JustMeInBC
New member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2016
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- DX FIBRO
- Diagnosis
- 06/1989
- Country
- CA
- State
- BC
I'm so glad I found this site! I was diagnosed in 1989. At that meeting, the rheumatologist who gave me this diagnosis (I had absolutely no knowledge of fibro) said "Some people go on to live their lives, and others aren't able to ever get out of bed again." I decided I would belong to the former group.
For the most part that worked, although I relied on over-the-counter analgesics, often quite heavy doses. I have an extremely low threshold for pain tolerance, and had major surgery last spring from which I simply didn't seem able to bounce back. I've been struck with a variety of symptoms since then (bowel and bladder problems, abdominal pain, and absolute exhaustion) that I feared must be something life-threatening. When extensive test results showed nothing abnormal and my research showed that all symptoms were often typical aspects of fibro, I realized that my 27-year denial of how fibro could affect me didn't work anymore, and decided that I would have to learn to live with this miserable disorder.
I take three different types of anti-depressants and gabapentin. Happily, this combination does seem to be working on coping with the pain without a reliance on OTC analgesics. I've begun a mild exercise program and am trying to cut myself some slack on the exhaustion front - my 'wonder woman' determination isn't as easy to tap into as I head into the ripe old age of 60.
My main problems now: being soooooo tired most of the time, the full-body aching, and particularly acute abdominal pain; struggles with short-term memory and the difficulties that causes for conversations. My brain seems to be constantly so busy processing pain and exhaustion that participating in or even following a conversation is a real challenge.
Questions: how do you find the energy to simply move? How do you find ways to keep your brain sharp when the fibro fog is 24/7/365?
For the most part that worked, although I relied on over-the-counter analgesics, often quite heavy doses. I have an extremely low threshold for pain tolerance, and had major surgery last spring from which I simply didn't seem able to bounce back. I've been struck with a variety of symptoms since then (bowel and bladder problems, abdominal pain, and absolute exhaustion) that I feared must be something life-threatening. When extensive test results showed nothing abnormal and my research showed that all symptoms were often typical aspects of fibro, I realized that my 27-year denial of how fibro could affect me didn't work anymore, and decided that I would have to learn to live with this miserable disorder.
I take three different types of anti-depressants and gabapentin. Happily, this combination does seem to be working on coping with the pain without a reliance on OTC analgesics. I've begun a mild exercise program and am trying to cut myself some slack on the exhaustion front - my 'wonder woman' determination isn't as easy to tap into as I head into the ripe old age of 60.
My main problems now: being soooooo tired most of the time, the full-body aching, and particularly acute abdominal pain; struggles with short-term memory and the difficulties that causes for conversations. My brain seems to be constantly so busy processing pain and exhaustion that participating in or even following a conversation is a real challenge.
Questions: how do you find the energy to simply move? How do you find ways to keep your brain sharp when the fibro fog is 24/7/365?