Posted 6/4/2009 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Hello to everyone!
I'm not completely new to the forum, but I did just register. I have been reading the fibromyalgia forum for a year now and everyone has great information on fibromyalgia.
I was just diagnosed last August with fibromyalgia, but I have been sick for the last two years.
So here is my story:
I was a college student in my senior year. I just came back from a wonderful trip to Portugal and Spain from the summer time. It was our second week of school, and I only had two classes with the same teacher for the semester. Working on Saturday thru Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and having Tuesday and Thursday off from work for school. I was also working at school after class until 11PM at night to watch the labs (I would get off from my regular job also at 11PM). I didn't mind the hectic schedule, because I felt it was all worth it in the end. Also, I was a year away from planning a wedding, whom I have been with my fiance for 7 years at that time.
The two classes I had were 3 hours long each, but we had a 45 minute break in between to grab lunch (supper, whatever you wanted to call it). One day I was on a break in between those classes with a friend. We were heading to the student union, which was right next door to our classes. While walking down the stairs, I was telling my friend about how crazy it was that morning that I clumsily trip on my right foot and just fell on my butt on my front porch steps. She just smiled and asked if I was alright, I said I was fine, just confused from the morning. As I was speaking about my mishap of the morning, the same right ankle just gave out. Luckily I didn't fall down the stairs. I just grabbed the railing, and sat down. My friend was worried, and I just said I was alright but I was just dizzy. Next thing I know, I blacked out and I was on the floor of the landing between the stairs (I was on the last step before the landing). I woke up confused, like I was sleeping. I had another friend, who was walking up the stairs, stop to see if I was okay. My first friend told me that I passed out and I was convulsing. I sat back on the last step, and my friend ran next door to give me some food, thinking that I was low on blood sugar. She came back, I ate, then slowly went back to class, then left class early to go home. I stopped at my fiance's parents house to tell them what happened, and I felt that I could not make it home (my college was a half an hour away, and my fiance lived halfway between my college and home). My future father-in-law took my blood sugar, and it was a bit high. So my future mother-in-law and brother-in-law brought me home.
Now, I have been having problems with my ankles for a while now. They were swelling, and hurting. Doctors thought I had gout. The test came back negative. I wore braces to help with the pain. Another doctor gave me Lodine, an inflammatory. That seemed to help for a while, then I stopped taking it, because I felt better, and I didn't want to mess up my stomach. My mom told me stories that as a child, when I was first starting to walk, I needed high top shoes, because my ankles were too weak to support my body. I am also double-jointed, so that didn't help.
Another note, a doctor diagnosed me with having low thyroid. So okay, taking the medicine, back and forth between doses, because one medicine had too high of the hormone, or too low. So, I thought that was going to be a problem for the rest of my life, especially it explains why I was so tired all the time, and I enjoy sleeping a lot.
Well, back to my story. Within that semester of my collapse, I was back and forth between a nurse practitioner and an endocrinologist. The NP thought I had diabetes. So I took the dreadful test, vomited the sugar water out (sorry), and then went on my way to the endocrinologist. After that, I had 23 different blood test, 2 regular urine test, a 24 hour urine test, and a 19 hour fasting test. All came back negative. The endocrinologist told me that I possibly had a tumor on my pancreas. I was scared for my life. And throughout all this, I almost lost my job. The NP didn't want to sign my medical leave of absence forms, and neither did the endocrinologist. They went back and forth that the other needed to sign it. Finally I told the NP, if she didn't sign it, I would lose my job! She signed it. I also had to quit my job at school.
I went all semester with misery and freight, thinking that I might have cancer and any other bad thing. Also, I blew up at my professor for her comments on my school work (another long story, but it's better now).
Finally the semester was over, I was on a leave of absence from work, and I was on my way to my internship. I did not go back to the doctor. I was feeling better and I went back to work on New Year's Eve 2007, after two months of not working. While on my absence, if I had to go shopping for something, I had to take one of those electric wheelchairs because I was so weak. Well, on New Year's Eve, I was spending the night at my fiance's house, celebrating with his family. We went to bed, him in his room, and me on the living room recliner, when all hell broke loose with his mom and dad (another long story, and it's still going on). So needless to say, I took my fiance home to my parents house, so that I actually can get some sleep to go to work (same thing happens the following New Year's).
Anyway, back to work, finish my internship, and another semester, with three classes (easy classes), and graduation! and a wedding the month after. Everything was fine, running smoothly. April was here and it was time for our Engagement pictures for the newspaper (you know, to tell everyone that you are getting married, but my fiance and I have been engaged for 3 years). Everything was going great. Until I woke up one morning with excruciating back pain. I went to the doctor (again!) and she told me that I had scoliosis. I was devastated. She told me to call a chiropractor. I was scared. I didn't want to be in a brace for the rest of my life. So finally I called, and made an appointment with the chiropractor. Met with the chiropractor, and he was SO informative. He told me that I did not have scoliosis, it was that my neck was too straight from various of things (I didn't have improper posture, and I was in 5 car accidents in my lifetime, 2 being life threatening) and that my back was naturally trying to fix it, so it produced a scoliosis effect. So I saw him and a physical therapist. It was great. It was like not going to a "doctor". It was not medicated, it was healing therapy. I loved it! I felt great!
Well, my chiropractor recommended that I take a leave of absence from work until my back was better. Well, within that time of my leave of absence, I graduated from college. I went to my store manager at work the following Monday after I graduated and I resigned from my job. She told me good luck and that I was always welcomed back. I resigned because I didn't want to keep taking a leave of absence.
So okay: I'm a college graduated that is getting married in less than a month (at this time) and I'm jobless. Well, in luck, there was a local job fair. My fiance helped me go to the job fair. Well, I went to every booth seeing if they are looking for a Graphic Designer (I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Art, Concentration in Graphic Design). Everyone said no, until I found a booth with a local newspaper. They told me yes. I filled out an application, then within the week I had an interview and I was hired. Awesome! I only asked if I can start after my wedding and honeymoon. They said that they had no problem with it.
During this time, I was back and forth with back pain and sickness that I could not explain.
Finally, my wedding day came. I could not ask for more. It was so beautiful. I love my husband very much. We went on honeymoon to Florida. I loved it. But the day we wanted to go to Orlando, I fell very ill that morning. I had shakiness and nausea. I slept it off, and finally we had a great day.
Just a side note: from the time I first collapse to my wedding day, I gained a lot of weight, and I was not proud of it, but that goodness for spanx (to hold your gut in, LOL).
Back from the wonderful honeymoon, I was starting my job at the newspaper. I had a funny feeling about the place, but I thought it was just me. My first week went fine, made some overtime. The following Monday, I was in excruciating pain. I called into work (we had 10 sick days, thankfully), stayed home and in bed. Well, needless to say, for that whole month of July, I was sick for 6 days, and the Managing Editor thought I was just taking the sick days for fun. I told him I was really sick, but that I couldn't explain it. I was trying to make a doctor's appointment as soon as I could, but the doctor's office was booked. The Editor said that either he fired me or I quit. I never felt so sick in my life, so instead of fighting it, I just resigned from my job. It was a very bad environment to work in. I was in a depression. I had a good paying job, and I blew it. I was so afraid how we were going to pay the bills, especially with two new vehicles (well used, but new to us). Luckily my husband landed a good job for the semester, because he had a year of college left too, with student teaching (he had to sit out a semester due to the student teaching exam he had to take, and the results came back too late). So he was basically working 3 jobs, teaching during the day at 7 different schools, teaching marching band after school, and being a sales clerk on weekends, where I use to work.
Well, I broke the news to my mom that I lost my job, and she thought that I was just making my illness up. I left her house very sick and she saw how I was. People were not believing me that I was so sick. about a week later, I finally got a doctor's appointment, the day after my birthday in August. The doctor told me that he hated to put it in my chart, but that I had fibromyalgia. I asked what it was. He said he was not completely sure, and just to research it (since I like to research things). He also gave me Lyrica 50mg to start, later I moved up to 100mg, both were 3 times a day.
Well, that how my days were, looking up fibromyalgia information, crying in a steaming hot bath tub because I was in so much pain, but the water was never hot enough, and being frustrated with my husband for not understanding. I was depressed also for losing my job. I felt worthless. I sobbed every night in my bath tub. My husband never heard me because he was asleep already. I fell a few times, in a parking lot, and in my own bathroom with the toilet paper holder stabbing me in the back.
For the month of August, I never got out the house. I always asked my husband to bring home Taco Bell, and I gained more weight. I would stay up late, and sleep almost all day. I'm a very clean person, and I did not have the energy, nor desire, to clean the house.
Late August, Hurricane Gustav was knocking at our front door. We live in a little rent house (shotgun house if you prefer). We were going to ride it out at my husband's grandparent's house, who were just right across the street from us. Well, my in-laws decided they wanted to evacuate, 3 hours before contraflow (huge evacuation) started. I already took my Lyrica for the night, so I was no condition to drive. To make a long story short, we ended up in Lufkin, Texas, after 24 hour drive around the state of Louisiana, non-stop. With us in Texas for 5 days, I had to stretch my Lyrica to last, because I knew there would not be any pharmacy's open in Louisiana. Finally, after the storm pasted, we were home. No electricity for 9 days straight (well, we went to my mom's house for a few days, she had electricity on and off during those days). We slept on my husband's grandparent's back porch, because it was so hot. I learned to only take my Lyrica at night to help me sleep, and still to stretch my medicine.
After everything was back to normal, and after another scare from Hurricane Ike, I decided to see a Treater (spiritual healing). I went three times. I love to hear the Treater whisper her prayers to heal me. Now I'm not saying that it's a miracle cure, but anything helps. My mom found out that many people where she lives have fibromyalgia. One of her friends recommended that I take Tylenol PM to help me sleep (when I would sleep, I had nightmares of that job at the newspaper and how I felt that I screwed up a good job). Also, my physical therapist recommended for me to take a multivitamin to help replenish my body. As I read more and more about fibromyalgia, I saw that it's all about resting. So I decided to take only one Lyrica, one Tylenol PM, and one multivitamin every night before I went to bed. I found that it seemed to help.
Also after the hurricanes, I got a call from a local photography studio, to help paint backdrops for the local high school for homecoming and prom for cash. I accepted. I needed to get out the house and try to get my life back to normal, but I was still fighting to stay home, and I guess be lazy (I'm not a lazy person by nature). So while my husband taught, I would paint. I felt useful. After a few months of healing, I was starting to feel better. I was getting out more, people said that I looked great. The only side effects I also had along with fibromyalgia, was that I had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) after I got my gallbladder out 4 years ago. Also, my husband is so wonderful to understand and help me.
Well, it was time to look for another job. I thought if I wait for a graphic design job, it would be fine, but time was running out because my husband had to put his teaching job on hold, so he can student teach to graduate. I looked everywhere for a job, and the economy is tough. I decided to go back to my old job after 6 months without working. They took me back without a problem. I was back in my old department for 3 months, and now I'm a overnight manager. I really like it overnight. I feel better.
But the reason I writing this long story (sorry so long), was that I had another fibromyalgia flare, attack, whatever you want to call it. I haven't had one it two months, so it's getting better, but I had to call into work last night, and I feel really bad for it. I knew that if I read this forum and share my story, people here will understand, and I'm thankful for it. I feel really bad for the ones who have it worst than me. I'm not looking for sympathy. I just wanted to share my story with everyone, so as I understood what everyone else was going though, I wanted them to know that I am the same.
Thank you everyone for reading this post and please continue to post so we can all share to get better.