I know I haven’t posted in a couple of weeks and I’m very sorry! So let me explain. I usually don’t talk about me a whole lot but today is the day! As you know, life has been quite stressful for me lately. I’m still in the middle of my divorce. It keeps lingering and I suppose it will for a little while longer. All in all, I’m dealing quite well with it. I’ve got a good support system in place that helps considerably. I’m also a religious person and that has kept me grounded throughout this whole ordeal.
For the last 3 months or so I’ve been dealing with a lot pain throughout my body. When it first started I had a lot of blood work done and it was decided that I had Parvovirus B19. I was then told that there is no treatment for it and you just have to ride it out. Great. Sometimes my pain is so bad that I can’t get back up off the floor. Eventually though, my pain started easing up and I thought I was over the worst of it. Not the case.
Three weeks ago my pain started to increase again. It got to the point to where I had to wear a brace on my wrist because a full glass hurt too much to pick up. So, back to the doctor I went. The doctor explained to me that it wasn’t possible for Parvo to last this long and that my blood would’ve come back positive if I had Parvo when I was a child as well. She concluded that this was most likely the case. My previous blood work had ruled out a number of culprits that could be causing my pain. Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, diseases from a tick bite, etc. After a thorough exam she came to the conclusion that I have Fibromyalgia. Lovely. A subject for another blog maybe?
Since my diagnoses last week I have read four books on the subject and I can see how textbook I am when it comes to Fibromylagia. I have had a hard time accepting the fact that I have another lifelong illness to deal with. However, I started therapy yesterday. I have a very good feeling about it and I hope that with time it will help me to deal gracefully with all of this.
On a more positive note, I want to thank everyone who reads this blog. I never thought I would have this many readers! I’m getting many, many views everyday and I have an all time high of subscribers! I think this blog has become successful, probably only mildly so in comparison with big blogs. But I am very proud of it. I love your comments and feedback, so please keep it coming!
Up's and Down's of Bipolar II 
September 21st, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. Divorce is awful. The good news is that one goes away.
I’m sorry to hear about the fibromyalgia. Did you start physical therapy? I heard it helps. It’s supposed to strengthen the muscles so that when the fibromyalgia rears it’s ugly head, you won’t have as much of a difficult time getting around.
I was born with genu valgum. That’s just the medical term for knock knees. It caused tendonitis in my teens. Now I have an issue where my knee caps are funny and they pop out of place now and again. They told me PT would help, but a lot of the damage is already done. If this had been caught when I first started complaining of knee pain (age three), I would’ve been ok. Except, back then they called any pain a kid had “growing pains”. Ugh.
I’m glad you were very proactive about it. Now you can get the right treatment and reduce symptoms without unneccessary suffering.
I hope you feel better soon!
September 21st, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Thanks for saying hi! No I have not had PT prescribed for me yet but I’m still at the beginning stages of just seeing what works and what doesn’t. I have a 2 week follow up next Tues and I will bring PT up and go from there. Hopefully I find a way to get the pain under control soon!
September 22nd, 2011 at 9:37 am
Sorry to hear that you have fibromyalgia. When I was 10 I was diagnosed with chronic migraines. Now I’m quite a bit better after exercise and in general taking better care of myself and learning a lot of the triggers. Oddly enough, there was a lot of cross over in what I learned in managing daily migraines and bipolar disorder. So, hopefully, all that you’ve learned to manage your bipolar symptoms will also help you manage these new problems.
September 22nd, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Yeah what I’ve learned with my bp has helped me already. In fact some anti-depressants help with fibro pain. And having fibro is forcing me to take better care of myself, sleep, exercise, etc. I know that benefits me as a whole but it also helps my bp.
September 24th, 2011 at 4:07 am
I’m so sorry for your pain, I have known people with fibromyalgia and it can be quite disabling. Also, in case you haven’t encountered it, I just want to give you a heads’ up. Fibro is one of those conditions that some (very ignorant) people want to dismiss, as if you were pretending. Don’t ever let them make you feel like what you have is not 100% medically legit, and somehow just you complaining or being weak.
I’m glad to see you back, though.
September 24th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
Thank you Ruby! Yes, unfortunately I now have not one but two illness that have a lot of stigma surrounding them. Yay me. Good thing I know the ropes!
November 24th, 2011 at 10:36 am
Its allways terrible when you get a diagnosis becuase its one other thing that we have to put up with and live with. I allway myself find talking on the web about it helps me to vent a little bit or just get it out. doesnt feel that bad then
July 9th, 2012 at 2:07 pm
I can relate to some of what you feel because I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in my early 20s. I definitely had CFS, but the situation was more complicated because I’d had pretty bad depression since my early 20s and as time went on my symptoms became more and more “bipolar”.
The way mania and hypomania tend to be written up, with the implication that sufferers invariably have inexhaustable supplies of physical energy is just plain misleading. The last 2 times I’ve been hypomanic I was physically exhausted and yet just not sleeping. Mentally I had a lot of energy, but that never stopped me feeling extremely tired.
I don’t know much about fibromyalgia so I couldn’t recommend any treatments, but I do hope you start feeling better soon 🙂
Take care 😉
December 22nd, 2012 at 4:56 am
….Here!
so sorry if im absent of any etiquette))
‘not one but two illness that have a lot of stigma surrounding them’…
((i have actually never ‘blogged?’ before
i have been with FibroMyalgia for 8ish years now (bp all my life).
i may have just like to be thinking that i might could offer anything somethings~