Nellyphant
Silver Member
for 2011 to be the year that I get some weight off to help alleviate some of my health issues.
2010 wasn't a great year health wise for me. Some of you already know that I had skin cancer in 2010 which was successfully removed and left me with a lovely big scar on my neck. Then late October I was diagnosed with arthritis in my knees and torn cartlidge in my left knee which caused swelling to be so bad that I couldn't get my jeans on over my knee. I've had knee trouble for - what feels like - ever, never imagined that it would be arthritis. Been putting it down to my weight these past few years. It's fairly advanced, and as I only turned 40 in August, my GP says it's hereditary to get it at an early age but I haven't found anyone yet in my family who suffered. I also found out beginning of December that I have it in my hips too. This was found out during an x-ray I had that my rheumatologist ordered as I'd been referred. See story below!
I've suffered with chronic pain for over 20 years and exhaustion. GP's always said "you're depressed" - which I have suffered with since about age 11 but the pain and exhaustion is all the time. I also have chronic IBS, which I manage pretty well most of the time, get headaches, Raynauds, swollen hands and feet to name a few. So I got fobbed off and fobbed off. Then had blood test that were normal. Went back to GP, more blood taken, back normal - you get the picture! This has gone on for the past 10 years with the blood tests. But after last years cancer I decided enough "stiff upper lip" and keep suffering and hoping tomorrow will be better I asked my GP to refer me to a Rheumatologist. She said she was pretty sure I have fibromyalgia but wanted some x-rays taken to check for something or other (not the arthritis, but there it is anyway!) and MORE blood taken. I was given a leaflet on it and sent on my way. I have to go back in about 3 weeks and should have an official diagnosis then.
Fibromyalgia isn't curable. It's a problem with the central nervous system. The best I can hope for is to manage it a bit so that I can keep as normal a life as possible.
Losing weight won't help fibro or even possibly arthritis. But it will be healthier and make me feel so much better in myself.
I'm intending to log some deep thoughts etc on this to use as some therapy. Also so log my pain levels each day to see if I can see some connection between what I've eaten/drunk and how I feel the following day.
If you're interested, you can find out loads of info about fibro on the net, but here is a little summary if you like.
Fibromyalgia in a Nutshell
A lot of illnesses involve one part of the body, or one system. Fibromyalgia, however, involves the entire body and throws all kinds of things out of whack. As bizarre and confusing as the varied symptoms may be, they're tied to very real physical causes.
Fibromyalgia can take someone who is educated, ambitious, hardworking and tireless, and rob them of their ability to work, clean house, exercise, think clearly and ever feel awake or healthy.
2010 wasn't a great year health wise for me. Some of you already know that I had skin cancer in 2010 which was successfully removed and left me with a lovely big scar on my neck. Then late October I was diagnosed with arthritis in my knees and torn cartlidge in my left knee which caused swelling to be so bad that I couldn't get my jeans on over my knee. I've had knee trouble for - what feels like - ever, never imagined that it would be arthritis. Been putting it down to my weight these past few years. It's fairly advanced, and as I only turned 40 in August, my GP says it's hereditary to get it at an early age but I haven't found anyone yet in my family who suffered. I also found out beginning of December that I have it in my hips too. This was found out during an x-ray I had that my rheumatologist ordered as I'd been referred. See story below!
I've suffered with chronic pain for over 20 years and exhaustion. GP's always said "you're depressed" - which I have suffered with since about age 11 but the pain and exhaustion is all the time. I also have chronic IBS, which I manage pretty well most of the time, get headaches, Raynauds, swollen hands and feet to name a few. So I got fobbed off and fobbed off. Then had blood test that were normal. Went back to GP, more blood taken, back normal - you get the picture! This has gone on for the past 10 years with the blood tests. But after last years cancer I decided enough "stiff upper lip" and keep suffering and hoping tomorrow will be better I asked my GP to refer me to a Rheumatologist. She said she was pretty sure I have fibromyalgia but wanted some x-rays taken to check for something or other (not the arthritis, but there it is anyway!) and MORE blood taken. I was given a leaflet on it and sent on my way. I have to go back in about 3 weeks and should have an official diagnosis then.
Fibromyalgia isn't curable. It's a problem with the central nervous system. The best I can hope for is to manage it a bit so that I can keep as normal a life as possible.
Losing weight won't help fibro or even possibly arthritis. But it will be healthier and make me feel so much better in myself.
I'm intending to log some deep thoughts etc on this to use as some therapy. Also so log my pain levels each day to see if I can see some connection between what I've eaten/drunk and how I feel the following day.
If you're interested, you can find out loads of info about fibro on the net, but here is a little summary if you like.
Fibromyalgia in a Nutshell
A lot of illnesses involve one part of the body, or one system. Fibromyalgia, however, involves the entire body and throws all kinds of things out of whack. As bizarre and confusing as the varied symptoms may be, they're tied to very real physical causes.
Fibromyalgia can take someone who is educated, ambitious, hardworking and tireless, and rob them of their ability to work, clean house, exercise, think clearly and ever feel awake or healthy.
- It's NOT psychological "burn out" or depression.
- It's NOT laziness.
- It's NOT whining or malingering.
- It IS the result of widespread dysfunction in the body and the brain that's hard to understand, difficult to treat, and, so far, impossible to cure.
xxxx
