Awareness and side effects...

So, it's been 10 days since my "coming out" post in which I finally shared with the world what I've been going through.  It's been a very strange, very trying, and very difficult 10 days.  
I'm not sure if I'm just allowing myself to be more aware of what I'm feeling or if it was the emotional stress of finally talking about all this, but these last 10 days have been some of the most exhausting and painful days I've had.  Maybe it's a combination of those two factors.  

The one thing that's still requiring a conscious effort is talking about what I'm feeling.  I've been so quiet about it for so long, that the silence became a habit.  Even with my husband, who'd I'd been keeping in the dark about this as well.  I know that it's a good thing to share with him how I'm feeling, but I worry that over time he'll get sick of it or that I'll come across as a whiner.  Now, I know that's all in my head because my husband is AMAZING!  
Everything I've ever gone through...from the death of my father, to complications following surgery to remove a benign breast tumor, to my major car accident last year...He has not only been right by my side, but he has helped to carry me through it all.  And this is no different.  He a long time ago, referred to us as "Team Westman" and that stuck...and this is how he approaches everything.  He, over the last 10 days, has been consistently telling me that what I'm going through...he's going through it too, that my pain is his pain.  I know he means it.  
But, my self conscious self...tells myself that he doesn't want to hear it, that nobody does.  I'm really writing this all more for myself than any of you that may read it, because I know in the end...Most of you will either stop reading from lack of interest or from being sick of me.  

But I AM trying to make an effort to talk about it.  Whether it's my husband, my mom, my sister, my friends, my co-workers...I am not wanting to be quiet anymore.  But as I'm talking about it, it feels weird and foreign.  But I'll keep talking anyways, because it is helping me and in the end, that's what matters.  

And then I've been dealing with the fun issue of a side effect of my new medication...fatigue.  When my PCP told me that was the main side effect of it, I thought, "Oh, whatever...I'm already fatigued all the time anyways".  Oh man...what do I know?!  
The first few days after starting the med, I was fairly fatigued, nothing horrible but definitely more than my usual.  Then Monday night, after a week of being on the med, I increased my dose per the instructions from my PCP.  Yesterday, I was so out of it with complete fatigue.  I slept WAY later than I usually do AND I took a 2 hour nap in the middle of the day...neither of which helped at all...still felt just as fatigued.  Today is a little bit better.  I slept a lot later than I would have liked, but I'm not feeling the need to nap right now.  Although, the multiple cups of coffee may have something to do with that.  :-)

Well, I am going to happily go enjoy a scary movie with my sister this afternoon, then going to make a yummy comfort food for dinner (goulash!!!).  Wahoo!

 

Just a little update...

I only got to do a quick status update via Facebook on Monday after my appointment, so I thought I'd to a little update on here to catch up those of you that are interested (and obviously if you are reading this...You are probably one of those people).  

So, my PCP (primary care provider) agrees with my thinking that I have fibromyalgia.  Most PCP's don't manage this condition, so she immediately place a referral to a rheumatologist.  A rheumatologist primarily deal with conditions/diseases involving joints, soft tissue, connective tissue and autoimmune disorders.  
The problem is...for a first time visit/consult, there's a long wait to get seen.  My appointment isn't until November 26th...which is 46 days away.  With as long as I've been in pain at this point, what's another 46 days, right?  WRONG!  Once I made the decision to deal with this and move forward, I was ready to get this under control now!  Plus, the struggle I went through internally to decide that what I'm going through really DOES matter has been an emotional one for me.  So, I've been even more exhausted and strained this week then I've been in a long time.  Plus, after two really rough days at work of absolutely no down time and stress levels through the roof, I spent last night on the couch barely moving.  So, this 46 day wait seems terribly long to me right now.  

Luckily, my PCP was willing to at least get the ball rolling for me.  The primary medication for treating fibromyalgia these days is Lyrica.  My sister who also has fibromyalgia has had a lot of success with that medication and I was hoping (and still am) that was the route we would go.  My PCP explained that what she's seen however, is that because Lyrica is still brand name and very expensive that most insurance companies won't cover it until you've tried and failed other treatments first. 
So, we started me on a medication called gabapentin (Neurontin).  She's starting me on a standard dose and I can step up as needed on a week by week basis.  Then when I go to see the rheumatologist next month, we've at least tried this med.  If it works, then GREAT!  If not, then we've tried it and can move on.  
I've only been on it since Monday night and haven't noticed any changes yet, but I'm still holding out hope. 
So, for now, that's it I suppose...Until another day.

Being silent...

I will start this post with a poem I just felt compelled to write and will follow it with an explanation of why I feel compelled to do this now.

Being Silent

Being silent all these years

Doesn't mean I didn't shed any tears

Being silent all the while

Hiding behind my deceptive smile

I allow myself to continue in silence

I continue to perform this act of defiance

I tell myself that I'm just fine

But in reality I'm starting to decline

I carry with me this silent pain

In such a way that I can't sustain

I tell myself that it's not real

That I just need to carry on and deal 

I see so many others who suffer

I tell myself I just need to be tougher

I allow myself to diminish what I'm feeling

But that will just delay my healing

So hear I am ready to confess

That my body and soul are in distress

I now move forward with fear and doubt

But silent no more, I'm ready to shout.  

I don't even know where to begin, but let's begin with...I'm in pain...all the time.  I'm a champion at denial.  I've done it for most of my life, so why is this any different.  I can't even tell you when my pain started, it's been going on for that long...and I'm only 29.  

I do know that the reason I haven't done anything about it is that (in addition to just straight up denial) I tell myself that other people hurt and suffer more than I do, so I can't truly have something wrong with me.  Other people have more pain, aren't able to function as well as me...So it must not be as bad as I'm making it out to be.  

6 years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's disease.  Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease where my body attacked they tissue in my thyroid, effectively killing my thyroid and causing my hypothyroidism.  The biggest symptoms of hypothyroidism are (but not limited to) joint and muscle pain, dry hair, dry skin, dry nails, depression, brain fog (feeling like you are lost in a mental fog), fatigue, etc.  

I thought, "wow, now I know why I feel so awful all the time".  I began a long process towards finding the right dose of medication for me.  This is a medication I will have to be on for the rest of my life as my thyroid no longer makes the hormone needed to regulate my metabolism and many of the body's basic cellular functions.  I eventually received a referral to an endocrinologist to manage me as despite dose increases...My lab work and symptoms were going the wrong way.  Eventually we got me on the right dose and some of my symptoms went away.  I was definitely happy about that, but was upset that not all went away. 
I immediately went into research mode and wanted to know why.  What I found out was that with proper medication management...ALL symptoms of hypothyroidism should resolve..ALL SYMPTOMS!  So, why have I been suffering continuously with the remainder of my symptoms.  

I went through thinking, well maybe this is just my life...I'll just have to deal, to researching every condition out there until I became so exhausted and frustrated that I quit.  

All the while, I know I should have just gone to see my doctor.  Something obviously was wrong. 

I hurt, everywhere, all the time...without respite.  I take over the counter meds, I try heat and ice therapy...thinking that one of these days, I'll feel good.  

I avoid the doctor trip thinking, it's just not that bad...I can still function.  I go to work, I partake in my hobbies, I am able to enjoy fun activities and spend time with my family and friends.  I diminish what I'm feeling because I am constantly comparing myself to other people...I need to stop doing this because what I'm feeling is beginning to overwhelm me.  Both it actual pain and in the aspect of consistently telling myself that my pain isn't as bad or as important as other people's.  

So, I took the step that I've been most afraid of.  I made an appointment at my clinic for tomorrow morning.  I can't keep going this way...I just can't.