Fibro, Arthritis, Overweight, Where do I fit in???

JadeButterfly
JadeButterfly Posts: 8
edited September 21 in Introduce Yourself
Hello All!
My name is Aubrey. I am a married stay at home mother of 3. Being at home is not my idea of what life should be, but I am very grateful I can stay at home with my kids right now. They need me and I give them what I can.

I currently weigh 190. I am 5'5", medium frame, so am technically 'morbidly obese'. Bunch o bunk if you ask me. My main goal is to get into better physical shape to feel better as a person. But I have these major roadblocks that seem to dwarf my goals and make me feel hopeless. I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid and fibromyalgia in 2005. The weight piled on that first year. I went from 135 to 170 and was miserable. Then in 2007 I got pregnant and topped out at 215. I finally leveled off at 190 and have been here for 2 years. I HATE it.

I find I have the hardest time talking about myself without dominating the conversation with my "issues". Migraine, fibro, arthritis, depression, weight loss, pre-diabetic, yada yada yada. Where did I go?!?

Does anybody else find themselves lost in their issues?

Replies

  • pickledlilly
    pickledlilly Posts: 98 Member
    I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. After the scare on taking statins for high colestoral I came off them and I don't have this problem anymore. Excess weight caused me to be depressed too.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    I can totally relate to what you are going through. I too am a sahm , I also have fibromyalgia, thyroid problems, and chronic fatigue. These issues make it so hard to do anything let along exercise. But I too have gained alot of weight due to these issues and medication , but I am determined to do what I can to get off some of this weight. Feel free to add me as a friend......
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
    Fibro-mite, right here.

    After a medical scare I got all crazy with hypochondria and the stress, constant anxiety and a little PTSD probably was what caused my fibro, from what I can tell. From the minor "married 15" I went on to put on the "married 50." I was definitely depressed, tension headaches and migraines, on all kinds of medication, I also managed to dislocate my knee... twice. It was a crap time, I can tell you that.

    Fortunately, the weight loss journey helps. It really does. I've knocked off more weight than I put on and while I can still promise you that I have pain (major tension headache right now actually), I've learned that A) I can dominate it and B) getting up and doing some yoga or a light workout or swimming will help my pain more than it will hurt it. Getting in better shape has taken some of the strain off of my already exhausted joints and muscles. It's also good for stress, which is a major trigger of my fibro pain.

    Also, working out, losing weight and really changing my life has improved my depression. I'm not going to say I don't have off days, but I'm definitely a lot better. Which is great because I'm waaaaayyy too chemical sensitive to medications to take anti-depressants (which only made me gain weight anyway).

    Unfortunately you always have to keep your "issues" in mind on this journey. Because it's for health. And if you do it right and do what's right for you with your medical issues, you can VASTLY improve some of them.

    Hang in there, keep in mind - baby steps.

    Good luck!
  • redbedhead
    redbedhead Posts: 53
    I find I have the hardest time talking about myself without dominating the conversation with my "issues". Migraine, fibro, arthritis, depression, weight loss, pre-diabetic, yada yada yada. Where did I go?!?

    Does anybody else find themselves lost in their issues?

    I have that problem. My Issues are similar to yours: Migraines, arthritis, weight loss, iron defecient anemia, ulcers, primary caregiver to mother with parkinson's disease, Graduate school , conpromised immune system, yada yada yada. I have to actively think about one good thing for the day that is not related to my issues to keep from being overwhelmed by them. I find that really helps. Sometimes the good thing is the way the mountain looks out by back window, that I have time to do one of my favorite hobbies, or sometimes it is simply that i can walk today without crying.

    When I start feeling like nothing but a string of issues, I force myself to think of the one good thing, and to remember that allthough I might be having a bad day there is someone out there somewhere who is having a worse day, or remind myself of my favorite Bible verse, where God Promises not to give me more than I can handle. These positive self talk techniques seem to work well to keep things in perspective for me. Maybe the same type of self talk can help you remember that you are more than just your issues.
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
    In addition to low-thyroid, I also have been diagnosed with ALL of the following:

    PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
    PMDD (Premenstural Dysphoric Disorder)
    Fibro
    Migraines
    IBS
    Anorexia
    Sympathetic Reactive Disorder (not sure that is the right title, actually)
    Anxiety
    Depression
    Multiple Food Allergies
    Acid Reflux
    Patella Femur Syndrome
    Sciatica


    I could go on, but you get the picture.

    The thing that keeps me going is the most natural lifestyle I can manage. Meaning whole foods, no processed stuff. That is one of the biggest helpers with almost all of those syndromes. And movement. No matter how bad the fibro hurts, you have to move. The more you move, the less it hurts. You cannot hurt yourself by pushing through the pain because it is all just coming from overactive nerves. Of course, with artritis, you want to make sure you are careful about what you do. However, 51 pounds ago, it wasn't so easy. :grumble: It wasn't untill I saw an endocrinologist that things got easier. Up untill then, I was motivated in my brain only. My body just wouldn't follow suit.

    What I'm saying is, I highly recommend finding a specialist that can help you and aggresivly adhering to treatment. Getting help with the weight loss might be a good idea, because it really helps with the fibro! Exercise is the best treatment, but its not much good if you can't stick with it. I swear! Losing weight has turned me into a fitness maniac. But this time last year, I just wanted to punch people who told me to exercise. :angry: Its very hard to understand when you have never felt fibro.

    Thats my 2 cents:flowerforyou:
  • snyder2teach
    snyder2teach Posts: 22
    It sounds like we're all in the same boat. We can do it if we support one another.
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