Welcome to the group! This is a very active forum and I think that you may be pleasantly surprised by the camaraderie. Morning check in is hosted by lovely Leo the Puma. You can join us, lurk or do a little of both.

I'd like to recommend our go to book "Fibromyalgia for Dummies." It is available on Amazon. It will give you and Hubby a comprehensive overview of this complex illness. And, a lot of options to try and manage it.

You are still a strong person but in a different way. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to deal with chronic pain. It is frustrating and exhausting on a lot of different levels. If dealing with Fibromyalgia an Olympic sport we'd all be wearing gold medals.

You are chronically tired because Fibromyalgia interrupts the deep sleep cycle with short bursts of high intensity brain activity. Your muscles require deep sleep in order to repair themselves from the days activities. No deep sleep means higher levels of pain and cognitive issues. You should be taking a medication for sleep. This is a critical part of managing Fibromyalgia. Sleep and Fibromyalgia is never a perfect science. It can be helpful to have a sleep study done.

I'm in my 60s with DDD, stenosis and severe OA. I had to stop working in 2008. I've reworked my interests to better suit my physical abilities. No longer having to work has been a blessing. You can still live your life just at a slower pace. Respecting your limits and pacing are really important. I'm sure the rest of the mob will have some additional helpful comments. You are not alone!

Thank you SO much for your intro and reply. I will definitely check it out! I spent 30 years working as a CNA, beating up my body, but considering every day work the pain and struggle. A year ago I lost my job (private care) as one often does in this business when my client passed away. Over the course of those last few years, I had slowly begun to see a decrease in my physical strength and stamina. With less physical activity and anxiety about the increased pain, I smoked like a chimney. Finally, because that didn't help the over eating and made me short of breath to boot, I quit smoking, (hopefully) for the last time about 3 months ago. I have yet to find a job and now the financial strain is beginning to take its toll on our family. Our financial woes were compounded by the unemployed presence of our "millennial" son, who has now departed (about 2 weeks ago) on not the very best terms. Now that it's "our turn"; all kids raised and off, would like to make it count!

You've got a lot on your plate right now. Smoking affects pain levels too. Maybe that will be added incentive not to start again. Fingers crossed as I know that is a hard habit to quit.

This thing called life can really be challenging at times. I worked in the film industry as a production manager. I had to stop due to a blown disc in my lower back that brought on the freight train otherwise known as Fibromyalgia. Then, after 21 years of marriage my spouse decided to divorce. I had a very rough couple of years. I'm sorry that things aren't great with your son. We have a wealth of knowledge on this site, great support and people who will offer sensible ideas or solutions without judgment. Join us tomorrow morning - just look for the Puma avatar and a heading that says something about Thursday!

Hello and welcome to the group! Our lovely Fantod is always such a wealth of information, and quite the spokesperson herself. :)

I think you definitely touch upon an important word: grieving. It's something we all go through when life decides to throw us a nasty curve ball that we didn't ask for. Being forced to change the way you want to live because your body can't keep up to your will feels like a betrayal. Add a scoop of lacking understanding from others in one's surrounding, and the *bleep*-sundae that is FM is nice and complete.

A support board like this was very helpful for me and a lot of other people. Working through those feelings, learning to listen to your body and getting familiar with the idiosyncrasies of fibro is important to manage as best as possible. Here you can always vent and people can offer insight born from experience, which is very valuable.

I pointed another new person here towards the Spoon Theory yesterday, which I find a helpful tool to make other understand a bit better how my limitations feel. It was written by a person with lupus, but I recognize myself in it completely. Perhaps something like that can also be of help to make your husband understand a bit better - especially if he happens to be the type that doesn't want to read the whole Fibro for Dummies.

Welcome again!

Thank you SO much! Feel for the first time since I stepped into this nightmare that there is hope. blessings

I don't completely like the spoon theory. I never know how many spoons I am going to have. And most days I start the day feeling like I already have none. I don't know I guess it just didn't speak to me.

True, I also feel like the amount of spoon seems almost arbitrary with lovely fibro. But for me it's mostly a big help in making people understand how every little thing in the day will affect my energy levels. The biggest help for me was, after I made my mother read it, she understood that it's non-negotiable if I tell her I'm out of spoons. Pain is subjective, but she can understand the spoon allegory and when I mention it, something clicks in her head that I'm not just whining, but that it's because my energy levels are different than that of most people's.

Hi. Welcome to the group. It is good to seek out those who are suffering the same as you are.

I am 54 years old, and was diagnosed in 2007. There are many things I can't do, but there are many things I still can do. Although I'll probably have a flare from doing it.

I have pretty much learned to live with this thing. I had to quit work about 6 months after I was diagnosed. It took me about 2 years to get disability, but I did not try until about a year or 2 after my diagnosis. I was denied my first try, but then got a lawyer and was granted the benefits right at my hearing.

I also have Major Depressive Disorder, Anxiety, OCD, and PTSD. Also osteoarthritis in my knees and hands.

Sorry I talked about myself so much, but sometimes it helps to hear others' stories.

The only med I'm on for fibro is a muscle relaxer. Or Tylenol and Aleve. I can't take Lyrica because of severe weight gain. Gabapentin did not work for me.

I hope you feel better both emotionally and physically very soon.

Thanks for your note! I appreciate it and that you are willing to talk about your own issues. I really think, (at least for myself) it's hard to make your circle of people understand, when they are truly "outside" of what this horrible disease is like. I'm on disability since 2002, but that originated from constant migraines. I've had the botox series 2X and though it was kinda brutal, it worked and I got my life back. Hmmm, then Osteoarthritis. Meniscus tear and removal both knees, total knee replacement on one (waiting for a financial miracle to have the other done!) Then ,Fibro. About 5 years ago a doctor mentioned it might be what was happening all over with me, but just let it drop. In our small community, the doctors seem to be afraid of anything they don't personally understand: pain, obesity, Fibro..I travel 2 hours one way to get my Rx for pain meds. Wish I could throw them all in the trash but I'd probably not get out of bed.Lol