I have changed our journey a little bit. I want to share with you what I have been going through in 2020. I promise you, there is a point as to why I am sharing, and it is something I believe all Fibromyalgia patients need to understand. I even need reminding, and 2020 was my reminder.
At the start of the year, I was not feeling very well. Winter in Colorado is rough on someone with fibromyalgia. As I have said in the last blog, my doctor and I manage my pain. Managing pain does not mean there is no pain. In February, my father died, I directed all of my attention into making sure everything was taken care of. Then the schools shut down and I had a middle school student and a high school student doing school at home. As optimistic as I could be, and for the most part am, it was a trying time. I enjoyed it too, it kept my mind focused on the kiddos and keeping their grades up. Still not listening to my body and blaming everything on Fibromyalgia.
Stress causes Fibromyalgia flares. I was having pain in my chest, severe pain in my torso, I kept running a temperature. With fibro I have gastrointestinal issues, this was something I am accustomed to. It was the persistent pain in my chest that kept getting worse.
I have an amazing therapist and I thank my lucky stars that I do. I had just taken my oldest to return his school stuff to the school before summer vacation. We got back to our home and I looked at my kiddos and told them that I needed to lay down before my tele-med appointment. When I woke up I felt worse. I could barely stand because the pain was so bad. I was ash white with a 102 F temperature, but I was I still didn't listen to the signs. Fibro was still my number one culprit. My appointment with my therapist was more important than getting an appointment with my primary doctor. I was going to see him in a couple of days so I was going to wait.
Boy, did I get a tongue lashing. My therapist, who is in my doctor's office, told me to hang up with her and call to get into the office immediately. Well, I was a good patient and did as she told me to do. She was in the front waiting for me to call and the front office was waiting on my call. When I told the receptionist who I was, she laughed and told my therapist it was me. A half an hour later I was in there, being seen.
Thankfully, I went in. I had diverticulitis with sepsis, plus the sack around my heart had an abnormal amount of fluid on the left side. I spent 5 days in the hospital. With a long recovery at home.
I should know better, and I know I have to take care of myself to take care of my family.
The lesson does not stop there for me. I was still recovering, I did not do much. I slept mostly. Slowly I started getting better and during this time I also started this blog. I wanted to start something to help others. Months pass COVID still loomed in the air and we stayed home. The kiddos were amazing and we all did what we could. The virtual school had started and we had something to do.
November came and I started not feeling well and again. Same types of symptoms, but now I was not just blaming Fibro, I was worried I was having a diverticulitis flare too. Around this time we found out that we may have been exposed to COVID. We all had to be tested.
If you have to be tested, I pray you have a swab and not the 3D printed thing they stuck up my nose. On the left side, it was so bad, I ended up with a black eye, and my sinus hurt for about a week. I thought I had a sinus infection and did the best job I could to clean my sinuses out and to take care of myself.
Then my world changed again. I had COVID.
Here I thought I was having a fibro flair with diverticulitis issues and possibly a sinus infection...
Nope, COVID. Once again I was not listening to my body screaming at me. I don't think it could get any louder. I did what the doctor told me and took care of myself and got through the two weeks. But I was still not feeling better. Now I have been told I have "Post COVID Syndrome" or "Long-Hauler". It makes me wonder if they will change the name or call it PCS.
I have shared with you things most of my friends do not know, and if they read this I am sure I will get a phone call or something. Why am I sharing this with you? Because I am going to be that person to say:
Dear Friend,
I want you to know I understand that you are a FibroFighter, and Fibro sucks. Dealing with the tingling, stabbing pain, headaches, muscle aches, ears ringing. feet swelling, the fog, fatigue, and other crazy things are tiresome. I don't want you to go through what I went through, I want you to hear my story and start a Fibro Diary. I want you to know your body and when it is screaming at you for help. Because if you are not listening, who is?
Don't let Fibromyalgia have you!
I have faith in you! You can do this. If you ever need to talk or have questions, I am here for you.
Myka