Fibro Warriors Barbados

What Does Fibromyalgia Feel Like?
"I've had a lot of pain lately, plus I'm exhausted, and my healthcare provider doesn't know why. It's a kind of pain I've never felt before, and it's all over my body. Someone recently suggested that it could be fibromyalgia, so I started reading about it.

"I came across a lot of references to 'the unique pain of fibromyalgia,' but not exactly what's unique about it. I've also seen that there are a lot of other symptoms, including problems with thinking and memory, and I've had some of those too.

"I really want to go to my next healthcare provider's appointment with some suggestions in mind, but I don't know if I should bring up fibromyalgia. So please, can you tell me, what does fibromyalgia feel like?"

Answer
That's a tough question to answer succinctly because fibromyalgia can vary greatly from person to person. Pain is a subjective experience, hence people experience variations of it. Fibromyalgia is unique in that there is no adequate objective explanation for the extent of the diffuse pains.

However, we do have some common experiences of pain and other symptoms that might be helpful to you.

Others describe aching all over like they've been pounded by a meat tenderizer. Some get electric zings, as well. It's also common to hear about painful skin that feels like it's been sunburned.

A lot of us have pain that doesn't seem to make sense. It can be from things that are normally harmless, such as a cold breeze, soft fabric moving across the skin, or light pressure from a handshake.

The waistband of a loose-fitting pair of pants or the belt on a bathrobe may cause searing pain. Bra straps, the elastic in socks and underwear, and the tag in a shirt may become major sources of irritation or pain.

One day, we might have low pain levels and be able to function somewhat normally, while other days we're bedridden with it. You may feel fine one moment and then have pain slam into you and make you feel like you were hit by a bus.

Beyond Pain
Fibromyalgia involves much more than just pain. Other frequent symptoms include panic disorders or waking up feeling unrefreshed as if you haven't slept at all.2 Sleep disorders are common, too, including:3

* Restless legs syndrome
* Sleep apnea
* Insomnia
* Hypervigilance

Fibro fog can make us unable to think clearly or remember what we were just doing.4 Short-term memory loss is common, and many of us lose the ability to multi-task.

We can have difficulty remembering what we read, learning new material, or absorbing what people say to us—especially if there's something competing for our attention.

Other common problems include doing simple math, becoming disoriented in familiar surroundings, or even putting a simple sentence together. A lot of people say they feel like their brain is packed in cotton.

Many of us have a whole set of odd little symptoms that are bothersome but not anywhere near as bad as the big three of pain, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. It's common to hear someone with this illness say, "I thought I was the only one," because the shortlists of symptoms we usually come across don't include them.

Fibromyalgia involves an overly sensitive nervous system, and that can make us react badly to all kinds of sensory input.5 It may seem incongruous that noise would give you stabbing pains in the abdomen, but that's the kind of unusual reactions we can have to those things.

~ Taken from Very Well Health

Do learn to say no.
Have too much on your plate? Don’t let nonessential obligations, such as baking cookies for your kids’ school event or hosting a big family dinner, stress you out.

Just say no. And don’t feel guilty about it, either.

“But try not to change your routine completely,” recommends the Mayo Clinic. People who quit work or drop all activity tend to do worse than do those who remain active.”
~www.everydayhealth.com

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” ~ Deuteronomy 31:16

One thing we have learnt as Fibro Warriors is to always seek God’s word for his strength to carry you through day by day. For we are fragile and weak and unable to withstand the pain and pressures of life; but with God, all things are possible!

💙🌺🦋 United we stand in God as fighters against Fibromyalgia 💙🌺🦋