Fellow sufferers !

[Stefi]

I am so pleased to have found this community!

It is reasuring and comforting to know that I am not alone in my pain and that other people have the same problems as me!

I have been suffering with FM & M.E for about 10 years but it remained undiagnosed by a doctor until just before christmas 2011

I really thought I was going mad because I felt so awful, so much in pain and so fatigued. I even had to give up my job as a teaching assistant.

Over the years I've had so many blood tests which have made me feel like a human pin cushion - all came back negative and I felt like I was a hypocondriac ( excuse spelling!)

I went to a new doctor having moved to a new area, they did all the tests yet again (I told them they would come back negative...which they did) I broke down admitting that the pain & fatigue was just so bad that it totaly affects my whole life. I was finaly refered to a CFS/ME clinic and I was officialy diagnosed with F.M / CFS / M.E

It doesn't take away the pain or the tiredness or the constant struggle to have some sort of a normal life, but at least I have an answer to why I feel so terrible and know that I am not alone in my suffering

Gentle hugs to you all

Stefi x

[lynz]

hi stefi glad you found us everyones lovely on here and im so glad i found it too its lovely to talk to people who completly understand how you feel

gentle hugs to you x

[chorley]

Hi Stefi, Welcome to the madhouse LOL , glad you are here with the rest of us who know and understand what you are going though, i am sure you will enjoy all of the blogs and questions

CHORLEY

[kathlaidlaw]

hi stefi so glad you found site i only found it 2 days ago myself and in the first day i winged so much and it was supper thay everone just read , and no one said oh shut up or you are being stupid just pull your self together . they are all so good it is fab . to have people you don't have to explain what is rong you can just say how you feel and they all noso also just take this time to say thanks soft hugs to you and everyone .

[Hidden]

me too, Im fed up of having gps thinking Im either mad or a scounger, the only one to listen to me was my pychologist, he s also a cfs expert, I broke down the last time I saw him and explained how this illness has ruined my life, still need to find out the extent of my other illnessess

[Stefi]

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome

I think you have to be a very "strong" person to live with FM & other invisible illnesses, I don't feel strong tho, at the moment I just want to crawl back into bed!!

[jazher]

Hi Stefi,

This is an excellent site i love it, I too have fibro and cfs/me and i am being refferd to a cfs clinic its on the 12th april.

What have your experiances been so far? Is it worth going?

I think at some point everyone on here has thought they were going mad especially when you hear of some hooror stories of some gps.

Pleased for you that you have finally got an answer it helps i think.

good to meet you.

kel xxx

[Stefi in reply to jazher]

Hi Kel, It was worth going for me because it was them that confirmed the diagnosis and explained that I had fibro as well as cfs & M.E. I had never heard of fibromyalgia before!

They have now refered me to a rehab group which is an 8 week thing ( one afternoon a week) I start that on the 23rd. It is supposed to help with coping with the fibro etc whether it will help I don't know but it's worth trying I think xxx

[jazher in reply to Stefi]

Hi stefi, i will give anything a try.

The only thing that is putting me off is that mine is about 40 mins away and i dont drive so my partner has taken a day off to come with me but he cant do that every week so i dont know what i will do if it a weekly one.

I have been to cbt before and that was all about talking etc and i am not very good a stuff like that. well not face to face anyway.

good luck with your appointment and let us know how you get on.

kel xxx

[kathlaidlaw]

hi steff i am new to i was told after years of going the doctors then new one and sent to the hospital to see mr chui that was 18 months now no wat fm and me is but wat is cfs as i say no others thanks kathsoft hugs xx