new to this forum. im 26

Hey my name is Rachel, and I'm reaching out because for the last year and a half my life has been hell and nobody wanted to listen. I have 4 beautiful kids with my husband. We've been married for almost 8 years. Oh and out of the 4 kids two of them are twin boys! My whole life changed on November 29th 2012, when I had our last child. They took her C-section. I got to spend 2 weeks with our baby. Found out I was full of gallstones so they took me in right away! I woke up from the surgery only to find out that they had to go ahead and cut me open. Now let me remind you I just had a C-section two weeks prior so I was still healing from that, and I couldn't even hardly move. So now I wake up with two huge incisions on my stomach. I thought I was gonna die. Well just when I thought things couldn't get worse, the surgeon comes in and says "I'm sorry to tell you but you still have a gallstone inside. Its stuck in your bile duct and I couldn't get it out"!!! So what now right? I knew for sure I was having a nightmare. I had two tubes coming outta my stomach. One was for the bile, and the other one was for the infection junk??? so the next morning they are strolling me down to have an ercp done. So they can go down with a camera and get the stone out of my bile duct. Wake up and they said everything went ok...im like awesome, now I can go home to my baby and at least get to feel her and smell her and see her! Yea that wasn't happening. ! I had to eat something solid without having pain before I could go home. Something so simple turned into another nightmare! For 2 weeks I stayed in the hospital trying to eat solid foods and keep it down and not have pain. I'm thinking ok...obviously something's not right here right?? My pain got so bad I couldn't even sit up. Couldn't move nothing!!! And all awhile I'm missing all those precious moments a mother is suppose to be having with their newborn.! I had to stop breastfeeding obviously because of all the meds. By the third week they just let me leave cause they couldn't figure it out. For the next 4 weeks I was in and out of the hospitals until something must've clicked in one of those Dr head that maybe JUST MAYBE I could of had a bile leak!!! Turns out I did. They had cut my bile duct and all that time I had bile leaking into my body!!! I was almost dead. !! I didn't even wanna live at that point. So they put a stint in, let the cut heal and the bile leak stopped. THANK GOD!! SO for a month I started to feel better, going to the gym working out. Spending as much time as I could with my kids! Then boom!! One day I wake up and I feel like I've been hit by a truck. And this pain started last year in February!! My husband couldn't touch me. I didn't even wanna shave my legs! You couldn't hug me, shake my hand. Yea pretty much don't touch me. My husband didn't understand and neither did I! Blood work showed alot of inflammation. Every test came back negative for like lupus Lyme. So I was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia! And CFS. But my husband still doesn't understand how I got it. And how I went from being a young healthy very active mother, to a mother and wife who can't hardly get outta bed! I hate it. I hate myself! My kids don't understand why I can't just take them places like I use too! I'm 26!! I should be outside running with them, playing ball. Taking them to their baseball practices. My daughter is in gymnastics and I can't fo watch her cause I'm in so much pain, and so tired!! My youngest is 15 months now and I can't watch her half the time. I went from being a fulltime mommy to BEING NOTHING!!

Post Edited By Moderator (Sherrine) : 2/24/2014 10:12:11 AM (GMT-7)

Hi, and welcome! You sure have gone through a lot. Everything piled on you but you did come out on the other side feeling better. Then fibro struck. It could have been all the surgery. Fibro can be caused by trauma, illness, accidents, and, like me, there is no reason. I was just watching TV when it hit me.

The good news is you can feel better! I know the pain is rotten but you can find ways to get the pain under control so you can live your life. One of the first things you need to do is get up and out of bed. If you sit or lay too long, you will be stiff as a board and have more pain. I know you think resting will help but in most cases it makes it worse. I walk daily and swim in the summer as daily exercises. The walking really helps. I don't feel like walking but I get out anyway and do feel better and have less pain and fatigue when I get back home. When I first started walking, I only could walk four houses down and had to turn around. But I didn't give up. I walked every day and now I walk one+ miles every morning. This has helped me a lot.

I also use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, magnesium malate, vitamin D3, and a prescription muscle relaxer called Robaxin to help with my pain and fatigue. The muscle relaxer made a significant difference in my pain and also helps me sleep better, too. I also pace myself when doing things. All of the above help me be in control of fibro. I have had fibro for decades and have had a full and enjoyable life in spite of this illness. I never say I can't do something. I try to do it instead and, 90% of the time I find I really CAN do it!

Having a positive attitude helps tremendously with this illness...any illness for that matter. I look at all I CAN do, I count my blessings, and I look at all the beauty and wonderful people in my life. All of this makes me feel better and puts a smile on my face. In Fibro 101 there is a wonderful link about maintaining a positive attitude when you suffer from chronic pain. I read this when I am having one of those days.

I just mentioned Fibro 101 in the above paragraph. You will find Fibro 101 at the very top of the page...the first thread on the forum. There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there. Good starting links are called A Thorough Explanation of Fibromylagia and What Else Could It Be. You will learn a lot there. Do read all of Fibro 101. All the links are good and we do have to be our own advocates with this illness.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you better. Don't hesitate to ask questions because we are here to help you. Hope to hear more from you soon.

Sherrine

Welcome

Sorry your life changed so drastically in such a short time..

If you do not yet have a pain management doctor I urge you to start seeing one & also ask for scrips to start physical therapy.. if you do not like the first dr or therapist that you see, try another one. Do not give up !!

You have a family who loves & needs you..
The way you interact will change but WILL continue..
Several posters also have counseling - those of us in pain cannot help but be depressed.

Come back & let us know your progress !

I know you can't see it now, but I'm on the outside looking in, and I see the positive side of this. You are finally going to get some answers to what's going on with you. Being scared is expected, how could you not be? ! I know I would be too. But believe me when I tell you this is a step in the right direction. Take comfort in knowing that the pain and symptoms you feel are Validated. You are not always going to feel the way you do now. I know you can't believe that now but in time as it all comes together you will see. Know that we care and are here to vent to. Take care of yourself. Thoughts and prayers coming your way.

I was just reading your post. I know you must be scared about all the things going on with you. Just remember this might be the best thing for you, so you can get proper treatment. You can always come to us and we can support you the best way we can. I hope you have some family or friends that can jump in there to help you. Please let us know how things are going. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

I'm sorry to hear about that. I was tested for lupus but the blood work showed up negative.

Thank you for your kind words. I have awesome support and a awesome family, and church family! If it wasn't for my family and God idk what I would do! I just want to feel better. And yes my family just tells my kids that mommy just has a really bad cold and I'm taking meds to get better. My husband is awesome. I know he is under alot of stress, trying to work and get the kids from school, take them to ball practice and our daughter to gymnastics, then come home and get dinner, laundry, baths, lunches. I feel worthless and I'm always saying I'm so sorry, and he knows I try to do as much as I can! I don't know what I would do without him.

Hey everyone. Woke up with severe stomach pain. And I can't get rid of this stupid migraine. And I got zapping going on everytime I move my head. Its Really weird! Spinal tap is Monday, so I'm scared abt that!

Hi!

I'm only 26, too! Although I always say I feel like I'm 66!

Sorry for everything you've been through!!! I hope your husband has been supportive! And I agree with Sherrine-- you are STILL a mother, which is a blessing!

I most likely will never be able to have my own child due to having so many health problems... although it's always been my biggest dream in life to be a mommy, just to one child would be wonderful. Remember, you are blessed for being able to have your little ones!

I know how it feels to get your entire world flipped upside down-- and your life ripped away by sudden illness though... but remember, you have a long journey yet-- this is just the beginning. Hopefully they will find you some answers, you can get treatment, and you can live a fulfilling life!

Were you found to have the tender/ trigger points of Fibromyalgia? The doctors are supposed to check to see if you have at least 11 out of 18 possible tender points that hurt when pressure is applied to them. I was DX with fibromyalgia back when I was 19 or 20 within the first visit ever to a rheumatologist. The tender points were VERY painful and my symptoms were very obvious.

Fibromyalgia can certainly occur after surgeries, or after any other type of trauma to the body.

But yes, as acheybody had pointed out, Fibro does not show up as an inflammatory condition... so it seems something else is going on with you.

I used to get that weird "zapping" every time I moved my head too! I am DX with Fibro but thought to have some autoimmune disease (many neurological symptoms, resembling MS or lupus).

So sorry to hear about the lesions on your brain! I do know that just because they said you came up negative for lupus...does not necessarily mean that is definitive. Unfortunately, it can take a long time to diagnose these types of illnesses! It often takes a long time, with different symptoms here and there, many other things ruled out, to put the full picture together (but Couchtater knows more about this than I do)! I'm glad you're getting yourself help though and that you're hopefully going to get some answers soon!! Keep us updated!

I'm especially interested in that weird "zapping"! Again, I used to get that A LOT around the time they suspected MS.

I'm just happy you're able to get all of these tests...

I am not able to get anything done due to not having insurance yet.

Any new News for us? We're all thinking of you!

Eden