I really hate....

[LewisLegion]

...hurting!

I hate waking up five or six times on an average night. I hate getting out of bed feeling like I’ve just run a marathon and my muscles are worn out.

I hate random ‘electrical’ pains shooting from my elbows.

I hate the backs of my hands aching.

I hate struggling to climb stairs. I’m frackin’ 34 years old! I used to lift weights for crying out loud!

I hate this anxious crawling feeling that builds up until my entire body ‘jolts’ and people think I’m strange.

I hate my very skin aching.

I hate the fact that NOISE hurts and that I will startle if someone changes pitch in the way they talk.

I hate wanting to just break into tears while pretending nothing’s wrong so I don’t look like a baby/drag down everyone else’s day.

And I hate people telling me it’s all in my head!

I HATE FIBROMYALGIA!

[telecom_goddess]

Hopefully you at least have a doctor who recognizes the condition and supports it? There are some new drugs and treatments out there for it now too.

[LewisLegion]

My GP recognizes it. She referred me to a rheumatologist. I'm seeing him on Tuesday.

Today is really bad. I'm extremely achy and anxious, jumping at everything, sounds hurting, the whole smear.

You ever get a really bad fever and get that horribly achy, worn out feeling? That's what it feels like all the time...only add being really really jumpy on top of that.

*cry*

[DrFaroohk]

ive heard of people taking welbutrin for that - maybe bring it up to the doc or something./

[RavenStarr]

What is it about fibromyalga, that makes people say it's all in your head?

[Ree]

What is it about fibromyalga, that makes people say it's all in your head?

It's because most standard tests that are run don't show anything abnormal, so many doctors have assumed for years that it was all in a patient's head.

Now that they know a lot more about fibromyalgia, they know what to look for in most cases so a diagnosis is more readily made.

[BlaqueKatt]

It's because most standard tests that are run don't show anything abnormal, so many doctors have assumed for years that it was all in a patient's head.

plus the standard "well you don't look sick"

I'd add read some of the stories/essays at "but you don't look sick.com"

they won't make you feel better, but you'll feel less alone..and they do have some funny quotes on shirts that would shut people up...like this one and this one

they also have message boards for support, etc

[DrFaroohk]

Where I live everyone has fibromyalgia. The sad truth is that in cases where you can't really tell one way or another if someone is sick, its easy for the less scrupulous of us to get away with pretending to be sick and collecting a nice disability check.

And that gives those that genuinely do have it a bad name. Sucks.

[LewisLegion]

I genuinely do have it...well, waiting on the official diagnoses but my symptoms are more or less textbook, even some of the rarer ones (like itchy ears). I for one plan on working until I literally can't any more. Thank God for office jobs. I hate the idea of being on SSI or disability. HATE it.

All I can see is a future of having to use a wheelchair on days I want to go walk around the zoo or a fair...having to use a cane on days I feel dizzy or can't make it up the stairs easily and need something to steady on...pain medications, muscle relaxers, disability plaques for the car that people will yell at you if you use becuase...again...'you don't look sick'.

My mother has had fibro and JRA all of my life, so I've seen it firsthand.

I sure didn't plan on going from 34 to 94 this fast...

[DrFaroohk]

Used to have a regular customer at the store I worked at - disabled vet who walked with a cane that he didn't even REALLY need, but he abused his handicapped privileges as much as he could. He'd even give other people shit for parking in HIS handicapped space, even if they had the proper tags he'd still bitch because they sure didn't look sick.....

[BlaqueKatt]

disability plaques for the car that people will yell at you if you use because...again...'you don't look sick'

seriously-check out the shirts I linked to(also available in other items)-if nothing else you'll have a nice comeback to the a$$holes that think a disability has to be visible to exist.....

[LewisLegion]

Thanks Blaquekat, I love that site now