Not diagnosed with Fibro, but have some questions for you guys

Hello. I usually spend most of my time at healingwell at the Ulcerative Colitis section but very recently Ive started having symptoms that I was hoping would just go away or were a virus or something like that, but they wont go away and are getting worse.

So, I havent been to the dr yet bc they tend to just fob you off really when you go in with one or two symptoms (thats been my experience when dealing with UC) so I have this thing about going to dr's. Anyway I have a few quesitons for you guys:

I was wondering what your symptoms were. At what point and what first symptoms did you notice something wasnt right and how did you go about getting a diagnosis?

As I mentioned, I have Ulcerative Colitis. Ive suffered from various aching joints, which I thought were UC related, but new symptoms are presenting. Again, I really hope its nothing and they will go away. What really kind of got me thinking was something that presented most recently. Ive been forgetting words and kind of unable to concentrate when Im having a conversation. I have twin girls and you would think it was normal that Id get their names mixed up, but I never did that except on a rare occassion when I was in the middle of making dinner or something, but recently its happened very frequently. My son asked me a question and I gave him a rather random answer. The thing that got me really kind of wierded out was last week when I was making dinner. I went into my cupboard to get some oil or some spice and I noticed my tea mug in there. It was the tea I was drinking while I was making dinner and I didnt remember putting it in there. It sounds silly, but it wierded me out. I also have had this pain in my joints. In my neck and shoulder area. This started as a sharp, almost unbearable pain in my left shoulder and I thought it was bc of our bed, but its gotten worse and now its actually spread to my lower left hand side of my back. I suffer from fatigue, which I thought was UC related and most likely is, but Im still suffering it even tho Im not flaring. My memory is very strange at the moment. Its all just got me freaked out. I was kind of used to aches and pains, thinking it was UC related, but the mental stuff has really gotten me kind of questioning things.

Anyway, maybe its all nothing. Maybe it is my bed and/or a virus, or all UC related. Im not sure what to do. Should I wait it out and see if it all just goes away? If so, how long? I cant even remember how long its been going on. Months really, if not years if some of its not UC related.

At any rate, thank you for letting me vent. I might not even be joining you guys here (which would really be a good thing, right?). I wish you all the best and thank you for taking the time to 'chat' with me about this stuff.

gen

Post Edited (SoIGotIBD) : 9/26/2010 2:31:45 PM (GMT-6)

Sorry to hear you are having all these symptoms.  I hope you don't have Fibro, but you do have some of the same symptoms that sent me to the doctor. The most disturbing symptom to me was the whole mind fog thing. It affected me at work to the point that I was beginning to wonder if I were going to be able to do my job.  I discovered I have fibromyaliga, generalized osteoarthritis and inflammatory osteoarthritis.  I also have asthma.  It has been a year of new things for me. Getting old, I guess! I do take medication for all of the above illnnesses and the fibro is very manageable for me now.  I hope this helps.  Peace, V

Hi, Gen, and welcome!  You are welcome to come here any time you wish and ask any questions you want.  That's why we are here...to help one another!

 

I was diagnosed with UC for 11 years before they found out it was Crohn's disease so I do understand what you go through and it isn't fun.  But I found fibro to be different.  I always have back, shoulder, and neck pain and then I'll have pain in other areas.  It seems to travel.  My hip might hurt for several days and then the pain leaves that area and shows up someplace else.  I think many with fibro have this.  You see, we don't all have the same exact symptoms and what medication helps one doesn't necessarily help another with fibro.  It's trial and error with this illness.

 

Ah....fibro fog.  When I first developed it, I thought I was coming down with Alzheimer's!  It really frightened me and there are conversations that my kids swear that I had that I have absolutely no recollection of!  Now THAT is disturbing.  But, I have found that if I laugh at it and not stress over it, it's far better.  We do dumb things like your cup in the cupboard.  I have tried to start my car with the key to my freezer....twice!  You'd have thought I'd learn that one the first time.     Oh, the milk goes in the pantry and the peanut butter in the freezer...actually many things end up in the freezer!  So, you are not alone with this.  Just try to relax with it...if you have fibro.  A good sense of humor gets you far with fibro fog.

 

Here is a site to let you know you are not alone with fibro fog!

http://webspace.webring.com/people/fc/cfsdays/follies.htm

 

Be sure to read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there and you might see yourself there, too.

 

I'm glad you popped over and joined in.  If you have more questions, don't hesitate to ask.  We are here to help you.  Please let us know what you find out because we really do care about you.  Hope to hear more from you soon!

 

Sherrine

Ah the great fibro fog,lol. I often find myself mixing up my words forgetting conversations, where I put things(currrently have lost my spare car key that's been lost for a while, can't for the life of me remember where I put it,lol). My pain started in my neck and back and my left hip. Most of it moves around, from neck, back, knees and ankles but the hip pain is constant. I went to 3 different primary care doctors when it first started and was treated like I was crazy. Then a dear friend told me about her rheumatologist and I got an appt and a diagnosis. Don't give up looking for answers and never let any nurse or doc tell you you're crazy. You've come to a great site full of wonderful people who know exactly how you feel.

HA! I just found my passport in the bin! Nice... I made a dr appointment today.

Post Edited (SoIGotIBD) : 9/27/2010 2:18:02 AM (GMT-6)