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| Fibromyalgia produces a cascading torrent of symptoms. |
I know the exact moment my encounter with fibromyalgia started. On December 21, 2009 I had a severe allergic reaction to shrimp. I went into anaphylactic shock, had difficulty breathing, was taken to the emergency room, and was given three doses of epinephrine before my lung function returned to normal. I was kept in the ER for observation and then sent home to rest and recover. A week later I was still resting but I was not recovering at all.
I felt extremely fatigued all of the time. About a month after the shrimp episode, I developed muscle and joint pain all over my body. At first I thought it was just taking a long time to recover from the anaphylactic reaction, all that epinephrine, and the hectic Christmas holiday season. But the symptoms persisted and grew worse each day.
I had been working part time for four to six hours a day four days a week. I began to cut back on my hours until I was working only two or three hours a day. Eventually, I no longer had the energy for even that and had to quit my job. Prior to the onset of this mysterious cluster of symptoms I was an energetic,outgoing, generally cheerful person who thrived on being involved in many things at one time. But now it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to complete the basic tasks of everyday living. My doctor did laboratory analysis and evaluation which came back within normal limits. After the symptoms had persisted for six months and other possible causes had been ruled out, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
I was tried on several different medications used to help control fibromyalgia pain but I had side effects with each one and couldn't take any of them. I was going to have to somehow find a way to live with constant pain and debilitating fatigue.
For the next twelve months, I spent most of my time lying on the couch. I got up to make occasional forays to the grocery store and wander into the utility room to try to keep up with the laundry. Everything I heard was discouraging. I was told there was no known cause or cure for fibromyalgia, that it would probably last the rest of my life, and that I might as well get used to feeling horrible every single day.
My usual coping mechanism is to confront a problem head on, brainstorm creative ways to resolve the issue, and jump in and do whatever it takes to make things better. I barely had the energy to stand up and shuffle around the house, much less do any jumping, but I jumped in anyway. I started reading everything I could find about fibromyalgia.
It took another year to discover everything I needed to know to feel better. Over time, I developed a plan that involved making three huge changes in my lifestyle. I got chemicals out of my home environment, stopped eating processed food, and started eating whole foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients. My fibromyalgia symptoms have completely resolved. I haven't had any pain, fatigue,insomnia, fibro fog, or other fibromyalgia symptoms for over a year and a half.
Before I got well, if anyone had told me it was possible to recover from fibromyalgia, I would have said they were nuts. I still wouldn't believe it even now except for this: it happened to me.
Did you experience any traumatic physical, spiritual, or emotional event before you got sick?
Have you found anything that has helped improve your fibromyalgia symtpoms?
