AbbyRose
Member
- Joined
- Mar 8, 2017
- Messages
- 11
- Reason
- DX FIBRO
- Diagnosis
- 02/2017
- Country
- CA
- State
- ON
Hi everyone. I'm Abby. I was officially diagnosed in February of this year by a rheumatologist, but my family doctor put me on Lyrica before Christmas.
I've been in pain for years, but blamed myself for it. I was (and am) overweight, and that's society's first answer to any fat person's health issues: It's your own fault. I also thought that I must just have a really low threshold for pain.
As a kid, every time one of my friends saw a Volkswagen Beetle, they'd punch me in the arm and yell "Punch bug red!" I could never understand why they thought this was a fun game. My arm would hurt for days.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to take time off work to get my degree, but when I returned in December 2015, my body rebelled. I couldn't stand for more than three or four minutes; I had shooting pains in my feet; I could throw out my back just by walking a few steps. Getting out of bed was so hard. Everything hurt. In my head, though, it was my fault for not keeping in better shape. Other employees who were older than me could do the same job, so why couldn't I? I couldn't cut back on my hours at work because I had (and still have) student loans to repay.
It wasn't until the summer of 2016 when a friend suggested I may have fibromyalgia. I'd heard of it, but didn't know the details. Once I did some research, it all clicked. I went to my doctor, told him what I had found, and he put me on Lyrica.
It's different now that I've been diagnosed by a specialist. In some ways, it was easier for me to blame myself, because in theory, I could fix it. If I exercised and lost weight, I wouldn't be in pain. Now that possibility is gone. I will be in pain for the rest of my life, and that is scary AF.
The Lyrica still kind of works, and I take half an Oxy in the morning to get me moving. I bought a vaporizer online, and on really bad days, I use it. I see my doctor next week, and I'll be asking for a medical marijuana prescription, but I'm in Canada, so it should be legalized sometime this summer.
And that's me!
I've been in pain for years, but blamed myself for it. I was (and am) overweight, and that's society's first answer to any fat person's health issues: It's your own fault. I also thought that I must just have a really low threshold for pain.
As a kid, every time one of my friends saw a Volkswagen Beetle, they'd punch me in the arm and yell "Punch bug red!" I could never understand why they thought this was a fun game. My arm would hurt for days.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to take time off work to get my degree, but when I returned in December 2015, my body rebelled. I couldn't stand for more than three or four minutes; I had shooting pains in my feet; I could throw out my back just by walking a few steps. Getting out of bed was so hard. Everything hurt. In my head, though, it was my fault for not keeping in better shape. Other employees who were older than me could do the same job, so why couldn't I? I couldn't cut back on my hours at work because I had (and still have) student loans to repay.
It wasn't until the summer of 2016 when a friend suggested I may have fibromyalgia. I'd heard of it, but didn't know the details. Once I did some research, it all clicked. I went to my doctor, told him what I had found, and he put me on Lyrica.
It's different now that I've been diagnosed by a specialist. In some ways, it was easier for me to blame myself, because in theory, I could fix it. If I exercised and lost weight, I wouldn't be in pain. Now that possibility is gone. I will be in pain for the rest of my life, and that is scary AF.
The Lyrica still kind of works, and I take half an Oxy in the morning to get me moving. I bought a vaporizer online, and on really bad days, I use it. I see my doctor next week, and I'll be asking for a medical marijuana prescription, but I'm in Canada, so it should be legalized sometime this summer.
And that's me!
