'Tis the season for... SAD syndrome

[Momzilla]

Hi, Momzilla. I'm so sorry you're also on this "what's going on with me?" journey. I'm there, too. I'm finally going to have an MRI of head and neck on 12/6. I'm nervous but need answers for these crazy symptoms. May I inquire about your "lumps"? I also have brain fog, anxiety, allergies. I want allergy testing, too, but the internist actually put that off, saying I should concentrate on finding answers to the major stuff first. I don't really understand that. Why can't I do both at the same time? It would help to start avoiding anything that could be exacerbating this, I'd think. What's been so frustrating to me is that the providers all seem to want to write my symptoms off to anxiety, and that's just not the case. I do have anxiety, but I'd say the symptoms are exacerbating it. I don't think my anxiety is creating symptoms. And they're so bizarre and change all the time, so I probably do sound kinda crazy when I try to describe it. sigh. Hang in there!

Hi jeans89!
So I have clusters of lumps behind both knees. They are always there. Not always sore. Then I get other lumps that come and go in different places. These are always sore. I get them on my thighs like a few inches above my knee to the side of thigh. Had them on shins, arms, wrist. I just had ultrasound done and the doctor couldn't see them on the ultrasound although he said he could definitely feel them. So another dead end. The lumps are much of an issue other than thinking they're a pretty important clue. I agree the doctors wanting to focus on the stuff that could potentially be the most serious first. As rashes etc cant kill us. But it also up to you to decide your deal breakers. What are the things you want to try to improve first. Mine are fatigue and cognitive. I provide all my symptoms so they see the entire picture but always tell doctors I can't deal with the fatigue and cognitive issues. With that said, my skin has recently gotten so bad its soon going to be a deal breaker.
I have bad anxiety and I know why. Honestly I don't tell doctors because I dont want them profiling me or looking at the wrong stuff. Sure anxiety can make stuff worse. But when I feel good and have energy my anxiety is soooooo much lower if not gone because I have the energy to take care of everything that needs to be done. My skin is so bad right now I'm having anxiety about all the new people I have to train because I look like a darn leper

 

[Auriel]

We don’t have thanksgiving in Britain but you celebrate thanksgiving so I wished you a happy one yes if I lived by you we could be friends, but it’s ok we can be forum buds

 

[Momzilla]

I

We don’t have thanksgiving in Britain but you celebrate thanksgiving so I wished you a happy one yes if I lived by you we could be friends, but it’s ok we can be forum buds

I didn't know you don't have Thanksgiving. Turkey is over rated. Lol this coming from someone that doesn't eat red meat.
Wait how'd you know I participate in Thanksgiving?

 

[Auriel]

You wished us a happy one

 

[JayCS]

However more churchy in Britain we have "Harvest festival" and Germany we have "Erntedank" (Harvest Thanks).
But better every day and not just once a year. Does remind us that we are still dependent on the year's harvest, however much we pretend not to be... BTW - the German for "autumn/fall", Herbst, originally meant harvest(time).

 

[Jeans89]

Hi jeans89!
So I have clusters of lumps behind both knees. They are always there. Not always sore. Then I get other lumps that come and go in different places. These are always sore. I get them on my thighs like a few inches above my knee to the side of thigh. Had them on shins, arms, wrist. I just had ultrasound done and the doctor couldn't see them on the ultrasound although he said he could definitely feel them. So another dead end. The lumps are much of an issue other than thinking they're a pretty important clue. I agree the doctors wanting to focus on the stuff that could potentially be the most serious first. As rashes etc cant kill us. But it also up to you to decide your deal breakers. What are the things you want to try to improve first. Mine are fatigue and cognitive. I provide all my symptoms so they see the entire picture but always tell doctors I can't deal with the fatigue and cognitive issues. With that said, my skin has recently gotten so bad its soon going to be a deal breaker.
I have bad anxiety and I know why. Honestly I don't tell doctors because I dont want them profiling me or looking at the wrong stuff. Sure anxiety can make stuff worse. But when I feel good and have energy my anxiety is soooooo much lower if not gone because I have the energy to take care of everything that needs to be done. My skin is so bad right now I'm having anxiety about all the new people I have to train because I look like a darn leper

Our bodies are just so strange, aren't they??? I have what I think are lipomas on my arms, but they don't come and go. I understand your not telling the drs about the anxiety now. Wish I hadn't except I really needed some meds. lol. I'm so sorry about your skin and just all of it. I hate disease so much.

 

[Momzilla]

You wished us a happy one

I cant remember what I did 5 minutes ago.

 

[Momzilla]

Our bodies are just so strange, aren't they??? I have what I think are lipomas on my arms, but they don't come and go. I understand your not telling the drs about the anxiety now. Wish I hadn't except I really needed some meds. lol. I'm so sorry about your skin and just all of it. I hate disease so much.

Do yours hurt?

 

[Jeans89]

Do yours hurt?

Not really - a little tender when I push on them sometimes.

 

[Akebono]

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 6 months ago but experiencing symptoms going back about 10 years. I have had painful lumps under my skin, mostly in my thighs above my knees and upper arms above my elbows. I always thought the lumps were cellulite. I noticed how painful they were when you press on them a couple years ago. Several doctors (rheumatologists and pain management) have dismissed the bumps. I was at a physical therapy appointment 2 Tuesday’s ago when she asked if I was having a bumpy day as I had been in quite a bit of pain since the weekend. I asked her what that meant. She explained how some of her fibromyalgia patients get bumps/lumps under their skin when they get flare-ups. I was so excited as I thought I was going crazy as these bumps would sometimes not be in the areas where I would typically notice them. My therapist explained the bumps in laymen’s terms for me. During a flare-up, our fibromyalgia bodies increase with inflammation and our lymphatic system grabs the inflammation (creating the bumps/lumps) to carry it to our lymph nodes. This was a very simplistic explanation from her as I am not in the medical field. My bumps are very painful to pressure when they are present.

 

[JayCS]

Several doctors ... have dismissed the bumps. ... My therapist explained the bumps in laymen’s terms for me. During a flare-up, our fibromyalgia bodies increase with inflammation and our lymphatic system grabs the inflammation (creating the bumps/lumps) to carry it to our lymph nodes. This was a very simplistic explanation from her as I am not in the medical field.

Hi there Akebono (=Dawn/Aurora? )! Interesting - good on ya ... and her!

Illustrates what I think, that once docs've eliminated other diagnoses, it's only mainly some physiotherapists with experience treating FM that can help us understand & by treating our local pains and move on. That said, my experience is that most have a dangerous half knowledge about it, not realizing that their and our self-treatment needs to be gentle (even the many I got to try in the rheum/fibro-clinic). And even in those with experience, their ideas may be helpful workarounds, but will not stand up to any medical proof. My ex-osteopath didn't nec. understand fibro, but he understood my body and the gentleness needed. My acupressurist, despite having helped & us having talked so much (4-5h/w for over a year), and "having (had)?" FM herself still doesn't understand and still can't treat my Ache all over which prevents me from more than a few hours of activity per day...

In this case the inflammation explanation would ring true to those of us (like me) whose bodies feel inflamed, even tho medicine cannot really find a real inflammation (yet), aside praps from biomarkers such as cytokines & chemokines.
It would also ring true to those (again like me a bit 2-3x) who have found lymph drainage helpful.
Taking note of the lymphatic system at all seems to be only done in the alternative, not mainstream field.
Like tonsils which used to be just taken out so quickly I spose it isn't really understood or taken seriously.
I spose bumps/lumps can be a lot of things, incl. inflammation, but if they appear and disappear and concur with a FM-flare up,
makes sense that it is related, whilst I can also not think of a more logical explanation than inflammation.

Bottom line aside from all theory tho would I think be: How can the idea help?
Could taking anti-inflammatory supplements help in preventing the lumps?
Can she treat these lumps faster than they go anyway?
Does she do lymph drainage & does that help?
Does doing lymph drainage ourselves (e.g. youtube tutorial) help?

Thanks for sharing and nice to have you here!

 

[Momzilla]

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 6 months ago but experiencing symptoms going back about 10 years. I have had painful lumps under my skin, mostly in my thighs above my knees and upper arms above my elbows. I always thought the lumps were cellulite. I noticed how painful they were when you press on them a couple years ago. Several doctors (rheumatologists and pain management) have dismissed the bumps. I was at a physical therapy appointment 2 Tuesday’s ago when she asked if I was having a bumpy day as I had been in quite a bit of pain since the weekend. I asked her what that meant. She explained how some of her fibromyalgia patients get bumps/lumps under their skin when they get flare-ups. I was so excited as I thought I was going crazy as these bumps would sometimes not be in the areas where I would typically notice them. My therapist explained the bumps in laymen’s terms for me. During a flare-up, our fibromyalgia bodies increase with inflammation and our lymphatic system grabs the inflammation (creating the bumps/lumps) to carry it to our lymph nodes. This was a very simplistic explanation from her as I am not in the medical field. My bumps are very painful to pressure when they are present.

Hello Akebono! This is huge. That is mostly where I get mine.

 

[Jemima]

Well, fellow winter-phobic folks, we made it to the shortest day. Happy winter solstice

A bit of a slog to go still, but the only way from here is up

 

[Auriel]

the only way is up
baby
For you and me now

 

[Jemima]

I'm going to have that in my head all day now