Mal12345
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- Apr 19, 2011
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Fibromyalgia is a fairly common neurological disorder affecting at least 5 million people here in the United States. Some estimates place the true number at around 10 million people, but it goes undiagnosed for many people, particularly men. It seems that I was born with it because it is a genetic disorder, but there are environmental factors called "triggers" that can bring an increase in symptoms (called flare ups). I was finally diagnosed with FM last February by a rheumatologist.
It did not start out as something that could be diagnosed easily. The only symptom I can recall as a child was playing games like kick ball where, upon kicking the ball hard with my right foot, my right hip area would explode with pain. This would lead to a loud cry of pain and me trying to limp to first base, only to fall to the ground before I was half way there. One time when this happened in PE class the teacher said he thought I was crying because I was upset for being called out, and not because I was in some very serious pain. Do kids limp as they are called out at first base? I didn't think so. The hard limping I was doing would seem to indicate pain, right? And not being upset over the fact that I kicked the ball right to the pitcher. Also, when I fell down, I was clutching my right hip. Ok, I admit it; I always clutch at my right hip when I am disappointed in something. It's not severe pain at all. Or maybe I was pretending to be in pain so I had an excuse for making such a lame kick. Right?
Actually, it was caused by a mysterious neurological disorder called fibromyalgia. And it really sucks.
Twenty-five years later, my muscles started aching, a change which took me by surprise. One day I was just fine (relatively), and the next day I could hardly hold a phone up to my ear because my muscles got tired out very quickly. I chalked it up to aging, although I didn't know anybody else who, at that age, experienced such a problem.
Even as I type this, I have to stop every minute because my arms are too tired. It's not because I'm weak. I have worked out with weights for months at a time and had no relief from that symptom.
Ten years later, every bone in my body started aching under the slightest pressure from outside. And then my tendons started giving me a lot of trouble. I was walking around stooped over from back pain. I was only 48 years old, but I shuffled around like a broken-down 80-year-old man.
I went to see a cheap doctor at the "free" clinic. She told me - without doing any range of motion testing whatsoever - that I had arthritis. She had a blood sample taken to rule out rheumatoid arthritis. After researching arthritis at reputable websites such as mayoclinic.org, I found that it was a rather questionable diagnosis. So I went back to that doctor, asked her to put her fingers between mine, and told her that it hurt. I have no arthritis nodules at all. I've seen arthritis nodules. And even if I had arthritis in my fingers, it wouldn't hurt that bad. So I told her that holding our fingers that way hurts and that I've never known anybody my age to have that kind of pain. She then stated that I have osteoarthritis (explaining as if it was obvious, like explaining 2+2=4 to an imaginative child who thinks that 2+2 can equal anything), and she explained that some people just age more quickly than others. She prescribed 1600 MG of Tylenol each day for the pain.
This last year, a couple of guys have shaken my hand hard and, without even meaning to, have practically brought me to my knees with pain.
So for over 3 years I went along with the osteoarthritis diagnosis, although I kept a place of doubt in my head because the pain wasn't just in my joints. At times I speculated that I also had bone cancer. I also researched fibromyalgia but couldn't come to a conclusion about it because the descriptions of FM are rather vague.
Early this year I visited a PA at a better clinic about my knee pain. He did a range of motion test on my knee. This range of motion test is supposed to bring out some painful responses if there is knee damage (from arthritis, tendinitis, etc), but I didn't respond at all. He said "hmmm." So I told him about the pain in my elbows. He did a range of motion exam on my left elbow which I did not react to at all.
The next thing I know he starts jabbing at various points of my body with both index fingers. He asked me if that hurts. I said "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes." He declared it to be fibromyalgia.
I then went to see a rheumatologist and also got a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (as well as chronic fatigue).
I've spent the last 8 months trying to convince myself that I have FM and not arthritis. I know it's true. It just takes some getting used to.
It did not start out as something that could be diagnosed easily. The only symptom I can recall as a child was playing games like kick ball where, upon kicking the ball hard with my right foot, my right hip area would explode with pain. This would lead to a loud cry of pain and me trying to limp to first base, only to fall to the ground before I was half way there. One time when this happened in PE class the teacher said he thought I was crying because I was upset for being called out, and not because I was in some very serious pain. Do kids limp as they are called out at first base? I didn't think so. The hard limping I was doing would seem to indicate pain, right? And not being upset over the fact that I kicked the ball right to the pitcher. Also, when I fell down, I was clutching my right hip. Ok, I admit it; I always clutch at my right hip when I am disappointed in something. It's not severe pain at all. Or maybe I was pretending to be in pain so I had an excuse for making such a lame kick. Right?
Actually, it was caused by a mysterious neurological disorder called fibromyalgia. And it really sucks.
Twenty-five years later, my muscles started aching, a change which took me by surprise. One day I was just fine (relatively), and the next day I could hardly hold a phone up to my ear because my muscles got tired out very quickly. I chalked it up to aging, although I didn't know anybody else who, at that age, experienced such a problem.
Even as I type this, I have to stop every minute because my arms are too tired. It's not because I'm weak. I have worked out with weights for months at a time and had no relief from that symptom.
Ten years later, every bone in my body started aching under the slightest pressure from outside. And then my tendons started giving me a lot of trouble. I was walking around stooped over from back pain. I was only 48 years old, but I shuffled around like a broken-down 80-year-old man.
I went to see a cheap doctor at the "free" clinic. She told me - without doing any range of motion testing whatsoever - that I had arthritis. She had a blood sample taken to rule out rheumatoid arthritis. After researching arthritis at reputable websites such as mayoclinic.org, I found that it was a rather questionable diagnosis. So I went back to that doctor, asked her to put her fingers between mine, and told her that it hurt. I have no arthritis nodules at all. I've seen arthritis nodules. And even if I had arthritis in my fingers, it wouldn't hurt that bad. So I told her that holding our fingers that way hurts and that I've never known anybody my age to have that kind of pain. She then stated that I have osteoarthritis (explaining as if it was obvious, like explaining 2+2=4 to an imaginative child who thinks that 2+2 can equal anything), and she explained that some people just age more quickly than others. She prescribed 1600 MG of Tylenol each day for the pain.
This last year, a couple of guys have shaken my hand hard and, without even meaning to, have practically brought me to my knees with pain.
So for over 3 years I went along with the osteoarthritis diagnosis, although I kept a place of doubt in my head because the pain wasn't just in my joints. At times I speculated that I also had bone cancer. I also researched fibromyalgia but couldn't come to a conclusion about it because the descriptions of FM are rather vague.
Early this year I visited a PA at a better clinic about my knee pain. He did a range of motion test on my knee. This range of motion test is supposed to bring out some painful responses if there is knee damage (from arthritis, tendinitis, etc), but I didn't respond at all. He said "hmmm." So I told him about the pain in my elbows. He did a range of motion exam on my left elbow which I did not react to at all.
The next thing I know he starts jabbing at various points of my body with both index fingers. He asked me if that hurts. I said "Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes." He declared it to be fibromyalgia.
I then went to see a rheumatologist and also got a diagnosis of fibromyalgia (as well as chronic fatigue).
I've spent the last 8 months trying to convince myself that I have FM and not arthritis. I know it's true. It just takes some getting used to.
Last edited:
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