My Fibromyalgia Journey – Diagnosis
In my last post I talked about not knowing what was wrong with me, today I thought I would share what happened next.
Off I trotted to the Doctors. I’m very lucky as I have a brilliant medical practice, the reception staff, nurses and Doctors are lovely and caring.
My nurse, Karen, had already emailed the Dr J so she knew why I was seeing her. Dr J explained that if all my blood tests came back alright then she would complete an online programme which would give a score. Over a certain number it would be highly likely to be Fibromyalgia.
To cut a long wait short, I went back to see Dr J and yes my bloods were fine, so I then had to answer a list of questions.
These symptoms are taken from the NHS website.
Do you have…. ?
Widespread Pain
The pain could feel like:
an ache
a burning sensation
a sharp, stabbing pain
Stiffness Fibromyalgia can make you feel stiff. The stiffness may be most severe when you have been in the same position for a long period of time – for example, when you first wake up in the morning.
It can also cause your muscles to spasm, which is when they contract (squeeze) tightly and painfully.
Poor Sleep Quality
Fibromyalgia can affect your sleep. You may often wake up tired, even when you have had plenty of sleep. This is because the condition can sometimes prevent you sleeping deeply enough to refresh you properly. You may hear this described as non-restorative sleep.
Cognitive problems ('fibro-fog')
Cognitive problems are issues related to mental processes, such as thinking and learning.
If you have fibromyalgia, you may have:
trouble remembering and learning new things
problems with attention and concentration
slowed or confused speech
Headaches
If fibromyalgia has caused you to experience pain and stiffness in your neck and shoulders, you may also have frequent headaches.
When I answered, yes to the above and more, Dr J diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia.
Thank F**K for that as I truly thought I was going mad! Now I know what is wrong I can look at ways to make me feel better and I now take time out …. When I hit wall with tiredness I stop and have a lie down… and meditate or fall asleep.
In my next blog I’ll talk about the downfalls of researching on the internet and finally seeing a Specialist.
