I could use some new friends.

Hi, Laassh,
Welcome to the forum - and you are not bothering us! I'm so glad you decided to post, but so sad to learn of your problems at such a young (not that any age is great!). If you've been reading you know we have members of all ages, although I'm one of the older crew.

18 credit hours - that's usually over a full load (in some cases way over). I used to teach college so I've got some sense of this. Have you been thinking about dropping a course to at least ease your stress a little, because as you say your pain levels are getting back to their upper levels, and stress never helps.

What support do you have at school - medical as well as friends, to at least give you a hand? Are your parents helpful? I know this may sound strange, but maybe your SSN being stolen was, in your case, a blessing in disguise. I don't know how you were working on top of 18 credits - that's a challenge even without health issues. (I'm not minimizing SSN stealing - that part really has to add stress).

Is your pain in all your joints? Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, RA all been ruled out? It sounds like it's something that's systemic. I know getting an answer can often be a challenge. I wonder if youf college is affiliated with a teaching hospital where people are more curious about a variety of symptoms. Just a thought. What do you do for your pain now?

I feel like i'm playing 20 questions and I know that can be annoying, so feel free not to answer them!

But again, welcome.

PaLady

Hello Laash and welcome to Healing Well. Yes, you have landed at the right spot for support, tips, good info and good conversation. I do hate to see someone so young be plagued with chronic pain. Its just not fair, you should be able to be up and running with your friends and having a good time like most your age. Then to be so far away from home at the same time, just plain stinks. I am quite sure at times you get scared, I know I do and I am almost 57 years old. But, I will tell you this, people that suffer with CP are very, very strong people. We have to be to put up with what we do.

 

I have to wonder how big of a role stress is playing in with alot of whats going on with you. By that I mean, keeping your pain levels kicked up. Stress will aggravate pain, not cause it, but aggravate it. You have a full plate with school, you are alone and away from family at a critical time when you need them around for support, your SS# being stolen on top of it all.

 

You did not say exactly where your pain is at but did mention a podiatrist so I know there is some foot involvment, anything else? DId you mention an MRI? What part of the body was that done on?

 

Since you have pretty much had no luck with the drs so far, have you considered having your primary care physician ref you to a pain mgt specialist? You would likely need a referral from your PCP to get in ro see one. Since you didn't mention where your pain was at, this is what I thinking to consider.

 

We do have young people on the forum too, so they will along at some point to welcome you aboard. None of us are drs here, we can only make some suggestions. Take care and will look for more posts from you....Susie

 

 

I've lost most of my friends due to my pain and mobility limitations.  Most folks just don't get it and others think I'm being overdramatic.  But what you will learn is that those friends who have stayed are your true friends.  I must commend you on being a full time student.  I was 30 before I went to college and boy was it hard working full time with 2 kids and being a full time student; but well worth it in the end.  Good luck in all you do.  I am certain you will find your path and have a very fufilled life. 

Hi, Renie,
I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. You may want to start a new thread and introduce yourself, if you haven't already done so. I might have missed it!

PaLady

Hi laaash,

Welcome (or welcome back) to HW!

Your story sounds so similar to mine! I too am a junior in college, although I'm a couple of years older than you (you started young!). Like you, the onset of my CP started a little over two years ago, with a traumatic injury to my eye. The injury healed, but I'm left with severe pain & other functional issues of which we are unsure of a cause. I've also been through the ringer as far as different doctors, test, and treatments are concerned. We've just recently "reached the end of the rope;" no one knows what to do or what to think anymore. Right now we're hoping to get some new ideas as to both a diagnosis & treatment/management from a national conference my doc is presenting my case at, but other than that my docs are stumped. It's hard not to be incredibly frustrated, and not to lose hope.

I also struggle to maintain a full coarse-load. Last semester I was forced to drop some classes, as well as one of my majors, and I was nearly forced to drop out completely this semester (I'm still not sure returning to school was the best idea). As you know, it is incredibly hard to maintain the level of work that you were doing before the pain. It takes so much effort to get through each day, let alone focus on your studies. It's especially hard for me since my vision & overall functioning of my eye is affected as well. Plus medication side effects are no walk in the park.

I understand what you are saying about your friends not understanding & losing friends as well. No one understands at all, so I try not to even bring it up, unless someone mentions it. It actually makes me feel worse talking about my pain when no one gets it. I also feel like I've lost or strained friendships because of my CP, although your true friends will stick around (sounds like your boy friend is a great guy for staying with you). I too spend a lot of time trying to take care of myself & very little, if any time living a normal college life.

Have you considered seeing a pain management physician? Maybe one of your docs can give you a referral. A PM might be able to help you out with some pain-relieving injections or other treatments & if they also manage pain with medication, might be more willing to prescribe to you. It's tough getting someone to take you seriously when you are young. I've had my fair share of docs who didn't believe me, but fortunately I now have a few excellent ones who are really fighting for me.

Skeye

Welcome Laassh,
Nice to meet you, so very sorry your going through quite a lot at a young age..
Since you've seen a Rheumatologist then I guess you've been tested for RA arthritis?
If not then maybe nows a good time to find out, maybe try looking in finding a
Doctor that treats Fibromyalgia, just don't give up yet. Have you tried using a moist/heating
pad? as it might help. Skeye mentioned a lot of wonderful suggestions for you to look into
I would also, recommend maybe a good Pain Management Physicologist (sorry my spelling is off)
Maybe ask your doctor about trying Cymbalta if your depressions gets bad.
Having friends and combating chronic pain can be hard and we tend to push our friends away,
but the good friends will be there for you, and like Skeye and the others said try to keep Hope.
Someday they'll find a cure for all of us.......
((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGZ}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Welcome Laassh. First let me state that CP is not a respector of age. Most all of us have gone through the issue with people in our lives not being able to handle the CP in our lives. I like to think that they move on not because of me but because they don't understand the effects of CP and the side effects of the meds. As you know it is very hard to help others understand the unwelcomed guest called Chronic Pain. That is why this site is so important to us. Here people understand without judging as we all have been there and are stuggling with living every day. Some days are better than others but most seem to find very little time that is pain free. Keep fighting the battle and we are here to help each other when the battle seems to big. Blessings!

Hello and welcome to the board!! There are sweet caring people here!!

(((((((((Gentle Hugs)))))))))))

EMTJenn

Hi Laaash,

Is there anything the school could possible do to help you? My school tries to help me out where they can (although most of the time it's a nice thought, but they don't follow through, or their suggestions are not practical), although my situation is a little different. You might consider talking to someone at your student services or Dean of Students' office about disability. Also like others suggested, if you're not already seeing some type of a councilor, you might want to look into doing so. A lot of schools have counciling services on campus (and some, like mine, are free of charge). I used to use my school's counciling services in the beginning, although I did end up switching to a private psychologist, as I got sick of having the same exact conversation week after week (the psychologists there were recent grads & the one I was seeing, though incredibly nice, just wasn't helping me at all).

Skeye

dont feel sorry for what you call bothering us it is what we are here for to help each other through this mess we call life. i am sorry that you have lost some of your friends i guess you know who your real friends are now. i could always use another friend in my life so feel free to email me any time i dont get around to check them all the time but i do get in here almost everyday and i do more time in thew fibro space. anyways my name is molly and i am 29. o love animals do you? see we are making friends already

laassh,
i have two pit bull mix dogs a boy that turned out to be a good disaibilty dog for me i fall and he lets me use him to pull myself up with his name is bull and his sister hier name is griffin that is why i use that as my username in here and she is deaf and i am teavhing her sign languge. she has the most beautiful sky blue eyes. then i have a black cat and a albino burmess python. my boyfriends dad lives with us and has two small dogs, those are the ones that drive me crazy cause they always bark. you said that you had dogs growing up and that you cant have them where you live now. what area do you live in? i am in northern utah in the salt lake area. keep posting girl it is always nice to hear from people on a one to one basis


molly

OOOO . . . I would love to borrow a lab, even a cranky one. We had mostly bird dogs. Now my family has a lab and a yorkie-pom (but I swear he isn't yappy). If I could have dogs here (neither my apartment nor my boyfriend's allow them), I would have a hard time deciding between a big dog that could be trained to be a good helper or a smaller dog to share my chair with when I'm not feeling well. I am from Southwestern Colorado, but I am going to school in Southwestern New Mexico.