| Once upon a time, I was a vibrant, youthful | | | | through my rehabilitation, my employer 'let me go' |
| teenager...My First EncounterDuring my first | | | | because I was obviously unable to work. I attempted |
| pregnancy, I had contracted chicken pox from my | | | | to go back to work as an office manager for a |
| young nephews and niece. Though it made for an | | | | wonderful & understanding employer, (I figured it |
| irritable time in my initial trimester, I hadn't given it | | | | was light work.) and performed fairly well for a few |
| much aforethought. In the last part of my pregnancy, | | | | months. Suddenly, I was in a hospital emergency |
| I noticed some weakness in my legs and arms, but | | | | room - this time, I came out in a wheelchair. Not only |
| naturally assumed it was part of the gestational | | | | did MRI tests confirm I had a herniated disc at the |
| effects.It was after I gave birth, that I began having | | | | C-3/4, but I also had a spinal lesion (myelopathy) at |
| more frequent physical difficulties, but again, | | | | the C-1/2. Strange that workers compensation |
| attributed these nuisances to normal post-partum | | | | doctors coudn't find it, but numerous MRI tests this |
| effects. As time progressed, I began losing balance & | | | | time, confirmed it.After seeing a few, reputable |
| coordination; and even dropped everyday household | | | | Neurologists, I was additionally diagnosed with |
| items such as glasses, keys, and other things as well. | | | | Transverse Myelitis (TM) and a 'bulging disc' (herniated |
| I had finally had enough when my rib cage began to | | | | disc). This explained why I had been encountering all |
| feel broken and I couldn't stand the pain any longer. | | | | these unrelated physical problems.Giving UpI guess |
| Over a decade later, and after numerous doctor | | | | when I first sat in my wheelchair, I instinctively gave |
| visits, MRIs and multiple lab tests; I was finally | | | | in to my physical condition. Why bother living |
| diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.What is Fibromyalgia? | | | | anymore, I thought. I couldn't function properly and |
| Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness that can cause | | | | felt like a complete invalid. How was I going to make |
| musculoskeletal pain in various areas of the body, is | | | | my household payments? How was I going to care |
| characterized by fatigue, and is often associated with | | | | for my two, then elementary schoolers? How was I |
| Restless Leg Syndrome, Migraine and rheumatism - to | | | | even going to live? While all these thoughts ran |
| name a few. Additionally, attacks of fibromyalgia | | | | through my mind, I was becoming an emotional |
| seem to spontaneously come and go.At first, I was | | | | wreck.Because of my health, I was taking so many |
| treated with multiple 'pain aids' that did help with the | | | | medicines that I couldn't tell if I was coming or going. |
| pain, but made me even more tired than I was | | | | I would take one medicine for this, one for that, one |
| before I took the medicines. Eventually, I went off | | | | to counteract the effects of another, and another to |
| the medications and focused on my work and simply | | | | counteract the effects of a different one...and so on. |
| 'ignored' the illness. I figured if I had to live with it, I | | | | And thanks to all of these wonderful conventional |
| might as well accept it.What I Didn't KnowWhat I | | | | medicines, I returned to the hospital because one of |
| didn't realize was that Fibromyalgia can weaken a | | | | them nearly killed me. It was then that I knew I had |
| person so much that sometimes, individuals can be | | | | to find a different way.Starting OverGoing against |
| more quickly injured or more prone to other | | | | medical advisement, I literally stopped all of my |
| conditions than those without Fibromyalgia. That's | | | | prescribed medicines at once. I became acquainted |
| when I experienced my first real encounter with its | | | | with the International Disability Coalition and got into |
| lethal effects. While at work, I wasn't doing anything | | | | band, strengthening excercises and virtually re-taught |
| too terribly physical. However, it was the day in and | | | | myself how to walk - without the help of any |
| day out repititions of physical labor that not only | | | | medical professional. I also incorporated a |
| added to my condition but wrecked further havoc on | | | | 'mind-over-matter' attitude that I believe, enabled me |
| me as well - and left me susceptible to injury.On the | | | | to step out of the wheelchair and back into life.It's |
| Job InjuryThere I was, performing my normal work | | | | been about 3 years now, and I still live daily with |
| activities when, 'Ouch!' and 'Oh my God!' entered my | | | | back, neck, shoulder and sciatic nerve pain. I |
| mouth. The pain was excruciating. Numbing and | | | | sporadically suffer relapses where I can't walk, or I |
| impairing. With a simple maneuver, I was | | | | can't move my arms or hands. BUT, I am no longer a |
| incapacitated. Pain and tingling numbness ran down | | | | walking or wheelchair-bound zombie. I swim and |
| my right side. It was unbearable. Not only that, I | | | | practice water exercises when the weather is warm |
| could barely make it to the office because I had to | | | | to build muscle strength. And there are still times |
| drag my right leg to get to where I needed to | | | | when my pain gets the better of me and I still go |
| be.When I got to the hospital, I was told that "...you | | | | through emotional ups and downs. And like most |
| sprained your back..." That was it. No MRIs, just a | | | | conditions, they flare up more often with cold |
| quick once-over to tell me that all my pain, my lack | | | | weather, emotional and physical stress, and lack of |
| of feeling - according to workers compensation' | | | | rest. BUT I am alive today, I am a survivor, and |
| doctors - was merely a 'sprained back.'I knew I had | | | | though I may have fibromyalgia, Transverse Myelitis, |
| fibromyalgia, but it had NEVER acted in this sense. | | | | migraine, disc herniation, and restless leg syndrome - |
| Not because I was 'weak,' but because my right side | | | | these disorders do NOT have me.In ClosingLiving with |
| had gone totally numb. It was frustrating to say the | | | | my chronic disorders and illness has taught me to be |
| least. Nearly 9 months after my injury, and even | | | | more patient...more loving...more giving. I now share |
| working on light-duty while taking heavy pain killers, | | | | my home with not only my human family, but have |
| doctors FINALLY found that my right shoulder had | | | | adopted several rescue dogs - who I also compliment |
| been subluxated (dislocated) and scheduled me for | | | | for adding so much love and compassion to my |
| surgery. After the surgery, I went through months | | | | emotional wellbeing. And so long as there is a purpose |
| of agonizing physical therapy to get my right arm | | | | on this earth for me to exist, I will attempt to make |
| back into its proper range of motion. But the | | | | the most of it. Every hour. Every day.Living with |
| numbness, the back pain and the lack of feeling in | | | | Chronic Illness & Disorders: Are You a Survivor? |
| my legs still came and went without any signs of | | | | Copyright 5/2005 - All Rights Reserved |
| remorse.Shocking DiscoveryBy the time I had went | | | | by C. |