HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

reaching out to young people with fibro!

Support Forums
>
Fibromyalgia
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/21/2008 9:54 AM (GMT 0)
I'm turning 15 next week and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia on Tuesday. I'm just wondering what kind of things help with the pain, and what can help to handle school. Just any advice would be so great!
Posted 8/21/2008 1:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tilly and welcome to our family. So sorry you have fibro though. We have another young lady that just turned 17 that I'm sure will love to help you with your questions about school.

 

Please read the fibro 101 post, second thread on first page, it is filled with info. We use moist heat for pain in any form showers, baths, rice bags you heat in microwave and moist heat heating pads. Stretching and moving helps.

 

Did the doc put you on anything for the fibro??? Some have had good luck with lyrica.

 

Read as much as you can and stick with us and you will learn a lot of coping skills.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 8/21/2008 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Tilly!

My name is Casey, and I'm 20, and am a Junior in college. I was diagnosed a few weeks ago and school is about to start up on Monday. The biggest thing we need to do is stay in contact with administration. Now, I'm not sure how your school works, but I would see your doctor for a note that you can give to the nurse. Also, speak to your principle, and I would probably talk to your teachers. If you're not comfortable talking to your teachers, I'm sure your principle would be willing to have a conference with your teachers and explain that there will be days where you can't help that you will not be able to make it to school. There will be days you can't make it to school. Don't push yourself, you'll just make it worse.

Keep a schedule! Get ahead in homework if you can, but don't push yourself. If you procrastinate (Like me!), try to relearn to keep a study schedule. All nighters are really not to much of an option anymore. I did that for my Calculus final this summer (worst idea EVER!!) :) Healthy study habits make for a smart, healthy person

High school is crazy, but I promise you can get through it. It will be hard on some days, but you can do it.

Now, for my pain I embrace my inner bath junkie! A warm bath with a goofy magazine is the best! I try doing gentle yoga for about ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night. It helps with my muscle cramping a lot. Rice bags that have a little lavender and peppermint in them are amazing. I stir in my lavender and peppermint essential oils into the rice in a bowl before I fill the bag, but practice caution, essential oils can do some damage if you don't know what you are doing. I researched A LOT before I even touched one. (I'm a little paranoid) I'm pretty sure you can find some with lavender already in them at like bed bath and beyond or some fun store.

Sorry about the novel, I guess I have more to say than I realized. :) Stick in there! I'm not sure how you feel about sharing with others, but I have been completely honest with my friends that way they know. When people know they can help. If you miss a day, you can get the notes and info from one of your friends. When your having a bad day, you can call a friend. When it seems like too much you will be surprised what your friends can do. Your friends and family will get you through this. I think a good humor and a little stubbornness helps too. Not everyone will understand, that's fine. You acknowledge it and move on. There are a ton of people who care about you and will try to help. Let them.

Good luck! Have a wonderful school year and when you need help, you can turn to us, your friends, and your family. We may have something that is considered a disability, but we are not disabled.
Posted 8/21/2008 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tilly,

I just wanted to welcome you to the forum. My fibro started in high school, I was 15 - although undiagnosed, I am convinced it was the beginnings. I am 35 now, but then I had horrible headaches, TMJ and fatigue. Keeping a schedule and not pulling all nighters is a great place to start. Stay active. Everyone here is so nice, I just joined and already feel so much better to know people out there know what I am going through and are so helpful.

Hang in there!! You can do it :-) :-)
Posted 8/21/2008 10:10 PM (GMT 0)
wow everyone is so nice! Thanx 4 the kind words :)
Posted 8/21/2008 11:55 PM (GMT 0)

My name's Christi, Im 17, I was "officially" diagnosed last Nov. But, I have had lots of problems beginning around 12-ish. Im having a bad time right now so, excuse some of what I may say! My doctor put me on Lyrica. Which helped alot with my sleep problems, and my pain for a while. It doesnt do so much now though. I used to be very active, I LOVE sports and its my thing, but I pretty much quit everything.(thats probably why Im pudgy now..!) Anyways, other that that I dont really do anything specific. I get my exercise at school...walking the hallways between classes! Im a senior this year. Sometimes I use this thing that I have, I heat it in the microwave..warm heat help me sometimes...(although only when I have it on whatever hurts does it feel a bit better..but its better than nothing!)

Last year I put myself on a schedule for school. Make sure you go to bed early(probably earlier than most people, but its worth it..I go at about 9) And get up at the same time everyday. It can help smooth out your functioning. I require lots and lots of sleep, more lately. Sometimes I take days and sleep all day..not sure why really, Im just that girl who sleeps alot! School. Okay, a few of my teachers are aware, but no one really considers it to be a big deal. I just havent really let it sink in yet. I try to do everything all the time and not let any pain show. (it doesnt work, but I try to keep quiet anyways)

I hate missing school and missing work. And if we miss we have to take exams so, they make it where its torture if we miss....I rarely miss school actually. I just go even when I feel like crap, which is usually most days. I get headaches alot, easily. (like today I caused my own migraine, simply by being overwhelmed by everything)

Do you have any anxiety or depression problems with yours? I do, so, that takes MOST everything out of me. I have told a few teachers about it, and I take anxiety meds. Again, nothing ever seems to be a big deal... I hope that you talk to your teachers, or whoever. Let them know how you feel and everything about your condition. Thats the only way they can help you.

Find these that you enjoy doing. I enjoy painting and drawing, writing.(art in general) It helps relieve alot of my stress, AND it kind of helps calm me down, get me out of reality and just away from the world for a while. It is very nice. I like to design things also...but the point is, find things to do that help you feel good and dont cause to much pain. Theres usually added stress with something like Fibro so, try to keep the stress levels down!

Well, like I already said, Im having a pretty rough time right now with physical pain, as well as mental pain so, if you have any specific questions, feel free to throw them my way anytime! Glad to help! Oh yea...and WELCOME to healing well! lol Sorry so late, told ya, rough time! Anyways, sorry so long, and take care of yourself! Ciao

Posted 8/31/2008 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone. My name is Lindsay and I am 16 years old and me and my mom are both positive that i have fibro. I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome about a year ago, but I've had symptoms for about three years, after i had mono. Doctors are so hesitant to diagnose fibro because they think that it only occurs in older people, which is obviously not true since everyone here is posting things. I have been tested for every possible thing that can be determined by blood, and now its come down to the fact that i dont have enough pressure points. I only have about 7, and they dont want to diagnose it because of that, when i have pretty much every other symptom. Its extremely frustrating because you feel terrible 90% of the time, and even when you dont feel terrible, your not feeling good. I missed 33 days of school last year, and because of the low immune system also developed pnumonia which then came back. Yor friends dont understand it, because you just tell them that you dont feel good all the time, and i had to quit playing basketball and lacrosse. I have been to my family doctor, nueorlogist, ruemotologist, endocrinologist and dermetologist ( because i am losing hair on the top of my head). My mom was diagnosed with fibro about 5 years ago, and she knows i have it too. Any help would be really appreciated because i dont know how much longer i can go on like this
Posted 8/31/2008 2:39 AM (GMT 0)
and i just read Christi's post, and it was almost creepy because that sounds pretty much exactly like my life. it's hard being a teenager and not really getting to do everything a normal teen would do, especially when people dont understand
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply