Fibromyalgia and Me

I have had muscle pain for quite a few years all over my body. The pain was so intense and everything I did on a daily basis hurt me real bad. Just simple housework had me in severe pain. Sitting at work at the PC just about killed me. I was in tears most times when I went home. The pain was in my shoulders, my neck, my back, my hips, my knees, my feet, my elbows, all over.
I worked at a call center until they closed down in 2006. I worked there for 6 1/2 years. By the end I was in so much pain I was almost happy that they did shut down. It did hurt me financially, being out of work, but the pain that I was in going to work day to day was too much to bear.

I started seeing my doctor about this way back in 2003. Most of my doctor visits I felt like I was "bothering" the doctor complaining about all this pain I had. Most times I didn't even want to go because I knew what his reaction would be. I do also have arthritis and so my doctor thought all this pain was arthritis related. He sent me for physical therapy, to a rheumatologist (as my rheumatoid factor was always high) ,went to him a quite a few times. My doctor also sent me for epidurals at the hospital ( injected in the top of my neck), to a bone and joint specialist (I had shoulder surgery as a result of his visits), and more physical therapy. This was all over a course of about 4 years time.

During the year of 2006 I accidentally stumbled on something about Fibromyalgia. I believe it was first on TV that I saw it mentioned and then I was researching online. I read and read and read about it. I read all the symptoms, read everything I could find about it and I knew in my heart that is what I had. I made another doctor appointment and at that time I brought in a print out about Fibromyalgia. I asked him if this is what I had, as all of my treatments, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, pain pills, everything I tried did not help me at all. He said it could be what I have but there was no real tests for it. I kept going and going back to my doctor because I was in so much pain just doing dishes and I was not sleeping at all (for about 6 years) and I needed answers.

In 2007 my doctor finally agreed with me that I had Fibromyalgia because I had all the tender points (there are 18) and I know I have all 18. You have to have at least 11 tender points to be diagnosed. I was so relieved to finally know what I had (not relieved I had it), but relieved to know what all my severe muscle pain was about and I finally could move forward from there.

to be continued......