I started reading this thread again when the talk of sciatic pain came up (and yes - I admit to being a flamingo too), but now you all have me thinking. I have over the last 7 or 8 years had a steady increase in aches and pains. Up till now I have chalked this up to simple aging, not being more careful to stretch properly in my teens and early 20's when I did flag corps, and the riggers of having 3 children in less than 5 years and the subsuqent chaising of said kids all over creation. In the last 2 years my pain has become more pronounced and I started thinking "ok, here comes my date with Arthur..." because it runs in the family. I was diagnosed with acid reflux last year when I went in for chest pain that would not go away. I also had a problem where I had pills I was taking getting painfully stuck for a while there just before the diagnosis. I also am being treated for chronic migranes. I read about all of you here with fibromyalgia and frankly it is like I am reading about myself!!! Is this something that you would see emerge in your 30's though?? I did a little reading and read about the sensitive spots and found that in fact I have several of them, especially the ones down the back and inside the knees and elbows. Yikes! guess I had better talk to the doctor.

Sharon,
I went back and reread your original post. Have you started quilting again? I looked at your profile and you have a couple of beautiful convergence quilts. Have you have a chance to quilts them yet?
Eileen Keane, NY

Eileen, I know what you mean. My husband won't take medicine and he's extremely healthy. He doesn't have a clue about constant pain.

You're right about the support group, but I wouldn't feel like going!!
I'm on my way out the door to still another dr. appt., but what I really want to do is go back to bed.

This group will be our support group. There are people here who understand. That means a lot.

Well, got to go.

Everybody have a great day and stay warm, Sharon

I just hurt this morning. It's hard to get going. I wish there were a support group nearby. DH tries but he's so darn healthy, he just doesn't understand.

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I feel a little like the person who has to one up everybody when it comes to a problem but I have had the restricted swallowing issue for about fifteen years. Again it is one you don't talk about because of the embarrassment of saying you cannot swallow your food. But I learned my lesson the hard way. After a bleeding ulcer problem, the doctor prescribed a fiber medication which was called Perdiem and not to insult the manufacturer it looked like brown mouse turds and had to be taken with water and in a certain manner. Welll one day even thought I did it exactly the way I had numerous times before, the medication stuck in my throat and suddenly I could not swallow (not even my own saliva). Because we were traveling in the motorhome we drove to a town nearby where there was a hospital. I was walking, talking and breathing so was not considered an emergency. After about three hours and a bunch of tests the doctors in this small town hospital decided to send me to one about 35 miles away. So now we are back to square one and there the people in emergency couldn't see that I was an emergency so I went to the bottom of the triage list. Finally at about 5:00 p.m. (the problem began about 6:00 a.m.) I finally got into an examining room in the second hospital. By this time, I had been without anything to eat or drink and not even swallowing my own saliva for 11 hours the doctors decided it was safe to do an endoscopy without further preparation. I have had that test often enough now that I know it is not painful or anything awful - I usually sleep right through it.

This time the dr. did a balloon expansion of my esophagus and then about two months later did it another time. It was like a miracle. I was able to eat items such as steak for the first time in years without the fear that it might stick. That procedure lasted me for almost five years and I needed to have it done again. this time I went gladly knowing that a few more years of relief were ahead. I am now nine years since the first procedure and am beginning to get symptoms so know that a third round of dilation is probably in the cards soon. But I know that it will give me relief and so it is worth it.

So for those of you who have the intermittent swallowing, choking problem, RUN DON'T WALK TO YOUR GASTROENTEROLIGIST AND ASK IF THE BALLOON DILATION IS IN ORDER AND FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DESCRIBE YOUR SWALLOWING PROBLEMS TO HIM OR HER IN FULL DETAIL. DON'T MIMIMIZE THIS TIME. IT IS WORTH IT TO GET THE PROCEDURE AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO DO IT UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE A PROBLEM.

If you read my earlier post, I didn't even mention the swallowing issue in my list of problems. That is because I forget about it most of the time now. I am that much improved even though it may be time to have it done again. Good luck to each of you who have this and don't wait until you have a day like mine. Get it done sooner rather than later.

Ann who understands the joy of swallowing with ease.

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Kathy, I had the same food swallowing problem, food going down and stopping. I had an endoscopy done and they found that my esophagus had narrowed due to scar tissue being built up from acid reflux and a hiatal hernia . They widened the passage and put me on Nexium(the purple pill) for 3 months and on Prilosec for life. I have not had any problem since. ( Was asleep for the whole procedure)

I also am never going to complain again about my aches and pains of arthritis and growing old after reading all of the heartbreaking stories that you all are suffering through. My heart goes out to each one of you.

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Eileen, you said:

"In doing a lot of research on the web about fibro, I looked for anything nutritional that would help. All the sites seem to recommend lowering carbs and upping the proteins. Has anyone here done this and has it helped? "

Yes! The fact is that sugars weaken the immune system and protein builds/repairs muscle. It makes perfect sense but you should couple this theory with getting a good night sleep. Your muscles get micro-tears in them, from every activity you do, every day and when you sleep is when they heal. If you don't get enough good sleep, these micro-tears just keep adding up and are harder for you (and on you) to heal. (D-Ribose also facilitates the healing. As an aside, it also helped my IBS. We don't know why but whatever works, ya know!!??)

I can see why someone would tell you that fibro patients take longer to heal because you are already on a muscle healing regimen and trying like the dickens to get ahead of the damage you do to your muscles, innocently, every day, and then you have added "trauma" to the mix with the surgery. If you are in "a good place" with your healing regimen, the surgery might not add "too much" added pain to you. I hope that is the case with you. I know the pain you are in and none of us need more......

BTW, you might consider adding even more protein (whey protein is the best for you) after surgery to boost your healing process.... I boost mine with "Pure Protein" high protein bars (20g) (I get them from BJ's/Sam's/Wal-Marts, in a box of 15) and I supplement my breakfast or lunch with Slim-Fast high protein drink. (15g) I'm sure other people have learned ways that work for them, on this matter. I hope they post in here as any help is immeasurable, to us all...

Ann, I think Sharon is right, in that you do display many, many Fibro symptoms.... I wish you well.

neen

Good morning all, first, Ann, with the symptoms you've named, you very well could have fibro. It affects many systems in the body. The IBS is one. I have had that since at least 7th grade, maybe even before. The pain can be worse in different areas of the body in different people. I have a book that has detailed info on all the ways fibro can affect the body. If I find the book, I'll let you know the name.

I have taken a table called Fibro Response. It's malic acid, magnesium and maybe calcium. Can't remember all the things. That's another thing with fibro, the 'fibro fog'.

Mandy, I had really bad sciatic pain after my daughter was born. I couldn't stand with both feet on the floor. I had to stand with my left foot propped on my knee to get relief. I looked like a flamingo!! I went to a chiropractor who had recently had a baby. I thought maybe my pelvic was out of alignment because of the pregnancy, and a man wouldn't be looking for anything like that. The chiropractor had me pain free in just a few days.

Till next time, take care everybody, Sharon

About the magnesium-my rheumatologist took me off the regular magnesium and recommended Malic acid with magnesium. It's called Magnesium Malate and it yields 833mg of malic acid. He told me to take 2 before breakfast and 2 before dinner.

I called the pain mgmt doctor and she told me that she's never heard that fibro patients take longer to heal than anyone else. I am going to go for the consult next week, it's covered under the comp.

In doing a lot of research on the web about fibro, I looked for anything nutritional that would help. All the sites seem to recommend lowering carbs and upping the proteins. Has anyone here done this and has it helped?

Eileen Keane, NY

Snowplow, I know what you mean with the sciatica. I have had real problems with mine ever since my first pregnancy, and it only got worse with the next two. I remember once when I was pregnant with my third child literally collapsing as I walked through a parking lot because a jolt caused my hip and knee to just give out. My doctor told me it would go away after the pregnancies, but it never completely did, although it is not as bad now as it was while 9 months pregnant. Now I can't stand for any long length of time due to shooting pains from way low in my back though my hip and across my knee. Driving long distance gives me problems too. My dh used to pick on me about it, saying I was being "wimpy" - at least till last week when his started acting up, lol. All the sudden it was "This is what you deal with!!! My God, how do you do it." What can I say - Men!!

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