Just diagnosed

[BakerTom]

Hi all. I have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia along with Tendinopathy(bit like tendonitis) having previously been suspected to have Rheumatoid Arthritis. This new diagnosis makes more sense. Would the Fibromyalgia have come on recently, or could I have had it for years and not realised? I've always been sensitive to pain. My wife has chronic blood cancer and it doesn't seem to affect her overly, pain wise. I thought I was just being a wimp

[25rosclare]

Hi,

Everybody's Fibro journey seems to be different. Mine did build up over a period of a few years. I am sorry that you and your wife are going through such a rough year.

Don't compare your pain with your wifes pain. Women can be more stoic than men Different illness have different types of pain, get your own sorted.

Try and find a good GP who will help you with pain control. Work out what helps you. I find warmth helps me, a hot water bottle over a bad pain or a warm bath helps me. Gentle exercise helps. My pain seems to emanate from my neck so I always keep it warm. Support bandages on arms and legs can ease pain. Find out what helps you and don't worry if it takes time to work everything out.

I treat Fibro as a battle. I have successful days and bad ones but I don't let it take over my life even though it wants to. Good luck, you will get there in time.

Give my love to your wife xx

[BakerTom in reply to 25rosclare]

The worst, most persistent pain is in my neck, too. I've been max dosing co codamol and Naproxen for a month, but it doesn't seem to touch it. I'll call the gp on Monday to discuss further. I'm seeing my Osteopath on Monday as well. Now I have a diagnosis he will know what best to do. It was his idea to go to gp in the first place as he suspected rheumatoid arthritis

[Welshcatlady]

Welcome to our forum and the club that no-one wants to be a member of. Sorry to hear about your wife's cancer.You certainly could have Fibromyalgia for some time or it could have been caused by a recent trauma. You don't say how long ago your wife was diagnosed with cancer, that may have been the trigger that caused it.

This is just my opinion as I am not medically qualified.

[BakerTom in reply to Welshcatlady]

The doctor seemed to think it was. She was diagnosed 2017, progressed 2020, and started getting worse in the last few months

[trip77]

Welcome to the forum mate and I hope ye find it as helpful as I have. I'm sorry to hear about yer missus and I wish her all the best in her battle with the cancer. It really is a horrible condition.

In regards to the fibro, I think everyone seems to have had their own struggles or battles to get a confirmed diagnosis, and a lot of them will tell ye that the main problem is the lack of professional medical people with the knowledge of the condition. People get passed from pillar to post on a regular basis, and it's only when they see an individual with the experience or the knowledge of it, that they find out they have been suffering for years or have just recently started suffering from it. If ye get someone who recognises the symptoms etc, then yer one lucky son of a gun.

I also sympathise with ye feeling like a wimp as I have gone through the same. From being a very independant, physical and active person, to complaining to me missus that I was aching or tired all the time and needing help to have a shower or get dressed etc, while they are going through their own thing, ( my partner suffers from endometriosis and chronic fatigue), ye do feel like ye should be able to manage or carry on as normal.

It's very hard for other folk to see how much ye are suffering as ye can look and can carry on like a normal person some of the time, that's why it's sometimes referred to by other sufferers as an imposter syndrome, or feeling like an imposter.

Yer in the right place here though, and whatever ye find ye are struggling with or need help or advice, there is always someone on here to discuss things with and help ye vent or discover things with. It really is a brilliant forum and site and I really am glad it's available. I hope ye find it as useful as I have and get the help and advice ye really need from being a member here.