Re: To about

[Guest guest]

wrote:

....Now I wonder how much damage I've done to central nervous system????And

how it may be a related cause leading to my FM. Howa bout some feedback on

this.

Dear ~ I am glad that you are gracefully recovering, one step at a

time. I grew up in an abusive family where I had several fairly severe blows to

the head. At age 27, I was hit head on by a drunk driver; nearly ten years

later, I was again hit, driver side, back seat area, by a woman who ran a red

light, and then in 1996 I was again involved in multi car collision that

resulted when a drunk driver ran into someone. From all that I have read about

Fibromyalgia, these kinds of incidents are among the primary triggers for onset.

It appears that there may also be a genetic factor as my mother had it (she is

now deceased), and my sister has it.

When I was in my early 20s, I realized I couldn't remember very much. I

couldn't remember most of my childhood ... my mother and sister or someone else

would bring something up where we had all been present, and I couldn't remember

it at all. I also realized that I couldn't remember what I had done the week

before. (And I did have a short share in the psychedelic era as well.) In my

case, my doctor's response was that, due to the abuse, I had learned to

forget as a young child, and then I just kept doing it. I think this is

somewhat

plausible, but not completely.

Once my Fibromyalgia was diagnosed, and I began to read about it, I realized

that I had many episodes, beginning in my early 20s, that are precursors or

part of Fibro. When I was in college, I had a two year episode of severe left

sided facial pain (see I can't remember the proper name for this, ah, just

remembered it ... myofacial pain). Eventually, it subsided. Then there was the

forgetting. After my second car accident, my long road of dealing with ever

worsening chronic pain began. It would be 15 years before I actually got a

diagnosis. But, again, not being able to remember things, not being able to

" locate " a word that is on the tip of your tongue, thought and verbal

" dyslexia "

(I have it in quotes because it is not true dyslexia, but suddenly you find

yourself saying something backwards.

Of course, blows to the head and some of the kind of drug use you mention

can affect the brain, more so if you are younger ... even as teenagers our

brains are still developing. I think the only way to really find the answer to

your question, which was actually related to two issues ~ brain damage and

central nervous system damage ~ would be to see the appropriate doctor, perhaps

starting with a neurologist. But if you do, make sure you let the doctor know

about your past and your reasons for concern. And be sure to let the doctor

know about the Fibromyalgia. In fact, if it were me, I would make sure that

the neurologist had some experience with Fibro before going for an appointment.

To me, the worst thing is simply to not know what is going on. There may be

some issues in these areas for you, which may or may not be treatable, or it

is possible, it is all related to the Fibro. Fibro " fog " is very real;

forgetting is very real. One of my symptoms, a weird aspect of my pain, is this

crawling/itching/hurting feeling that I sometimes get all over my skin. The

only

way I can describe it is to say, " My skin hurts. "

This is a very complicated illness, and I'm sure you probably already know,

Fibro has a whole cluster of symptoms besides pain. No one else but someone

who has dealt with it can truly understand. But there are some doctors who are

becoming more aware and educated about it, and more and more who specialize

in treating it ... and it's just darn difficult to find treatments that really

help. Perhaps some of the best help is groups like this.

FYI for the group ... I was an active part of the digest for several years,

and then as my Fibro worsened, I wasn't able to keep up with the daily digests

anymore. So if I seem to come and go ... it's just part of my daily ups and

downs. Blessings to all ~

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