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Mispati3 Posts: 1006
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I finally got a diagnosis! Fibromyalgia. I know is sounds weird to be excited about it, but uncertainty was the worst! At least now I can move on to trying to manage my condition. I guess I should feel lucky ~ some people go for years trying to get a diagnosis. It only took me 6 months.
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elseaeff56
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Dear Mispati, I know what you mean about being happy to know you have a diagnosis! My husband and I had a 30ft. wooden crusier which we kept right off the Potomac were it met the Chesapeake Bay. The bottom of boats used in sea water must be treated with a copper-based paint system which slows down the build-up of barnicles and slime. Every year or so you must put the boat in dry dock and scrape the yuck off of it (barnicles, slime and loose paint) and if you're able to afford it, you can have this sand-blasted off. I can tell you that the only thing that works on an old wooden boat is the owner! We couldn't afford to have it sand-blasted, so we pulled her, had her put on stands, got our suits, safety glasses and masks and began to scrape the bottom of the boat. By the end of the day we were finished, but we were blue (color of paint) everywhere the suit, mask and eyewear didn't cover. We showered and went home. By the time I got home, I could hardly see because my head hurt so bad and my mouth tasted like I had been sucking on a mouthfull of pennies. As I lay on my bed moaning, my 12 yo daughter called the CDC and explained what I had been doing all day and that I had MS. The CDC called an ambulance and had me taken to MCV Hospital and all along were researching my symptoms for an answer. At the hospital they immediatly took blood work, did a CT scan to rule out any skull fractures and I lay on the gurney, crying because I thought the MS was in a major exascerbation. Not long after that, the doctor came in and calmed me down and told me that it was what they thought it was, heavy metal poisoning from scraping the copper-based paint from the bottom of our cruiser. All of a sudden my tears turned to laughter and he looked at me as though I'd really lost it. I hugged him and told him thank you! He told me he'd never had someone so happy to be told they had been poisoned! That's when I told him I thought my MS had gone haywire, and he understood why the crazy reaction. Besides, I told him, I have had that many times. You've had Heavy Metal Poisoning before? Sure, I said, but all I have to do is bang on my son's door and yell 'turn that crap down!' A bad day can become a good one sometimes. Elseaeff |
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amommy02 Posts: 1891
Senior Member
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Doesn't sound weird to me at all. I was glad to have a name to call this beast too. And I was very glad to know that I wasn't really dying, I only felt like I was. Now 3 years later I find myself hoping that some test will come back positive and they'll say they were wrong and that I have some other illness that there is a treatment for. I am not a doctor. Please consult with your doctor before following any advice given by myself or anyone else on this or any other forum. |
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mcbeth Posts: 1559
Senior Member
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I know exactly how you feel. I was so happy I didn't have anything like a tumor. It didn't take long for me to get a diagnosis either. elseaeff56 I got a kick out of your post. I thought sure you were going to say we would all feel better if we had our bottoms sand blasted. When you stumble, make it part of the Dance
Mary Beth |
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Janilee
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I liked the heavy metal poisoning from beating on your son's door. Mispati, I'm glad you got your diagnosis even though it was fibro. I'ts, nuts thats the third time i tried typing is so I'm leaving it go, very stressful when you know something i wrong but no one knows what it is. Just the feeling of relief that comes with knowing it's not something terminal it undescribeable. |
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KayDesigner
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Congratulations Mispati  but I'm sorry you have to deal with this  Funny, after my dx - I really didn't feel relieved - I went into denial mode. I worked my arss off for three day straight telling myself that it was all in my head and there was no way I had this. Of course, I landed myself in bed for about a week afterwards. Live and learn... BUT like mcbeth said - I came to accept it because it was like, OK, put your big girl panties on and deal with it - at least you don't have cancer or something terminal. Elseaeff - girl you made me laugh with the heavy metal thing. I got to tell Mac that one!!! As sick as this sounds, I think when we fibromites find out our dx, we need to go get a cake or something made and have a 'I've Been Given a Diagnosis' Party. Post edited by: KayDesigner, at: 01/14/2009 09:45 |
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Iknowpain Posts: 1841
Senior Member
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Favorite Poem :
It is such a relief when you first find out.
That the pain really does have a name,
And then you will ask (and everyone does),
"Just where can i place all the blame".
No matter the limits, no matter the pain,
There's no evil, cruel "Master Plan".
It just simply happens, It just simply is.
You adapt, and you change what you can.
But even with the knowing the best and the worst,
All the pitfalls the future could hold,
You still have a choice, you quit or you fight.
You determine the story that's told.
And every small step that we take, my dear friends,
Each battle that we slowly win,
Just credits the love and the caring we share
With the FMily that we call our friends. |
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KayDesigner
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OK, I'm looking for Kleenex now. That's powerful. Thank you Iknowpain and you're right - it does hit home. |
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julieleaps
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Mispati: I too completely understand. I can't say I was excited, but I was definitely relieved. I had been in constant pain for four months and was fortunate to be referred to a good rheumy that Dx'd me. You also hit the nail on the head when you said "learn to manage" your fibro. I think that's one of the biggest things to come to terms with: no fixing, just managing. Thx Iknowpain for sharing. |
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Midnyte
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I agree with the others, it's a blessing and a curse to be dx'd with fms. At least you have a name to put on it. At least you now have a group of wonderful ppl to listen when needed.  Good poem, thanks for sharing, Iknowpain. |
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