Fibromyalgia Thread

[tiggspring]

Its so great to see so many new posters! I've been off the boards for a few days because I was feeling good and wanted to take advantage of it and keep off the computer and be out and about. This week my kids started all their after school activities and now as my grandma used to say I'm POOPED!

On the medical end I finally got a blood test that was ordered by the Endocrinologist in March. It required I be at my lab two mornings in a at 8 am exactly row and the closest lab my insurance will cover is at the edge of my "driving zone" and DH couldn't get two am off in a row. So on the back burner it went. Anyway, it was a cortisol test where on the 1st am I got baseline and second day you take a cortal steroid and compare your reaction to the baseline. The day after the 2nd test I gained 4 lbs and my face swelled up. Couldn't figure out why then got a little excited when I realized I had taken the meds 36 hr before. I was hoping it was confirmation of Cushing disease. Which is not a great thing to have but at least there are vwery effective treatments (brain surgery) and there is no doubt you are really "sick". Well the labs came back normal. Tell me how I can have a reaction to the drug and labs still come back normal?

Well glad to see you all here. Its great all the support and tidbits of information you can get this way.
Sending pain free vibes and pixie dust your way

 

[brighteyes]

I saw the weight gain info on Lyrica and am cautious about trying it because I am down 70 lbs from a couple years ago and still have to work hard to keep it off.

After my nightmare going of ami. I do not want to try going off the Lyrica. I did notice when I was off the ami, that I was still exhausted, not quite as much as usual, but not enough to make me go through the pain of being off it.

 

[tiggspring]

Oh I meant to thank Dismim for the info on the migraines. I had my first migraine the day after my work injury and it progressed into fibro over 2 years. I know my usual triggers are fatigue and loud noises so the perimenopausal stuff is new. The last year or so. Maybe menopause will help but if my mother is any indication I'll have to wait another 10 years.

Indiana rose thanks for the vitamin D warning I take magnesium for leg pain and do have a lot of leg pain at night so I'll take it easy on that one!

It sure is a small world. I noticed several of you mentioned Cleveland clinic. My husband is going to Case Western Reserve right down the road. I think I also saw somone mention New England. I was born in rhode island and DH in Mass. Only moved down here so we could afford to raise a family on one main income. Dont miss the cost of living, traffic or the awful barametric changes. I do miss good sea food, current top 40 music and the ocean.

sending painfree vibes and pixie dust

 

[tiggspring]

A little vent here. Dad comming to visit. So last few days I have been preparing and He put a little pressure on me to do more than I should. Now he is about to arrive and I can feel a major crash comming on! Wish he had just left things alone and let me enjoy the two days a year we get to see him!!! Ahhh! Well, Wish me luck! Hope eveyone has a productive weekend.

 

[DisneyMim]

tiggspring, good luck with your Dad. I have been helping my Mom a lot lately and I understand how it can add to your stress level! You are very welcome about the migraine info. Our weather has turned cold in Ma the past couple of days and I have had a migraine on and off, so I feel your pain.

I wish everyone a wonderful week-end and hope you are all pain-free.

 

[brighteyes]

I am wishing you pixie dust that you do not have a major crash. I know how it is when you overdo it. I hope you do get to enjoy your Dad's visit.

Wishing YOU a painfree and feel good weekend.

 

[brighteyes]

I took the plunge,I bought an elliptical! It will be here on Saturday. It was a lot of money that I cannot really afford right now but I have an urge to be on an elliptical. I have an urge to go for walks too, but am scared of the pain.

So I have to use it once I get it!! I am sure it will only be a few minutes at a time but I am hoping it will help with my muscle pain.

Hope everyone is well.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Good for you! My dad heard the guy who originally came up with all of the info on cardiovascular exercise, and his belief was that one should start with just a couple of minutes. do that for a few days, then add a minute. And so on. It has worked with me. It was so hard not to overdo, and keep it short when I 'knew" that I could do more. It has helped me a lot.

 

[ireland_nicole]

Brighteyes: Congrats!!!

Tiggsprig (sp?): sending pixie dust and prayers that you'll feel well for your dad's visit.

 

[MTNest]

Dear Tiggspring, I am sending you good wishes and an extra helping of strength. I wish I could give you sage advice, but I, personally, could never say no to my wonderful, sweet mother - which is maybe a piece of the puzzle of what gave me fibro. in the first place. The good news is, though, I have no regrets, as she has now passed. As I say, "the good news is we were close....the bad news is - we were close". I guess you could do what I do now with my family - when I'm done, I tell them I'm done. They know there's no negotiating with that. Good luck!

 

[tiggspring]

I want to thank everyone for the good wishes. We had a nice visit. No pressure. I do feel like I've been hit by a bus but that will pass in a few days. Its funny how bringing in a person who is not with me everyday can really through my pace off even when they dont mean to. Plus I really want to ejoy myself so I over do.

On the med side my endocrinologist said my labs where fine but my GP just called and said my vitamin D was very low normal just a point or two within range so he wants me to take suppliments ASAP. So much for seeing a specialist. she should have caught that with my condition.

Congrats on the purchace Brite eyes

Sending pain free vibes and Pixie dust to all!

 

[brighteyes]

well tiggspring, I feel your pain. Now I have really overdone it and am having great difficulty walking. I had a very busy weekend, spring cleaning. I know it is delayed but I have not been feeling for awhile.

Saturday, I was moving bedroom furniture to accomodate my new elliptical Bringing that up piece by piece was no picknik. Then today moving everything around my basement so that my lil sis can take my old couches to college.

Now I can barely walk. I just had a shower for an hour, but am going to bed. Hopefully I feel better tomorrow. Well it had to be done, have had too much junk in my house for too long. That is the bright side.

Hope you alll had a good weekend. The elliptical is not together yet, maybe next weekend.

Have a good week.

Stephanie

 

[tiggspring]

Hey Stephanie good to here from you. I was about to do a roll call since hadn't seen a post from anyone all week. Hope all's well with everyone else on the Fibro board!

Sorry you are having a rough weekend brighteyes.I know it feels good to get things done but payback ...well you know how that goes.I'm still feeling a little water logged myself but bouncing back like all Tiggers do whoohoo!

I will admit I'm looking at the next few months with a bit of dread. Fall is my favorite time of year. Love the weather and the colors but it means commitments and lots of them. I have two kids born in October one week apart and I learned to decorate cakes before my oldest's first birthday so that means planning two cakes and birthdays. Don't get me wrong I love doing the cakes. It is my true gift to them. Things may come and go but they will always remember these cakes even if they take 3 hours or so to make and are eaten in about 10 minutes! We are lucky that all the family is up north so the birthdays are just us but I still want them to have a great time. Then of course thanksgiving, Christmas and all the pageants, scouts and athletic stuff and my oldest was born two weeks after Christmas so it seems like there is not a quiet week for four months. At least this year I can nap everyday without worrying weather I can get a little rug rat to sleep too!

Sending pain free vibes and Pixie dust to all!

Bonnie

 

[brighteyes]

Wow tiggspring, that is A LOT going on. Birthdays are wonderful, but the planning everything can be very exhausting. You must post pics of your cakes!! I don't bake!! And yes, nap every day -- take advantage of it!!!! I did all summer and it was wonderful.

I know I will be very busy for the next four months as well. I am told we have a crazy semester at school. We do have a lot going on. I am not even organized at this point. I know the due dates for a lot of my stuff, but some of it, I am not understanding the assignments yet! I have not opened a book yet!!

I am just so tired since going back to school -- and last week I was out every night afterschool till at least 8:30 at night!! Misc. appointments and errands. So time to buckle down now. I don't think I will be going to my volunteer placement tomorrow. I am awake again cause of the pain. Can't sleep. I wish there was a full body heating pad --- I don't mean like an electric blanket either. Like a huge heating pad that fits on your bed. that would ease my pain right now. LOL Ok off to bed again. Night all....

Pain free to all of you!!!

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Can you imagine pain free? The thought boggles my mind, sometimes.

How is the elliptiptical going? After all of that moving, have you been able to try it?

We are refinancing, and have been doing all of the stuff that should have been done. I swear this weekend I would bend over and then spend 5 minutes trying to figure out how to stand back up!

 

[brighteyes]

Can you imagine pain free? The thought boggles my mind, sometimes.

At this point, I cannot really imagine pain free.


How is the elliptiptical going? After all of that moving, have you been able to try it?

After everything I did, all that was accomplished was getting all the pieces upstairs. I had a friend help me pick up the box. There was one very heavy piece and my DS helped me carry it up. It was very very heavy. I think this is what contributed to my pain as well. So it is not together yet. hopefully in the next few days. But first I have a paper to write once I get better.

We are refinancing, and have been doing all of the stuff that should have been done. I swear this weekend I would bend over and then spend 5 minutes trying to figure out how to stand back up!

I know exactly how that feels. I can barely wallk around my house. Let alone up/down the stairs to use the washroom. I think I am staying in bed with the heating pad.

 

[cosine4]

I just started Cymbalta, I am still on the 1st step (30 mg). Could be a huge coincidence but so far it has been working pretty good!

 

[TinkerBean]

I just started Cymbalta, I am still on the 1st step (30 mg). Could be a huge coincidence but so far it has been working pretty good!

I'm also on cymbalta (I'm up to 120mg) and I really found that it has helped with daily living...

Guess I should introduce myself.

I am a 43 year old stay at home mom to 2 kids. I was diagnosed with fibro 3 years ago after I suffered a particularly bad flare. I have been struggling with it ever since. My mom was a long time sufferer and I eventually lost her to suicide 6 years ago. It's hard knowing that I have the disease that so plagued my mom.

I had tarsal tunnel surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago (think carpal tunnel - but in the ankle) and today is the first day that I am up, dressed and made up. My poor husband has had to do *everything* and I mean everything for me. Even having to come home just to meet ds12 to get him off the bus.

I think it takes me much longer to recover (this was general anestetic) from even simple proceedures. I am not used to being this tired, the fatigue is overwhelming. I used to be *very* active and was a go, go, go type of person. You know, "Hey - I think I'll re-landscape the whole back yard" in a day kind of person. Now I can't even get dinner on the table for my family.

I have gained about 80 pounds since my dx and am *very* frustrated with my weight loss efforts.

I am happy to have found this thread and have been lurking for some time. It's nice to have a place to post where everyone understands what you are going through.

On a more positive note I am trying to be kinder to myself and celebrating the small accomplishments. I try to do things in small chunks of time and have enlisted the help of my children, ds vacumns for me and dd9 will dust and help me tidy the house and bring stuff up and down the stairs for me (we have a 3 story house which can be challenging on some days) and dh is a sweetheart and has really stepped up to the plate these last few years. I don't know what I would be without him.

Sending everyone positive energy

Rhonda

 

[tiggspring]

Hey Brighteyes how you doing today? Since you love your heating pad like I do did you know that Walmart sells an extra long one that is almost the size of a body pillow. I got mine last year and I use every inch!

Cosine4 Glad to hear you have something that is working for you. That must be very encouraging!

Indiana Rose lee
I absolutely HATE all that financial stuff and the stress it causes. Don't envy you in that process. Hope all goes as you plan! I cant imagine a day without pain either. But I do fondly remember what it was like after I was headache free for the first time in 2 years. I danced around my living room and felt like I was flying. I think it would be like that for a day or two! At least my headaches now may last several days but not several years!!! That was really awful

Welcome Tinkerbean!!!!

Looks like you and I are in the same place in our live re age/kids/dh and fibro. Your kids are just a little older than mine. I'm so sorry to hear about your Mom. That must have been so hard for you.

Sending pain free vibes and pixie dust to all

 

[tiggspring]

Hey ireland nicole just noticed your DS and DD are close in age to mine too. How long have we both been posting on this thread an I just noticed that?..Real case of DUHHHH!