Re: A bit about me - new comer

April 19, 2004

> Hi my name is ,

> thanx for the e-mail welcoming me to this group!

> I have had Fibromyalgia since last July, since then I have been

> unable to work, and I understand how old people in nursing homes

> must feel like! its so degrading my husband has to do everything for

> me eg. get me to the toilet, get me out of the bath, feed me etc.

> I got married 2 weeks after my diagnosis and my illness has put a

> very big strain on our relationship. We are both very young. i was

> only 19 when I became very ill, I am now 20 and my doctors have told

> me that there is nothing that they can do for me.

> I would like to hear about the types of treatments you have been

> recieving and any self-help treatments you could advise me on. I

> feel very alone and unsupported with my illness and would wlcome any

> support you could give me.

>

> thanx. Hope to hear from you soon

Dear ,

First of all, welcome!! is the name of my later life child-13

years

old. I am 53, with two grown children, -28 and -25, married to

Chuck-57 and very physical fit. I am concerned about the level of disablity

that you are experiencing. Does your doctor have you on any medications?

I was diagnosed in June 2000, and at that time pain was my biggest

problem, along with IBS and TMJ and poor sleep. If I slept, I felt much better.

I first got on Celebrex and EffexorXR 37.5mgs and I kept fairly active. I did

have to start pacing myself and saying, " I will have to see how I feel on that

day, before I decide what I can do. " That was the year that people were

frustrating me with comments like, " Go running with me " and " Why can't your

take a spin class. "

In March of 2003, I quit waitressing, a bad job for FMS, but I was making

$17,000 working part-time(average of 25 hours per week). In March 2003, I

started working as a freelance newspaper correspondent because I knew that

I would not be able to handle a strict office environment. I tried a part-time

classified sales job in September of 2003-It was three 8 and 1/2 hour days. I

hated it and knew that I could not push myself that hard. I tried to quit after

two weeks and they wanted me to keep trying and I asked for my schedule to

be four short days instead. After another two weeks they finally let me quit.

In October 2003, I made the decision to only do the correspondent position

and when I can no longer do that, to file for disability.

They are getting a pretty good deal with me as I only get paid for what

they run and I have made every thing from $59 per week to $305 per week. I

have to keep track of all my expenses and do my own business taxes.

I graduated in May 2000 with a degree in Marketing and almost enough

credits for a degree in Graphic Design with a 4.00 GPA, but I am too ill to do a

demanding job in my field.

, Please tell us more about you. I hope we can help you with your

journey. I do eat quite nutritionally and I also recommend water exercises

(not aerobics) and walking as much as you are able. Gentle hugs, Penny

April 21, 2004

> > Hi my name is ,

> > thanx for the e-mail welcoming me to this

group!

> > I have had Fibromyalgia since last July, since then I have been

> > unable to work, and I understand how old people in nursing homes

> > must feel like! its so degrading my husband has to do everything

for

> > me eg. get me to the toilet, get me out of the bath, feed me etc.

> > I got married 2 weeks after my diagnosis and my illness has put

a

> > very big strain on our relationship. We are both very young. i

was

> > only 19 when I became very ill, I am now 20 and my doctors have

told

> > me that there is nothing that they can do for me.

> > I would like to hear about the types of treatments you have been

> > recieving and any self-help treatments you could advise me on. I

> > feel very alone and unsupported with my illness and would wlcome

any

> > support you could give me.

> >

> > thanx. Hope to hear from you soon

>

> Dear ,

> First of all, welcome!! is the name of my later

life child-13 years

> old. I am 53, with two grown children, -28 and -25,

married to

> Chuck-57 and very physical fit. I am concerned about the level of

disablity

> that you are experiencing. Does your doctor have you on any

medications?

> I was diagnosed in June 2000, and at that time pain was my

biggest

> problem, along with IBS and TMJ and poor sleep. If I slept, I

felt much better.

> I first got on Celebrex and EffexorXR 37.5mgs and I kept fairly

active. I did

> have to start pacing myself and saying, " I will have to see how I

feel on that

> day, before I decide what I can do. " That was the year that

people were

> frustrating me with comments like, " Go running with me " and " Why

can't your

> take a spin class. "

> In March of 2003, I quit waitressing, a bad job for FMS, but

I was making

> $17,000 working part-time(average of 25 hours per week). In March

2003, I

> started working as a freelance newspaper correspondent because I

knew that

> I would not be able to handle a strict office environment. I

tried a part-time

> classified sales job in September of 2003-It was three 8 and 1/2

hour days. I

> hated it and knew that I could not push myself that hard. I tried

to quit after

> two weeks and they wanted me to keep trying and I asked for my

schedule to

> be four short days instead. After another two weeks they finally

let me quit.

> In October 2003, I made the decision to only do the correspondent

position

> and when I can no longer do that, to file for disability.

> They are getting a pretty good deal with me as I only get

paid for what

> they run and I have made every thing from $59 per week to $305 per

week. I

> have to keep track of all my expenses and do my own business

taxes.

> I graduated in May 2000 with a degree in Marketing and almost

enough

> credits for a degree in Graphic Design with a 4.00 GPA, but I am

too ill to do a

> demanding job in my field.

> , Please tell us more about you. I hope we can help

you with your

> journey. I do eat quite nutritionally and I also recommend water

exercises

> (not aerobics) and walking as much as you are able. Gentle hugs,

Penny

Hi Penny ,

The only thing my doctor has given me are strong painkillers, which

are ok but they only take the edge off the pain.When I first got ill

he did give me Amitryptyline to help me sleep but I tryed them for

three months and they did nothing! Since then I have had to change

GP because my last GP just didn't care, he wouldn't do anything I

asked, and refused to do anything to help me! My new GP seems ok but

they still aren't doing anything for me. I would push the issue but

I am waiting to have an opperation at the moment which is very

urgent, so one thing at a time.

I now self medicate with over the counter medicines. I am taking5-

HTP ( 5- HYDROXYTRYPTOPHAN ) this helps increase levels of serotonin

in the brain helping sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, and pain!

I take 100 mg three times a day, and I find it very useful for pain

and for my sleep disorder.

I also take calcium and magnesium tablets at night to help relax my

muscles and stop muscle cramps. This is very good as most people

with Fibro are magnesium deficient.

I suffer nearly every sypmtom that Fibro causes:

>severe anxiety- have social phobia and lots of panic attacks

>IBS AND irritable bladder syndrome

>sleep disorder and insomnia

>memory loss, concentration difficulties, and dyslexia

>chemical sensitivities

>allergies

>severe headaches

>fatigue which sometimes makes me feel like I am paralized

>numbness and tingling in my hands and feet

>balance problems and dizziness

>and of course severe muscle and joint pains and tender points

hope to hear from you soon

,England

April 21, 2004

Dear ,

I am so sorry to hear of your diagnosis, especially in one so young. I

was 44 years old when I was officially dxs, and I can remember how

desperate I was, thinking about how I would hurt like this for the next

30 years, assuming I lived to the average age of 75 for women. When I

looked at it from that prospective, I could not face it, and to be

honest, even considered suicide myself. Fortunatly, in 1994, I was

fnally married to the man I had known and loved for 30 years! At that

point, my fibro was still somewhat under control, and I was only having

maybe 2 to 3 bad days per month, and those I could handle with Tylenol

#3. However, in 1996, I injured my back when I twisted to keep from

falling. and that was the beginning of the end. My fibro started worsen

and by Dec. 97, I had to go on long term disability (LTD) and Social

Security Disability (SSD). I let myself get run down with self pity,

and by 2 years ago, I was confined to motorized wheel chair. Then one

day it hit me... I could live life to the fullest extent possible or to

sit in my wheelchair and watch life pass me by. I chose the first, and

up until recently was walking 3 miles a day. Ritht now I am recovering

from surgery from kidney cancer, and any kind of exercise is out of the

question, according to my doctor whom I saw yesterday. I am hoping to

start walking a mile later this week, and will gradually work back up

to the 3 miles per day.

I will be praying for you, ,and hope that your doctor will find the

treatment plan that will work for you. But you are gonig to have to

slowly begin to exercise and do more. If you can only walk from your

front porch to the sidewalk, then do that twice a day, and gradually

increase it until you are doing it 4 times per day. Then add a little

distance to your regime.

This is about all I have to offer, , along with my prayers.

Hugs and prayers,

Sharon - Memphis, TN

Phone

" ..and with his stripes, we ARE healed! " Isaiah 53:5

April 21, 2004

---One thing that helps my pain, temporiarily, is Ice, a blue jell

that comes in a jar that I get from the Dollar Tree, costs $1.00. It

numbs my pain for an hour or so.

Massage therapy also helps some.

carolyn b

In Fibromyalgia_Support_Group , Thronberry@w... wrote:

> Dear ,

>

> I am so sorry to hear of your diagnosis, especially in one so

young. I

> was 44 years old when I was officially dxs, and I can remember how

> desperate I was, thinking about how I would hurt like this for the

When I

> looked at it from that prospective, I could not face it, and to be

> honest, even considered suicide myself. Fortunatly, in 1994, I was

> fnally married to the man I had known and loved for 30 years! At

that

> point, my fibro was still somewhat under control, and I was only

having

> maybe 2 to 3 bad days per month, and those I could handle with

Tylenol

> #3. However, in 1996, I injured my back when I twisted to keep from

> falling. and that was the beginning of the end. My fibro started

worsen

> and by Dec. 97, I had to go on long term disability (LTD) and Social

> Security Disability (SSD). I let myself get run down with self

pity,

> and by 2 years ago, I was confined to motorized wheel chair. Then

one

> day it hit me... I could live life to the fullest extent possible

or to

> sit in my wheelchair and watch life pass me by. I chose the first,

and

> up until recently was walking 3 miles a day. Ritht now I am

recovering

> from surgery from kidney cancer, and any kind of exercise is out of

the

> question, according to my doctor whom I saw yesterday. I am hoping

to

> start walking a mile later this week, and will gradually work back

up

> to the 3 miles per day.

>

> I will be praying for you, ,and hope that your doctor will

find the

> treatment plan that will work for you. But you are gonig to have

to

> slowly begin to exercise and do more. If you can only walk from

your

> front porch to the sidewalk, then do that twice a day, and

gradually

> increase it until you are doing it 4 times per day. Then add a

little

> distance to your regime.

>

> This is about all I have to offer, , along with my prayers.

>

> Hugs and prayers,

>

> Sharon - Memphis, TN

> Phone

>

> " ..and with his stripes, we ARE healed! " Isaiah 53:5

April 27, 2004

Dear Sharon,

I am glad to hear that your Doc. told you no exercise for a while yet. I knew

you should not be up doing dishes and shopping and stuff like that. I was so

worried about you having to go back in the hospital because you were over doing

it by quite a bit. I have had many suguries and I know it takes time to heal.

Please give your body the time it needs to heal properly. I had a bladder

surgery that did no good at all because I did not take the time that I should

have to heal. Now I need to have it done again. I am not happy about it one

bit. Please be good to yourself.

Gentle((((((hugs))))). G. from Oregon

Re: Re: Take it easy