I have arthritis and maybe fibro.. After talking to a friend or Two here that have fibro I think I may have it also.. I like your positive attitude buddy.. Love D

My whole family has them. Hubby and I have arthritis. He also has psoriasis. And our daughter has vitiligo.

I have osteo-arthritis in my feet, but it isn't due to caregiving; I've had it for decades and it's due to bones in my feet being broken when I was very young.
Other than that, when I spend several days in frustration I tend to jam my right thumb into things (not purposely). It reminds me to calm down, and, eventually, it heals.
But, no, I can't say I have any auto-immune disorders, or any illnesses due to caregiving or stress. In fact, in some ways, I'm in better health than I've ever been. I'm physically lots stronger, for instance. And, I've been known to be prone to attacks of severe indigestion due to anxiety...but that hasn't happened with intensity for years now...almost never since I've been caregiving.
I understand, though, and have read studies that document that the stress of caregiving does, indeed, encourage auto-immune disorders, and lots of other stress related disorders such as back problems, migranes and gastric malfunctions, as well, at a high rate. Not sure why I'm still flying under THAT radar...could be that neither my mother nor I have ever been prone to stress.
Could also have to do with the fact that I was never married and never had children, so I haven't spent my whole life caregiving. All three of my sisters, who are married and are mothers, have a variety of stress related illnesses. Although none of them has ever cared for the elderly and/or infirm, the caregiving they do as wives and mothers is certainly intense. My guess is that if they were to "graduate" to caregiving for any of the elderly and/or infirm their stress related disorders would probably "graduate" with them.

I have Type 1 diabetes....

I've had it since I was ten....

My pancreas went on strike! >:[

This is a long story. I had polio when I was 10 yrs old. Scarlett fever at 12. I had 7 years suffering (age 38) with endeometriosis (sp) for which the dr's kept telling me was all in my head, said fibroid tumers were not hurting anything. By the time I found a dr to operate they took out 9 tumers which had ate up all female organs which meant no hormones so I had osteo and rumitoid arthritus, my bones were a mess. put me on masive dose of hormones. About age 45 friends that were taking hormones started having breast cancer so I stopped taking them. The pain of arthritis stayed with me, I tested negative then positive for years. Some dr's said it was post polio syndrom. Whatever. Once they had me on a medicine for two years that they took off the market because it caused heart attcks. I had my first heart attack at age 50. Have had angioplasty 8 times and carotid once.

My first full time job was at age 14 at a drug store soda fountain. Did a lot of carrying heavy silverware trays, I was wearing leg and back brace from the polio. During school year I went to school and worked nights 4 to 12:30.
I married at age 19 and my husband said "you can work if you want to but we live on what I earn, period". And that's the way it's been for 59 years. What I earned when I did work we used for boat, camper and great vacations.
Now I am taking care of him.
I can't blame my ailments on caregiving. I did go through a spell of having panic attacks in the night after they found cancer in his lungs. I never heard of having a panic attack in sleep but that's what the Drs come up with. I think it was the meds they had me on ganging up in my system.
Now I am being tested to see if I can take cumaden. What fun!! But they are keeping me alive and if I can last as long as he does then I will have done good I think.
I learned to live with pain when I was very young.
In this months Readers Digest is an article about counting blessings and focusing on the good things in our lives. I think I could have wrote that one. That's the way I have strived to liveand I do think it is what has kept me alive and pretty contented through the years.
Hazel

I also have lupus and, like you, it doesn't have me. I think that is the hardest thing. The fatigue from the lupus interferes sometimes with the quality of care I can give my Mom.

I've had gluten intolerance for 4+ years. Been checked for celiac, but they couldn't prove it. By the time I got to see a GI, I had done my homework and had been off the stuff for almost 8 months. Just stay away from gluten and I'm mostly okay... seems like some permanent effects, though. Think the origin was stress and environment related.

Wow! Hazel!

Osteo and Arthritus?
Does anyone have PAINLESS arthritus? I had painless carpel tunnel.. weird..

?Mild MS? The jury is still out..
I've heard that stress can bring on latent autoamunes, but someone like me would find having NO stress to be very stressful. So, for me, it seems not to matter.
;o)

I am sorry about all the things people have here..
:o( It seems like too much, sometimes.. Often times.

I HAVE MS,I HAVE HAD IT FOR 20 YEARS THAT I KNOW OF,I AM NOW DISABLED,BUT I WORKED FOR 35 YEARS AS A WAITRESS RAISED THREE KIDS ALONE,AFTER THERE FATHER LEFT,TWO WERE VERY ILL,ONE PASSED AWAY AT 10 AFTER HEART SURGERY MY SWEET CARIE,MY SON BECAME A DIABECT,AT AGE 5, NOW AT 35 HAS LOST MOST OF HIS SIGHT AND LOTS OF OTHER PROBLEMS,YES I AM A CARE TAKER,WHO IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ME?

Arthritis & Hypothyroid here.

I have MS, Fibromyalgia, and Immune Deficiency Disorder. All of which were diagnosed after my husband got diagnosed with cancer. Now I am dealing with insomnia, oxygen desaturation and sleep apnea. I am feeling a little overwhelmed these days.

wasnt sure whether I had an auto-immune thingy or not - but my doc wanted me to have the pneumonia jab as she felt I was more prone because of diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol problems....but, I am going to get RID OF all this, this next year including the weight I am carrying....a close friend is under severe stress and her rheumatoid arthritis is flaring....very nasty indeed...

Lemme see...CFIDS, Hypothyroid, Ankylosing Spondilitis. My body has been attacking itself for a long time. Chronic pain in muscles and joiints. Spinal deterioration and stenosis. Amazingly, no arthritis.

I know what I need though...I need a wife! ;)

Have Fibro, carpal tunnel, arthritis, GERD and a brain tumor for sure. Doctor swears I also have lupus tho the test keeps coming back negative. Tho I had them all before I started taking care of dad they sure don't help where that is concerned. Have had one fibro flare since this all began and it was made harder because I couldnt just stay in bed like I usually do in a flare.

interesting - have never thought of this as the body attacking itself. After my husband died suddenly, I had a growth in my throat that 18 months later had to be removed (benign) - I think that may be due to the stress. Perhaps every disease is due somehow to stress?! .. I know Louise Hay says this, but I really have no patience with that book!!!! for instance, she says a spot on ones face is due to some psychological problem, when it is more likely to do with some naughty chocolate .... lol