Hello. 28 F - Italy. New here!

[SallySour]

Hello to everyone. Sorry for the long post! Thanks for everyone that will read it.

I've been following this forum for a while since I initially suspected I have fibromyalgia.
After my first visit my rheumatologist prescribed a lot of blood tests, a back XRay and an appoitment with a dermatologist.
In the paper she gave me I read a couple of things that confused me (I altready left the office and couldn't ask her):
- "pressure points" +++ (I know what they are, don't have a clue what +++ means)
- she was checking for rheumatic diseases (my father has rheumatoid arthritis); under "Diagnosis" she wrote "checking for rheumatologic issues, fibromyalgic syndrome" , so I don't understand if she confirmed fibromyalgia or she is checking for it (it seems confirmed).

That being said, I am grateful and sad with the situation, as probably almost everyone in my position.
I am working in theraphy to not only accept the limits that this diagnosis puts around me (I was already "disabled" thanks to trauma and a personality disorder) but also to allow myself to feel unwell.
All my life all my issues were reconducted to anxiety or my personality or just being a sensitive problematic child that cried wolf so I learned to bite my tongue and go forward because it's all in my head.
I was convinced everyone feels like me everyday and just doesn't complain because they are tougher than me.
It works, I mean.. not fully of couse but I am in part glad I am able to push through my pain and fatigue, but that stresses me a lot and now my pain tolerance is really low.
I do have doubts everyday about my pain. Is it anxiety? Why do I faint, is it phychological or phisical?

I will get better (mentally) and prepare well to the rest of my life.

Thank you, a warm (not painful) hug to all of you.
Love from Italy.

 

[Sabina]

Welcome to the group & thank you for your post!
Is it possible you can contact your doctor for a more clear explanation of their findings? This would help you better understand what you have & how to deal with it.
I, too, had a lot of therapy & it really shed some light on my health problems. I also tried to “tough it out” & still do sometimes but found it only makes matters worse.
Self-care is key as well as pacing your daily tasks, etc. so you don’t get worn out.
Be gentle with yourself, none of this is easy but you can & will get better.
What helped me tremendously was reading as much as I could about my issues. And this forum.
Take good care & keep us posted.
All the best - Sabina

 

[SallySour]

Welcome to the group & thank you for your post!
Is it possible you can contact your doctor for a more clear explanation of their findings? This would help you better understand what you have & how to deal with it.
I, too, had a lot of therapy & it really shed some light on my health problems. I also tried to “tough it out” & still do sometimes but found it only makes matters worse.
Self-care is key as well as pacing your daily tasks, etc. so you don’t get worn out.
Be gentle with yourself, none of this is easy but you can & will get better.
What helped me tremendously was reading as much as I could about my issues. And this forum.
Take good care & keep us posted.
All the best - Sabina

Thank you very much.
I will see my general practitioner in a couple weeks, and the rheumatologist in three months, it feels like a long time but it isn't. I will try to keep working and pacing my tasks a bit.
Thanks.

 

[sunkacola]

@SallySour . welcome to the forum.
I fully understand about assuming everyone else has the same thing you have and they are all just better at dealing with it. This can apply to physical problems and mental issues both and I have experience with that.

Just so you know, that "pressure point" test has been thoroughly debunked due to utter lack of reliability and is no longer used by medical professionals who are knowledgeable about fibromyalgia.

From your post, I think that you are approaching this new diagnosis (if that is what you got...it seems unclear to me as well) in a positive way and that puts you several steps ahead of people who spend a lot of time saying "why me?". So you can feel good about that, for starters!

Second, i want you to know that this doesn't have to mean you are now heading down a long and terrible road. there are many things that you can do to increase the overall quality of your health and well being, both physically and mentally, and this is likely to decrease your fibro symptoms and make the whole thing more manageable. I link to a post that outlines a lot of these things, below.

We are here to help, offer our experience and staunch support and encouragement to you in this, so feel free to come here to ask, to vent, and to learn and also to teach others. You are not alone.

My advice for managing fibromyalgia (especially for newcomers)

I am not a doctor or anything, just a person who has lived with fibromyalgia for several years now and has done a lot of research and trial and error experimentation. What follows is just basics. There are a lot of variations. You will find your own versions of everything I say, as this is not a...

www.fibromyalgiaforums.org

 

[fimi]

Hi Sally, and welcome to the forum from Italy!

I think the docs sometimes tye themselves up in knots as well as us, so I would, as sabina suggested, get this clarified.

All my life all my issues were reconducted to anxiety or my personality or just being a sensitive problematic child that cried wolf so I learned to bite my tongue and go forward because it's all in my head.

Unfortunately I had exactly the same problem - for many years, all my pain put down to anxiety, and sadly we're not alone.
But I can tell you now it felt really good when I eventually proved them wrong!

Whether you have a fibro diagnosis or not, it sounds as if you're a strong person on the right track. Just remember to look after yourself and keep up the self care.

I know It's not easy pushing through with the mental health ... but I know you can do it! And I'm always here to chat (as we all are on the forum) if you need to.

Keep strong

 

[SallySour]

Hi Sally, and welcome to the forum from Italy!

I think the docs sometimes tye themselves up in knots as well as us, so I would, as sabina suggested, get this clarified.


Unfortunately I had exactly the same problem - for many years, all my pain put down to anxiety, and sadly we're not alone.
But I can tell you now it felt really good when I eventually proved them wrong!

Whether you have a fibro diagnosis or not, it sounds as if you're a strong person on the right track. Just remember to look after yourself and keep up the self care.

I know It's not easy pushing through with the mental health ... but I know you can do it! And I'm always here to chat (as we all are on the forum) if you need to.

Keep strong

Thank you, you are all so sweet it makes me tear up!
I will celebrate the sense of relief that having some sort of explanation gives us buying the best granita I can find, cheers!

 

[fimi]

Granita's all the way...Cheers Sally!

 

[JamieMarc]

Welcome to the group. You came to the right place.

 

[WhoDat83]

Ciao SallySour,
welcome to the group. hope you ll fill better soon phisically or at least mentally knowing what you actually have.
we are here to support you all the way, ok? facci sapere
Scrivimi in privato se hai bisogno. forza!