What lead up to your diagnosis (symptoms, dr visits, etc)?
I had been feeling the aches and pains for many years, but Christmas 2007 I became extremely ill w/ what I (and my doctor) thought was the flu. Even though I was running little to no fever at all..my doctor still diagnosed and treated as if I had the flu. After a month of not getting any better, he started to run tests. Many tests were run and re-run. One of the tests showed a possible connective tissue disorder, so I was sent to a Rheumatologist. He re-ran the test for the connective tissue disorder and found the results to be borderline at best. Three months later he ran them again and found no sign of a connective tissue disorder at all. This is when I was diagnosed w/ FM.
Where you working at the time?
I was working at the time. I was an Administrative Assistant for an accounting office for a medical staffing firm. I left that job as they wouldn’t accommodate my multiple drs appointments that I had at the time. I started working as a second tier Admin Assistant for the Health Dept and worked there for almost 4yrs. I haven’t worked since August of last year mostly because I wanted to take the time to work on my health. Along w/ my FM symptoms, my depression and anxiety were just out of control..mostly due to my FM symptoms and the PTSD that I also struggle w/. I have a really good psych now who is taking my FM into consideration while treating me. She’s working on getting me sleeping well because she knows that’s one of the key factors that cause a flare up. If everything keeps going well, I hope to make a decision as to whether or not to return to work or apply for disability.
What was your family life like at that time?
Single, no kids. But I have 5 amazing angels..3 dogs and 2 cats.
How did your family initially handle your illness?
Initially, they were supportive.
How has your family/ work situation changed since Fibromyalgia entered your life?
It’s become extremely difficult if I’m being totally honest. The pain and depression and anxiety that come along w/ this illness become overwhelming at times. Not just for me, but those who care about me also.
What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of Fibro?
Finding people who understand. I know we all say that, but even being w/ others who have this illness has its limitations. This illness carries such a broad scope that no two journeys are alike. While we can certainly understand each other, we still feel alone sometimes.
Do you have any other co-existing conditions?
so, what are they and how do they impact your Fibromyalgia? I deal w/ severe depression and anxiety due to things that i experienced in my childhood. I had them before FM and they have greatly increased since I started experiencing FM symptoms.
What (if anything) have you found/ done that has improved your symptoms?
Of all the medicines I’ve tried, of all the therapies and remedies, what I’ve found works the best is just getting your mind off of whatever symptoms you are experiencing. I know that sounds, well, kind of stupid, and that I probably don’t experience the pain level that others do (trust me..I do!), but it works for me. It took a while of really putting forth the effort to allow myself to get lost in a task be it crochet, sitting w/ my dogs outside and focusing only on them, or watching a favorite TV show or movie or reading. Some people judge me on how much television/Netflix I watch, but I don’t care. I’m doing my best to keep my sanity.
[Tweet “what I’ve found works the best is just getting your mind off of whatever symptoms you are experiencing”]
What is the best advice you’ve received regarding Fibromyalgia?
Get your mind off of it. It’s extremely hard at first, but after you practice, it’s pretty easy. Some days are more difficult than others, but it works for me.
What was the worst advice that you followed?
Allowing my doctors to pump me full of steroids. It made all manner of symptoms I was experiencing worse, disturbed my sleep pattern, and caused weight gain which exacerbates my symptoms.
If you have Fibromyalgia and are interested in sharing your story, I’d love to feature you as a Fibro Warrior here on my blog. If interested, please email me.
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