The Young and the Chronic

[papayamusic02]

Hi, folks! I am a college student recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I'm finding it hard to find other young people to talk about my condition with. I feel like a grandma--not just because I like to knit and do grandmotherly things, but because I hurt all over all the time! Looking to find community among other young folks with the condition and hear about how busy young adults have learned to navigate with fibro. Thank you all!

 

[MissNeverWell]

Hi, folks! I am a college student recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I'm finding it hard to find other young people to talk about my condition with. I feel like a grandma--not just because I like to knit and do grandmotherly things, but because I hurt all over all the time! Looking to find community among other young folks with the condition and hear about how busy young adults have learned to navigate with fibro. Thank you all!

@papayamusic02: Welcome! I got a chuckle out of the title of your post, but all humour aside, I'm sorry you are going through this, especially when you are just embarking on a career. Having a definitive diagnosis is a jolt to the system, even if it does provide validation and insight into the nature of your experience. Fibromyalgia isn't reserved for the older population; many young people have it, even children. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the numbers were higher than reported, given the difficulty and length of time in getting a diagnosis. Is the college community a vibrant one? Do they have support groups on campus, or is there an opportunity to start your own?

 

[BlueBells]

Hi @papayamusic02 Welcome to the forums

I'm not one of the young ones, I am one of the grandma's

I believe I've had fibro since teens, maybe as young as 5 or 6. You are extremely fortunate to have a Forum like this to communicate with others who understand totally. You are also fortunate to have an early diagnosis and not spend years trying to figure out what is wrong with you.

These two things together will surely help you to "learn to dance with fibro" as someone described it.

For me, once I found a diagnosis, I have been learning all I can about fibro, and I have found the depression is pretty much gone. My theory, for my personal situation anyway, is that fibro has its own little cloud of depression following it around, and it rains as soon as one becomes frustrated at the fibro stopping plans in their tracks! When this can take out an entire day, frustration is inevitable, and I'm sure that triggers the depression, and they feed each other.

Is the college community a vibrant one? Do they have support groups on campus, or is there an opportunity to start your own?

Now that sounds like a really good suggestion !!!

 

[BlueBells]

Hi @papayamusic02

I've seen you drop by now and then. Have you found any of the comments useful / helpful?

It's a pretty lay-back group on here, so just butt in wherever you like.

Check out the Memes thread under the Inspiration forum, and the Media has some great photos and other stuff also.

 

[hope23]

Hi, folks! I am a college student recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I'm finding it hard to find other young people to talk about my condition with. I feel like a grandma--not just because I like to knit and do grandmotherly things, but because I hurt all over all the time! Looking to find community among other young folks with the condition and hear about how busy young adults have learned to navigate with fibro. Thank you all!

Welcome, i can certainly relate, although im older now(30) i was 21 when i got crook. As unhelpful as it sounds, finding out how to cope and navigate this, IMO, is highly person specific, we here could suggest hundreds of things, however just because they work for one with Fibro doesnt mean they'll work for others. I have Ankylosing Spondilitis(autoimmune arthritis predominantly in the spine, SI Joints and major joints), Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, fibro and CFS.
Your personal mindset about your life and fibro can greatly influence the path you take to try and find ways to help with your symptoms, and how effective those things you try can or will be. There are many members on here who have had fantastic success with a number of different non-medication based options.
Personally i have tried all of the alternative therapies available to me in NZ, i have trialed a number of different diets as well, and when i say try you need to give them a minimum of 6 months to see if it will help.
For me the medication path is whatiworks for me the other paths an options did not help with my symptoms, my situation is slightly different as i have two other things aside from fibro and CFS however it is very common that when you have one chronic conditions you can have or develop others, i am positive there are plenty on here working with more than just one symptom circus for lack of a better description.

What i will say though is this is an amazing place to connect with others in similar situations and actually even just learning to live a life with chronic illness in general, you are not alone, and everyone here will be able to understand how you are feeling whatever that may be because we've experienced it ourselves.
Just in general but especially on those really rough days being able to talk with people who have experienced what your going through and fully understand how taxing that is makes an enormous difference.

 

[SBee]

Beautifully put @hope23 whilst in a slightly (!) older age bracket your advice rings true for probably everyone on this forum.

But I do understand those far younger will have different attitudes and needs when but by chronic conditions.

Being older I ( fortunately ) don't have to worry about work and my life is pretty stable so I have time on my side to fit in adopted lifestyle changes better than some ( not that it's easy for anyone of course ).

 

[hope23]

I think the thing that has challenged me the most getting crook so young is getting your head around and past the stage of grieving those things that now may not be or arent really an option for you anymore, myself i adore running, it was always my stress outlet, if i had a shitty day all i wanted to do when i got home was go for a run, for me i still make it a goal to get back to being to do some running(is this goal realistic, no probably not, but from a mindset perspective it does help in its own way), another is kids, i have always wanted to be a mum, now this is simply not an option and continuing to have this as a goal is emotionally detrimental for me personally.

Accepting and learning how to move forward when sickness has derailed the train that is your life has got to be one of the hardest things we do IMO.