If you know something is wrong with your body, here's how to face the medical community with all the ammunition you need to make them pay attention. Never give up!
You shouldn't wake up in the morning feeling like you've moved furniture all night. But that's how it is for me. Every joint is stiff and sore. I lay in the bed and stretch repeatedly to loosen up before I dare to try and walk. The path to the bathroom is lined with furniture and walls that I can use for stability and support.
I love petting my dog, but my arm gets tired after just a few minutes. It feels like there's lead in my muscles.
I'm so tired all the time. But lying down is the most frustrating thing I can do during the day, because my legs think it's the perfect time to run the track. They tighten and the only thing that relieves the tightening sensation is to move them.
I have two gorgeous grand-daughters that I want to play with, but I can't hold them anymore, I'm not strong enough. All the things I loved doing, dancing, crocheting, assisting the coach with my youngest daughter's softball team, everything is gone now. My family gets irritated with me because I can't do things with them like I once did.
After years of doctor's appointments and being told, "It's all in your head, probably stress related," I got angry. It's not 'all in my head' the pain is way too real. How could swollen joints be 'all in my head'?
My oldest daughter is a medic for the army, she knows me. I don't complain much, and she knows I wouldn't take this to her unless it's real. I emailed her in Afghanistan. I told her the doctor's think I'm crazy. She told me to list all the issues, whether I felt they were related or not, and send them back to her.
I began my list; tired, irritable, depressed, restless legs, can't sleep, muscle aches everywhere, joint pain and swelling, TMJ (jaw pain), headaches, changing from constipation to diarrhea at the drop of a hat, irritable bladder, and I feel like I could fall asleep at any given moment, if only my legs would just stop jumping. I'm so very tired all the time. And I'm not crazy!
My daughter took the emailed message to her doctor friends on the base. They discussed it and sent me back a link to a website. I immediately clicked the link and began reading. I'm sure that who ever wrote this knew me. The page described me in detail. The link was to the John's Hopkins Hospital, and the heading at the top of the page read; Fibromyalgia. I can't even explain how it felt to have confirmation that I wasn't nuts after all. I printed the page and took it to my family doctor.
He read through the symptoms and perused my giant chart. He confirmed it. Fibromyalgia. He wrote me a referral to a rheumatologist. I finally had a clue! I was as excited as a woman could be, having had no sleep in weeks.
The rheumatologist couldn't see me for six weeks. I took that time to relish the thought that I wasn't crazy after all, and to learn as much as I could about Fibromyalgia.
After weeks of great anticipation I finally got to see this new doctor. He had the personality of a rock, he didn't say much at all, and when he did it patronizing. He ran a ton of tests on my blood, confirmed the Fibromyalgia diagnosis, and wrote a bunch of prescriptions. "I'll see you in a month", he said as he walked out the door. I sat there a moment alone in a whirlwind of confusion, gathered up my prescriptions, and left.
I honestly felt that I knew more about my condition before I saw him then I did when I left.
Getting all those prescriptions filled put a huge dent in my financial status, but I began taking them all religiously. I wanted them to 'fix' the problem. I did sleep better for the first time in a very long time. Even that was short lived.
I answered most of my questions through library and internet research. I did some research on each of the nine different medications I was taking every day. Over the counter Aleve, Zoloft, Zyrtec (allergies), Carbidopa, and Lorezapam, to name a few. I was no more impressed with the medications than I was with the doctor.
I have had a name for my ailment for over a year now. And I have a new doctor. He is able to answer questions and discuss with me some of the things I've read about on the internet. He knows I'm not crazy. It has been a long and difficult path to the knowledge I have now. The symptoms haven't changed much, but it's certainly easier to deal with it since I have the support of a decent doctor. I will get through this.
If you know without a doubt that something is wrong, don't give up. Research your condition on one of the websites like the one at Johns Hopkins, or WebMD. They hold a wealth of information. Check out your suspicions and keep pushing. I know that Fibromyalgia dose not have a cure, but I also know that I'm not the only one that has it, and I know that there are people working diligently on a cure. Just don't give up.
My name is Linda Spradlin, I'm a mother of five and grandmother to three. I have spent many years in doctors offices trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Finally, I have a name for it. For more information, please contact me at gramalinda23@yahoo.com
