My Story

The journey to a diagnosis has been a long one and a short one. Long because this year has seemed an eternity and short because others have had much longer journeys to get some answers. For me it began this past January when I had a vehicle accident. We had had an ice storm but the roads were finally cleared so I could go back to work. I was on my way to work with my room mate, best friend, & coworker (this is all one person) in my husband's truck. My car was stuck do to ice. The road wasn't too bad except in one spot. I slowed to go acrossed it but I still lost control and crashed into a ditch. Even though I exhibited signs of a concussion and my back was in the worst pain I ever felt (up until then), the doctor said I was fine and to take tyenol for pain. What an ass!!!! I had to beg for pain meds. Over the next month and a half I was being treated by a chiropractor for my back. I was also having severe dizzy spells and almost passing out. I went to my regular physician and they refused to discuss any problems do to my accident. I of course had a breaking down and was bawling uncontrolably. They said they would talk to me about the dizziness. The nurse practitioner I saw said I was having vertigo from and ear infection I didn't have and totally ignored my severe back pain. Of course the medication she gave me did not work because I did not have an ear infection. I went back to the chiropractor (this was in mid march) for the back pain. He adjusted me and it was horrible. The next day I woke at 4am screaming and crying. I could hardly get out of bed much less walk. Monday morning I called to see if they could refer me to have an MRI and they couldn't I knew I couldn't ask my regular physician because of the whole accident crap. So I was stuck and didn't know what to do.  Later that afternoon everything just can down on me at once. I had a complete and total mental break down. I was contemplating suicide. I was so tired of the pain and just couldn't take it anymore. I tried finding a new phycisian but no one would take me. Finally the next day I got someone to see me. I really hated him but at least he was willing to see. He gave me some pain meds and told me to keep seeing the chiropractor. The next Monday I went back to the chiropractor. He was doing the ultrasound therapy when he noticed something not quite right. He suspected I had some compression fractures. The next day I went back for some x-rays and sure enough there appeared to be a compression fracture at T11. I went back the new doctor and he referred me to an orthopedic surgeon. That doctor couldn't see me for some time and I did not want to wait. I felt I had waited long enough.  Good friend of mine and client where i work, is general surgeon. I figured he could help me find an orthopod (that's what we call them at work) that could see me sooner. Dr Scheottle (the friend) sent me to have an MRI (this was the first part of April). I had compression fractures at T11, T12, and L1. He got me in with an orthopod he went to school with.  Dr Peak was the orthopod I saw. He said there wasn't anything he could do. The fractures did not warrant surgery. I did want surgery anyway so that was ok. He did refer me to a pain clinic. The doctor I saw there was Dr Frankowski. He did an epidural of steriod which did nothing but make it impossible to sleep. One night it took me until 6:30am to finally get to sleep. Thank goodness it was the weekend. Over the next several weeks my symptoms got worse. i continued to see Dr Frankowski. He did marcaine injections to me facet joints but they did nothing as well. At the end of the injections he told me there was nothing else he could do. By this point I was experiencing pain all over my bady, extreme fatigue, scary depression and anxiety, numbness and tingling in my limbs, and twitching in my hands, feet, legs and arms. I was miserable. I was having a hard time dealing with the fact no one could help me. I was lost and did not know what to do. My boss contacted another client of ours who had had back surgery. He had seen Dr Adametz who was a neurosurgeon. I went back to my new physician to get a refurral. He was a told ass and said that I just needed to give it some time and I would get better. I was livid.If I was going to get better it sure didn't seem like it and why was I continually getting worse. After demading I finally got the referral. I think this was June or July when I finally saw Dr Adametz. He looked at my scans and x-rays and decided to send me to have a bone scan to see if my fractures were still active. The bone scan showed my fractures were healed. Well damn. He agreed that I wasn't crazy and suggested that maybe I had fibromyalgia possibly set off by my accident. He then referred me to yet another doctor. On Monday 8/17/09 I saw a rhuematologist named Dr Kovaloski. He comfirmed I had fibromyalgia. He ran tests for lupus and tons of other stuff. So here I am almost a week after my diagnosis. I'm not happy with the diagnosis but at least I have an answer. Now I can work toward trying to get better.  I want to thank the people I've met so far. It makes easy to know I have people to talk to that are going through the same stuff. I'm happy to have met you. I appologize for any typos that are in here but I really don't feel like proof reading before I post this. To making new friends!! Cheers!!!!!