it as well because it will just make your awesome day that is coming up that much better. I haven't given up on my 34th year being the best. But even if it isn't the greatest, I know that it will make other years that much more awesome. Hang in there fibro friends.
