Guest guest Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Hi Barb, Pleased to meet you. I'm happy you found this group. It's a great support system filled with great info, wonderful, loving, caring people. Personally, I think this group has had a huge impact on my life and my well-being. I hope you will grow to love it and depend on it as much as I do. It's truly a second home for me :-) Don't worry about posting " old nurse style " , we all seem to understand " Fibro-type " so we'll be able to understand " old nurse type " as well. Looking forward to getting to know you better. welcoming hugs, Norah Norah Bleazard - Burlington, Ontario Canada www.bleazard.net ~ www.janorlites.com E-MAIL= norah.fibroyahoo@... CHAT= MSN = black_dak_98@... Yahoo = drazaelbn AIM = black98dak ICQ = 105346330 Fibromites_Fighting_Weight: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fibromites_Fighting_Weight http://fibromites.ath.cx This is new to me I have worked as a RN Director of Nurses for 13 years. Last year I gave up my position as D.O.N. Now I teach part time, two or three days a week. A year before I gave up my position I was always tired, had back pain, shoulder pain and weakness. I thought the pain and exhaustion was from physically lifting on patients for all those years. Plus I have had 2 herniated disc repaired. I also thought that the stress of being on call 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week and the pressure of my position had finally got the best of me. After many tests my family Dr. diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. He also sent me to a specialist. They had me on Elavil 50 mg at hs to help me sleep. I was also put on Aleve 2 tabs 2-3 times a day. Also a stronger pain pill if needed. They tried me on steroids and other meds for arthritis. I was on 13 diffeerent meds for awhile. I hate taking meds!!! I retained fluid with the Elavil (this was stopped). The steroid and other meds helped me to gain 20 unwanted pounds. I have always had to watch my weight, but this is terrible. Now I am dealing with a poor self esteem (ugly fat body) the traveling pain and exhaustion. I have also noted that I am having trouble with word selection. When I lecture in class I sometimes can not find the words I need. Plus I am combining my words more and more. Some of the new words I come up with are pretty funny. Maybe I could start a new language. I would like to know what (if you have the problem) you do about the weight gain. I know diet and exercise! Exercise - how can you do that without hurting more??? Plus what kind of medications or tricks do you use to help you get through the day. Please excuse my sentences, punctuation etc. I type like I chart - old nurse style. I am not a writer. Thanks for listening. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 Hi barb. First congrats on the diagnosis. I know, that prolly sounds like a mean or bad thing to say. But your first hurdle is finding out what is wrong. Now that you have the diagnosis your doc knows how to 'start' treating you. It's a big step. I know how frustrating the side effects of meds can be, I don't like taking anymore then i have to either. I take tramadol for my pain and it seems to help edge it down, though it doesn't get rid of it completely. Has your doctor mentioned it at all? The only problem i've found with it is a little stomach upset. It did make me drowsy at first, but it wore off. I also had quite a bit of trouble with word to mouth speaking. I got quite frustrated not being able to voice what i was saying in my head. But i found taking trazadone at night to help me sleep has helped with my clarity a bit. I still find myself searching for the right word sometimes, though not as much. The other thing that i swear by, and othere here do too, are the salon pas. It's amazing that such a small little patch can help so much, but they do. I hope your doctor continues to work with you in finding the best therapy. We all wish you luck and will keep you in our thoughts as you look for answers. Tina, 23 Iowa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 Hi barb. First congrats on the diagnosis. I know, that prolly sounds like a mean or bad thing to say. But your first hurdle is finding out what is wrong. Now that you have the diagnosis your doc knows how to 'start' treating you. It's a big step. I know how frustrating the side effects of meds can be, I don't like taking anymore then i have to either. I take tramadol for my pain and it seems to help edge it down, though it doesn't get rid of it completely. Has your doctor mentioned it at all? The only problem i've found with it is a little stomach upset. It did make me drowsy at first, but it wore off. I also had quite a bit of trouble with word to mouth speaking. I got quite frustrated not being able to voice what i was saying in my head. But i found taking trazadone at night to help me sleep has helped with my clarity a bit. I still find myself searching for the right word sometimes, though not as much. The other thing that i swear by, and othere here do too, are the salon pas. It's amazing that such a small little patch can help so much, but they do. I hope your doctor continues to work with you in finding the best therapy. We all wish you luck and will keep you in our thoughts as you look for answers. Tina, 23 Iowa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 23, 2004 Report Share Posted July 23, 2004 Tina, Thanks for the suggestions. I go to the specialist Aug 10. I'll speak to him about these meds. Thanks again. Barb Re: This is new to me Hi barb. First congrats on the diagnosis. I know, that prolly sounds like a mean or bad thing to say. But your first hurdle is finding out what is wrong. Now that you have the diagnosis your doc knows how to 'start' treating you. It's a big step. I know how frustrating the side effects of meds can be, I don't like taking anymore then i have to either. I take tramadol for my pain and it seems to help edge it down, though it doesn't get rid of it completely. Has your doctor mentioned it at all? The only problem i've found with it is a little stomach upset. It did make me drowsy at first, but it wore off. I also had quite a bit of trouble with word to mouth speaking. I got quite frustrated not being able to voice what i was saying in my head. But i found taking trazadone at night to help me sleep has helped with my clarity a bit. I still find myself searching for the right word sometimes, though not as much. The other thing that i swear by, and othere here do too, are the salon pas. It's amazing that such a small little patch can help so much, but they do. I hope your doctor continues to work with you in finding the best therapy. We all wish you luck and will keep you in our thoughts as you look for answers. Tina, 23 Iowa 1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences with everyone on the list as to what treatments do and don't work for us, pls always check with your dr. Some treatments are dangerous when given along with other meds as well as to certain health conditions or just dangerous in general. 2. If you are in a difficult situation (doesn't matter what it is) pls don't be afraid to ask for help. It is the first step to trying to make that situation better. Have a nice day everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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