Fibro's Back with a Vengeance

Until today I don't think I had realized how much better I had been doing compared to where I was 4 years ago. I'd forgotten just how much pain I was in. And now it's back... I guess I really shouldn't be surprised by the flare-up and should consider myself lucky that overall it has been manageable for the last 4 years. The current flare-up could have been brought on by any number of factors: the medications, irregular sleep patterns, not getting enough exercise, stress, etc. For anyone that doesn't have a chronic pain condition count yourself lucky. They say fibromyalga is the "invisible disease" because you don't appear sick. You're just in constant pain and low on energy. I keep cracking my back hoping for some relief of the pain but since it's not in the joints it doesn't help. For most of the day I was curled up with Azrael on the couch. It hurt too much to do anything else. Been a long time since I hurt like this. I'm hoping it's short lived since, as I've already been told no doctor in Peterborugh will treat it. Without a family doctor I can't go see a specialist either. It's a no win situation. All I can hope is that tomorrow is a better day, with less pain than today.

Fibromylgia & Depression

Okay so maybe I am still in denial... but I refuse to accept that I am depressed. I looked up the symptoms for the Fibromyalgia and for Depression and noticed there were a lot of overlapping symptoms. Not to mention with the symptoms from the fibromyalgia it's easy to see why there is a link to depression. The pain is still there... a constant reminder. But over the last year or so the fatigue has increased to the point where I have no energy at all to do anything. Even more difficult for me to deal with is the cognitive side, or "Fibro fog" that I experience. I'll lose track halfway through a sentence and have difficulty focusing. Every day is a challenge. I try and cover for the lapses but it's frustrating, especially for me. You could say something to me and I'll have no recollection.. or sometimes I won't even understand. It's like you were speaking in English and I was hearing it in Japanese. So if you know any good ways to get some restorative sleep I am all ears.

Symptoms of fibromyalgia include:

• Chronic muscle pain, muscle spasms or tightness, and leg cramps.
• Moderate or severe fatigue and decreased energy.
• Insomnia or waking up feeling just as tired as when you went to sleep.
• Stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long.
• Difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks.
• Abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome).
• Tension or migraine headaches.
• Jaw and facial tenderness.
• Sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods and cold.
• Feeling anxious or depressed.
• Numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs or feet.
• Increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder).
• Reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise.
• A feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet.
• Painful menstrual periods.
• Dizziness.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Sadness
• Loss of enjoyment from things that were once pleasurable
• Loss of energy
• Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty making decisions
• Insomnia or excessive sleep
• Stomachache and digestive problems
• Sexual problems (for example, decreased sex drive)
• Aches and pains (such as recurrent headaches)
• A change in appetite causing weight loss or gain
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Attempting suicide