First and formost, let me say that I am truly sorry to have been one of "Those" people that thought Fibromylagia was not a real disease. Boy was I ever wrong. It always seemed to me that when a doctor could not find the underlinging problem of someones illness, well they would just slap on the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. After feeling badly for quite awhile, I tried to find the sorce of my illness. My body has been through quite a lot. I have had Cancer, Hepititis , heart valve problems and just last November a benign tumor removed from my parathyroid gland. For two years I just have felt crappy. I had to quit my job because I was so exausted all of the time [ not tired, EXAUSTED] I also ached all over, felt weak and had major bone pain. I started to lose lots of weight. It took me several doctors [ lots of money] and finally a trip to Mayo Clinic to get a diagnosis. I would not wish this on anyone. Please accept my apology for being so ignorant about this very real disease. Show my post to your family or friends or anyone that just dosen't GET IT!
It is very real and scary!!!
georgi

not to worry sweetie. we understand and we care, about you. with the utmost love may i welcome you to our evergrowing family. come lean, love and learn with us.
peace,
bluelakelady

I have had fm/cfs for 5 years (I am 33) and I am still in denial about the disease! Reality is, I know its real, I just don't want it. One of the worst parts about fibromyalgia is the "stigma".

I constantly tell my husband "I hope they find some kind of disease they can treat with this test".

Hang in there, your not alone!

We Welcome you with open arms and much love.... No hard feelings at all... We are well aware that people who don't have it, don't understand it... I am so sorry that you have to suffer with this disease... It is not a nice way to find out about it... You have found the right place to come and join our "family"... We are always here for each other depending on what you need... We come here for info, venting, talking, whatever the need may be...

Believe me, we all need this "family"... Welcome aboard... Jenn

Hi Georgi,
Don't feel so bad. If thousands of doctors a day treat their patients as if it isn't real why would someone who doesn't have it think differently? Until the doctors more widely acknowledge it the general public, which unfortunately include some of the people closest to us, won't be able to either. Sorry you had to join us by default but you certainly are welcome.
Wishing you comfort and wellness,
Donna

Welcome to our fibro family. Over the years I have heard of fibro, and even when my husband was going thru a health issue, the diagnosis, came up a couple of times, and I never thought I would have it.

When my chonic widepsread pain started in October, I talked to my doctor, and he said he felt it was my body responding to my adrenal gland being overloaded by stress and the increase of cortisol, which would also explain the weight gain. Then over time the pain stayed, I had everyday pain and then I had horrible flare-ups when I would be confinded to the couch with heating pads. I am 31, and the blood tests ruled a lot out except I was anemic, but I really needed to know what was wrong with my body. I knew what was wrong with my jaw, tmj had gone to the next phase where the bones have been damaged along with the discs, why did my hands and feet hurts so badly, then muscles, joints, and bones? I did the tender point test on myself 100 times, my body was like one big bruise. I talked to my aunt (like my mother, now that she has passed away), and she was mad, and adament that fibro is not a real disease, it is a diagnosis that dr give when they cannot or do not want to look any further for the real cause. Then I was diagnosed with fibro, and I already knew I had it when all the pain started. A couple of months went by and I told my Aunt Cindy, she must have done some research because she was not so against it, and was not opposed anymore. I have not heard from her since.

I am going to have to battle if for the rest of my life, and I am going to learn to deal with it with the help of medications,resting, light exercising, and eating right. One of hardest things is not knowing what the day will bring, and not feeling like your life is over or you cannot do things anymore. My husband has started making plans, things we used to do together, even last summer, without me, and with other people, like his mom, or other family. It hurts, I still want to go, a break would be nice, and sometimes I forget how unmanageable fibro can be. So I am now left home to take care of the children (I do not mind), but I would have love to have gone, or even to be asked.

It has been a hard 10 months, that is it, and here I am a housewife who tries her best to keep up with her house, a stay at home mom who should work, we need the money, but can't, and has applied for disability, and my marriage is rocky becuase of me, my husband does not understand the pain, and he is upset over my hair being cut short, and I have gained weight over the winter due to pain, and medications, right now he is not speaking to me, and it is tough, most of this is due to me being sick, having tmjd, myofascial, temporal tendonitis (this runs a lot of my life, due to horrible pain behind my left eyeball, and not knowing when it will come on), and fibro.

I hope most of everybodies experience is easier than mine. I feel guilty about so much, and how much my illness has made my husband disappointed in me. It is so hard, I adore the ground my husband walks on, and love him. I want to do things the right way. I am going to work on me, and getting myself better, maybe not healthy, but inner strength, and mind healthy. I think that is very important.

Good luck to us all, sorry about babbling.

Kassandra

Hi Kass,
I've been concerned about you. I wish you'd stop saying things like "my marriage is rocky because of me", that's not the truth. I live with the same kind of man and the truth is that it is rocky because he is self-centered. You can't help being sick and this guy your married to burns me up:mad:. If having short hair helps you manage better then he can just get over it, mine did. The problem is that when he whines about it he can see it hurts you and you keep apologizing about things when you didn't do anything wrong. The minute that you look at him and say "I'm sorry you don't like it but it was necessary" and leave it at that, no reasoning, pleading, or miserable faces, and refuse to keep discussing it , is when he will lose interest in the subject. He does it because it gets to you.

I don't go there anymore. If my husband is not man enough to put his self aside and consider me then I don't give a rats whiskers what he thinks, I was very sick the last few days. Up all night in pain and chills. The man blew me off and figured it was just "so more of my whining over a little muscle spasms". I drove myself to the doctor yesterday to find out I had gotten a stomach flu. Then he looked bad in front of the kids so he started wanting to wait on me hand and foot (remember my kids are almost grown and he knows they were bad he didn't take me to the doc). My reaction: I can do it myself or thirst to death. Don't do me any favors.

Stay with him if you want (I have:confused:) but don't allow him to treat you that way and get away with making you feel guilty. No matter what he says, he can't make you feel that way unless you let him.

Donna

I totally agree with Donna1964. My husband doesn't usually say a whole lot but I know him well and I can just tell by the way he acts sometimes that he is gettng an attitude. Silly me will go off a cry first and then I get mad because he has reduced me to tears. Once I am mad.. watch out! Because the very next thing he does that I feel is wrong... he hears it now. I used to keep my mouth shut... but no more. I won't put up with it, I don't have to.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 9 years ago. The PAIN is REAL.
I am in so much agaony it is all I can do to move my body.
I also have a tumor disease called Neurofibromatosis and a bad case of TMJ of my Jaws.
I take 90 mg's of Morphine for Pain controll and it does Nothing to help me. I use to be on 150 mg's daily but my doctor wants to wean me off of it due to the nasty side effects it causes me (Limb twitching , and ocassional heart Palpitations).
My TMJ pain kills my Head.
My 6th. pain clinic doctor issues me a Tens Unit on June 9th and I have been using it daily with No relief for any of my pain conditions.

I am in so much PAIN I wanna die. I told my husband that I hope I die in my sleep. He siad that I should not think like that. But I can't help but think like this , the Pain is too overwhelming.:(

Kass, I agree with the two previous posters and you know what kind of an idiot I live with but I stay for different reasons, HEALTH INSURANCE... I am awaiting my hearing with the judge with SSD, and hopefully I will get my SSD, once that comes along, I am gone...

My husband says he doesn't understand the fibro but he knows I hurt along with all the other things that come along with it, plus I was also diagnosed with BiPolar 1 which is really not under control.... He comes home every night from work and starts drinking right off the bat... I choose to ignore it and go to bed after he has had about two drinks... My only concern is getting my oldest son up for work at 9pm and for his night shift work and then again at 6am for his fulltime job in the morning... Then I have a 16 year who works part-time that my husband always has something to say about... I shut him down on that... Neither one of my boys does drugs or drinks so I think I have done a pretty good job.. My boys are from my first marriage and their dad and I are very good friends now..

I have gotten to the point where I spend more and more time at my parents house at the lake... I just got home Wednesday night and would leave again today if it weren't for a problem with some of my meds that I am trying to work out between insurance and the doctor...

My husband tells me all the time that when I don't feel good or am hurting to go to bed, I use to do that but then when he wanted to start a fight, that would be the first thing that would come up, that I was always in bed when he came home from work, he goes to work at 8am and gets home between 8-9pm, so I will never go to bed during the day anymore... As far as the house, if it gets clean, it gets clean, if not, it doesn't... I really don't care anymore..

Kass, as far as all the guilt, that is making the fibro worse... You say you love the ground your husband walks on, why? He doesn't do the same... I know you say he is a religous man, I don't think so, at least not in God's eyes due to the way he treats you... I know it says somewhere in the bible to treat others as you would have them treat you or something like that...

Do Not give him ammunition... Like you, my hair use to be long years ago, that was the first thing to go and I love it, this is the only way my husband has ever seen it but I really wouldn't care, it makes it easier for me... It grows really fast so I have to have it cut often BUT, I also found out from my hairdresser that I needed to see a dermatologist about something that I would have never have known if I had kept it long...

As far as your weight gain and believe me, I know all about it, I had gained alot of weight, then about 6 months ago, I started losing weight at an alarming weight loss, I mean at one time, I loss 18 lbs in 22 days, not good... In 8 months, I lost 73 lbs... Not that I didn't need to but it was scary... Hence, a new doc to the resume, a GI, a new list of things wrong with me... So my husband makes fun of my weight loss:confused: I still need to lose more... He makes fun because none of my clothes fit right and I won't go buy anymore because I really don't go anywhere... I have one pair of jeans that fit when they first come out of the dryer... I really don't eat either... Like right now it is 2:33pm and I have not had anything to eat and I am not hungry due to all the meds I take... On top of that I am supposed to take two types of laxatives everyday but I won't...

All of us have our battles to fight in different ways with this fibro and all the other diseases that come along for the ride with it... But remember we are all safe here with our concerns, stories, heartaches and how are lives are truly played out... Come here for the love that you are missing out on because here it is real... We will pick you up when you are down, we are a shoulder to cry on when you need it, and an ear to listen when you need to talk...

Remember, we all probably never thought fibro was real until we had to accept it in our lives and sometimes we still don't accept it... Love, Jenn

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 9 years ago. The PAIN is REAL.
I am in so much agaony it is all I can do to move my body.
I also have a tumor disease called Neurofibromatosis and a bad case of TMJ of my Jaws.
I take 90 mg's of Morphine for Pain controll and it does Nothing to help me. I use to be on 150 mg's daily but my doctor wants to wean me off of it due to the nasty side effects it causes me (Limb twitching , and ocassional heart Palpitations).
My TMJ pain kills my Head.
My 6th. pain clinic doctor issues me a Tens Unit on June 9th and I have been using it daily with No relief for any of my pain conditions.

I am in so much PAIN I wanna die. I told my husband that I hope I die in my sleep. He siad that I should not think like that. But I can't help but think like this , the Pain is too overwhelming.:(

I am so sorry that you are in so much pain... I think that most of us have reached that point that we too have wanted to die, I know that I have...

Due to all my meds and doctor bills I can't afford it but have you tried water therapy, I hear it really helps... Just a thought...

Has your doctor not tried anything else for the pain... What about something for the headaches... What about muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatories... Are you sleeping well, if not, has your doctor done anything about this???

Just a couple of things to think about because we do care about you.. Jenn

I have tried so many anti inflamitorys and Muscle relaxers. Nothing helps.
I have never tried water therapy. What is that ? Swimming?

I sleep poorly. Too much pain and misery. Plus I am going thru menopause (I'm 50).
I sweat out badly every night and get up soaked in the morning.

I need Help badly.

Onedustytrail - Have u had a sleep study? A lot of your symptoms can be explained by sleep disorders.

ONEDUSTYTRAIL, iam so sorry for your pain we here know that it is real.i honestly dont know how people can think that someone would fake pain.what would be their pay off? i think they say we are faking so they dont have to help,thats what i really beleave,personally i can see pain in someones eyes and hear it in their voice.i have also wished i could go to sleep and not wake up so i totally sympathize with you.after my last facet shots i was really trying to think of a way but i know that my children would be scarred even more.so here iam.we need you to stick around dusty there must be a reason for us coming together if only to keep each other from doing something our families will not understand.my one brother took his own life and i have wrestled with it for years,but i totally understand his pain now and his pain was visible in his eyes,iam now happy he is no longer in pain,and i do beleave he went to heaven.beleave me i had many so called friends tell me how he would be floating around in percitory(i know i murderd that word sorry)i beleave God is forgiving not what i was taught in catholic school.please hang in there dusty there are great people on these boards. we will get you through. marywoo

It seems that no one ever gets better with fibromyalgia. Is that correct? I would also think that it effects the immune system in a way that would make it easier to get sick from colds or ???? If your immune system is shot, them your succeptable to just about anything. I think that one day there will be a test that will give us more information about fibro. The healthcare undustry has made great strides in some areas, but not where fibromyalgia is concerned.
georgi

hi georgi,
i have had one cold in 13 years and 1 bout with the flu. actually i find i get less sick now with regular stuff. as for fibro, there are things you can do to get as strong and healthy as you can. exercise helps me the most. that and a good happy attitude toward my life and my health. i love my body. she is precious to me.
i was in a wheelchair and bedbound in 97. i go dancing now. attitude and determination.
never stop believing in your own ability to adapt to anything.
peace,
bluelakelady

I have had Fm for 18 years, I have been told it doesn't progress, get any worse...LIE! It seems to get worse and worse, til I think it CAN"T get worse, but it does...It is even a ligit accepted medical diagnosis for disability now.

I read an article a doctor friend told me about, called FIBROMYOSITIS. Check it out and be sure this isn't what YOU have. It didn't fit my symptoms, though.

There is an interesting FIBROMYALGIA DIET on line, just type it in a search engine. It tells you to avoid just about everything that is "good."
LOL....But, who knows? It might work! The pain can make us try just about ANYTHING!

I wish you a painfree day, if that's possible!

Moonlady,
I meant to post this on this thread but ended up somewhere else:o. What I wanted to say is that I think you're amazing:angel:! I am praying for a cure but in the meantime I am praying to have an attitude and spirit like yours.;)

Hoping for a pain free day for all.
Donna

This board helps me to know I'm not along and the dr did indeed diagnose {?} me with the right thing. I too have Fibro. I wake up every morning so stiff I move like some ninety year old woman. My mother is 78 and she gets around better then I do and I'm 47.When the alarm clock goes off at 5:30am I very slowly put my feet on the floor. Then with a big sigh I get up on my feet. and very slowly one foot then the other make it to the pain meds. Take one drink one cup of coffee, praying for it to kick in so I can start getting ready for work. Okay, now the sharp pain has been taking off enough that I can get in a hot shower. REady for work now I go out the door making 3 steps that just makes me so tired before I even get in the car. Okay, I've made into the driver's seat. I sit for a minute to regroup and try and get ok to drive down the road. If it was'nt for having to turn my head to check for traffic it would'nt be so bad. Okay, Now I've made it to the parking lot. But, I'm still not there, still got to get out and stand up and hobble to unlock three office doors. You see by this time my anti-flammies have'nt started working yet. And my right hand is swollen very bad so unlocking all this doors already seems like I've done my 8 hrs.
So now I'm able to findly sit down at my desk and just hope I can put my head back on my chair for a minute without having to move. But, guess what even me just sitting still I hurt very deep to the bones.
I'm sorry for this long message. I just needed to let someone know what I'm going thru and have been since Oct of 2007. I'm so tired.
sorry:(

I am still trying to sort things out. I have read thru many threads and postings. Those that have fibro seem to have it affect them differently. There is no way I can work. Some days are better than others. I can have a good day, but don't know when it will be. I am seeing a pain management doctor and am on oxycontin. I have cut my dose so it is the lowest dose for me that works. Some people gain weight, I lost. I am trying to get disibility. It is not easy either. I think I must have chronic fatique with mine. The doctor asked me if I was depressed. DUH!!!!!
Thanks Blue, and everyone else that responded and made me feel welcomed.
georgi

Moonlady,
I meant to post this on this thread but ended up somewhere else:o. What I wanted to say is that I think you're amazing:angel:! I am praying for a cure but in the meantime I am praying to have an attitude and spirit like yours.;)

Hoping for a pain free day for all.
Donna

Thanks Donna!:)

I heard about fibro on tv and from a friend who said her mom had it at first i just thought it a disease they slapped on anyone who had some pain. However, when i researched it (I'm a very curious person) i realized that everything that was being described connected to me. Upon going to the doctor and being diagnosed it was almost a relief to know that someone could name what I had. My friends and boyfriend always make fun of me because i say "ow" a million times a day, but now they're starting to realized that even a light tap REALLY DOES hurt me. I feel like i'm 95 years old somedays and it is some comforting to know that there are other people out there going through this too. To put it nicely I'm realizing this disease sucks. In college I had plans to dance however, that went out the window realizing there is no way i can make it through all the the pain. Is there anyone else here who got diagnosed young? Just wondering how it affected you when you were young.

Sorry littlegirl08 that you are going through this.It seems that fibromyalgia carries with it a vast aray of symptoms. Some people share the same symptoms and others have very different symptoms, guess thats what makes it so hard to diagnose. I still don't think most doctors have a clue as to what fibromyalgia is. I do think it effects young as well as older people, but not as common in the very young. My question is............... Is anyone on disibility because of it?
Thanks,
georgi

hi georgi,
i was placed on social security disability due to the inability to process normal stress. while this inablility is due to fibro they said with fibro i could work. it was the stress factor that got me on s.s.i. bottom line, i am on it for mental reasons. their words, not mine. i don't care what they call me. just help me out with the finances of living. i have been on it for 12 years.
it was a letter from my shrink that got me in the door.
take care of you, kay?
peace,
blue

I concur with Blue's take on the Disability thing. It was after the meeting I had with the SS-appointed psych doctor that did it for me. She could tell, after testing me and talking at length, that I was unable to stay focused, was stressed and my cognitive abilities were impaired.

Taking Topamax at the time of the appointment turned out to be a good thing...it made me very dopey and she could tell I wasn't faking it.

I also inundated them with all pages from my two major doctors' files....well over 150 pages, to show a long pattern of illness and attempted treatment. It helps if you have that.

Good luck!

Blessings,
Tex

I am also on disability. Not sure which diagnosis one of my many diagnoses qualified me. Do they specify that on the paperwork?

I am also on disability. Not sure which diagnosis one of my many diagnoses qualified me. Do they specify that on the paperwork?

I think so, but don't remember for sure....it's been a few years for me.

Blessings,
Tex

onedustytrail...i have had a tens unit for 30+ yrs now. i find the only times it helps is while it is on me...also there is only 4 pads which is not nearly enough to cover every area of pain. i find the batteries fully charged only last about 2 hrs.....not long enough for me!

hope you get some good pain days....there is no such thing with me anyway for no pain days, only occasional good pain days!

take care......bevann

onedustytrail...hello again, just read another of your posts.
are you on hormone replacements? i was on them for 10 yrs and i believe they helped. you can get clammy and sweaty with fibro....you don't need a double whammy.
i have been put on oxycontin about 5 times over the 30 yrs i have had fibro....it was given only because i could hardly move with the flareups. what i have as needed is percosette, flexerill and valium...i use those only with flareups. cymbalta i take every day. i use heat at some point daily.
the morphine you are on does not seem to me that it should be taken every day.

feel better........bevann

welcome...littlegirl08.....you will find alot of knowledge and caring on this board.
i was diagnosed at 28.....i am 58 now. at 28 i had 7 & 2 yr old. i also worked till i was 43 until my doc told me i needed to get soc sec disability, which i did get.
i also had a degenerative spine, disc and joint disease. to this day my rheumy said i would'nt be able to tell which disease was flaring up.
i was determined to enjoy my life, kids etc.
i always believed my dx's would progress over the yrs...which they have. i now have 4 granddaughters and i found my 20 yr old i did alot with over the yrs, and have alot of trouble doing things with the 5 yr old now.
one of the most important things to me then and now was not to take daily pain pills...only during bad flares. if i had done that then...now i would need a sleeping pill every day to help my pain.
trust me also, over the yrs i have had many pity parties...alot of depression, tears, anger, why me etc. when i get like that i tell myself that at least i have legs and arms to feel the pain...alot of people i'm sure would trade with us.
hope this helped a little....i'm here for any questions you have, as well as the other wonderful people here....take care, bevann

I have filed for SSD and am waiting for my hearing with the Judge... I pray everyday that I will get a favorable hearing once I have my hearing...

I have been diagnosed with the fibro, chronic myofascial pain, hypermobility, some scoliosis, flat feet, BiPolar 1 which had been misdiagnosed for over 20 years and I was finally diagnosed with it in August of 2006 after a mental breakdown... So while I was misdiagnosed I was treated as if I had severe depression and generalized anxiety disorder which had me in a major manic episode for several years which I didn't know until I was diagnosed with BiPolar 1 and learned what it was... The BiPolar is still not under control and I have major rage and anger outburst especially with total strangers so I basically stay at home unless I have to go to the drug store or to doctor appointments. I have to see my pain doc, therapist and psychiatrist every month... I have to see my GP every 3 months and my GI doc every 6 months. I also have severe migraines which I take meds for every day.... Recently I was diagnosed with gastritis, IBS and divirticulosis... I have trigger point injections every 28 days and sometimes sooner if it gets to bad... I am prescribed to take 31 pills everyday... Recently I had to add another doc to my resume, a dermatologist for a big skin issue that my GP thought was ring worm but it turned out to be something else associated with diabetes and RA....

Does anyone think I have a chance at winning my case with SSD????

Sorry that I am rambling but I need some support today... Yesterday was probably the worst day (Flare up) that I have had in quite sometime... I was laid flat out on my bed... I could not even touch skin to skin on my own body.. Every joint, muscle, everything felt like a mack truck had run over it a million times... My skin felt like it was stretched to the maximum and would bust wide open if I moved... My face and head felt the same way... I could not get relieve from anything... I don't normally put ice on me because it hurts, but I finally put a bag of frozen peas (they are easier to get in the position I need them in) all over my face due to the stretching and migraine...

My husband came in and started drinking and kept asking me if he could get me something, I told him I just needed to be left alone... No lights, no tv, no noise... Nothing... He kept coming in, turning on the ceiling light, and he would have to touch something on my body and say are you sure you don't need anything... I said please do not touch me anywhere on my body, I am not being mean but I can't even touch my own skin... He said, well you just got your shots yesterday you should be fine why are you in bed and why are you hurting... I said, its not the shots that are hurting, I am just having a bad day with a flare up... He said well I guess the shots were a waste of money... He just never understands... The more he drank, the more he wanted to touch... I finally said keep your hands off of me, you are hurting me more every time you touch me...so then of course he got Pi**ed off and said there shouldn't be anything wrong because my shots should have taken care of it... I said, I am probably hurting with a flare from where I fell out of the tub the other night... He said that, that shouldn't have anything to do with it.... He then proceeds to tell me that his daughter needs to come out and I need to do a resume for her... My hands were swollen, My blood pressure is normally around 90/63 and it was 145/86, my veins in my hands were popping out and I told him, there was no way I was going to do her resume as my hands were not moving... The computer is in the bedroom and he said well she can come and do it and you can watch from the bed and tell her how to do it... I told him he and his daughter could Kiss my A**...

I am so sorry I have rambled on, enough for now... I got up today and finished all the laundry and cleaned the house... I have decided that I am going to my parents house at the lake in the morning and am staying until a week from Monday... He can stay here and drink to his hearts content...

Thanks to all who had the heart to read all the way through... This was really hard to write because my hands don't want to type and my mind is really foggy today... Thank God for my family online, you all always help me in my time of need... God Bless you all and I hope you all have a pain free day... Jenn...

Hi all.
Just finally moved - it's been in bed for me all day until now. Spent the last while reading this long-ish ;) thread. All of you hurting in so many ways, I wish I had a magic wand.

There was a question about water therapy. For whoever asked, it is exercises done in water that's warmer than regular pools, not as hot as a hot tub though. It can be prescribed by a doc - probably a rheumi - and covered by insurance. I started it many years ago I was around 30. Throughout the time til now (I'm 55) I have done these exercises in some form. I started out with a physiotherapist in the water, teaching me how to properly move all my joints for a full range of motion at first, then working on a bit of strengthening of my arms, my legs, and then finally working in a bit of cardio - meaning getting out of breath and working my heart. The reason it is in the water is because when your body is submerged, the strain and stress (and Pain!!) of moving your joints is limited because you are kind of "suspended" by the water.

In some communities, the "classes" are available through hospitals and physiotherapy clinics. Now I do a class that is called Aquafitness. It just works out that all the people who can attend in the daytime, are mostly "challenged" by some kind of health thing. Joint replacements, Lupus, MS, Arthritis, CP, Fibro. Each person is at her own level, and we just do what we can. Some of us even have to help each other get dressed and undressed, but we are all in the same boat, and we manage. I took a class once with an 18 year old woman in a wheel chair. We had to wheel her to the edge, but when she was in the water, she felt strong and was able to move around, and it was a great social outlet too. Some people prefer to call it Aqua-therapy.

When I was first diagnosed 27 yrs ago, I laughed when my rheumi said I was to do this. But I researched it a bit, and decided if I was ever going to have a life, I had to get moving somehow! Now it is fun, and is a very critical part of my activities. I go 2 or 3 tiimes per week.
Long story short - I highly recommend it.! Be aware - this is not a regular Aquafit class at the Y or whatever. Must be warm/hot water, and with proper instruction and gradual progression. It is important that your doc/rheumie suggest/recommend where you could get this instruction and support.
I can honestly say it's the only reason I was able to work up to a year ago.

Hope this helps those of you who asked.

I'd be happy to provide more details if you'd like.
Wishing you peace and comfort,
Paddy