hi, i'm new to the forum, and i tried doing this on my blackberry first, then hooked up my laptop when i realized that i can't. lol. i'm a text typer, so if i abbreviate too much, just let me know, i'll try not too. i already finger typed this once, and couldn't copy it, so it may not sound as enthused :)
ok, so i'm 27. i first showed signs of fibromyalgia in college. at that time, i was only affected once a year. Now, it rules my life. The first day that I really felt symptoms I asked a friend to write notes because i could not even hold a pencil. I described it as having a rubberband around my arms and legs that cut off the circulation, and that if i could run i would probably feel better b/c it woud warm up the muscles, but i hurt so bad, i could barely walk. at the time, i was not even 21 yet, and i described it as feeling 80. i was a single mom, 4.0 gpa, job, and managed very well. i took a break my sr. year, and have yet to complete my last semester, but there were more important life decisions at the time. my child's father and are married now, and i got a great job during my break, worked there for 4.5 years. everything was going great for me until the end of my employment..aside from battling migraines. then, in 2008, january i became pregnant. i miscarried in march, with an unknown clinical conception date due to amennorrhea. i had a dr that preferred natural miscarriage, and didn't adequately check for fetal tissue afterward. she would check my hcg levels, but after 5 months of multiple instances of pelvic inflammatory disease, and numerous rx of prescriptions, she should have done more. finally in late june i found out i developed mrsa in the uterus (which is mecically unheard of ..extremely rare). so i switched dr's and 3 surgeries later, no fetal tisse. we were told if we wanted more, which i did desperately, we needed to try that month. i couldn't, not after all that, and my job was suffering. so, the pain continued to get worse, and problems persisted, and finally i had to have a hysterectomy in november.
finally, i thought my problems were coming to an end, not even close, i developed a surgical hematoma from the hysterectomy, severe, had to have blood transfusions, it was a miracle that i survived, i think i had a 1 in 10 chance. the problem was, the hematoma was the size of a canteloupe and it was bouncing around all of my incisions and stuff. and of course, like everything else in that area, it would not drain. so, several months later, the hematoma had shrunken, i could still have it to be honest, but i doubt it. my body began to absorb it the day they were going to put drain tubes in, which was 6 weeks after surgery.
then i thought everything was going to be better, i went back to work, and i still was missing from severe abdominal and body pain. well, i found out the trauma had activated the fibro and i have all symptoms but 2. so, i've seen a "fibro specialists" and i've had dr's promise me my life back, and i've had them tell me that i should be glad i don't have something that causes "real pain".
i'm in pain management, and it helps, but i'm on 100 mg of oxycontin. i can't take tylenol b/c of the migraines, and i can't take ibuprofen because of the stomach surgery at least i can't take them daily. i also use various other medications, but at one point i was taking so many pills a day it was my food!!! now, not that many. luckily, in the last few years, my high bp, high cholesterol, and diabetes have resolved. lately i have more problems than good. i recently spent 8 days in the hospital from what appeared to be appendicitis. it wasn't luckily bc i will not have another surgery if i can help it..the very word makes me panic. i instead had mesentary addenitis and vomiting from an unknown source. i ended up continuously vomiting for 6 weeks. i still get sick. weird..i know. so as i'm sure you can imagine i have multiple vitamin deficiencies, but the most continous one is vitamin d. i did find out that i most likely have a tumor on my pituitary gland that is too small to see on scans, i just have so many odd symptoms that they are relatively certain it is there, an i just have to get checked. and as a lot of you know, fibro patients tend to be more aware of there bodies so they feel more that is going on.
right now, this week, the pain from cervical stenosis (i have lumbar also) is severe. and i've done everything i can think of. i had my husband massage my "hump" yesterday. it grosses him out, but it's not going away, so i make hiim help me...when i'm miserable. however, he doesn't fully believe in fibro so when he is "helping" me he feels the need to try to desensitize my tender points, which makes it unbearable. but i've had several migraines this week and i'm having bad muscle pain around the bone. especially in the shoulder and neck area.
i don't know if i covered it all, but fibro rules my life right now. i lost my job, i cannot work, and i barely manage my home. i find that i'm very depressed and i'm becoming more and more reclusive. little jobs seem like huge jobs. our son is 8 years old. i try to enjoy him more, now that life has slowed down for me, but i spend most of my time on the couch.
i'm supposed to have a sleep study done this month (i sleep little 2 weeks, then can't get out of bed for 2 weeks), and i'm supposed to begin aquatic therapy. i'll let you know how it goes.
i'm hoping to learn from other fibro patients. i've found it very draining emotionally learning to adjust to being disabled without yet being on actual disability. u guys no what i mean. disabled in the sense that i don't volunteer for anything, and i'm tired and sick all the time. i'm always on the couch and i have absolutely no energy.
any advice is very appreciated