Fibromyalgia

This was taken from Shazq on fibromyalgia forums and i've adapted it to what i'm feeling.

I have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia
(FMS) after nearly a year of pain and tiredness. Because you didn't know how sick I was, you might have thought I was just being lazy. I hope by reading this it will give you an understanding into my world.

My life has been turned upside down, i dont really understand it myself,
so i will try my best to explain to you how my body has changed and how
some things that have never affected me before do now.

Below is just a very short view into part of my/our world.

Fibromyalgia is not the newest fad disease. In fact, it isn't a disease at all.
it is known as chronic rheumatism, myalgia and fibrositis. Unlike diseases
syndromes do not have a known cause, but they do have a specific set
of signs and symptoms which, unfortunately for the patient, take place together.
Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are also syndromes.

The many physical and emotional problems associated with FM are not
psychological in origin. This is not an "all in your head" disorder.

Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long-term pain and
tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.
Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep problems,
headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression the list goes on and on.

The Dr thinks that trauma caused mine to begin, losing Mum.

My pain is not caused by inflammation.
I find my pain hard to manage. I dont know where my pain will be i.e;today it is in
my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my legs or even in my arms/hands.
Sometimes i feel as if it`s my whole body. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is real.

My fatigue - I am not merely tired. I am often in a severe state of
exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities, but I can't.
Please do not take this personally, it isn't because I don't want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability.

My forgetfulness - Those of us who suffer from it call it fibrofog. I may
not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I
promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem
has nothing to do with my age but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do
not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don't have any short-term
memory at all. I couldn't even remember what someone had told me two seconds ago this morning.

My sensitivities - I just can't stand it! "It" could be any number of
things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors. FM has been
called the "aggravating everything disorder." this gets very frustrating, noises that have never bothered me before do now.

My intolerance - I can't stand heat, I perspire. This can be embarrassing, so please don't feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. I know. And don't be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it's cold. I don't tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

My depression - Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed
or in the house. Pain can cause depression.
Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink,
yet snide remarks can tip me over the edge.
I will improve, i dont know when, it might be something little that
will bring me out of it.

My sleepless nights - Don't be put of by the looks of me in the morning, i might look
like a zombie, this is because i have not had much sleep, my brain wont
switch off, i have 100 and 1 things going around and around in my head,
none of it makes sense, i used to sleep 8 hours a night, now i am lucky if
i sleep for 2 hours at a time.

Sleepy days- Some days i feel so tired, my body weighs a ton, my whole
body aches, i have no energy, even though i have been in bed all night i
feel like i want to go back to bed again.

My stress - My body does not handle stress well. I'm not lazy.
Everyday stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely.
My hands go numb and i drop things, i don't seem to know how to control my
own body, this is not a good feeling.

My weight - I may be overweight but this is not through choice. My appetite is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it, if only there could be that magic pill. I can't eat large amounts and so I eat little and often and it tends to be the wrong food!

My good days - If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don't
assume I am well. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no
cure. I can have my good days or weeks. In fact, the good days are what keep me going.I try to do what i can as i never know when the next flare will return.

My medication- I have had to try many different medications, i seem to be
very sensitive, not sure why. Please bare with me if i seem ratty the meds
may cause all types of symptoms, ie: sickness, headaches, drowsy, legs/arm pains.
Some meds can take up to 4 weeks to kick in but it only takes a few days
for the side effects to kick in. The one i'm on at the moment makes me like a zombie!

Clumsy- I really dont mean to be, My hands dont want to grip things, all the strength has gone, wish i knew where. My legs feel like they have been set in concrete and i have to drag my legs.

Lunch- Peeling veg is getting harder as i cant grip the knife, this might seem
a small thing to you but its a big thing to me.

This cold weather- is really getting to me, i cant seem to get warm
my bones really hurt today, that might sound strange to you, but its
real to me. The colder the weather the more severe the pain.

My stomach -I get bloated or I just feel sick.

Even those who suffer from FM are not alike.
I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain,
but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else, we all
have different pain levels. A lot of the same symptoms yes
but also some different.


I hope this helps you to understand just a little of what we
go through on a day to day basis.