The Rheumatologist

I finally had my appointment with the Rheumatologist this week and after a thorough examination, he could conclusively diagnose me with Fibromyalgia. He was also concerned about a few other things and sent me back to the lab for more blood work. I should know on Monday what the results of those tests are and if he will need to see me again in the near future. I hope not.

The bad news about fibromyalgia is that there is no cure. The good news is that it is not really a disease, meaning it is not hurting my overall health or damaging my muscles, nerves, heart, etc. People with this condition have many different symptoms, the main ones being pain in 18 very specific pressure/tender points. I have included a snippet from the Fibromyalgia Network that may be better able to explain how I "feel".

The primary symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, and disturbed sleep. Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons – the soft fibrous tissues in the body.

Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they were pulled or overworked. Sometimes fibromyalgia symptoms include muscle twitches and burning sensations. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, and it shows up in people of all ages. A conservative estimate of its prevalence is 2% of the general population.

To help your family and friends relate to your fibromyalgia symptoms, have them think back to the last time they had a bad flu. Every muscle in their body shouted out in pain. In addition, they felt devoid of energy as though someone had unplugged their power supply. While the severity of symptoms fluctuates from person to person, fibromyalgia may resemble a post-viral state.

When light pressure is applied to the surface of the muscles throughout the body, patients with fibromyalgia find this painful, especially at the tender points used for diagnosis.

Other common symptoms of the syndrome are as follows:

• fatigue
• extreme sensitivity to cold
  
• irritable bowel (e.g., diarrhea, constipation, etc.)
• sleep disorder (or sleep that is unrefreshing)
• chronic headaches (tension-type or migraines)
• jaw pain (including TMJ dysfunction)
• cognitive or memory impairment
• post-exertional malaise and muscle pain
• morning stiffness (waking up stiff and achy)
• menstrual cramping
• numbness and tingling sensations
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• skin and chemical sensitivities

Specifically, I am having trouble with very tender muscles (it doesn't feel like sore or pulled muscles but more like a screwdriver being mashed into your arm when someone just gives you a little poke), numbness and tingling sensations, lightheadedness, headaches, sensitivity to *everything* (at least that's what it seems like sometimes) and overall fatigue. I was thinking that this was all due to the Guillain-Barre or being on the blood thinners for so long. Guess not.

I am still digesting and learning what fibromyalgia is all about so please be patient with me. I am not taking any drugs for it at this time because I don't feel that I need them. I am able to cope with my symptoms, especially now that I know why I'm feeling the way I do. It's also nice to know that I'm not crazy. I was beginning to think that all this stuff was in my head....which it sorta is but in a medically speaking sort of way.

I appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, and support. My goal is to continue to keep a positive outlook, take a realistic snapshot of my day to day health and strive to make the best out of every situation. I mean, at least I'm here to experience it, right?