It all started when I was seeing the physical therapist after I had surgery on my arm. I was tired all the time, had trouble sleeping and my entire body felt like it had been hit by a Mack truck. This wasn't new because I always feel that way. I can't remember the last time I had a decent night's sleep and everyone told me I had Crohn's arthritis which accounted for the pain.
I told my therapist I was feeling tired, overwhelmed and generally miserable. I figured that since my Crohn's was in remission shouldn't the arthritis be in remission, too? So I asked her. She had me sit on the table with my legs dangling down while she went around to my backside and started poking me in the shoulder, the arm, the neck and various other places. She poked me hard and it was NOT comfortable. In fact, it was extremely painful and she's lucky I didn't smack her. "Fibromyalgia," she said. "Is it real?" I asked. I had heard about it, but hadn't done any in-depth research on it. Besides, wasn't Fibromyalgia one of those dumping diagnosis where they put hypochondriacs? Like Irritable Bowel? "Well, it isn't very scientific the way we diagnose it. There are several trigger points on the body that when 4 pounds of pressure is applied cause pain. Obviously, you have pain. " She hemmed and hawed. "How do you sleep?" "Not well." "You have to sleep. That's when you body repairs itself. You need to contact your doctor so you can get started on a sleep regimen. You have no idea how important this is." That was three weeks ago and I still haven't contacted my doctor. Having Crohn's means I'm on a ton of medication anyway so I doubt I will ever add more. Especially pain medication. I can't take any of the anti-inflammatories due to Crohn's and won't take any opiates so that leaves me to struggle on my own. Still, I did go searching. I found FMAware and then I read the symptoms. FINALLY! I let out a scream.SOMEBODY got what I was going through. The deep stabbing pain in my bones that hurt so bad was described by someone other than me! I thought it was just me, just Crohn's, just arthritis. My God, that pain is unthinkable and I have lived with it for years. I read on... The sensitivity to light, to sound and to the fog in my brain. The overwhelming fatigue that sometimes has me falling asleep over my computer was not just me, but something else. Fibromyalgia--it has a name. But is it real? It took me years to come to grips with Crohn's, so I expect it will take me some time to come to grips with something as surreal as Fibromyalgia. I mean, come on, there isn't even a blood test. Yet. The symptoms describe me and Fibro is often associated with Crohn's disease. And so, that leads me right back to where I started. I know I need to call my doc, but really, what can she do for me? I think I will sit on it for awhile and continue to work on my next novel, Innocent Blood. One thing I have to say is there is great relief in having someone else describe what you are feeling. No one I know has ever had that deep stabbing bone pain that walks in my shadow. Until now. Thanks for dropping by. Symptoms Chronic widespread body pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia. Most people with fibromyalgia also experience moderate to extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, sensitivity to touch, light, and sound, and cognitive difficulties. Many individuals also experience a number of other symptoms and overlapping conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, lupus and arthritis.
Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. In other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event. Comments are closed.
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