insert clever title here - newbie

Hello all,

I've been recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia... actually I was diagnosed about a year ago. It took me about a year to get used to the idea. *sigh*

Fibromyalgia is the latest in a long list of ailments my stupid body has. The doctor I saw last year (when I briefly had insurance to pay for one) believes that I developed the fibro because of my car accident from two years ago - which fits because that's when my body stopped working quite right and started hurting more than usual.

Let's see... I also have a degenerative disc in my lower back since my early twenties.

I have arthritis in both my knees - since my early thirties. I also have arthritis in my hands - but that's a recent development.

I have tendinitis in my right wrist from the same car accident.

I suffer from migraines, since my teenage years.

I have asthma - since my late twenties.

I have acid reflux - fresh veggies are a no-no and my diet is quite restrictive to keep the heartburn at bay.

Oh, and I suffer from bipolar disorder - diagnosed at age nineteen.

My lovely body has decided to make life interesting by gifting me with all of this and then giving me a wonderful brain chemistry that makes it impossible for me to take pain medication. Opiates do not work on me at all, nor do muscle relaxers. NSAIDs cause me to walk around as though I *were* on drugs - I become disoriented and forgetful. Steroids are out because of the bipolar and the reflux.

So, I have a laundry list of nice pain-causing malfunctions, and cannot take anything for them... Luckily for me, most of the stuff that's wrong with me are one the lower end of the spectrum - however, taken together they add up to one big ball of pain. I have good days, and I have days where I wonder how I ever made it out of bed. A phenomenon I'm sure everyone here is familiar with.

Oh, I guess I should tell y'all something personal... ^_^ I'm 42, mother of four grown kids - three girls, one boy. They've all flown the nest (well, the youngest is still around here somewhere). I'm in college now, attempting to finish my BA in English. I move around a lot - I've lived in eight states in the last fifteen years, I've lost count of how many addresses I've had though.

There isn't much more to me right now. I lead both an exciting and mundane life. It all depends on the moment. At this moment, it's pretty mundane. Give me a while, it'll get exciting again.

Sorry for the novel... I'm up past my bedtime an I tend to ramble when I'm tired.

Hi Patheral and welcome!

Wow, you do have quite a laundry list of ailments but it's pretty common for fibro folks to have several things going on along with the fibro and often they are related to the immune system. I'm sorry you are unable to take medications. Sure lets out a lot of treatment options. Sounds like you are OK with your doc. Many folks don't have a good doc who is willing to try and treat fibro and some get a doc who is still in the dark ages of thinking fibro is "just in your head"...<sigh>

Anyway, I see you've joined our Koffee Klatch. We are a mighty silly group some days but it's great therapy for what ales us.

Chutzie

Hi, Patheral, and welcome!  I'm so glad you found us and joined in!  It's really bad to have all that pain and can't take medication to help.  But, have you tried malic acid/magnesium supplements?  Many with fibro are deficient in these nutrients and that can cause some pain.  The supplements don't work for everyone but they have helped quite a few...including me.

 

Also, many with fibro are deficient in vitamin D.  I live in Florida and never thought I'd be deficient, but I am.  My doctor checked my blood and I'm presently on 3,500 IU of D3 a day to try to get up in the normal ranges.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause pain and fatigue, too.

 

Be sure to check out the Fibro 101 thread...the second thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibromyalgia...including a link all about malic acid/magnesium supplements and how they work in the body.   If you talk to a doctor, you could ask about this.  My doctor told me I would be wasting my money but they wouldn't hurt me.  I tried them, they worked, and he was wrong.  (I still love him, though.)

 

Moist heat feels great for fibro.  Many use a Bed Buddy that can be purchased at Walgreen's and other places or you can make your own.  Take a tube sock, fill if 2/3's full of raw long grained rice, and tie a knot at the end.  Pop it in the microwave and it will give off moist heat due to the moisture in the rice.

Meanwhile, read back post and ask questions. We are here to help you.  I'm glad you are here and I hope to hear more from you soon.

 

Sherrine

To both Patheral and Sherrine, especially -- Patheral, it might be worth the cost to have your Vitamin D checked .... Thanks to Sherrine I just had mine done at a recent checkup--fortunately my doctor is willing to listen to my concerns and was glad to add this to my bloodwork, even though, unknown to me I wound up giving four tubes of blood -- and I have really bad veins due to twenty-something surgeries over the years! Anyway, I digress -- foggy night -- Everything came out okay *except my Vitamin D* which was extremely low. Bless you, Sherrine, for continuing to mention this to newbies....I would have probably not remembered to ask about this had it not been for you!
Many (((hugs))) to both of you and all other readers as well -- luv ya...
Shash

patheral,

Welcome to the family! I already like you cause you are a fellow rambler. BTW-you tend to ramble when you are tired? I ramble when I'm wide awake, tired-basically your 24/7 rambler. LOL-I think I'm proving my rambling talents right now! Anyway, you can always find lots of good info here. But, for me, it isn't just the info. It's the friendships I make along the way. I'm sure that you'll find your fair share of cyber buddies right here! LOL-hey, if you want, I can be your first-uh, first buddy, that is.

Take care and again, welcome to the family. We are here if you need us!