Re: *New Member Introduction*//to Mike

[Guest guest]

Mike,

I can well relate to your story! I too have had several minor fender

benders in my life (nothing catastrophic at all), yet have gone thru

several different sessions of PT due to low back pain and sciatica.

I've been out of work on long-term disability, not because of my

fibro, but because of my uncontrolled asthma. Through this long

lovely year plus, I have also been diagnosed with COPD (chronic

bronchitis and asthma), allergies, T2 diabetes and the list just

keeps on coming on....including the fibro which was given on 1/17.

I have had to wrap my mind around the fact that at nearly 45 (in 2

weeks) while my life isn't " over " by a long shot, I cannot do what I

used to do without paying for it dearly for days afterward.

So what have I done to try and get a silver lining mindset? I am

exploring some alternative therapies - including ion cleanse to rid

myself of excess toxins and inflammation and foot reflexology to open

up some of the blocked areas. I am also now drinking a protein shake

that is homemade every morning. It doesn't affect my sugars and has

some pretty good stuff in it. I am also using the drug therapies - my

Lyrica is up to 150 mg 2x a day, I have 2 different meds I use for

any breakthru pain and I am also using an essential oil (wintergreen)

on areas that are extremely painful.

You are correct that we don't flare " all at once " generally, although

it can happen. You may potentially find yourself disabled at 25 and

that is hard to grasp, I'm sure, but in a lot of ways, we are better

off than the veteran who is disabled because of loss of limb(s), you

know? And what I have started to do is keep a larger calendar and I

don't overbook myself. Does it take longer for me to clean the house?

Yup. But it gets done. My husband and I have a set of 8 yr old

special needs twins that we adopted - their bio mom was a drug addict

so you KNOW I don't want to always be sick because that's what they

grew up with. So I try to nap for an hour or so before they come

home, then I can focus on them.

Is it a crappy way to live? Sometimes. Right now my asthma and

bronchitis have me pretty much confined to the house. Thankfully I

like our house! I keep my brain active doing a bible study that I

have only made one class on and also by reading.

This isn't an easy road. What works for one won't work for another.

But there is a tremendous amount of support here in this group and

you've come to the right place.

Darlene

> > > >

> > > > Hello Everyone,

> > > >

> > > > I am very new to this and just wanted to take this time to

> > > introduce myself. I also want to

> > > > provide some background on my situation so that anyone

> interested

> > > may have a better

> > > > understanding of where my thoughts, ideas and fears may come

> from.

> > > Sorry that it is long

> > > > but itÕs difficult to put 13 yrs of my life into a single

> > > paragraph or 2.. So please forgive me

> > > > in advance, I am new to this and I always thought I could

deal

> on

> > > my own!

> > > >

> > > > My name is (Mike) 36-Yo " Male " from Lansdale Pa.

> > > >

> > > > I am a former Pennsylvania EMT. In 1995 at the age of 23, I

was

> > > involved in a MVA when

> > > > a car ran a red light striking the ambulance that I was

driving

> > > almost flipping it over

> > > > ending my EMS career and almost my life. Thank God there was

no

> > > patients on board at

> > > > the time. However, I suffered a herniated disc in L5-S1 area

> and

> > > not able to work for

> > > > about 1 yr. I had to fight long and hard for WorkmanÕs Comp

> and It

> > > took my attorney

> > > > about 1 yr to get me even a dime. The time that past put me in

> > > debt, forcing me to rely on

> > > > public welfare, having my car repossessed, almost loosing my

> apt

> > > due to lack of rent,

> > > > basically destroying my life. Soon after the battle of getting

> > > paid, My apt caught fire and I

> > > > lost everything I had. Luckily my 2 Kittens at the time were

> > > hiding and both survived and

> > > > were able to move with me.

> > > >

> > > > For sometime after the accident, I suffered with so much

stress

> > > and many debilitating

> > > > pains at some points I would pass out from the pain. At the

> age of

> > > 25 I was trying to

> > > > maintain a new job and life while walking with a cane because

> the

> > > pain in my back and

> > > > legs were that bad. I was on so many meds (Soma, Oxycontin,

> > > Flexerall, Paxil, Zanax, Just

> > > > to name a Few) I was like a walking zombie and they kept

> > > increasing. After several years

> > > > of doing this pain management routine I realized this is not

> > > Quality life for a 25yo and I

> > > > finally decided to stop this madness and have the (80%)

> > > Laminectomy I tried so hard a long

> > > > to avoid.

> > > >

> > > > I was told it would be a long road to recovery with a 2 week

> > > Hospital stay and 3-6 months

> > > > of Rehab etc... I new that I waited and avoided this long

> enough,

> > > So on March 20th, 1999 I

> > > > went in for my surgery. When I woke up from the anesthesia to

> > > everyoneÕs amazement and

> > > > confusion, I was full of energy and in NO PAIN at all. 24

hours

> > > later, I walked out of the

> > > > Hospital on my own with out my cane. I never needed rehab,

had

> NO

> > > NEED for meds at all.

> > > > My Dr was astonished and completely in shock with my

recoveryÉ.

> > > The hospital staff

> > > > called me ÒThe Miracle BreezeÓ I was in and out like the

> breeze!

> > > It was a new lease on life!!

> > > >

> > > > So I returned to work 4 days after my Surgery and on a

> > > rollercoaster (with Dr's Approval)

> > > > after 3 months. Being Pain free was a tremendous blessing for

> > > me... It allowed me to live

> > > > life again.

> > > >

> > > > In October 2003 and almost 4 yrs of no pain, my partner and I

> > > purchased our first home.

> > > > Just 30 days later we were involved in a minor MVA where a

> crazed

> > > driver tried to flee from

> > > > another accident she caused and by doing so she ran into us.

> From

> > > this point I began to

> > > > experience pain. I had an MRI and found a slight herniation

of

> the

> > > same area that was

> > > > previously injured. I didnÕt want another surgery and my

> > > Orthopedic Surgeon advised that

> > > > the only other option is pain management again. The pain was

> minor

> > > in comparison and

> > > > tolerable with some minor meds like Ultram but on most days

> just

> > > Aleeve would work just

> > > > fine. As long as the weather was good!

> > > >

> > > > I had backaches everyday and a little pain in the both legs

> from

> > > time to time and I just

> > > > brushed this off as related to my back injury.. I also would

> > > experience pains in my thighs

> > > > each time I climbed stairs. I also shrugged this off and

> blamed it

> > > on the sore back. My

> > > > arms would hurt at times where they felt weak/tired while I

had

> > > tightness in my lower and

> > > > upper back I again blamed this on my back injury. I complaint

> of

> > > being very tired and my

> > > > entire body just felt drained never getting enough sleep.. I

> > > again blamed this on my back

> > > > pain because I know that pain drains the life from youÉ.

> > > >

> > > > Each pain I experienced I shrugged it off and blamed the back

> for

> > > it. I was never one for

> > > > DrÕs and the only one I have ever seen was my Orthopedic

> Surgeon

> > > for my back. I had a

> > > > Primary care Dr (because I needed to pick one for my benefits

> at

> > > work) but not once did I

> > > > have a need to go. All symptoms were textbook signs of Back

> > > related issuesÉ

> > > >

> > > > On Dec 16th 2007, 4 Years Later, Driving home from a work

> > > Christmas party we were

> > > > rear-ended while at a traffic light. There was not much

damage

> but

> > > just a good jolt to the

> > > > car! (I know, I donÕt have much luckÉ). 2 days later my neck

> was

> > > starting to hurt and

> > > > getting very stiff. I left work and went to my DrÕs. and have

> not

> > > been able to do my job

> > > > since.

> > > >

> > > > At the time I was complaining of over all tiredness from head

> to

> > > toe, intermittent pains

> > > > down my legs (similar to Sciatica) with numbness and tingling

> and

> > > intermittent pain in my

> > > > right hand/arm almost like Carpal Tunnel in my hand. I am

right

> > > handed and cannot work

> > > > because of this. She mentioned Fibro and I Shrugged it off

> because

> > > all these years I

> > > > experienced many -many types and pains all over and in my

mind

> I

> > > knew it was from my

> > > > back. The tingling/numbness in the arm I was convinced was

> just a

> > > pinched nerve!

> > > >

> > > > She sent me for MRIÕs a found a degenerative disc in the neck

> (C5-

> > > C6), and no change in

> > > > the lower back. So she sent me to a Neurologist who performed

> > > EMGÕs on both my Upper

> > > > and lower extremities to rule out pinched nerves. I was so

> sure it

> > > was a pinched nerve or

> > > > carpal tunnel in the arms and Sciatica in the legs. But the

> EMGÕs

> > > came back text book

> > > > normal and the Neurologist said there is nothing else it

could

> be

> > > but FIBROÉ.. I was

> > > > Devastated!!!!!

> > > >

> > > > Just a little more then 2 weeks ago my Primary Care DO

> diagnosed

> > > me with

> > > > ~Fibromyalgia~. I have an appt with a Rheumatologist next

> week. I

> > > guess to officially

> > > > diagnose. My DO put me on Lyrica and provigal. At first I felt

> > > dazed from the Lyrica and

> > > > very tired. Then I added the provigal and had to cut my 100mg

> in

> > > 3rds cause otherwise it

> > > > would make me too Jittery and I didnÕt like that feeling. The

> > > Lyrica has slowed down the

> > > > sporadic sharp, shooting, stabbing pains all over but both

> hands

> > > and arms are killing me

> > > > mainly my right. I wake up each morning with my knuckles red

> and

> > > such pain in my

> > > > hands I can hardly move them.

> > > >

> > > > It will take me some time to come to grips with this because

> in my

> > > mind I am always

> > > > feeling that it isn't Fibro and it's just Pain caused by my

> back

> > > injury. Another Contributing

> > > > factor is that I was under the false impression that those

that

> > > suffer from Fibro have pain

> > > > all at once all over the body! Not realizing that everyone is

> > > different and experience

> > > > different Flares in different parts of the body. My Partner

is

> a

> > > NCMT as well as an

> > > > instructor of Massage Therapy & Healing Science and I still

> was/am

> > > not convinced it was

> > > > fibro. Being in the field he is in, he understands the

dilemma

> I

> > > have but explains that I

> > > > need to come to grips on things so that I can begin to learn

> how

> > > to cope.

> > > >

> > > > A few days ago I just had a complete break downÉ Feeling so

> > > depressed because I have

> > > > gone through so much in my life more then outlined here and I

> am

> > > VERY MAD that I now

> > > > must endure this burden as well. But yet a part of me still

> feels

> > > this is not real and there

> > > > has to be another explanationÉ.

> > > >

> > > > Mike

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

> >

> >

[Guest guest]

Hi Mike - Welcome to our group. You will find lots of caring and

understanding people here. The diagnosis of FM is very overwhelming at

first. We all go through a period of mourning after getting diagnosed. You

are in denial right now, along with some anger. In time you will accept it

and learn how to get on with life. The rest of your life does not have to

be bleak and depressing. You can have good days again, so try to remain

hopeful. Take care.

Jeanne in WI