Hi there all.
Looks like my journey has many similarities with some of you. It’s a tale of chronic pains coupled with life stressors.
Had chronic low back pain after fusion surgery on my lower back. This worked well for about 12yrs - enabling me to work in my dream job as a staff nurse. 5yrs ago pain started up again and I had a second lower back fusion. Recovered well & went back to work - with some adaptations. My job as a rehabilitation nurse in elderly care wasn’t too physically demanding, and I learned to manage my pain & minimise my drugs with mindfulness. Then covid struck, my employers in their surge planning redeployed me (Easter 2020). Shortly after my Dad caught covid & died. Work wise I had to go where I was told & over the course of 18mths worked in lots of different teams and roles across two other hospitals in my Trust. At times I was walking 8-10kms a day & had to take some time off with plantar fasciitis. On reflection it’s seemed like I’ve spent the last year or so collecting symptoms, joints, muscles etc most of which have been crazily sporadic without any particular correlations. An (undiagnosed) possible shingles followed by a stomach bug, but joints painful on & off. Although when I finally got to my GP last May he said he wasn’t sure what I needed - possibly a gastroenterologist or a rheumatologist! I plumped for the rheumatologist. The pains and life stresses continued. To cut a long story short finally last week I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. My diary was bulging with so many symptoms, often mixed & fleeting , that before my last consultation I’d sifted them into 5 main symptoms and how often I’d experienced them in the last 3-4 weeks. I’m pretty sure it was that synopsis put together with my newest symptom of skin sensitivity that helped her come to the diagnosis.
I’m also sure that if I hadn’t been for a daily mindfulness practice I wouldn’t have managed to survive the last 2 pandemic years & all the pain & stresses it’s given me & us all!
In a way it’s a relief to finally have a diagnosis & I’m very much hoping that my decision to retire in 3 months will help dampen down my symptoms. It’ll definitely massively reduce the stress in my life & I’m already counting down the weeks 😁
Will admit though the worst (& newest)to join the party is the skin on my shoulders, arms, wrists & hands feeling like they’ve been rubbed vigorously with sandpaper. Now that’s gone a bit crazy & driving me mad 🤪 Didn’t even realise that was a symptom! Maybe you’ll have some suggestions to help?
Thank you all for being there
New Member - Fibro Sufferer
New to the site but old to the complaint
When to accept a new outlook
Fibromyalgia. New symptoms 
New diagnosis 
