Fibromyalgia

I had noticed, even during my trip to New Brunswick and before I started working, that I was getting pain in all different places in my body. First, it started with my ankles, then my knees, and then my back and it just seemed to keep getting worse. My neck and hands would also hurt, and I was very tired. I kept mentioning it to my doctor because I thought it might be from the thrombosis or a side effect of my medication. They kept doing different tests and could not find anything wrong. This continued for at least a year until I was sent to see a Rheumatologist. They did several tests and finally determined I had Fibromyalgia.

It was great to finally put a name to what I had, but that didn’t change the fact that I was still living with daily pain and fatigue. I did my research and proceeded to try everything I could to feel better. Nothing helped! I could write a book with everything I tried. I started with physio, then several kinds of massage therapy, acupuncture, natural supplements, and medication.

In 2009, 3 years after all the symptoms started, I was referred to the Lethbridge Center and the Pain Clinic at the Montreal General Hospital. I learned a lot from the Lethbridge Center course. They also had us doing an exercise program specially designed for Fibromyalgia. It was a good workout; they taught us how to stretch properly. You would normally hold a stretch for 15 to 30 seconds, but someone with
Fibromyalgia would only hold it for 4 seconds. Most people with Fibromyalgia don’t sleep well due to pain; your body tissue does not get to rejuvenate. It’s a vicious circle!

My experience at the pain clinic at the Montreal General Hospital was not very successful. The doctors were okay, but it was obvious that they were just trying to numb the pain with whatever I was willing to try. You get so desperate that you are willing to try whatever they give you, except I did poorly with most medications. I would get a lot of side effects and feel nauseous or spaced out. I would prefer to live with the pain than live the rest of my life like that!

The pain was getting worse. It was all over my body, from my head to my toes. I was having difficulty getting up to go to work, and by the end of the day, even my hands hurt. Some days, I found it hard to write, but I was determined to improve. I was so lucky to have such a kind and understanding boss. My sister also worked around how I was feeling, which greatly helped me. As if I didn’t have enough stress, I then got the news that I had Thyroid Cancer! Now I was dealing with my fibromyalgia, my mom having to start Dialysis, and running to my appointments and hers. I think back and don’t know how I handled it all.