Trying to get diagnosed!
Submitted by RaimeAnn on Sat, 12/10/2016 - 11:48
I am 29 and still in search of an actual diagnosis....even though I have been certain it is fibromyalgia for a few years now.
I was depressed and suicidal by FOURTH GRADE! My mom took me to a couple doctors for x-rays and MRIs and pelvic ultrasounds but they were inconclusive and I was told it was growing pains. I dropped out of every sport I was in because the pain was too much. I didn't go out with my friends like a regular high school kid because I was so self conscious about my weight (that I could not lose no matter what). I would even be sent home from my after school job or sent on an extended break because my hips hurt so bad I could not stand it. I guess I just learned to live with it...
When I was 19/20 I realized the pain and depression had gotten significantly worse (although I was trying to be proactive about the suicidal thoughts) and I was at the end of my rope. On a whim I went to school for massage. That year was the best year of my life! I lost 60 pounds and actually felt happy. I got so ahead of myself that I even dove headfirst into my first romantic relationship. Unfortunately, I did not realize the extent to which my lifestyle while in massage school had positively affected my life. (It was actually while in this school that I first heard of fibromyalgia.) I threw away a lot of my new lifestyle habits in order to 'compromise' lifestyles with my boyfriend and I regret it all the time.
I was without health insurance for a while so I just went back into the rabbit hole of depression and pain, but now that I have insurance again I am trying so hard to get a diagnosis. My doctor first told me he didn't believe in fibro because it is an umbrella term, but at my last appointment he actually started talking in terms of it being fibro so he has me very confused. I want him to refer me to a rheumatologist or at the very least try to rule other illnesses out. So far all he's given me was a thyroid medication for 'slightly' low thyroid hormone levels. He said it would help me lose weight but I gained 10 lbs the first week I was on it. Also, he has my dosage back down to the minimum because my thyroid hormone levels are almost too high. He has also given me welbutrin to help with the pain. It worked for about the first month but now it hurts even to just sit up.
I came across a statistic that it usually takes 5 different doctors before getting a diagnosis but I really don't know if I can hang for that much longer....it has already been too long. Any advice about communicating this more effectively to my doctor would be greatly appreciated. Or even suggestions about how to switch doctors to find one more appropriate for me would also be great!
I was depressed and suicidal by FOURTH GRADE! My mom took me to a couple doctors for x-rays and MRIs and pelvic ultrasounds but they were inconclusive and I was told it was growing pains. I dropped out of every sport I was in because the pain was too much. I didn't go out with my friends like a regular high school kid because I was so self conscious about my weight (that I could not lose no matter what). I would even be sent home from my after school job or sent on an extended break because my hips hurt so bad I could not stand it. I guess I just learned to live with it...
When I was 19/20 I realized the pain and depression had gotten significantly worse (although I was trying to be proactive about the suicidal thoughts) and I was at the end of my rope. On a whim I went to school for massage. That year was the best year of my life! I lost 60 pounds and actually felt happy. I got so ahead of myself that I even dove headfirst into my first romantic relationship. Unfortunately, I did not realize the extent to which my lifestyle while in massage school had positively affected my life. (It was actually while in this school that I first heard of fibromyalgia.) I threw away a lot of my new lifestyle habits in order to 'compromise' lifestyles with my boyfriend and I regret it all the time.
I was without health insurance for a while so I just went back into the rabbit hole of depression and pain, but now that I have insurance again I am trying so hard to get a diagnosis. My doctor first told me he didn't believe in fibro because it is an umbrella term, but at my last appointment he actually started talking in terms of it being fibro so he has me very confused. I want him to refer me to a rheumatologist or at the very least try to rule other illnesses out. So far all he's given me was a thyroid medication for 'slightly' low thyroid hormone levels. He said it would help me lose weight but I gained 10 lbs the first week I was on it. Also, he has my dosage back down to the minimum because my thyroid hormone levels are almost too high. He has also given me welbutrin to help with the pain. It worked for about the first month but now it hurts even to just sit up.
I came across a statistic that it usually takes 5 different doctors before getting a diagnosis but I really don't know if I can hang for that much longer....it has already been too long. Any advice about communicating this more effectively to my doctor would be greatly appreciated. Or even suggestions about how to switch doctors to find one more appropriate for me would also be great!
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