Introduction

Hi there,

I'm creating this blog as an information source for sufferers of Fibromyalgia such as myself.
There are plenty of professional channels out there & support groups but I thought by giving people an idea of what I go through on a daily basis from time to time that other sufferers may be able to identify with some of this & recognise how they can go about helping themselves cope with this debilitating condition.

Please note: I am not a medical professional in any capacity & that in all instances your GP should be your 1st port of call. This blog is for information only!


Firstly, I'll give you all some websites which can help with information & support groups; etc.

http://www.fibromyalgia-support.net/home.htm

http://www.realage.com/manage-fibromyalgia-pain/manage-fibromyalgia-pain-test

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Fibromyalgia/Pages/Introduction.aspx

http://www.ukfibromyalgia.com/

http://www.fibromyalgia-associationuk.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

These websites are there as a general overview about the condition; what it is; signs & symptoms; 
Treatments, diet & exercise, benefits & where you can get more information & advice, aswell as 
Support groups for your local area.

How it all started for me:

At the age of 14 I was attempting to start studying for my GCSE's that would start when I returned to 
School after the Summer holidays when I noticed that I was constantly tired & run down & couldn't concentrate, after a few
Weeks of constant fatigue & weakness I started to become constipated on a regular basis & then the leg pains began, in
My feet at first, spreading to my ankles; calves, knees, thighs and hips into my lower back. This is where I ended up, stuck 
In limbo with just the fatigue getting worse until I reached the age of 18, I found my student lifestyle I was trying to maintain
Was becoming increasingly difficult, my mood swings became worse as did my period pains (they would cripple me & leave
Me in bed for days at a time) aswell as the constipation. I visited my GP regularly & was told on numerous occasions
That it was all normal, part of growing up; etc.
I found out I was pregnant with my 1st child about a month later even though my periods were regular & I was on the
Contraceptive pill, Microgynon. My daughter was born naturally on 22nd May 2007 after 32 hours & 20 minutes worth of
Labour, after her birth I found it hard to cope struggling with Post natal depression & my worsening unexplained symptoms.
Upon speaking to my health visitor & GP at my 6 week post natal checkup my GP finally diagnosed me with Post Viral
Fatigue Syndrome (PVFS), after having my 2nd child on 9th June 2010, my son delivered via c-section due to complications,
I was then diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as I struggled immensely, especially due to complications I had after
My c-section.
In 2011; things seemed to escalate quickly & it was soon apparent to me that something was amiss as I couldn't sleep but was
Constantly tired; my muscles burned & ached even without excessive exercise, i lost grip in my right hand (my dominant hand)
 & my mood swings were so out of control that my
GP considered Bi-Polar for a while & the IBS was beyond belief, I felt like my life was ruined & became withdrawn & depressed.
I was then put onto Fluoxetine for a trial of 1 month to see how I coped with the depression, during this time things picked up for
The duration of a week & I started to feel better & went ahead & proposed to my long term boyfriend, he said yes & we booked 
Our wedding for the summer of 2011. I had a bit of a slump before the wedding but pulled myself back out of it with sheer 
Willpower & the help of a Surestart course called Open Door, this gave me confidence & a boost in energy as my moods were lifted
And I was able to enjoy my wedding day & the few weeks after that.
I found that each time the cold weather returned, I got worse within my emotional & physical states & so 2012 started out with myself
Constantly bugging my GP, he prescribed me Fluoxetine daily again. A few weeks into 2012 I found
 myself literally bed bound by the aches & pains & leg spasms; cramps & muscle stiffness all over my body, my concerned husband
Rang my GP & got me a home visit, he gave me dihydrocodeine for the pains & Gabapentin for the spasms. 
I started physio & aqua aerobics once a week each & then went on to beginners Zumba which helped with core strength, Pilates & 
Yoga I self taught with books & DVDs & these also helped along with the medication but then Spring 2012 saw my worst yet with me
Ending up hospitalised with severe dehydration due to IBS striking me unbelievably hard with diarrhoea being a predominant factor &
My leg weakness becoming so bad that my legs could no longer support me. Whilst in hospital recovering on an IV drip & diamorphine (
Yes the pains were that excruciating) I was constantly restless but not quite with it (I thought from the diamorphine) but I couldn't 
Make sense of anything anyone was saying to me & it seemed to take me longer to process anything, my headaches became crippling
And my whole body felt like it was on fire literally, the consultant did blood tests, swabs, scans, x rays; etc &  after 4 days of uncertainty & 
Various conditions being mentioned he finally came to the conclusion that it all led to Fibromyalgia.   10 years after it all started I finally
Had a diagnosis! 

4 months later (even though I was still on the pill, changed from Microgynon to Cerazette) I found out I was expecting my 3rd child & I'm now
In my 36th week of pregnancy.
This pregnancy has been the worst yet as my FM has spiked considerably, my muscle weakness led to SPD in pregnancy which in turn led
To a dislocated pelvis. My leg spasms are 2-5 times daily, my IBS is the worst yet & my headaches are excruciating. 
I have just been put on a special "athletes" diet to try & regain some of the nutrients; etc lost during my
Diarrhoea predominant IBS sessions & I am due to be booked in for an earlier c-section at 37 weeks rather than the
Recommended 39 weeks. Thankfully once the pregnancy is over I can start my Gabapentin, Dihydrocodeine
& Fluoxetine again, my pelvis can be put back into place & I can start up my diet & exercise routines
Again.

So that is my story in brief, I could go into more detail regarding my symptoms & how they affect me (which I will at some point later on
In this blog) but if you can identify with any of these symptoms then you will understand how it affects you & what helps you cope.