It
started as a nuisance really. I was working as a reservations agent
for a major airline when I noticed that I started to have severe wrist
pain. As per the company's regulations, I went out on "OJI" On the
Job Injury. I went to the company clinic and was told I had sever
tendonitis and had to stay off the keyboards for a bit and go to Physical
Therapy. I got better! For awhile....
Shortly
after that followed an emergency surgery, and everything changed in the
blink of an eye. A slow blink of an eye! I went back to work
after surgery, and once again had trouble with my wrist...this time both
of them. I was sent back out on OJI, and sent back to Physical Therapy.
This time I didn't get better...I got worse...pain started creeping into
my shoulders and neck. I had headaches that turned into migraines
where I never had headaches before. My legs felt like they had millions
of bees in them in bed at night, and they were heavy in the day.
I woke up every morning stiff and sore, like I had run a marathon.
My vision would blur after reading for too long...I started having terrible
problems with my digestive system and was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel.
And I was TIRED..so very tired, all the time...I would either wake up alot
during the night, have a hard time going to sleep..or wake up feeling like
I had not slept a wink.
One
day it hit me...like a ton of bricks "These are not isolated things
happening
to me...I am sick, there is something wrong with me". All of
these
things that had been happening to me, I had passed off as,
stress,
overworking...computer eye strain..not enough excercise...but
now
I knew...there was something wrong. And at the same time, my
company
doctor knew there was something wrong. He gravely told me that he
thought I had Multiple Sclerosis. I went home shaking, scared and
called my husband. That night He accepted the Lord as His Saviour,
knowing that we had something so big to face and he was scared! (side note
here I know..but so very important to me).
One
week later, we were sitting in a neurologists office and hearing him
say:
WELCOME
TO THE WORLD OF FIBROMYALGIA.
Now,
me being a doctors daughter (heeheheh I know enough to scare myself and
be a nuisance to every doctor out there)....had never heard of this, and
I said "what"? And he said Fibromyalgia. HE knew enough
to diagnose it, but not enough to really treat it. And he sent me to a
Rheumatologist for referral. At that point, I went on a crusade to
become informed. And that I did. I was blessed to be referred
to a wonderful Rheumatologist who was very personally interested in Fibromyalgia
and helping her patients with it.
Fibromyalgia
is a "syndrome" although I personally call it a disease,
that
is basically like having Arthritis of the soft connective tissue of
your
muscles and ligaments. It was officially given a name in the mid
1980's
but has been around for awhile now. It is officially being
linked
with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and there is a lot of research
going
on everyday to find the causes, treatment and cure.
It's
symptoms range from moderate to severe, and vary with each
individual.
But the main common factor in each person is muscle pain
and
fatigue and a set of "Tender Points" that are throughout the body,
that
when touched or pushed, are tender or sore or even painful to the
touch.
It is a very difficult syndrome to diagnose..and many doctors
don't
know how to treat it or don't know enough about it to treat it..or some
plain just don't believe in it. Well trust me, it exists and it is
getting more and more recognized by the day, as more and more people are
getting diagnosed with it. I am now a volunteer phone and computer
support person to answer questions about Fibromyalgia and also Lupus with
which I was also diagnosed a year later. Here is a list of
symptoms,
and some great links to help you with..and I pray that any of you who read
this realize that you are not alone..there are now millions with this syndrome,
and you can feel better! There is a lot of help out there and alot
of answers for this "invisible sickness" and I hope to help! God
Bless each and everyone of you, and hang in there. There are
answers!
Love,
In Christ,
Patty
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