Day 1 - ‘Fibromyalgia’

Hi, my name is Liz, and I am from the Netherlands (so my English is not all that, my bad!)

Twenty years ago I had my first pain symptoms; pain in both my feet. Burning, tingling, throbbing, painful, making it hard to walk or stand. I was 28 at the time. I am almost 48 now.
Over the years the symptoms got worse and started spreading throughout my whole body.
I have pain in my feet and hands, arms, shoulders, legs, neck, back, hips, knees, you name it! Sometimes in only a couple of places, sometimes in all of the above.
I have brain fog, bad memory and often trouble finding the correct words, so speaking can be exhausting. I am very tired all the time.

Diagnosis: fibromyalgia.
Which is not a real diagnosis, I know.

I’ve been to many doctors in the earlier years and when that didn’t help I did everything in the book… alternative treatments, supplements, diets (no gluten, no dairy, no fat, juicing, raw food, etc.), yoga, exercise…

I already accept that there is nothing physically wrong with my body for some years now. I always say that there is nothing wrong with my body, but that my brain interprets the signals it gets from my body wrong.
So, okay, I was partially right… and partially wrong.

I now absolutely accept that it’s TMS!
But I must admit that it scares the shit out of me… give me a diet, a series of physical exercises, a ‘do this, not that’ list, whatever, and I will do that to the letter, but this… there really is no manual for this, everybody has to find his own path and that kinda freaks me out. I am a bit of a control-freak (hence the TMS, LOL!) so I want to know where I stand. And this is day 1 of the Educational Program, so I have absolutely NO idea where I stand… yet!

But, I am looking forward to the program as well. I am going to do this.
I’ve read Healing Back Pain last year, and now I am reading the Divided Mind.
I started on this website with the Pain Recovery Program and that made it a bit more clear.
I am looking at and reading about success stories and that’s really motivating, so now on to this 6 week program! Wish me luck

 

Welcome to the Forum, Liz!

You are off to a good start. I had fibromyalgia for 20 years and completely recovered using TMS treatment techniques. You may have read my success story already, but if not it is on my profile page.

Just be patient, take it one day at a time, and you will find your way to recovery.

Best wishes....

 

Thank you Ellen,
Yes, I've read your story... it gave me a lot of hope!

 

Welcome to your day one Liz. You have everything you need,

 

Hi Liz, I am happy to see Dutch people here,
Hope you finally find relief from your symptoms.

 

Welcome to the Forum, Liz!

I was diagnosed with "you could have fibromyalgia" several years ago, but what I really have is TMS. I've had or do have many of the same symptoms that you have. It's so frustrating! The thing that has helped me the most is not fearing the symptoms. They haven't killed me off yet; they probably won't. I finally got that.

It's a little daunting, but freeing at the same time, that each of us is on an individual path and must find the things that work best for her.

You're in a terrific place to get information and support on your healing journey.

Cricket.

 

Hey... a fellow Dutchman.... gezellig!
I hope that this will finally will give me relief of my symptoms... I am so sick of it. (Duh!)

Do you know ANY dutch recourses that can help me along the way, everything I hear or read is in English and it's not that my English is that bad, it's just that if I read a lot in English I start to 'think' in English and I think that might be somewhat counterproductive. (Does that make any sense?)

 

Yep, I understand.
I haven't discovered any Dutch resources sadly.

 

Thanks for your reply.
I am scared shitless about my symptoms, to be honest. And not because I'm afraid that it will cause permanent damage or something like that, I KNOW there's nothing structurally damaged... it's just that the pain gets worse when I do things and when it's at it worst I can't even see straight. So that scares me.
It's the feeling about the pain that scares me.
It's the desperation that scares me.
I hope I will learn to approach that different in the future!!!

 

Good for you for acknowledging where you are right now. Keep sharing You're not alone.

 

Oh Liz, I do feel for you.... I too had 'fibromyalgia' - for 22 years, I too recovered by using TMS techniques and I am now 99% healthy (just shovelled 2 ton of sand out of the trailer - so that's healthy!!)
The Structured Educational Prog is a fantastic start and there are plenty more books, and other resources recommended on this site. A friend of mine with Chronic fatigue is starting the course today...
Top tips: Take time EVERYDAY for you, whether its to do the programme, meditate or do something you enjoy.
Put yourself FIRST - it sounds selfish - but, if you are not healthy you cannot be fully 'there' for others. To be fully healthy you need to put yourself first, then you can also be there for loved ones.
Patience and a HUGE sense of humour - impossible to get by without either...
Good luck on your journey back to health.

 

Wow, I just read your story... it's amazing!!! I take great comfort in stories like yours (and I am so glad for you that you recovered so well!!!).

Thank you.