I was told when you have bad whiplash too Red, that it NEVER goes away. They called mine Severe and Chronic Whiplash at first. Then the levy leaked and the dam broke. LOL So yes, you will get to enjoy that whiplash for some time.

But I do know that my body is getting better at forecasting the weather than the weathermen! lol

Are you looking for sites with info about Fibro from Illness or something in particular Jill? I'd be happy to help you scout around, just let me know.

Pamela {please}

I wish tons of love and hugs!

Favorite sites besides MDJunction:
http://www.invisableillness.com
& the Fibro Store at:
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticability

I keep asking myself, when exactly did this fibro start, and I can't really pinpoint it. I have had DDD in my back with scoliosis and sciatica which was first diagnosed about 1989, as well as numerous bouts of bronchitis and sinus infections made worse by chronic asthma since the 1980's. My immune system has been shot for a long time, I believe. After my second baby was born in 1997 when I was 40, I noticed that I was getting out of bed in the morning

with stiffness and soreness in every muscle, and it gradually got worse until it was painful enough on a daily basis that I began popping ibuprofen and Aleve every single day to deal with it.

I went through a stressful divorce and bitter custody dispute that was extremely hard on me emotionally, beginning about 7 years ago, and that is when the fibro symptoms became worse and worse and I could no longer be in denial that something was wrong with me.

I also had a couple of bad injuries from falls, torn cartilage in my knee and torn ligaments in my ankle, and the fibro got worse after that also. It seemed that every physical and emotional stressor or trauma gradually made the pain and fatigue worse, the flares closer together, until one day I realized that I am in chronic pain and it is not going to just go away by itself, and this is more than just "the aches and pains of getting older" like I had kept telling myself. My chiropractor was the one to suggest that I probably had fibro, because he noticed that I was "inflamed" all over my back and shoulders and everywhere he touched was tender and painful, and my back was in spasm.

The symptoms would wax and wane and were not that bad until last summer, when I had a huge flare after a flu/sinus infection, and I have never really felt much better since then. I was diagnosed by my family doctor and still waiting to get the "official" diagnosis from a rheumatologist. I know I have had this for many years but until last summer it had not so totally taken over my life. I guess I am still on the road to complete acceptance. I don't want to "give in" to this bloody disease!

I don't think anyone wants to, I know I sure didn't. I only say didn't because I am working hard on coming to terms with it. It's not something I can change. It is something I have, but it doesn't have me. Now my DH on the other hand....O-M-G!! Talk about DENIAL. Good Lord!! About once a month we still have the 'ta-do' when he makes a stupid comment to the extent of "I'm giving up" or what makes me KEEP SAYING I'm disabled, or have Fibro or CPS, CFS, RA, etc, etc, (gets frustrating sometimes, I finally told him so this week!) Then I start with, Ok, Let's See here....and I'll hold up 1 finger....As for the Fibro, issue #1....Dr ABC at CBS Clinic dx'd and confirmed it through these and those testing and ruling other things out with blah blah tests, Dr Hoity Toity also dx'd it and confirm it by doing......Dr Suess confirmed and.... You get the picture, except I use the real names, not Dr Suess, and Hoity Toity. LOLOL

It's like I told my Psychologist, I hate when the Dr's know what it is and won't tell me. I knew for 6 months what they were going to say I had. I have a computer, I have WebMD, I'm not stupid! I kept asking....what do you "THINK" I have....what are you leaning towards....etc. to no avail. To me it is so much easier to deal with knowing "WHAT" I have. To sit there not knowing is stupid. And seeing what meds they are trying you on, eventually you can figure out what 2 + 2 are.

It can be difficult, but acceptance is, in my opinion, a big key to helping your body to deal with the syndromes. You certainly don't want to give in, or act like Ok, I know what it is, now I'll go curl up in a ball and let the world fly by. There is Woman in there (Man for any men reading) and we ARE strong. Look who has the babies in this world. We can (Oh geesh...here comes an old song.....) Bring home the bacon <da da da dat> Fry it up in a pan <da da da dat> LOL Ok, feeling silly. But I am sure you understand. Look at our Grand and Great Grandmothers. Being a Wife, living off the land, they took care of the critters and the kids, the house, the garden, milked the cows, hung out the laundry....so many things, and still could enjoy sitting down in the evening to knit or read or something else. (Where am I going? I dunno but it's sounding nice. LOL) Anyway.

We are strong individuals. I personally think to accept what is wrong with me is not being self defeating, but rather Self Enpowering. It shows I am standing up and willing to take on responsibility of checking out as much information each day as I can, of keeping my Doc appts, of being so familiar with this disease that I know it better than it knows me, this way "I" can kick IT in the Butt sometimes! Not let it do all the butt kicking.

So no, don't have to give in, but I hope you can find self enpowerment through your accepting a dx.

Hugs

Pamela {please}

I wish tons of love and hugs!

Favorite sites besides MDJunction:
http://www.invisableillness.com
& the Fibro Store at:
http://www.cafepress.com/artisticability

Finally, the hip, knee and shoulder pain started. The weight of clothes was painful. The dr told me to take advil. 1600 mg of advil a day wasn't cutting it after awhile, so back to the dr I went.

Finally, he did the tender points test. I flunked (or passed?!) pretty convincingly. "He said I think its FM" Gave me a script for flexeril which turned me into a zombie and did squat for the pain.

Now I'm on Lyrica. Pain is better but I'm foggy. I do have an appt with a rheumy dr, but that's in August!

I have a lot of trouble getting out of bed in the morning and pretty bad joint pain after sitting for a long time, but so far I can still work.

And I'm sure that was a LOT more than anyone wanted to know, but its nice to be able to "talk" about it without someone telling me its all in my head!