Nervous Newby

[xGothicDollx]

*waves and creeps in nervously*

Hello, I’m Anna, 40 years old, and currently live in Arizona. I love my fur baby Sara, who’s a super sweet & sensitive doggo that is a wonderful emotional support animal. I love music of all kinds, and I also enjoy reading books in the fantasy genre. I like the fantasy to be a little on the dark side, and am currently reading the rest of the books in the Wicked series, since I enjoyed Wicked so much. But anyway, moving along…

I have been dealing with what it looks like might be fibromyalgia for about 15 years now, but am just now discovering that this is possibly what I have. I’ve been browsing around the forums here and it looks like I can stand to gain a lot from you all, so thanks for taking the time to read my post.

 

[BlueBells]

Hi @xGothicDollx *BlueBells waves and smiles quietly*

I'm a newbie here too. Have you done the fibro test on here? I did that and was quite surprised at my results.

They are a a friendly mob here, and they'll make you feel welcome.

 

[sunkacola]

Hi xGothic, and welcome. Have you seen various doctors for tests to rule out all of the many different things that could cause the symptoms you have? I assume you have, but you don't mention it. Just in case you have not, do so without delay because you never know what's going on without investigation that you can't do on your own. Also, if you have any symptom that shows up as a new thing, each time it's good to seek medical advice. The tendency is to say, Oh, I have fibromyalgia, so it must be that.....but you never know, and it might be something treatable.

I also am a dog lover, and several others here have beloved pets. Personally, I don't think I could live without my dogs. Since I don't live with other human beings, they are my primary relationships, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Hope the forum turns out to be helpful to you. That's what we are here for.

 

[xGothicDollx]

Hi @xGothicDollx *BlueBells waves and smiles quietly*

I'm a newbie here too. Have you done the fibro test on here? I did that and was quite surprised at my results.

They are a a friendly mob here, and they'll make you feel welcome.

Hello! I did take the fibromyalgia test on here, and was also surprised at how high of a score I had. I had a lot of points needless to say. Thanks for the reply, from one newbie to another

 

[xGothicDollx]

Hi xGothic, and welcome. Have you seen various doctors for tests to rule out all of the many different things that could cause the symptoms you have? I assume you have, but you don't mention it. Just in case you have not, do so without delay because you never know what's going on without investigation that you can't do on your own. Also, if you have any symptom that shows up as a new thing, each time it's good to seek medical advice. The tendency is to say, Oh, I have fibromyalgia, so it must be that.....but you never know, and it might be something treatable.

I also am a dog lover, and several others here have beloved pets. Personally, I don't think I could live without my dogs. Since I don't live with other human beings, they are my primary relationships, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Hope the forum turns out to be helpful to you. That's what we are here for.

Hello Well, so far I have been to a couple of specialists. I was told I may have MS because of all the tingling I have, as well as some other symptoms. So I was sent to a neurologist who gave me an MRI, which came back completely normal. I also recently was sent to a podiatrist, who gave me X-rays of my feet thinking I may have arthritis, but it came back normal as well. I’m not sure what other specialists I should see before exploring the fibromyalgia diagnosis with my doctor. I’m so nervous because I don’t know what her opinion is on this. For a long time, I have felt like I was just losing my mind, and it didn’t help that I had a family member accuse me of being a hypochondriac. Also, the last couple of months or so, I’ve had upper back and shoulder pain that is so bad i can barely get anything done because it’s just too painful and stiff. It is interfering with my sleep a lot as well. Not sure where to go from here, what’s the next step that you would recommend? Thanks again for taking the time to read my post.

 

[JayCS]

I’m not sure what other specialists I should see before exploring the fibromyalgia diagnosis with my doctor. I’m so nervous because I don’t know what her opinion is on this.

Hiya! A rheumatologist would be another normal one, cos there's symptom similarities...
With your doc you could start by asking exactly that, what her opinion is on it. Or not mention the word, but keep coming back to "what else could it then be, if everything's coming back normal". After all it's not that you want it to be fibro, it's that you want to make sure it's nothing else (too). And/or list all the symptoms on the test. Or print out the "test" in the form of the 2016 ACR criteria checklist, fill it in and show it. Or not care what your doc says but then look for a doc that knows their way around fibro...

I’ve had upper back and shoulder pain that is so bad i can barely get anything done because it’s just too painful and stiff. It is interfering with my sleep a lot as well.

Have you tried getting that treated by a good gentle manual therapist, or putting the symptoms in youtube to find good exercises for it? I've found all my local pains could be treated singly, usually getting each down to zero, leaving "only" my overall Ache from overdoing it, pain-wise.

 

[BlueBells]

Hi @xGothicDollx

So very pleased you came back, as I notice some don't.

I also had an older brother hammer me with hypochondriac comments, and because I'd miss school, both primary and high, mum would tell her friends I hated school....this was in the late 60's, early 70's. The doctor was excellent for everything except mental/emotional issues, which were immediately smothered in drugs. I got valium at 12

I was diagnosed fibro mid 2019 by a friend and confirmed around Jan 2020. Researching answered so very many questions that I've been looking for all the past 50 odd years.

I am so extremely pleased that you will have the support of a forum like this. I can say from experience that it will save you from decades of "am I going mad?" etc.

Be gentle with yourself. I am trying hard to work with the fibro and not against it, and that's hard to learn when it's thoroughly ingrained to fight it and push through. After all 'everyone' is saying 'it's all in your head, just get over it and stop mucking around'. Not good when it tracks back to primary school.

Take care, and please be kind and gentle with yourself