My diagnosis - My purpose

Hello. My name is Susan and I have fibromyalgia.

I’ve always wanted to be a published author. So, one reason for writing this blog is to help fulfill that vision, even if my original ambition was to write fiction and to have my book printed by a reputable publishing company.

As the Rolling Stones song tells us, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find…..you get what you need.” I need to write and I need to be read.

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 15 years ago. I was 36.
It started with a pain in my left arm. At first I thought that I had pulled a muscle. Then, when the pain seemed to intensify and became unbearable, I thought I might have dislocated my shoulder.

I went to the doctor. He’d probably only been out of medical school for a year. He talked to me, touched me in a few places and asked me if it hurt. I don’t remember if he did x-rays or even lab work, but the diagnosis came off his lips on that first visit, “fibromyalgia.” I’d never heard of it, and I was certain that he was wrong.

Since that time, I’ve heard so many stories of people going from doctor to doctor with multiple symptoms and getting so many incorrect diagnoses before finally hearing that word. It seems incredible to me that he nailed it after a 20 minute exam.

On the heels of the first diagnosis, I consulted a neurologist. He spent a couple of hours with me and in the end he gave me a slightly different answer, “Post Traumatic Myofascial Pain Syndrome.” He also told me that he believed I could get well, and he recommended that I see a physical therapist for “strain-counter strain” therapy. He told me that if I didn’t get well, my condition could turn into fibromyalgia.

The physical therapy was nice, but it didn’t solve the problem. And so it has been a long and difficult 15 years.

But my purpose isn’t to tell you about me as much as to share the things that might help you.

Whether I originally had fibromyalgia or not, the pain in diverse places in my body and the symptoms that have added themselves to the original trouble have convinced me that I do indeed have fibromyalgia.

There is a lot of information out there about fibromyalgia, and I’m not a physician, but I have lots of first-hand experience. I’m hoping I can make a difference for you by sharing what has helped me and what has not.

Considering my foe, I’ve done very well. I’ve continued to work full time these 15 years. I’m still married to the same man. Daily, I choose hope over despair.