just wanted to pop in and say hi, and that i saw the rheumy today, and i do indeed have fibro.

we're going to try to manage it, initially, with weight loss and exercise. he's going to go over my bloodwork (which somehow got lost in the shuffle) and see if there's anything else going on as well.

so, here i am. i guess my mom was right. not sure what to think right now. mostly still in shock.

just wanted to pop in and say hi, and that i saw the rheumy today, and i do indeed have fibro.

we're going to try to manage it, initially, with weight loss and exercise. he's going to go over my bloodwork (which somehow got lost in the shuffle) and see if there's anything else going on as well.

so, here i am. i guess my mom was right. not sure what to think right now. mostly still in shock.

Oh {{{{{{{{{{{{Pookah}}}}}}}}}}}
Gentle hugs your way. So sorry to hear about that sweetie, but at least you have a diagnosis and now you can start treating it with your doctors recommendations. Now you "know" its not all in your head, or feel like a hypochondriac (like some docs can make ya feel like). It is a real thing and those of us who have it TOTALLY understand the frustrations , pain, and disappointments that go along with living with this. But the thing is we are alive, we still have a life and we learn new ways to cope with it.
Things will change, the house may not be as clean, you may not go out or do the things you used to before you got sick and people will just have to learn that when you don't feel well, you DON"T FEEL WELL and accept that. You will have your good days and then you will have your bad days. Don't feel bad or guilty for being sick, it's not your fault, rest when you feel tired, exercise when you feel good.
We are here for you sweetie,
Love and soft hugs,
Jen

Thank you Jen ((((hugs))))

It's very good for me to have a dx, because all this time I thought I was just lazy, or so fatigued because of my depression. Now my doctors (psychiatrist, therapist) can see I have a very REAL reason for being so tired, aside from depression.

This pain is something new, I've had the pain on palpation but never aches this bad. I have had MONUMENTAL stress in the past few months (including very serious illness of my father, and potentially life-threatening illness of me) and I think these things have caused the flares I am experiencing now.

I am a little discouraged, because I have to take Coumadin for life, and that means no Ibuprofen or Asprin products, and because of the anti-depressants I'm also limited. So far the only pain-management my psychiatrist and I came up with is Vicodin. My new rheumy wants to work closely with the psychiatrist, and I know he'll want to do the same, so I have a good "team" so far.

Acceptance of not being able to do things (clean, exercise) because of pain is going to be hard. :( But you're right, I need to be gentle with myself.

Thank you again. :)

Hey Hun. Welcome to the Fibro community. Remember that now you are part of a very special "breed". Even tho you don't want to be part of the "club" you are doing the right thing by immediately trying to manage your symptoms. Expect in the months to come to discover more and more symptoms of the Fibro that you never really noticed before. And NEVER EVER feel as though you are bothering your doc by mentioning those symptons to him/her everytime you notice a significant difference in the way you feel. Example: I was at my family doc, who originally diagnosed me, for a visit and he noticed I was in a "flare", my Mom had just died and I had spent months flying to and from her home and mine until the end, so he gave me a shot for pain, and I told him that my ribs along the breast bone were extremely sore, he said that was part of the Fibro. I only recently discovered a website which is govt. sponsered that tenderness on your lower ribs near the breast bone is a common side effect of the Fibro. I have just really two things that I would advise if you don't mind. 1. RESEARCH!RESEARCH! RESEARCH! I can't post any websites here but if you do a general search you will come up with many websites that are good to visit. You will also notice that there are A LOT of opinions and self diagnosis out there, use your judgement, ask your doc, and be very weary of anything that has the words CURE associated with Fibro.
2. Try to get yourself a refferal to a pain specialist. Rhuemies are good, but most can't or won't get into the seriousness of your pain. If you have a pain specialist, he/she will address just that, your pain. And depending on how much pain you have, a pain specialist is more likely to prescribe more effective meds to treat your pain. In my experience, rhuemmies have a tendency to believe that all Fibro's are the same. We aren't for sure. Some of us can "live with" the condition and basically function "normally", a lot of us are more suseptable to pain and the other effects this conditions brings with it and can't work, while I know of others who are just totally devastated. Just remember, Fibro is what you HAVE, it isn't what you ARE. And for sure, educate yourself as much as you can, and be sure to find a doc who is willing to accept you as an individual, not just another Fibro case. Okay?
Hope this helps.
I have a posting of the Fibro "BILL OF RIGHTS" somewhere here. I am new to this, but if you find it, it will validate your feelings.
Be at peace with yourself.
tkgoodspirit

just wanted to pop in and say hi, and that i saw the rheumy today, and i do indeed have fibro.

we're going to try to manage it, initially, with weight loss and exercise. he's going to go over my bloodwork (which somehow got lost in the shuffle) and see if there's anything else going on as well.

so, here i am. i guess my mom was right. not sure what to think right now. mostly still in shock.

I, myself just got diagnosed 2 months ago, but I've had it alot longer. I also have ostearthritis!!

hi tkgoodspirit, thank you for the info and suggestions! i may indeed need a pain specialist. if i feel the rheumy isn't addressing the pain like he should. so far, i am very happy with him, as he is willing to work closely with my psychiatrist as far as what ADs i take. i am thinking of trying elavil, although it may cause me unwanted side effects. it's worth a shot anyway.

hi maureen! i think i may have had fibro a lot longer too. my mom has it and has been trying to convince me that i have it, and pointing out all the symptoms in her books, but i guess i was in denial. i had epstein-barr 15 years ago, and i think that the fibro may have started as far back as that time. i've had severe fatigue for as long as i can recall. i am a caffeine junkie so that has kept me going.