I have been doing a lot of research on all my symptoms and medical issues and came up with an answer: Fibromyalgia. My Dr agrees. He's running one more test and then he'll recommend a Dr he knows who deals with fibromyalgia. Just one more thing to add to my list, but fibromyalgia can be the route cause of some of my problems.
Defining Fibromyalgia: (taken from the National Fibromyalgia Association website)
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a common and complex chronic pain disorder that affects people physically, mentally and socially. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome rather than a disease. Unlike a disease, which is a medical condition with a specific cause or causes and recognizable signs and symptoms, a syndrome is a collection of signs, symptoms, and medical problems that tend to occur together but are not related to a specific, identifiable cause.
Fibromyalgia, which has also been referred to as fibromyalgia syndrome, fibromyositis and fibrositis, is characterized by chronic widespread pain, multiple tender points, abnormal pain processing, sleep disturbances, fatigue and often psychological distress. For those with severe symptoms, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily activities.
Symptoms I am feeling:
- Leg Pain
- Hip Pain
- Arm Pain
- Headaches
- Neck Pain
- Problems Sleeping
Symptoms that I have had for a while that can be part of Fibromyalgia:
- Memory Problems
- IBS
- TMJ
- Raynaud's
Reading about what other people go through who have fibromyalgia is concerning. If I do have it, I hope it never gets worse. I'm out on medical leave now because I can't sit for more than 10 minutes without being in a lot of pain. It's debilitating at times. This along with lymphedema and all my other problems is really depressing. I'm trying my hardest to keep an eye out for the light at the end of my tunnel. There is always hope for a better day.
