Living with Fibromyalgia

I am 22 years old and got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 5 months ago. Now the world makes sense!

It all started when i was 16. I got Bacterial meningitis and that put me in a whirlwind of problems! aftrer the Dr’s saved my life and cured my meningitis i started experiencing unexplainable pain in my hips feeling like someone had stabbed me and left the knife in me. i went back to the doctors only to have them poke and prod and shoot me up with so many different things i dont even remember. i actually had a dr tell me that i was lying because they coundt figure out what was causing the pain. I got sick of it and just continued to take my vicodin until it ran out. Then i was on my own to deal with the pain.

I had managed to keep it in the back of my mind until my periods continued to get worse even though i was on the pill. i went to the OBGYN and they said that i most likely had endometritis because it ran in my family so predominantly. They said that an exploratory surgery was necessary to diagnose properly. so i did the surgery and the only thing they found was scar tissue that built up over my sciatic nerve in my hip and connected to my uterus pulling it backwards. The removed it and i felt a little better. that was November 07.

well… i spoke too soon. I woke up one morning with horrible pain in my hands to the point of i couldnt put my clothes on or pick up my coffee cup. I went to the doctor thinking it was maybe arthritis. She said no, that it sounds like Fibromyalgia because i had no swelling or visible signs of arthritis. after they did the blood tests and everything came back normal it was a confirmed diagnosis. I have fibromyalgia. The sleep deprivation i was experiencing the last 2 years was now explained.

my first episode lasted a whole month. migranes, irritable bladder (oh, BTW i have “bladder spasms” too because of this.), RLS, the pain, and sleeping 10 hours to wake up and feel like i never slept is part of what i have to go through.

I was fine for 4 months and now i am in the beginning of another episode. I slept 12 hours from saturday night to sunday afternoon and i am still tired. my legs hurt so bad every day and the RLS just makes it worse. I have completely changed my diet, i exercise, go in the spa almost every night and i get regimented sleep but it still doesnt seem to help. i am taking antidepressants for the sleep and muscle spasm reducers for the major leg cramping and bladder spasms i get. its not seeming to help anymore.

thats my story so far… i know i have MANY more years to deal with this but im sure ill get through it.