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Hello everyone! I figured that even though I haven't been formally

dx'd yet, I'd go ahead and introduce myself! I'm 44, married for the

last time (which obviously indicates previous ones, huh?) and DH and

I adopted a set of fraternal twins (age 8) who are special needs last

year. I have 2 grown sons who live outside the home (24 & 22

respectively); one is military, the other college/working. I also

have 2 grandkids and 2 stepgrands as soon as they get married

(actually, then I'll have 4 grands, the heck with that step-crap!).

Anyhow, I have been on medical long-term disability since March 07

(went out on STD December 06 with bronchitis). After repeated

attempts to get rid of the bronchitis failed, I was sent to a

pulmonologist (the same one who dx'd me with sleep apnea 2 yrs

earlier). Over the past year, I have added a few more chronic things

to my life, such as asthma, allergies, anxiety, Type 2 diabetes,

chronic mono and chronic bronchitis. I also live with hypothyroidism,

metabolic disorder, and glucose intolerance, IBS and diverticulitis.

In short, over the past 4 years, I've become a physical wreck!

My PCP feels that the fibro/CFS umbrella definitely fits me, but for

the purposes of getting me medically disabled (and the LTD provider

has an attorney working on the reconsideration so literally every

time I pop with something else, I call them and let them know; a

great deal of these things have been dx'd since going out because of

the bronchitis), wanted a " professional " to dx me, so I went today to

a neurologist. After the exam, he advised me he didn't treat fibro

and really didn't know what it was! I honestly felt as though I

wasted my time (and his too, truthfully); it was an hour drive there

and back, plus the 2 hrs at the office. Four hours out in bitter cold

weather that has me aching more than I was when I got up this morning.

I've been mainly reading the files and doing lots of internet

searching and feel my PCP is correct. I know this pain isn't in my

head. I know that there are days I can take on the world single-

handledly, and other days that after I get the kids off to school, I

head back to lay down for awhile. I feel like my whole life has

turned upside down in so many ways. What used to take hours can take

up to a week; I have felt guilty for not taking care of my house (and

sometimes been made to feel guilty by others) but I've found if I

push to get it done, it's far worse. Apparently, right now I'm in

the middle of a 3 week flare that caused my mono to recur.

So I'm having a fantastic time in Georgia trying to keep 2 8 yrs olds

amused while I can barely stay awake! Can you say nap time? Because

I've been sending them to lay down for an hour or so every day. DH

gets mad but he got to see firsthand over the past few holiday days

that I don't get thru the day without a 2-3 hr nap anymore. And I do

sleep all night with my bi-pap machine.

Just wanted to say hello - I don't have a lot to offer at all but can

commisserate with the pain. From what I've read, I'm already taking a

lot of the meds that seem to help for other conditions. Here's hoping

that 2008 will get me narrowed down further before I commit myself!

Darlene