Fibromyalgia

My other diagnosis

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia when I was nineteen years old. I felt an achy pain throughout my body. My Mom took me to several doctors. Some thought the pain was in my head. "if my daughter says she has pain, she has pain" my Mom said. We finally found a specialized (Rheumatologist) doctor and he gave us the diagnosis of "Fibromyalgia" "Fibro what" I said

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in your muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points places on your body where slight pressure causes pain. (Mayo Clinic)

Some symptoms I had were:
1. flu-like pain
2. exhaustion
3. muscle stiffness and pain
4. insomnia
5. fatigue
6. mental malaise and confusion,
often refers to as fibro fog
7. headaches, however I experienced
migranes

The doctor recommend an anti-depressant. He explained people with this diagnosis didn't receive enough serotonin throughout there body. I felt I was too young to try the medicine and to go the healthy route. I ate healthy (foods that had serotonin) foods, and exercised (running).

The running helped somewhat with the sleep, however  my sleep cycles were inconsitant. I finally gave into the medication in my late twenties. It did not help with the pain but with my cognitive skills. My sister noticed a difference in how attentive I was.

I will continue my story tomorrow on how I and others coped with my diagnosis with Fibromyalgia