Yep...FM

Well now I know what it is.  Fibromyalgia.  Now I need to find out how to manage it.  The rhuemy wants me to see her FM specialist, who is going on maternity leave and I can't see her until MARCH 1!  I'm at a loss.  She gave me Flexaril for sleep, but that was all.  She wants me to see my primary to talk about Cymbalta...But I don't really have a primary.  I have a gal I saw here once *****ferred me to the rheumy...I'm new to this location, so now I'm shopping for a primary Doc. 

UGH!!  I feel like I have waited all these months to be told to wait LONGER.  So I'm going to see if I can go elsewhere.  I'm totally frustrated.  And not getting anywhere.

Well at least you have a diagnosis and know what you are dealing with. One piece of advice I can give you, as a long time sufferer with fibro, is you need to make peace with the pain! It is going to be with you for some degree the rest of your life. Don't let it control or ruin your life. Do your very best to stay normal and most of all stay as active as possible and that will vary depending on flare ups. You choose whether you stay miserable the rest of your life or whether you accept the situation and live as full a life as you possibly can. You make the choice. I've met people who just curl up on the couch the rest of their lives and ones who fight to stay normal so it's up to you what life you want to live. Not that it's easy by any means but it isn't going away so make friends with it. Good luck.

Thank you!  I have been trying to make peace with it.  But the more people that I find out have it the better I feel about it.  My husband has already accused me of being a victim of it.  And that makes me feel horrible, because all my life, I've been given lemons, but never let myself become the victim until now. 

I have made a doctor appointment with someone a gal I work with recommended (she has FM too).  I am going to see him next week and my co-worker swears by him.  So that makes me feel better, knowing I don't have to wait until March 1 to see someone.  

Glad you don't have to wait until March--that is toooo long!  I agree, it's difficult, but making peace with the fact that you're going to have pain, you're going to have good days and bad days and (unfortunately) a few people who won't understand.  I cried for two days after I was diagnosed, then started seeing what I could do about it.  So you personally have my permission to have a 24-48 hour breakdown (it felt good to get it out).!   If you are able or have access, swimming (I like the water aerobics) helps a lot.  Hopefully they'll put you on some meds that will also help.

I'm sorry this has happened to you (sorry for all of us, really), but everything will be ok--it will.  You hang in there, and if for some reason you don't like that doctor, get another.  (I wasted so much time with someone who did not help me).

We're only "victims" if we choose to see ourselves that way.  fibro is a condition, a syndrome...just like the diabetic or the person with cancer.  We can thrive even with a condition.  We just have to give ourselves the time to educate ourselves as to what works best for us.  What medications will help us instead of hurt us.  Cymbalta really hurt me, it was the worse med withdrawal I've ever been thru.  I felt like I wasn't safe driving on it though so I stopped it cold turkey.  Never a smart thing to do....and I was only on it for a month.  People who have had the RNY, medications often work differently for us.  We absorb them differently.  So for me, I can take very little and get the desired effect, other folks may have to take more for it.  You gotta know your body.  I live alone, I work full time.  But I will not be remembered by  my children as "a hard working woman who fell victim to fibro".....nah I will be remembered as "the hard working, fun loving woman who never let anything get her down for too long":-)  I know I can't do active things as it triggers up extreme back pain?  But me and my grown sons play an online game (world of warcraft:-) and man do we have fun:-)  It's something we all enjoy and can share, they are amazed at their 55 yr old mother playing with the college boys in game and holding her own:-)  A victim?  Not me, not ever!  But that means you have to mentally change your defination of what qualifies as a quality life I think.  No we can't get out and hike the hills, or sometimes even a two hour shopping trip.  But I can shop online, I can schedule buying my groceries early in my work week instead of waiting until it's the end and I'm more tired....I can take advantage of my good days and do just alittle more that I've been putting off and on the days when the pain is worse, I can lay low a bit....don't let others although well meaning I'm sure....make you feel bad because you ain't what you used to be.  That means nothing....it just means that you gotta redefine your day to day life.  Structure things more, look ahead more. 

Hope this helps....