Rosemary lives in Las Vegas, NV. She has Fibro but she tries to focus on the positive and find a little humor in everything. I found Rosemary through her blog, Seeking Equilibrium, and found that we had much in common. I really identify with her and I think that you will as well. Check out her interview here, then head over and visit her blog.
When were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed in 2009.
How old were you at the time?
I was 57 years old.
What lead up to your diagnosis (symptoms, dr visits, etc)?
I had a car accident in 2008. I was at a complete stop and a truck hit my car going about 35 miles an hour. I felt an electric current hit my body and the fog hit first. All of a sudden I couldn’t remember what I was doing which was weird because I used to pride myself on my memory. I could read something once or twice and then practically recite it. I couldn’t remember documents that I used every day. Then the pain hit. I went to my family doctor and they sent me to a wonderful neurologist. I was very lucky. I was one of the rare few that didn’t have the frustration of doctors thinking this was all in my head. My doctors knew me and they knew something was wrong. They did all sorts of testing and ruled out everything. They even did a brain MRI. I was on pins and needles over that one. When every neurological illness she could think of was ruled out my neurologist suspected fibro and she sent me to another doctor that specialized in fibromyalgia. I had a huge blood panel that ruled out lyme disease and other autoimmune illnesses and what was left was fibromyalgia. This isn’t to say that I haven’t been to doctors since that were AWFUL. One refused to write fibro on my chart!
Were you working at the time?
I was working. In 1991 I got divorced and I had a real estate license that I had puttered around with and figured I needed to find a career. I discovered new home sales in 1994 and never looked back. I loved putting people in homes and building communities. I thought that I thrived on stress. It was like I was the mayor of my own little city. I should go back a little in time here. In 1989 I got what I thought was mono and never recovered. My doctor (I’ve been lucky) thought it was a new thing called Epstein-Barr or chronic fatigue. I couldn’t not work so I learned to pace myself. I’d go to work at least at 10 a.m and then come home and collapse. I didn’t do anything on my days off. It was tough but I had to do it. I used to call myself a slug so people wouldn’t know how much time I spent in bed. Tough isn’t the right word…more like torture.
What was your family life like (married? kids? etc?)
I was divorced and have a wonderful daughter. God Bless her she used to help me brush my teeth. She’s grown up around chronic fatigue and pain.
How did your family initially handle your illness?
My daughter was amazing. There were people that thought if I just got up and moved around it would get better but I was steadfast in my resolve. If you couldn’t handle how I had to live then you didn’t get it but that wasn’t going to stop me. There were times that it was awful and times it wasn’t but it was always just there. My problem was never my family, my problem was me.
How has your family/ work situation changed since Fibromyalgia entered your life?
In 2009 the pain and fog got so bad I could no longer work. I was classified as disabled from the car accident and the injuries from that. I also reunited with a friend from 20 years and moved on with that relationship. When we first got together I laid out the typical day and let him see the worst. If he couldn’t handle it he was to let me know and it wouldn’t have progressed. Fortunately, he wanted to be there for me and it’s been going on from there!! I have been fortunate and I mean that sincerely.
What do you feel is the most challenging aspect of Fibro?
For me it was the loss of my career. My identity was so tied up in it. It took a long time for me to accept that loss. There are days that I still struggle but not nearly as much as I did before. The other thing I struggle with is the pain. A “normal” life isn’t possible. It is tough for me to be always asked how I am feeling. I don’t like to appear weak and I feel like that’s just what I am.
[Tweet “Losing my career was the most challenging aspect of #Fibro, @SkippyLee”]
Do you have any other co-existing conditions? If so, what are they and how do they impact your Fibromyalgia?
Oh yes….I have herniated disks from the accident. I have a thyroid problem as well. I sound like a peach, huh?
Can you share more about your Thyroid issue?
When I was going through my huge blood panel one of my thyroid numbers should have been very low and mine were 1000. I found out that I’m hypothyroid and take a T3 (Cytomel) and T4 (levothyroxine) to keep it in check. Funny, people try to say you don’t really have Fibromyalgia….you just have a thyroid problem. Not true at all. I didn’t have the thyroid symptoms with the Fibro. It came on after the pain started. Now, in my WHOLE life, I’ve never had a weight problem. I take Lyrica gain 40 lbs ….immediately quit Lyrica because of that and now I can’t lose the FRICKING WEIGHT. 🙁
When I was going through my huge blood panel one of my thyroid numbers should have been very low and mine were 1000. I found out that I’m hypothyroid and take a T3 (Cytomel) and T4 (levothyroxine) to keep it in check. Funny, people try to say you don’t really have Fibromyalgia….you just have a thyroid problem. Not true at all. I didn’t have the thyroid symptoms with the Fibro. It came on after the pain started. Now, in my WHOLE life, I’ve never had a weight problem. I take Lyrica gain 40 lbs ….immediately quit Lyrica because of that and now I can’t lose the FRICKING WEIGHT. 🙁
What (if anything) have you found/ done that has improved your symptoms?
I have huge muscle spasms so I take Zaniflex for that. The pain from my back and pain running down my legs? I take a low dose of oxycodone for that. That actually seems to help the fibro as well. I’ve always thought that there are subgroups and some are helped by antidepressants and some are helped by pain medication. I’m not one who was helped by Cymbalta. I take a lot of baths…being weightless helps. I use essential oils and listen to music. I exercise when the pain isn’t excruciating and when I say exercise it means walking. It does help, as much as I hate to say it. It isn’t a simple thing like if you start walking or exercising it will make things all better. I HATE STUFF LIKE THAT. This is very complicated and complex. We all just try to muddle through and find something that works for us.
What is the best advice you’ve received regarding Fibromyalgia?
Don’t beat yourself up. Go at your own pace. It may look terrible now but everything will work out. Don’t let it steal your joy. You can find a beautiful way to express yourself through the pain.
[Tweet “It may look terrible now but everything will work out. @SkippyLee”]
Don’t beat yourself up. Go at your own pace. It may look terrible now but everything will work out. Don’t let it steal your joy. You can find a beautiful way to express yourself through the pain.
[Tweet “It may look terrible now but everything will work out. @SkippyLee”]
What made you want to blog about your health issues?
When I stopped working I knew I had to find something to keep my mind busy. I didn’t realize how much I would love it. I’ve got friends who I’ve never met. It’s truly a neat community who can come together. We get it and are there to support each other. It’s also helped me become vulnerable. There are things I can say behind the keyboard that I probably wouldn’t face to face.
What was the worst advice that you followed?
My own. Oh just stop whining and get up and DO SOMETHING. It can’t be that bad. Just get over yourself.
My own. Oh just stop whining and get up and DO SOMETHING. It can’t be that bad. Just get over yourself.
What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself since your diagnosis?
I’ve learned that it’s ok to be imperfect. I’ve always had to be a tower of strength and not lean on anyone but me. Now, I’ve learned to accept help.
(Not easy still but I’m better)
[Tweet “It’s ok to be imperfect. Learn to accept help. @SkippyLee”]
[Tweet “It’s ok to be imperfect. Learn to accept help. @SkippyLee”]
Leave a Reply