Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
Hello everyone,
I've been on daily strength for a while but havent really done much with the site.. I'm back now and I hope to really utilize the site more for support as I dont have much. I feel like my family and friends/coworkers are all tired of me being sick and tired all the time and it's really annoying to me. I'm the one that has to feel this way you would think they would understand that and support me no matter what but we all are human I guess and they have a right to thier opinions.
I hope I can provide support to all of you too.
I've been on daily strength for a while but havent really done much with the site.. I'm back now and I hope to really utilize the site more for support as I dont have much. I feel like my family and friends/coworkers are all tired of me being sick and tired all the time and it's really annoying to me. I'm the one that has to feel this way you would think they would understand that and support me no matter what but we all are human I guess and they have a right to thier opinions.
I hope I can provide support to all of you too.
They may have a right to their opinion but we have the right to refuse to listen to their kerap! lol
My FM Hit me Basically over night. I Guess I had Odd Symptoms reaching as far back as my late teens, early 20s, but they were Occasional, and I could still Fully Function.
But when it Hit me Fully, It Scared me, I had alot of Threatening Symptoms, that seemed to make NO Sense.
When I Look Back, I can Easily See how People thought I was a Bit Nuts, as My Symptoms would Change damn near Daily.
My Husband made a Comment in Front of me one night, to a few people, they were talking about Lyme Disease..He said "Geeez, Don't mention the Symptoms in front of Bonnie, or she will have those Next", then he kinda Chuckled, I Honestly Felt like he Kicked Me.I Felt very Alone in that Moment, Unsupported.
I Thought about it for a Few Days, I am a Thinker (Not Always a Good Thing). And I Started to Really HEAR Myself for the First Time.
Understand All My Symptoms were Real, but Dr. after Dr. kept telling Me & HIM, that this was Stress, Depression, Anxiety, and since they could NEVER Find Anything even Slightly Off in my Labs, with Clinical Exams, Yea, I began to Really Understand His Thoughts...I Mean Stress CAN In Fact bring on these Symptoms, to some Level.
So I had a Sit Down, Quiet Conversation with him one Night, I let some of my Anger, Hurt Go...because I Finally had Understanding.
And I Made a Plan to Change this.
I Quit Talking about it SO Much, I Found the Less I Spoke of it, the More People Heard me. It had Consumed me Long Enough.
If Someone made a STUPID Comment in Front of me about it, I Would Just Look at them like they had a Booger hangin out of their Nose, and Not Comment..Ignored the Comment Completely..let them "Feel The Vibe".
I Finally began to Realize that Not ALL My Pain Needed to be Felt, that Some of it was Due to the Fact that I had Stopped Living Within my Life, This Illness can Stop a Person Cold. I Lived in a Constant State of Anxiety, Pain can do this to a Person.
I Agreed to go to PT..even tho I could barely Move my Muscles were SO tight Everywhere..I gave it a Shot.
What I was left with was FM..The Deep Muscle Pain lessened somewhat..the Odd Nerve Symptoms Occasionally..But as I got my Muscles Loosened back Up, Stretched Out...alot of my Pain backed off. I had done some of this to myself.
But Not Really MY fault, I just had NO ideas !! The More I Hurt The LESS I Moved, the Less I Moved the More I Hurt, til I was Pretty Much Immobile.
I Had daily SEVERE Headaches, I Could Not Turn my Head, Raise my Arms, had Stomach Aches Constantly..My Hips and l;egs were OMGawd Tight..
First I Started with my Chiro, that helped Minimally, then I Added in Massage, at First I was like SOB !! That Hurt, made me SICK...but a couple days later I felt a Bit better, so I Stucjk with it...this Sick Feeling Lessened with each Massage..
But my Kicker came when I Added PT...he worked me out in Warm Water. During the Consult he Ran his Fingers along my Spine, he said my Muscles were In Complete and Constant Spasm... he could Feel the Surface Muscles doing it, and made the Assumption that my Deep Muscles were the Same way...This Increased my Fatigue Pain started Backing Way Off...within Weeks I could Touch many of the Tender Areas and there was a Noticeable Reduction in Tenderness..I Remember the First Time one of the Jets in the Pool Hit my Thighs, I Cried Out in PAIN..he made Sure after that to Protect me from them..but within a few Weeks, that No Longer Bothered me..
The Point I am making here is that Only You Can do Anything to get this Under Control. There is No Cure..but there Is Help
No One wants to Hear someone Constantly Complain..Once I Got THAT, I Began to Change, and the Way People Treated me Changed as well..
But at First ? Yea...I was a MESS...I Was Scared, Confused, Depressed, Anxious..Ready to Just Give UP...Who wants to LIVE like That ?
I have Not had a Flare since I Believe 2008...My Symptoms have backed Way Off, my Pain levels are Way down. 4 Months ago I had a Major Surgery, and I got Scared that I would Flare, that I would Tumble Backwards...but I didn't.
I understand Not Everyone has Access to a Pool..but IF You Do...Simply Walking around in One Every Other day, for an Hour...is going to go a LONG ways in Changing your Perception of this Illness..It gets all those Smaller (And Larger) Muscle Groups RELAXED, Strengthened..and You Will Feel a Difference within a Couple of Weeks IF You Just Stick with it.
No One can Really help You...No One Can take One Ounce of your Pain from You...many May Feel Irritated by Constantly having to be Talked to about it all, or Feel Helpless to help You, so they Just stop coming around...I Understood this when I had to Finally Walk Away from a Girlfriend who was Being Abused...all she would Talk about EVER, was how Poorly she was being Treated, yet would Make Effort to Change it.
Same Thing Applies here.
Support Yourself. Treat Yourself With Respect..Simply Turn and Walk Away from Anyone who isn't, even a Close Friend or Family Member..If they Ask Why, let them Know That You are Happy they don't Understand what Your going thru, as the Only way they Could is IF they had it, but that their Comments are Hurtful, and ur Stressed enough, If they want to be In Your Life they Must Treat You with Respect...let them Chew on That for Awhile.
Take a Full Step back Into your Life. Make No Excuses to Anyone about Anything, Do as Much as you Can Everyday, Stopping Before Pain & Fatigue set In Learn to Pace Self. Learn to say NO without Reason or Guilt, those who Love You will Slowly start to "Get It"..This is NOT a Selfish Act...as the Better you take care of SELF, the More you Can Help Others.
Take a Step. Breath.
Hugs !
Looking forward to getting to know you,
Lisa
HUGS from down south :)
I have found the people here to be very helpful and supportive without playing at being victims. I also have a rare neuro-muscular disease that makes my fibro a piece of cake and have had two bouts with bladder cancer. The reason I say all this is because what DakotaRose said, and so elequently I might add, is the truest thing you'll ever hear about having to live and deal with a cronic disease. DO NOT LET IT BECOME YOUR LIFE. If you do you have no life at all. Be your body's best friend and treat it well, because you are the only one that can help yourself. Positive in all things (but venting helps when you need to and this is the place to do it) Hugs to you, you will be ok.
Blessings and hugs
Cathy