Keegan Moves In, and Fibromyalgia Defined....

Keegan moved in with me in 1989.  Specifically, in February of 1989.  At the time, I was a healthy 26 yr old mom of a four yr old and an 11 mo old.  That winter, Dijon and I both came down with a horrible case of the flu....ugh!   But, after a week or so, we both began to improve.   As I was convalescing in the recliner one morning, my left arm and leg suddenly felt numb and tingly....30 minutes later, the right side followed suit. By the afternoon, my muscles felt weak, and it was becoming difficult to write.  Hmmm, this wasn't normal!!  A trip to the primary doctor, and a phone consultation to an internist, had me on my way to the hospital.  Keegan had arrived....I just didn't know it yet.

The doctors first suspected Guillane-Barre Syndrome, which leads to temporary paralysis....But my symptoms did not progress to the point where that diagnosis fit.  I was sent home, and the trips to the specialists' offices began. Bloodwork of every sort was done, as were x-rays, MRIs, and even a spinal tap. All tests were normal, and doctors were left scratching their heads. The numbness, tingling, and weakness continued.....the fatigue became unbearable.  Keegan was grinning, and hiding :)



Keegan has been with me ever since.  He and I lived together for 18 years before I learned exactly what he was....fibromyalgia.  It took doctors that long to diagnose me.  That made him a bit tough to deal with, since I had no clue how to manage his shenanigans!  


What is fibromyalgia, exactly?  Well, it is a syndrome where sufferers experience long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.  The pain can be deep and aching, radiating, or shooting and burning.  It often feels like we have the flu!   


People with fibromyalgia also experience problems with insomnia, fatigue, headaches, depression,  anxiety, and other issues.  We often wake up with stiffness and body aches, and pain can increase with activity, stress, and cold and damp weather.   Numbness and tingling in hands and feet are also common. 


There's also the strange condition called "Fibro Fog"....people with FMS have memory and concentration problems.  For instance, Keegan takes great pleasure in preventing me from following a simple set of directions....Really, just try to list six easy steps for me to follow....not gonna happen.  I just can't remember it at all.  We often have trouble thinking of easy words, like "truck"....So I'll say, "You know, the long thing with lots of wheels that runs on the highway and hauls stuff."   And Keegan grins.


The onset of fibromyalgia symptoms often occurs after a stressful event of some sort, either emotional or phsyical.  (Researchers aren't sure yet exactly what happens.)  For me, it was the flu.  Somehow, a switch was flipped, and the fibro began.  


Keegan moved in.  He made himself at home, and he grinned.  And my life changed.  


But here's the thing....it's OKAY!!  My life did change, and I can't do everything I'd like to, and sometimes I don't feel well.....BUT I have a Wonderfully, Amazingly, Full and Happy Life, in spite of the Fibro!  


...........And you can too....If you have fibromyalgia, you can too.........


You see, Keegan causes chaos and he grins, but he doesn't run the whole show....I refuse to let him.  Don't let your dragon run the show either.


See ya soon,
~~~~~Sally~~~~~