I've had several people contact me within the last few weeks asking something similar to, "Hey! Is it true that you have Fibromyalgia?" I always reply with a simple yes and wait for their questions. In the past, the response would be something like, "but you don't act like someone with Fibromyalgia" or something along those lines. Here lately the response has been asking questions because they, or a loved one, has been recently diagnosed and they are looking for answers, and who better to ask than someone who has Fibromyalgia.
I was 26 when I was finally diagnosed. Many people who don't know me well would never know something is wrong with my body. I tell the ladies of the Fibromyalgia Support Group that I facilitate that I have tried to hide this for many years. In the past, the people who were diagnosed were of the dramatic nature. They would come to their doctor or the hospital and list off a series of ailments that many recognize and then in a sighing breath say, "and I also have Fibromyalgia" as they would collapse onto their bed or into their wheelchair. I hid my diagnosis from many people because I didn't want to be associated with "those people". However the symptoms remain and no matter how much I would like to deny such a diagnosis, I have the classic symptoms of Fibromyalgia syndrome and I'm not ashamed of that.
When I get the awesome text asking if I have this unknown disease that has gained popularity with the treatments of Lyrica and Cymbalta and the myriad of other prescriptions that don't usually work on my body, I know a person is confused and wondering what on earth they have just been diagnosed with. I send them to this blog usually and tell them that this is everything that I have learned over the course of time. Since I have had this diagnosis for 12 years I have cleaved a ton of knowledge from books, online seminars, and the physicians that I have visited. What I have learned from my support group girls is that nobody has the exact same symptoms and a treatment that works for some, doesn't work at all for another.
It's a frustrating disease that is diagnosed by a trigger point exam. I believe that there are 16 trigger points that are pressed upon and you rate your pain on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the worst. At least that is how my doctor diagnosed me. I rated either a 4 or a 5 on all but one trigger point. Walking away with that diagnoses I felt lost. Now, 12 years later, I know what works for me, which is exercise and clean eating. If I don't exercise and eat processed foods for a long period of time, I find myself having migraines, joint pain, and having a hard time sleeping. My immune system is like a very dramatic 14-year-old who is on the verge of a meltdown over the simplest thing. My body decides that I have hypothermia when it gets cold and I develop Reynaud's where my body pulls my body heat from my extremities to protect my body organs and the only way it goes away is if I take a hot bath and get my entire body warm at the same time, otherwise it is hours before I can feel my hands again.My body reacts like I just broke my hand and will swell up and be painful to use for about an hour if I hit it on the door jam. If I overeat sugar I will get a migraine at the hint of a front moving through. If I get a muscle injury, my body will over-react to the point that I need physical therapy to get my motion back. I've had my skin over-react. I've had my ovaries and bowels have crazy reactions to the simplest of things. It's a raw deal, but it's mine and I refuse to let it get me down.
A diagnosis of Fibromyalgia is not the end of the world. There is no cure but there are ways to get your symptoms to go away. It's not a death sentence which is great! You have to find out what works for you and your Fibro. What works great for me might make your symptoms worse. I do encourage you to go back to MY beginning in this blog, especially if you just got diagnosed. There are books that I read and online seminars that gave me precious information that helped me get to a place where I don't take meds for my Fibro on a daily basis. There is hope! There is help! You just can't give up on it.
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