Originally Posted by yourstrulyquilts
fibro is an opportunistic condition. I hesitate to call it a disease, because with a disease there are usually markers in the blood to determine what is wrong, and there is usually a drug, or drugs or some other procedure or SOMETHING to help you with the disease you are finally diagnosed with. But the doctors are just now beginning to recognize it as ANYTHING besides "it's all in your head".The constant pain, fibro fog, indigestion, sleep problems, cognitive issues, memory, headaches, fatigue,clumsiness, getting turned around at the mall,muscle weakness, and a jillion other symptoms can point to any disease, and when the dr rules that out, and rules out the next symptom, and the next, you begin to doubt your sanity. But taken as a whole, and adding in the tender points, it can be diagnosed. My chiropractor has actually done more for me that any medical doctor. He's very in tune with fibro and he told me about the barometer and asked how I felt when it took a dive.
When I say it is opportunistic, I mean that it can co-exist right alongside another disease, which muddies the waters, diagnostically. And a lot of fibro-mites will have an accident or get hurt somehow, and then all the fibro symptoms appear. But stress can also trigger it's appearance. PSTD, and fibro mingle quite successfully, and if your dr doesn't check your 18 tender points, he'll be fuddled about the PSTD, because it isn't supposed to cause tingling of the extremities, hot and cold flashes (after menopause), or the other type of symptoms fibro causes.
I had a racing in my chest; felt like my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. Went to the dr, everything was fine. It's a symptom of fibro. On paper, I'm as healthy as the day I was born.
Don't be shy about asking your dr to check your tender points. If you have 11 of the 18, you have fibro.There is a lot of research being done to discover what causes it and how to make it better for people. And did you know that most fibromites are women? Not all, but the percentage is
way high towards women. Some are in wheel chairs, some have taken their own lives because they could get no relief and their drs thought it was all in their head.
There is a web site and a magazine to help fibro-mites learn to cope and deal with this devastating condition. The name of the magazine is Fibromyalgia Network and the web address is www.fmnetnews.com
sorry I can't get this link to be useful.
Here's hoping all of you can get some relief. It isn't curable, but can go into remission for many years, and then reappear. Do yourselves a favor and learn as much as you can about this condition. There are many books written on the subject, but don't get the older books; many of them are outdated concerning the newest and latest on treatment. I'm 69 and have had this for at least 20 years, but I am able to stay active. I raise a garden every year, I do all my own work at home, all the yard work except the lawn, I paint the rooms in the house, I do everything I ever did before; it just takes a little longer. We adopted a baby and he is now 7 years old and I keep up with him. Fibromyalgia Network Magazine writes articles about how to help yourself, and how to say no to things that will only make you have a flare, or make you more tired, or encroach on your small amount of "up" time. It's hard to say no to requests made by family but sometimes we need to so we won't be in bed for the next 2 or 3 days. Esp. when it comes to the grandkids.
Diana