To Meachelle--- fibromyalgia... how it started

[Guest guest]

Hi Meachelle and welcome to the group. Please post anytime you want. You

certainly belong here. You are living with pain everyday and that makes you fit

in here for sure.

Everyone's story is a little different. Mine started with nothing but

numbness and tingling in my fingertips that started about 16 years ago.... along

with being chronically tired all the time. I never put it together that these

things were connected at all. I thought I had carpal tunnel for years. I

never did seek help for it because it was not bothersome enough. The numbness

and tingling would just come and go as it does now. Some days it was not there

at all, some days it was there part of the day. It even gets to the point that

I literally cannot feel my fingertips at times... but goes away within a few

seconds or a minute.

Ok... then about 5 years ago my hands started hurting so bad for several weeks

that I could not go to work and could not sleep for the pain. I cried. At the

same time my knees started hurting with bad pain and I had all over body aching

like a terrible case of flu. I was also so extremely exhausted like never

before. I went to several doctors and was told " you don't have carpal tunnel " .

I then began to think I was dying of something horrible. I even told my husband

and family what to do for the kids if I died.

I was finally diagnosed by my family practice doctor. He had been my doc for

years but he was the last one I went to because I feared he would not believe

what I was telling him. He ran blood work and then diagnosed Fibromyalgia. I

can tell you that when I look back over the years I remember several fibro

flares but at the time I did not realize it was anything really. I just thought

it was from depression. (they say depression hurts).

Since that major flare 5 years ago, I have NEVER been the same. It moved in

on me full time and never went away. The severity of symptoms have gone 10 fold

in the last 5 years.

I still work with much difficulty. I am 44. I fear that I will not be able

to work the next 20 something years.

Well, I hope this is not too long. (it is though).

hugs and Welcome,

Debra V. (East TX U.S.A.)

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