MS or other chronic pain disorders

shellsmybells93
shellsmybells93 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hello!

My name is Shellie and im 24 years old and would love to lose 140 pounds. Ever since the end of last year i have had chronic pain all throughout my body. Ive had blood tests done to rule out autoimmune disorders and now my doctor believes its either one of two things, fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis. I currently dont have great health insurance so i am saving up for the mri to see if there are any lesions. I am trying to eat healthy but its exercising thats hard for me. I can barely take a shower some days, with chronic pain comes chronic fatigue. I was wondering if there is anybody else going through anything like this and how do you handle it? How can you have a healthy lifestyle if walking for 15 minutes can leave you in more pain for the next 3 days? Im new to these diagnosis' and doctors have not been helpful at all. I would love to make new friends who understand any of what im going through, most people in my life don"t

Thank you!!

Replies

  • ritzyswish
    ritzyswish Posts: 16 Member
    Hi Shellie, I'm so sorry to here of your suffering. My name is Emma and I live in the UK. My sister and I both have pain conditions. My sister has trigrominal neuralgia, which affects her face and is excruciatingly painful, she's on 18 different medications to manage the pain. I'm the lucky one out of the two of us, I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is similar to Fibromyalgia. CFS means when I do anything that requires a lot of energy (a longer day at work, a social event, a long walk, a gym class), I suffer burn out 48 hours later, which leaves me with flu like symptoms. I've had CFS for 9 yrs now, so I've learnt my triggers, and how to pace myself. Diet and exercise actually really help in the long run, it's being disciplined that is hard! After diagnosis I was offered online CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), but that only helps initially. I've done a lot of research over the years and discovered little ways that help to improve life. Maybe we could connect on here and help each other out? Xx
  • towardaminime
    towardaminime Posts: 27 Member
    Hi Shellie. I don't like to see anyone suffer. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia several years ago. Luckily I have a doctor who recognized it right away and started me on medications. You have to learn your limits and know that getting a cold, a bad allergy day (for me), or anything else can have greater effects on you than on someone else. I have started to walk again, after about a year off from a nasty lung infection, and I know I can't go far or fast or I will pay for it later that day and the next few days too. So, I use a treadmill on my doctor's suggestion for a couple of reasons: the treadmill is gentler on your joins than walking outside; I can control my speed and distance exactly; I am not as likely to take a fall or step off a curb wrong; it is in a temperature controlled environment so I don't overheat; and I can stop if I feel like I am doing too much without still needing to get back to my starting point. Remember this isn't a race. Every pound you take off is one less that your body needs to carry. I am sending you a friend invite if you care to accept.
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