A new start?

Thank you so much for the well wishes everyone! The doctor did an aerthoscopic surgery. I had a lateral band released on my left knee. They were supposed to work on my ACL also, but it didn't need it! Today at physical therapy they removed the bandages and I got to see the incisions. They don't look that bad at all. I'm allowed to shower tomorrow, as long as I have water proof bandages over my stitches. Physical therapy today was sooooo painful. I was able to bend my knee to 60º with assistance. I'm still having a lot of trouble picking my leg up to get into bed, and I'm having difficulty getting up without assistance.

My knee is so swollen! It's about double the size of my other knee right now. I've been icing it a lot, but it's still pretty bad.

I think I might go take a nap. Physical therapy really drained me!

Surgery went well. My surgeon said that it went much better than he expected. He didn't have to tighten the bands or anything, he only had to loosen this band a tiny bit. My fibromyalgia is really mad about the surgery though. My whole body is in so much pain. When I came to, I was almost screaming in pain. They had to keep giving me pain medicine. I got really upset while there though. After the nurse took my blood pressure with an automatic blood pressure cuff (those really hurt me -- they had no manual ones!), she then inserted my IV at the same place. I was crying a lot because the needle just hurt so much. The nurse then told me that "you have a long life ahead of you and you better get your emotions and pain under control, especially if you want to have children." ... I was furious. How dare she? She knew that I have fibro too!

After the surgery was okay. Kolton stayed at the house for quite a while and helped me and kept me company. I'm not feeling well at all... I'm so drained... I can take my sleep medicine tonight in just under an hour, thank god.

Physical therapy begins tomorrow at 11:30. Yay?

Six hours until surgery. I'm terrified. Petrified. I was okay until about two hours ago. Kolton was there for the first hour and then he had to leave. I've been sitting in my bed just sobbing and crying my eyes out. I'm so scared. I really just need a hug, but I can't get one. Kolton just sat there holding my hand and listening. I've been listening to extremely loud music just to drown out all of my thoughts.

I have to be at the surgery center at 6 AM. Surgery is at 7 AM. I'm so terrified... I can't stop shaking or crying.

Yesterday I saw the chiropractor again. It went well. He explained my X-rays to me and I got a copy of them. Then he adjusted parts of my spine. It didn't hurt and it actually made me feel a bit better. I feel like a lot of pressure is off of my back now! Afterwards, they used a TENS unit on me, which helped quite a bit! I also laid on a roller table that massaged my back. It felt so good. After the session I was slightly sore but not that badly. Today I am feeling okay. My knee is feeling unstable so I've had it wrapped for most of the day, which helps a tiny bit.

Things have been stressful. I've been trying to make sure I relax... I haven't been sleeping well because of the stress. I don't know how to fix all of this. I feel that no matter what I do it won't help. I just wish that I had a job and that I was capable of working... That would fix quite a bit of it. It's so hard trying to make ends meet without asking my parents for money. I feel so guilty about it all. It's not my fault that this happened, but I still feel like it is. I can't really go out because I don't want to ask for money, I don't really buy anything, and if I do go out, Kolton pays. I feel so bad. Blah.

On a lighter note, the vertigo is gone. I haven't had it in a few days now. I'm still being cautious, but I'm quite pleased. Only 2 1/2 weeks left until surgery...

Yesterday I had my first appointment at the Fibromyalgia Centers of America. I honestly still don't know my feelings on it yet. The doctor examined me, took a spinal x-ray, and did some sort of temperature thing to see if any of my nerves were putting off heat, which could signify a pinched nerve. My back was lit up like a Christmas tree. The doctor said he would go over the x-rays and see what he could do to help treat my fibro, or if he could. I felt like the appointment was a bit too slick. The doctor seemed to care and know a lot about fibro, but I don't know. I'm going back on Friday. I honestly just don't know. I'm worried that he's one of the jerks that are trying to make a quick buck off of someone's fear and despair... Kolton is going with me again on Friday to help me.

This morning I woke up in a lot of pain. My back and legs just ache beyond belief. I'm so tired of this. I feel drained and exhausted... It is as though someone took a hammer and beat me while I was asleep. I don't want to take any medicine for it though. I'm just so tired of not being alert and aware of what is going on. I'm having a rough day. Ow... Now breathing hurts! Stupid back. Stupid fibro.

I'm doing my best to stay positive... It's just one of those really hard days. It's been raining all week and it's supposed to rain again tomorrow. Yuck.

My vertigo has not bothered me at all yet today! I am taking the Meclazine still to be on the safe side since I have to drive later, but yay! Today is my appointment at the Fibromyalgia Centers of America. Kolton is going to come with me! I am feeling okay today... It is raining right now and it's supposed to rain still tomorrow, so I'm slightly achy, but it's not that bad at all. Yay! I didn't realize how draining the vertigo has been until now. I have so much more energy today!

If you have been following me on Twitter, you have probably noticed that I am in support of the Iranians and that I have been helping spread the news. I am not from Iran, I am just a student living in America who wants to support their fight for justice. As someone on Twitter put it last night (sorry, I can't remember who!), this isn't about the candidates any more - it's about justice and freedom. Today I am wearing green in support and I just changed my blog to green. I wanted to go to the rally in Chicago last night (I live about 25 miles from downtown Chicago), but I wasn't feeling well enough. If another one happens, I want to go and show my support. Some people are confused as to why I am doing this... I can't just sit here and do nothing when people are dying and being beaten for saying that the election was fixed. I don't support any of the candidates in Iran - I support peace.

Last night I began taking Meclazine for the vertigo. It didn't help at all. I wasn't able to sleep because I became wide awake and then the vertigo got bad again. However, I woke up this morning, took the Meclazine again, and I have been almost vertigo-free today! I feel very drained and weak though... It was raining for most of the day, so I'm achy.

I'm really tired so I'm going to go to sleep. I see the chiropractor for the first time tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Dear Jerks,

Just because I am young does not mean I am healthy. I park in a handicap spot only when I need to, not because I want to. I am not taking advantage of the government. If you feel that you deserve to park in a handicap spot, why don't you either go sit down with your doctor and discuss it with them or why don't you try to live with something like this? Sure, I am 20. I'm a college student. I'm young. But that does not mean that you can berate me and scream at me for a long time in a parking lot while I'm struggling to get out of my car. Yelling at a sick girl who obviously looks ill is not going to accomplish anything!

If you see someone using walking assistance, whether it be crutches, a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair - get out of their way! There's a reason they're using it! If you and your friend thought it'd be fun to try to get me to whack you with my cane by walking in front of me and cutting me off, you were wrong. The only thing it succeeded in doing was throwing me off balance and almost fainting. Calling me a "crippled bitch" and laughing while I walked away in tears, struggling to regain balance only means that you are both rude and mean people.

I really wish that people who don't understand could go through just thirty minutes of this. I know that they most likely don't realize what they're doing, but come on! Common sense!

Learn some manners and stop it.

Sincerely,
Your Local Fibro Girl

Hi everyone. I'm sorry my posts have been sporadic, this vertigo is getting to me. Today I had an appointment with a doctor my parents see about the vertigo. He isn't sure what is going on. I felt like I was rushed out of the office, which didn't make me happy. He's a good doctor, but I'm hesitant to make him my primary. He gave me a prescription for something that starts with an 'a' but I'm not sure what it is yet. He said it might help the dizziness.

When the vertigo gets bad, my ears ring and I get this weird tingling sensation on my tongue, behind my eyes, and at the back of my head. It's really weird. I told the doctor about it and he sounded puzzled. Has anyone dealt with vertigo like this before? What type of doctor did you see? What did you do to make it better, or at least more manageable?

Today I called the Fibromyalgia Centers of America to see if my insurance would cover a visit, on a long shot. It turns out it does! I have an appointment with them on Wednesday. The doctor is a chiropractor, which I'm slightly wary about. I figured it wouldn't hurt to at least hear what this doctor has to say.

Does anyone else live in the Chicago-area that sees specialists for fibro? I've been trying to find a new doctor without success. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

I hope everyone has a great night! I'll update you guys on what else has been going on tomorrow.

My vertigo was really bad today. Woke up super sore. I way over did it yesterday. Almost fainted again. I'm so tired. 4 AM here. I can't lay down, room spins too much. Hoping I can pass out soon. Sorry for short post, too tired, foggy, and flared to think.

Doctor Appointment and Disappointment

Today I had my pre-op physical with my primary doctor, who I have seen for over 18 years now. I called in the morning to confirm the appointment time and I was told that I didn't have an appointment, but I had an appointment last Friday, which I supposedly missed. This was impossible! I had class last Friday and I wasn't in my home town, there is no way I would have scheduled an appointment for then. After fighting with the nurse, they fit me in at 1:30. (I went back and checked my phone logs -- I call all my doctors at once for appointments and I called on the 9th to schedule this appointment. How could I have made the appointment on the 9th for the 5th?) Kolton came over, picked me up, and off we went to the doctor's. We got there and after a lot of waiting, got in to a room. The nurse was very standoffish and rude, I felt as though she really didn't care at all. After the physical, I told my doctor what has been going on with the vertigo and fainting... He completely blew me off, even though this has never happened before. I was told to drink some Gatorade and call him next week if it is still there. Ridiculous. I really don't think I'm returning to that office again, which really makes me sad...

After the appointment, Kolton and I went to a park that used to be a fairground in the 1900's. I love going out there, it's so interesting! I got bit by a bunch of fire ants though. We got back to my house and then gardened for my mom. I mowed part of the front lawn! That was the first time I've mowed in over five years! I also made dinner (grilled chicken, potatoes, and corn!), which wiped me out. I way over did it today... It was kind of nice though, I felt almost normal. I'm paying for it now though. I'm so sore and now I can't sleep because of the pain. I'm so sick of taking the painkillers... I'd rather tough it out tonight.

Long Days Are Ahead...

Hi all, I hope everyone is doing well!

Today was my first full day off of school. One of my professors gave me an extension, so I still have to complete some work for one of my classes. I'm going to start work on that tomorrow. I settled in a bit more today. I set up my TV and DVD player, which is nice. No cable yet though. I cleaned and did all sorts of stuff today! I'm exhausted now though and in a lot of pain. I probably should take a pain killer, but I'm just so sick of them!

My vertigo and ear ringing are still really bothering me. Several people have brought up the possibility that this could be more than just fibro. My symptoms have been so severe for the past six months... I'm scared to think that there could be more wrong with me. Life is already so hard. I know that if there is something and we figure it out, it could get better once treated... I'm just scared.

I tweeted this great link earlier. Open Letter To Normals About Fibromyalgia http://ow.ly/dBsY. Many people have retweeted it, which is really cool! I found the link while browsing The Fibromyalgia Community. I also joined the Fibrom-L mailing list, which I also found while on the FMS Community. Hopefully those links will be useful!

I still have a lot of unpacking to do. I need to make a list of things to talk about with my doctor. Kolton will be there with me, so hopefully we won't forget anything!

Today was a really long day. Two finals and then all that packing... I'm back home now, thankfully. I fainted three times while packing. I think it was just from stress. I keep experiencing vertigo... It's super annoying. With my two sisters' help and Kolton's help, we were able to get everything packed up and moved. All of my stuff is still in the car, minus my laptop and laundry. It'll be really nice to have clean clothes.

Kolton and I went out and had a really long talk about how to handle this summer. We're not sure how we're going to get through everything. We're both really worried. I'm not really sure how I feel about being home. At my dorm I could be an adult and I had complete control over everything. Now I'm back home and things have kind of fallen apart. It was like Kolton and I made a home at my dorm together... Now that's gone. It's going to be weird not having somewhere where we can just be ourselves.

I'm just exhausted. It's storming. I'm really worried about the fainting business. I have a doctor appointment on Friday, so I'm going to talk to him about it then. Kolton and I might be going on a picnic after my appointment, it's supposed to be partly sunny at 72 degrees! Here's to hoping!

One more final to go. I got the test back from last night -- I got a 17%. I don't think I'm going to pass that class... I'm not looking forward to retaking it. Last night Kolton ended up coming over, even though he worked for 10 hours straight. He made me feel considerably better. He's coming over after I finish my last final to help me finish packing and moving everything out. My sisters are going to be here too. I can't wait to get home... It's going to be so weird moving back home. At college I can do whatever, whenever I want. At home, not so much. I hate having to ask for permission to go out. I always have to be home early too, whereas here a lot of times I'm out until two or three in the morning.

It's been raining for quite a while. I'm so sore. I woke up barely able to move and foggy beyond belief. I can't even remember what was on my music theory final. I'm just exhausted... No matter how much I sleep, I'm still tired. I really just want to be held for a while. It's supposed to rain all day. I don't know how I'm going to finish packing and everything.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. Your comments really make me feel quite a bit better. ♥

Life is bad. My application for a private student loan was denied. I haven't been able to work since November and have absolutely no money. I haven't been eating much because I have no money and I don't want to ask my parents for any... I know we're not that great financially right now. I don't know what to do. I've been studying almost all day and I can't remember anything. I'm in so much pain I just want to scream. I had another asthma attack last night. I keep getting sicker and sicker. I just don't know what to do anymore... Tomorrow I move out of my dorm and back home. Two finals tomorrow. One test tonight, that I know I'm going to fail. I really just want to go far away for a while. I really just need a break before I lose it completely and snap. My surgery is in less than a month. I have my physical for the surgery on Friday.

I'm in a really bad place right now. I can't stop crying or shaking. I just can't handle all of this stress and pressure anymore, nor can I continue pretending that everything is okay. I really wish I still had a therapist. I think I'm in the middle of a breakdown.

Sometimes i forget how bitter i can get. I'm laying in bed right now in immense pain and it won't stop. I just want a break.

It has been such a long week. My mom was discharged from the hospital today, thankfully. She's feeling a lot better but is extremely weak.

I'm flaring... again. I'm just exhausted. All I've really done this week is sleep. One of my best friends, Sam, is going to sleep over tonight to make sure I get up for class tomorrow morning. We haven't hung out much lately so I'm excited.

Only 6 days left of class... I'm just so ready to get out. Life has been kicking my butt. I'm just exhausted both physically and mentally. I really need to get away for a while.

Surprise romance and drama.

Hi all. Today was supposed to be a break, but it ended in a lot of stress. :(

Last night I ended up cleaning for three and a half hours in preparation for moving out of my dorm next week. I also finished a paper for one of my classes. Only one paper left! Today I was able to go to all of my classes, which is wonderful! ☺ After class I went to the store and got supplies for a big surprise I had planned for Kolton. He's been working a lot and just started summer classes, so I decided to surprise him. I made us a really nice dinner (pasta and garlic bread with milk and sparkling grape juice!) and I picked us up two pieces of cheesecake for dessert. When he came over after work, I was waiting for him in a beautiful black velvet dress with a pearl necklace and heels, with dinner all ready to eat spread out on the floor on top of a blanket (I don't have a table) and with soft music playing, all lit by the multi-colored Christmas lights I have strung around my dorm. It was very relaxing and romantic. He was so surprised! We definitely needed it, we haven't really had time for romance since we first started dating because so much has happened. It was extremely refreshing. I like surprising him. He deserved it too, he does so much for me. ♥

Then I got a text message from my youngest sister, Shelly, saying that my mom was in the ER. After waiting for a while, they found out that it is viral bronchitis. They're going to keep her overnight just to be careful. She's getting breathing treatments every four hours. I just hope she's going to be okay... I worry so much.

I'm flaring, again. I only have 8 days left of school and 35 days until my surgery. I'm just so fed up with my health that I want to scream. Tomorrow morning I think I'm going to try to go for a walk... We'll see how that goes. Tomorrow I'm going with Kolton to the library and I'm going to work on a research paper while he's at his job there. I have no classes tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get to relax a bit. It's supposed to thunderstorm, yuck!

Hi everyone :)

I'm still not feeling great, but I feel slightly better than I did Thursday night. I might go to the doctor's office early this week. My mom is now sick too. :(

School is so close to being over... All I have left is a week and a half. I have two or three papers to write and a bunch of tests to study for. I'm so exhausted. I honestly don't know how I'm going to get through this term.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I'm sorry that I haven't been around. It's been forever since I've updated! The past week has been sheer hell. It has been storming here... It's supposed to storm until at least Saturday. This weather is just killing me.

Yesterday I had counseling... My therapist told me that she isn't equipped to deal with my case and she referred me to two others. Oh well. I'm pretty upset -- I feel betrayed. I understand why she did that and everything, but... I don't know. I did my research, she was a therapist for mostly women and she had experience with chronic illness and fibromyalgia. However, it seems that she has dealt with more acute cases of fibro and I have a rather severe case. It took so much strength for me to admit that I need help and to start going to her, and now I have to do that again...

13 days until I'm out of school for the summer and 40 days until my surgery.

I do not feel well at all. I feel like throwing up... I'm super dizzy and the room is so warm. I think I'm leaving class soon.

Hi! How is everyone's day going? Today was a long day for me. I slept great last night! After my concert last night, Kolton and I went and got dinner and then went for a lovely walk. I'm pretty sure that the walk guaranteed me sleeping well. We went to breakfast and lunch together today, which was quite lovely. We went to the mall and I got some new nose studs and some makeup. Victoria's Secret is having a 75 percent off sale on their makeup! I got some great eyeshadow, lip gloss, and makeup remover for about 12 dollars instead of over 40 dollars! It was awesome. After the mall we took a really nice nap. I fell asleep super quickly and slept like a rock. After the nap, we went to a swampy area and went 'frogging.' We tried to catch frogs with nets. I was able to catch one! I also caught a crawfish. Kolton caught a few crawfish, a dragonfly larvae, and a tadpole. He almost got a frog too, but it swam out of his net. It was so much fun! I fell in the mud. Right now Kolton and I are at his dad's house watching movies with his dad and his brother. Kolton was nice and let me borrow his shower and some clothes so I didn't have to sit around in muddy clothes.

I'm hoping that the exercise I've been doing lately will help my fibro. I've been doing more stretching than normal and I've also been walking a lot. I've been getting exhausted very quickly again. My back is still really bothering me too... Hopefully it'll stop soon. I'm really tired of this flare.

I hope everyone has a great night! I'll talk to you all tomorrow.

Star Gazing and Dreaming

Today was busy, busy, busy! I was feeling okay this morning and made it to all three of my classes! I then had a jazz concert in the evening, which both my family and Kolton attended. The concert went well, it was rather stressful though. I'm just glad it's over to be honest... I have been really stressed out over it! After the concert, Kolton and I went to get a bite to eat and then we went for a lovely walk... We went to a river and walked around... It was amazing. We climbed a hill and sat at the top, gazing up at the stars and talking.

My fibro is okay. I'm not feeling nearly as bad as I have been, thankfully.

I am very excited - I found out that there is someone else on campus, that is my age, that has fibro! I mean, it's horrid that she has it... But I'm glad I'm not alone.

I'm exhausted, so I'll write more tomorrow. Night! ♥

Sleepless Nights...

I'm really tired. I barely slept last night, I spent the entire night tossing and turning. Kolton was a sweetheart and talked to me for quite a while on the phone, which helped. I woke up this morning in extreme pain, again. I feel like this is never going to end and that I just can't catch a break. My entire back is very tight and sore. I'm unable to move enough to get to classes again. I don't know how in the world I'm going to get through the rest of this term. 23 more days until I'm out of classes for the summer, and 50 days until my ACL Reconstruction surgery. When I checked my email this morning, I saw that my chronic illness counselor had emailed me, telling me she's unable to meet with us (Kolton & I) this week... I haven't seen her since April 29th. I was really looking forward to the meeting this week, I really need to talk about this flare and I don't want to burden Kolton with it.

My sleep medicine is finally in! I had to mail-order all of my upkeep medications, and they have been delayed... But they're finally here! I'll finally be able to sleep again. ☺ For sleep, I take 25mg of Elavil. It really helps me.

I don't know what to do with myself right now. Kolton is working until at least 5pm (or did he start at 5pm? I can't remember anymore), so he won't be here to help me until then. I can't get up to go to classes... I guess that means it's another day spent wasted. I'm going to try to study, but I'm rather foggy and I know that I'm just going to get really frustrated from not being able to remember anything. Oh well.

Flares and fogs.

Today I feel just exhausted. Yesterday really seems to have taken a toll on me... It was very emotionally stressful. I'm not feeling that well. I keep coughing and I have a migraine. I'm really tired of being sick. This flare has been going on for over two months now. That is ridiculous! My fog has been really bad.

I'm so tired of finding shoes in the fridge or my textbooks with my dishes. I just want to be normal for once. I'm really tired of having to limit my activities so I don't hurt myself or so I don't pay for it later. I just want a chance to be able to live normally! Blahhhh.

I am just fed up with all of this. I have been losing most of my friends because I don't have the energy to keep up friendships or people don't understand that I can't always be there. Oh well...

On a happier note, that picture is the caricature that Kolton and I got yesterday. ☺We're so dorky, but I love it.

Long days and even longer nights.

Today was a long day. My significant other, Kolton, went to the emergency room because he was having a lot of trouble breathing and there was a pool of blood on his pillowcase when he woke up. After a few hours at the emergency room they diagnosed him with bronchitis. He's feeling better now, thankfully! I wasn't able to be at the hospital with him, so I stayed at my dorm worrying. He eventually came over and we went to a festival my college was hosting. We won prizes and got a caricature done. ☺ It was fun.

I'm laying in bed right now, trying to wind down. I'm watching the movie Cadillac Records, which is really interesting. My lower back and knee are giving me a lot of problems right now... I really wish that the pain wasn't so bad. I don't want to take any medicine though... I'm so sick of medicine. I'd really like a day that the pain wasn't so bad without me having to take medication. Oh well.

Time to go lay down and watch the rest of my movie. Goodnight. ♥

I just have to get through the rest of the term.

There are only 28 days left until I get out of school for the summer. Right now I'm in a 3 and a half hour class. I'm so tired... My significant other surprised me this morning and took me for ice cream. We flew a kite after that. He makes me so happy. ☺

Today has gone somewhat better than yesterday did. They turned on my air conditioning last night, so I woke up able to breathe for once. My pain levels are no where near as high as they were yesterday. Usually the most extreme pain is in the morning and it fades as the day goes on, but today it was opposite that. I woke up feeling okay, and now I feel horrible. I had rehearsal at four and class from 6:30 until 10:00pm. After rehearsal, my friend asked how I feel. "I feel as though a bus hit me, ran over me, backed up over me, and ran over me again... Then a bulldozer came and scooped me off the ground, but then a garbage truck scooped me up, threw me into the trash, brought me to the waste management area, and I was then incinerated with the trash." I really just want to throw a tantrum, crying and sobbing, until I feel better again.

Tomorrow I only have one class... Both music theory and choir rehearsal were canceled, thankfully. I don't have to wake up until noon if I choose to. After that, Kolton is supposed to come by. ☺ I'm excited. I love spending time with him. We took a nap earlier and it was the best I've slept in a few weeks now.

I'm sorry if I'm scatterbrained right now. I'm currently on Darvocet and Flexeril, Darvocet for the pain and Flexeril is a muscle relaxant. Darvocet is much nicer to me than the Norco is , thankfully. As soon as this class is over, I'm going back to my dorm and passing out I think... I might watch TV or read a magazine, but I am just exhausted. Taking a shower exhausted me earlier... I don't even remember laying down, and yet I took a short nap after my shower. Someone was in the handicapped shower and I didn't want to wait, so I took my shower in the normal one. Stupid communal showers.

I suppose I'll wrap this up for now, I imagine I've rambled enough.

*Gentle hugs!*

Rainy Nights

It is storming here right now. There's a tornado watch for most of the area. I'm extremely sore... My knee aches from previous sprains and current injuries. My fibromyalgia is also making me so very sore. I'm laying on top of my bed right now with my windows open. I am laying here dreaming of being in Kolton's arms. Rainy nights like this are made for being in your love's arms. He always makes me feel a lot better. I'm cold, but I don't want to lie under my blankets yet.

I don't know what to do with myself right now. I feel all out of sorts.

“I cannot stand being awake, the pain is too much."

This morning I woke up in extreme pain. My back and legs made me scream because it hurt so much. It took me over an hour to roll over so I could email my professors. My significant other, Kolton, came over as soon as he was done with a final. He is such a sweetheart. He takes such good care of me. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him. He stayed with me and kept me company until a few hours ago, when he had to leave for work. I'm so lucky that he loves me so.

I become very pessimistic when it gets this bad. It's very hard to think positive. Right now I'm laying in bed, eating chocolate he brought me and watching Alladin on TV. I'm supposed to meet up with a friend and a tutor in an hour to study music theory. I really need the help, but I'm not sure that I can get there. They're meeting across the street, but I really don't know. I'm going to do my best to get there.

I'm going to go rest some more before the study session. I'm hoping I can make it!

*Gentle hugs to everyone*

Hello

So I have created a blog for my fibro, finally. I'm tired of editing myself and not saying how I'm really feeling on my other blogs, so this will be where I can speak freely about how my fibromyalgia has affected my life. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia when I was either 15 or 16, I can't remember any more. It is all a blur.

My health problems began when I was 12. I grew six inches in a year and my kneecap was rubbing against a bone, creating friction and pain. I sprained my knee continuously and eventually needed surgery. When I was a freshman in high school, my knee had an arthroscopic surgery. After I fully recovered, I was wonderful for about six months. I was able to run, play games, and live again. However, six months after that, the pain suddenly returned. My orthopedic continuously sent me back to physical therapy, which only made things worse. That went on for about a year. During my junior year of high school, I suddenly was unable to walk because of extreme pain. I ended up finishing junior year in a wheelchair and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Since then, I was able to graduate high school and continue my education at a wonderful liberal arts college in the Chicago suburbs. I am an elementary education major with a music minor. I have worked extremely hard to stay in school, despite my health problems.

For the past month or so, my fibromyalgia has been flaring very badly. My wisdom teeth began to come in and have really made it horrible. My significant other, Kolton, has made it a lot easier. He supports me very much and does his best to make it better for me. My family is also a huge help. I don't know what I'd do without them.