Hi All,

I am a married mother of two (a son aged 7 and a daughter aged 13) working full time as a Technology Support Analyst. I also work part-time as an Administrative Officer for a local Air Cadet Squadron.

I have had chronic pain issues for as long as I can remember which is about 5 years of age. I have never met anyone with the same issue I have which is stress induced pain. I have had lots of testing done and the conclusion the various specialists have come up with is that people cope with stress in different ways; some people lose hair, some get ulcers; for me, my body creates pain.

It is sharp, stabbing pain like someone stabbing me with an ice pick over and over and over. It usually lasts from about 10-20 minutes and can occur anywhere in my body including ear lobe, heart, head, the webbing between my fingers, knee cap, eye, shin, the bridge of my nose... anywhere... and it can feel like it is in the muscle tissue, bone, ligaments, any part of my body. In a good stretch it will only happen 1-2 times a day but sometimes I will go for weeks or months where it is happening 1-2 dozen times a day. I have occassionally gone up to 9 hours straight with it.

Everyone else I have ever talked to has a diagnosable condition such as FM, arthritis, POTS, etc. I have never come across anyone with the same cause as mine. Not that I would wish this on anyone but it would be nice to talk to someone experiencing the same thing.

I have a few other health issues and even on a few occassions in my life experienced hysterical paralysis.

Well, I hope you all are having a great start to your week. I am usually a positive, optimistic, supportive poster but thought I would share this little bit about my condition.

Take care,
Datenshi

Hi .. Thanks for starting this group!! I was wondering about how to exercise with my arthritis knee.. Maybe I will learn a thing or two here also. I am 63 y.o. female.. Live in Georgia . Married to my wonderful retired Navy hubby of 31 yrs. We are just returning to Georgia after being back and forth Full Time camping for 2 yrs. Will return to our 'stick" house Jan. 1st to settle down for a bit and get my knee fixed and lose weight and get fit. It's my turn to take care of me instead of me taking care of everyone else.. Sounds selfish.. but I need to do this for me!!
We have 2 grown boy who have families.. One is in Georgia ( who will be moving from our house )... and the older one lives in Fla. We have 5 grand kids.. 1 grandson in Fla and the rest in Ga.. All are 10 yrs and up..
Looking forward to getting to know ya'll.. I am also a Red Hat lady and have a lot of fun with our Sassy Lady group here.

I have Fibromyalgia and have found that the Gazelle Freestyle Extreme, a machine develeoped by Tony LIttle, is very easy on my joints - especially knees - and I get a good workout on it. It's been around for years so it's probably easy to find a used one cheap. You can google it online and get more info on it.

I'm currently in a very painful Fibro flare so I'm fighting to just maintain my weight loss so far. I hate having to take pain meds just to be able to exercise so I struggle to find a balance between activity, rest and pain relief.

Hi, everyone. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2000. Stayed away from meds for years (other than Advil & Aleve) because there just wasn't much info. But I started trying a few meds last year and think I found a good combo -- especially for the brain fog, because I'm also a full-time student and working full-time. Unfortunately, I believe those meds have somewhat contributed to my recent weight gain...along with my big mouth!

Thanks to the added poundage, my pain levels have been pretty bad again. Stress definitely adds more pain. I know I've been eating on the run, eating very poorly, so it's way past time for me to make some changes. One of those is to take better care of myself...not something I well-known for.

So about pain & exercise, I'm planning to start the C25K training this weekend. I'm really scared because of the pain, but I've read other testimonies and know the endorphines can be such a blessing, not to mention the energy. My energy levels are at an all time low. I hibernate on the weekends and I'm sick of it.

If there's anyone out there with chronic pain or fibromyalgia who have tried the C25K, feel free to share your experience or give your advice. Thanks!

Hi - I'm Ann, aged 66, from the UK. I've been on MFP sporadically since January, but only investigated groups today. Thank you for starting this group.

I have osteoarthritis (two brilliant hip replacements), chronic back pain, type 2 diabetes, dysthymia/depression and possible fibromyalgia.

I first gained a significant amount of weight (about 30lb) when I was on danazol about 40 years ago for endometriosis, and this weight never really came off. Some antidepressants, and a course of steroids for 18 months (now finished) also added to the weight. I've just finished a course on healthy eating and basic exercise.

I want to resume swimming, which I stopped when I had my hip replacements, and also some home exercise which we were shown at the course. It is hard to find a time when the pool isn't too crowded, and also I've had some lingering viruses lately. Despite being retired, I find time difficult - caring for and showing my 'furries' (see username!), typing up a backlog of poems and also dealing with a backlog of Photoshop Elements work - some for church, some for rat forums.

Hello all!

I'm Kristin, will be turning 30 this summer (gulp!), married for almost 3 years to my fabulous husband Jason - we have been together almost 7 years - and have an almost 8-month-old son. We live in Southern Maine.

I have Fibromyalgia and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobility type, along with many underlying issues. I was in great shape throughout high school, danced en pointe for a year and was taking multiple ballet classes. Was fighting through the pain. In April 2001 (senior year of high school) I had my left knee operated on, but kept the weight down and kept on trucking. Was walking a TON when I went to college that fall, and then fell in March 2002. Things went downhill from there. Long story short, having multiple injuries and of course, the chronic pain that went with everything, and turning to food for comfort, put about 75lbs extra on in the past 6 years. In the middle of all that, had my right knee operated on 1 month after I got married (nothing like testing a marriage with an invalid for a wife!!).

3 years later, I have lost about 45lbs, have an amazing son, and a wonderful, supportive husband. I'm in a good place now, and just really need to find a decent way to work out. I'm really interested in doing the c25k program, but don't know if I'm a good candidate. I'm trying to get in shape so I can chase after my son with no problems, so I can fit into the awesome clothes I have packed away still (yes, I kept them - part of my motivation!!!), and so I can make sure my health is not an issue - I want control of how long I live in the only way possible!!!!

Hi my name is Jen and I just joined today . I have ms, and fibro for almost 10 years know. I have three kids ages 15, 13, 10 I have been working on my diet for months and just got started on exercise a month ago. So far so good. Just found this site and I am hoping it will help me stay on my path. I am glad I found this group and support will be great!

I'm Colleen. Let me just get this out: working out with chronic pain SUCKS. Ok, I feel better, and I hope you do, too.

I'm 35 and I've had chronic pain for a really long time. When I was 13, I had a growth spurt during which I grew a full 12" in 9 months. Every joint in my body ached for a sold year. When I finally got to the doctor, he said that I had tendonitis everywhere it was possible to have it. If you've never had tendonitis in your FEET, you just don't know about "growing pains." A steady diet of ibuprofen and completing the growth spurt helped a lot.

I've always loved to read. And since I was little, my favorite position is yoga-style on the floor, ankles together and the book resting on my ankles so I could lean over and read. Turns out that 30+ years of that gives you severe lumbar arthritis. PARENTS! Make sure your kids sit up when they read!!

These days, I can walk ok for about 7 minutes, but not much longer. If I'm standing still, I have only 5 minutes (go figure!). The arthritis presses against my sciatic nerve, meaning that on a bad day, I hurt from the middle of my back clear down to my toes along the left side. I keep hearing, "If you move, it feels better!" M'kay, but how would you suggest I do that without crying?

It's nice to find a group that (a) knows how I feel and (b) won't dismiss my complaints and (c) might have some good suggestions for me.

Hello, I am AJ....a female from Texas. Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 3 years ago and I ahve arthritis in the balls of my hips. I have gained weight since I was put on meds and have been diagnosed. I am on here looking to lose 40 lbs. and have support from people who can relate to what I am going through. If you want, add me as a friend.

Hi, I am a three year chronic pain suffer, on the books but I am sure I have the fibromyalgia much longer. I also got three herniated discs in my neck a couple years ago. OUCHY and that makes exercise nearly impossible, some days I try to move through the pain but it just makes it much worse the next day. what do you all do?