When does the downward progression stop?

It is different for every person. The worst it got for me was this:
•sleeping/resting 23 hours daily
•only being able to have a bath and change pyjamas once a week
•having to crawl to the toilet and then having to stay there for ages before getting the energy and pain tolerance to go back to my bedroom
•having to have a bell beside my bed so I could ring for my mum to do something as simple as getting me a glass of water. Sometimes I'd have to wait for hours, dehydrating, before I could get the water I needed. 

•falling asleep while eating or talking to someone
•not being able to go out, except to the doctor's

Not trying to scare you; I have chronic fatigue syndrome so that probably added to it a lot.

I am LOTS better now. Still not very well, but have certainly come a long way from where I was.

Post Edited By Moderator (Sherrine) : 7/24/2013 1:57:26 PM (GMT-6)

Hi, MK. Nice to meet you!

It really is so different for different people...the physical therapist I was going to for awhile told me she has 3 Fibro patients, and we each present totally differently (I'd be interested in finding out just what that means - meeting the others - but that's not going to happen.)

Anyway, I'm glad you finally got a diagnosis. At least, that's a start. So much also depends on what, if any, co-existing conditions you have. Sometimes it becomes real hard to figure out which is causing what. I'm a lot worse off than when I was diagnosed, but I'm sure much of this is that I'm 22 years older and have all the problems which come with that. It seems that Fibro intensifies the pain, numbness, and unpleasant sensations of my Degenerative Disc Disease and all the rest....

It is best to keep moving, if you can, but not TOO much, or for TOO long. For me, it's important to be very cognizant of which muscle groups I'm using, and try to switch it up often. Tonight I'm hurting all over because I took my new puppy to the vet, and had to hold her on a leash while she pulled....and pulled....looks like we got another maniac ;) (guess I'll never learn, where picking dogs is concerned. I always go for the same basic type.)

Hope to get to know you better!

Debbie

Hi, MK, and welcome!  Half the battle is getting the diagnosis.  Now you know what is going on and you really aren't losing your mind.  Now, the next step is finding what helps you be in control of the pain.  There are a variety of things you can try.  I chose to go the more natural route and, if that didn't work, I'd try the stronger medications.  But I found the what helps me keep my pain under control.  Once you do that, you should be fine.  You still will have pain but you still can have a full and enjoyable life in spite of it.

 

Fibro is not a progressive illness.  We will have pain in all four quandrants of the body and we also can have flares.  It waxes and wanes, too.  But you shouldn't get worse and worse until you can't function.  If you think this is happening, be sure to let your doctor know because you could have something else going on.  This happened to me last year.  I got another diagnosis, along with fibro, and was put on medication that made things a lot better. 

 

I use ibuprofen with food, Tylenol, malic acid/magnesium supplements, vitamin D3 supplements, and a prescription muscle relaxer that has helped me a lot.  I also do daily stretching, daily gentle exercises (I walk and/or swim), and I pace myself.  I also get gentle massages once a month.  All of the above helps me keep moving and enjoying life.   

 

I also have a positive outlook on life.  I'm glad to see you do, too.  This has helped me so much with all of my health problems.  I look at what I can do and not what I can't do.  I look at the positives and not the negatives.  If I can improve a negative...great!  If not, I just keep moving forward.

 

Please read Fibro 101...the first thread on the forum.  There are links to good info about fibro and you will learn a lot there.  We do have to be our own advocates when it comes to this illness.  It's important to understand it as much as possible.  There are links about the supplements I mentioned above and how they work in the body and also a good link about maintaining a positive attitude when you have chronic pain.  It's really very good.

 

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