Re: Marti delurking

June 30, 2006

Hi Marti,

Welcome to the group. Yes I have heard it all, there is nothing wrong with

you, its all in your head, it will get better, etc. Try this try that!

Think most of us here have heard that more then once! I have full body RSD,

fibro, diabetes, restless legs, spinal stenosis, bulging discs, DDD, and a

bunch more. Hang in there you have come to the right place! Hope to get to

know you better soon.

Gentle hugs, Debi

-- Marti delurking

Hello everyone,

I joined this group a while ago, but I've just been lurking and trying to

get familiar with you all. You seem like a compassionate group of people, so

I'm going to take the plunge and tell you about myself.

My name is Marti. I am going to turn 54 next Thursday. I'm happily married

for nearly 11 years. I have a son who's almost 37 but I have no

grandchildren.

I've had a lot of hard knocks in life, but I'm a survivor. I've had bouts of

major depression since I was a teenager and I'm there again - just beginning

medication and counseling.

I raised my son alone, while working full time in office jobs but after 22

years of that I was laid off from my last office job and couldn't get

anything thing else. So I did a 180 and started working at cleaning. I had

my own little business for a while but after a minor car accident in which I

broke my foot, I got out of being on my own and worked for a couple of years

in a luxury hotel. After that I became self-employed again doing a little

computer tutoring and bookkeeping for a couple of small business.

For the past 10 years I haven't been seeing doctors for anything except

minor emergencies like UTI's or tick bites because we've had no insurance

and not enough money to pay for expensive diagnostic tests. Meanwhile - for

the past year and a half - this pain condition has developed. I have a lot

of the symptoms of fibromylagia. I wake up most mornings feeling like I've

been hitting by a truck - sore and stiff and achy all over. I have a

terrible time with insomnia. I have restless legs at night when I'm trying

to relax. I get muscle pains and burning sensations like someone has punched

me. I often feel bruised and swollen in places, but am not. I have tinnitus

and the list goes on.

The most prominently bothersome area has been my shoulders and arms. Started

with the right shoulder and felt like bursitis that just wouldn't go away.

The rest of the arm and hand have pains too. One day it's my bicep, one day

it's my forearm, another it's both, etc. I assumed that I had some sort or

repetitive nerve injury like carpal tunnel and just kept toughing it out and

using cold compresses and ibuprohen by the handful. After a time the left

shoulder started bothering my worse than the right.

Recently I got on state assisted health insurance and so I'm finally able to

get some medical attention for all of this. Blood tests have eliminated a

lot of serious diseases, including Lymes. The only other diagnostic testing

that's been done is exrays of my shoulders and neck. I have moderate

arthritis in my neck and some calcium deposits on my shoulders. My blood

glucose was elevated and I'm being treated for diabetes, and hypertension.

Meanwhile I saw a psychiatrist for evaluation of my mental health and was

prescribed Wellbutrin because I've had numerous problems with SSRIs in the

past. Because I have a history of drug and alcohol abuse (clean and sober

for 16+ years now) everyone is being careful not to prescribe anything habit

forming or narcotic. I was given Trazadone to help with my insomnia, but I

stopped taking that because it was turning up the volume on my ringing ears

to an intolerable level.

My doctor has arranged for me to go for PT to try to help with my neck and

shoulder problems, but she's pretty much ignoring all the other aches and

pains I've complained of, saying " let's wait and see how you feel after you

ve been on anti-depressants for a while " . How many of us have heard this or

other polite way of saying " I think it's all in your head " ??

Meanwhile - I'm doing whatever I can to try to get better and be more

productive, but it's often very discouraging. I'm looking to this group for

advice and suggestions as to what has helped you to cope - not only with

your painful conditions, but with medical personal that don't take you

seriously?

If nothing more, lurking on this group has given me some gratitude that I am

not suffering to the degree that some of you are. God bless you all and

bring you some comfort.

Thanks for reading my story..

Marti

June 30, 2006

Hi Marti

Welcome to the group.

I have a couple of ideas you can try to see if they help. They help

with me.

For your restless leg pain, try putting a bar of Ivory soap under

the sheets at the foot of your bed. It's suppose to ease the pain

and cramps in you feet and legs. I have small nerve neuropathy in

both my feet and right leg. I've been doing the bar of soap since

March and it does help to ease the pain. I don't have nearly as

many cramps in my feet and legs like I used to.

For Insomnia, you could try a sleep aid (over the counter). I use a

Tylenol brand sleep aid. They're not habit forming and I only use

them when my feet hurt so bad that all I want to do is cry. Which

is pretty much all the time.

Hugs - Diane

>

> Hello everyone,

>

> I joined this group a while ago, but I've just been lurking and

trying to get familiar with you all. You seem like a compassionate

group of people, so I'm going to take the plunge and tell you about

myself.

>

> My name is Marti. I am going to turn 54 next Thursday. I'm

happily married for nearly 11 years. I have a son who's almost 37

but I have no grandchildren.

>

> I've had a lot of hard knocks in life, but I'm a survivor. I've

had bouts of major depression since I was a teenager and I'm there

again - just beginning medication and counseling.

>

> I raised my son alone, while working full time in office jobs but

after 22 years of that I was laid off from my last office job and

couldn't get anything thing else. So I did a 180 and started

working at cleaning. I had my own little business for a while but

after a minor car accident in which I broke my foot, I got out of

being on my own and worked for a couple of years in a luxury hotel.

After that I became self-employed again doing a little computer

tutoring and bookkeeping for a couple of small business.

>

> For the past 10 years I haven't been seeing doctors for anything

except minor emergencies like UTI's or tick bites because we've had

no insurance and not enough money to pay for expensive diagnostic

tests. Meanwhile - for the past year and a half - this pain

condition has developed. I have a lot of the symptoms of

fibromylagia. I wake up most mornings feeling like I've been

hitting by a truck - sore and stiff and achy all over. I have a

terrible time with insomnia. I have restless legs at night when I'm

trying to relax. I get muscle pains and burning sensations like

someone has punched me. I often feel bruised and swollen in places,

but am not. I have tinnitus and the list goes on.

>

> The most prominently bothersome area has been my shoulders and

arms. Started with the right shoulder and felt like bursitis that

just wouldn't go away. The rest of the arm and hand have pains

too. One day it's my bicep, one day it's my forearm, another it's

both, etc. I assumed that I had some sort or repetitive nerve

injury like carpal tunnel and just kept toughing it out and using

cold compresses and ibuprohen by the handful. After a time the left

shoulder started bothering my worse than the right.

>

> Recently I got on state assisted health insurance and so I'm

finally able to get some medical attention for all of this. Blood

tests have eliminated a lot of serious diseases, including Lymes.

The only other diagnostic testing that's been done is exrays of my

shoulders and neck. I have moderate arthritis in my neck and some

calcium deposits on my shoulders. My blood glucose was elevated and

I'm being treated for diabetes, and hypertension. Meanwhile I saw a

psychiatrist for evaluation of my mental health and was prescribed

Wellbutrin because I've had numerous problems with SSRIs in the

past. Because I have a history of drug and alcohol abuse (clean and

sober for 16+ years now) everyone is being careful not to prescribe

anything habit forming or narcotic. I was given Trazadone to help

with my insomnia, but I stopped taking that because it was turning

up the volume on my ringing ears to an intolerable level.

>

> My doctor has arranged for me to go for PT to try to help with my

neck and shoulder problems, but she's pretty much ignoring all the

other aches and pains I've complained of, saying " let's wait and see

how you feel after you've been on anti-depressants for a while " .

How many of us have heard this or other polite way of saying " I

think it's all in your head " ??

>

> Meanwhile - I'm doing whatever I can to try to get better and be

more productive, but it's often very discouraging. I'm looking to

this group for advice and suggestions as to what has helped you to

cope - not only with your painful conditions, but with medical

personal that don't take you seriously?

>

> If nothing more, lurking on this group has given me some gratitude

that I am not suffering to the degree that some of you are. God

bless you all and bring you some comfort.

>

> Thanks for reading my story..

> Marti

>

June 30, 2006

Marti--

I'm sorry you had to resort to joining a list like this, but glad you

found this one--it's a keeper. (G) I'm Marg, I'm 58, and I have

osteoarthritis in almost all my joints, but mostly in my knees, ankles and

feet, as well as other health problems including Type 2 diabetes and

depression. Depression can do some strange things to your body and your

head, as you probably know already. It could be the cause of some of your

pain, you hurt and don't have relief, and it's hard not to get depressed,

which can cause more pain.

This is not a diabetes list, but I belong to a couple that are

extremely good lists, very supportive and helpful. You may find the

information that's shared in these lists differ in many ways from what you

hear at a doctor's office, or at some diabetic education classes, but it's

usually information about what someone else has tried and it either works or

doesn't work. If you're interested, I'll be glad to send you links to both

lists. The only other thing I would say is to be sure you are testing your

blood glucose levels regularly, especially after meals, usually 2 hours

after. That's the way I know whether a particular food is good for me to

eat or not. I also do a test first thing after I get up, before eating, so

I know what my fasting level is, which can be an important number to know

too.

I can also recommend taking Alpha Lipoic Acid for the Restless Leg

Syndrome, although I know there is now a prescription medication for it that

appears to work for some. I have never been diagnosed with it, but I'm

almost sure I have a very mild case (if that's possible). I never had a lot

of pain in my legs from it, but just that can't get comfortable no matter

how I try to sit, but it goes away if I get up and walk. I started taking

ALA, on the recommendation of other diabetic who had RLS, and it helped

almost immediately. I started out taking 100 mg., then upped it to 100 mg.

twice a day. The person who recommended it to me, along with several others

take up to 600 mg. per day, and it gives them significant relief. You can

usually get it at a pharmacy, in the vitamin/mineral sections. It's not

expensive, and it's definitely (in my book anyway) worth trying. Hopefully

you'll have good results with it too.

Again, welcome to the list. {{{{{HUGS}}}}}

Marg in Georgia

-- Marti delurking

Hello everyone,

I joined this group a while ago, but I've just been lurking and trying to

get familiar with you all. You seem like a compassionate group of people,

so I'm going to take the plunge and tell you about myself.

My name is Marti. I am going to turn 54 next Thursday. I'm happily married

for nearly 11 years. I have a son who's almost 37 but I have no

grandchildren.

I've had a lot of hard knocks in life, but I'm a survivor. I've had bouts

of major depression since I was a teenager and I'm there again - just

beginning medication and counseling.