Fibromyalgia

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

On a diet?!! I know they have to check the "if it looks like and duck and quacks like a duck....", but that takes the biscuit.

Given how long I'd been her patient, and how infrequently I went to see her, you'd have thought it would have dawned on her that I wasn't the type of patient who'd be too stupid to realise that going on a diet can cause weight loss.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

October time here is called The Killing Fields as it's when the newly qualified Registrars start their rotation at the Hospital. My first appointment with a Rheumy was at that time of year, but I have to say that I have never had such a thorough history taken. It took about an hour and she came up with a plausible dx before calling in Consultant.
Was particularly impressed with her.
Whereas this last appointment was with a Registrar who, when I said I was thinking of apply for DLA looked shocked as hell and asked if I had enjoyed my last job.
After a disastrous appointment with a GP locum early in the week who seemed to want to blame my weight and panic attacks (which I don't get) for everything, I really began to think that people didn't believe me that I was unwell. That's something I still struggle with a little bit as symptoms are so myriad.

Trouble is, it's such a lottery with Trainee GPs and Registrars - and if you get a good un, you can bet your sweet life you won't see them more than twice, before they move on. A bit like dentists really. Over the past 2 years or so, I've seen the same dentist 3 times - that's a record for me.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

s/e - immensly frustrating isn't it about being shifted from pillar to post feeling that no-one's keeping an eye on the bigger picture, just all dealing with their own little sphere of excellence.

Trouble was, I didn't even feel like they were dealing with their own sphere of excellence - just shifting me on for someone else to deal with.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Grim for your Mum.

My frequent use of the word creeping in, is it, Axe?

Cwta wrote:

Good news today is nice payment into bank in excess of £35 for various mystery shops, luncheon vouchers of £6 for product surveys and a £10 Waterstones card for TV survey type thing I've been signed up for, for several years. Now have to persuade myself that I really don't need the zippy ickly sexy but cheap camcorder I've seen. Would be nice though for when American family contingent descend on us at Xmas. I don't need it - right?

That's right Axe. You don't need it. Don't.

(That's what you wanted to hear. Whether you realise it or not. Unless of course you're gonna come record our wedding - did I tell you about that? :rolleyes: - for us...? )

Cwta wrote:

Not so good news that I went to put recycling in car to head on trip to disabled friendly Organic Farm Shop and realised that I perhaps wasn't "with it" enough to drive. Spesh down the muddy, winding tracks that the shop is on.

Gutted. It is rather frustrating when you're either sure you're not, or you're not sure you are, able to do stuff like that. Sometimes I set off to walk the dogs with OH and end up going round the smallest bit of the block on the basis that I can go home again fairly easily if it gets enough.

LameWolf wrote:

Today will prob be the last you'll see of me for a bit. Mr LW is using up his annual leave next week, so I'm not likely to get online much, if at all.

Enjoy it LW.
My OH is considering going off sick, so he's still on the books at his current work til payday (Thur) -as he's worried that if he hands in his (immediate) notice, or walks out, they'll find some way to swizz him out of his pay...or at least make it a complete ballache to get back. I don't think the hoover sales job (which should start Wed) will be the best thing for him so hoping he gets something like bar work or temping to fill the gap between now and his new job in Jan. I think he needs it to prepare himself mentally for it.

Somebody_else wrote:

Or it could just be that you've got very weak blood vessels in your nose and they'll just ooze on a fairly regular basis. I know it's possible to have them cauterized if it's causing a problem. Might be worth mentioning to your doc at some point.

I think that's probably it. I think they must be weaker at certain points cos it's not exactly unusual for it to be like this, it's just more unusual that it's worse right now... iykwim.

Somebody_else wrote:

He did decide that I was recovering well and that a lot of residual symptoms were being caused by the ME. Which was bluddy clever, seeing as I didn't have ME.

I deeply suspect that ME was mentioned because some in the medical profession believe that Fibromyalgia is a symptom of ME. *Sigh* Pretty big symptom if you ask me. :rolleyes:

Somebody_else wrote:

In my experience Opticians seem to be more clued up about this sort of thing. Apparently, they can diagnose all sorts of things just by looking in your eyes.

Agreed. My dad went to see them and they realised that he had glaucoma and sent him off to hospital etc. He could've lost his sight if they hadn't caught it. I know it's their area of expertise, but it's always good to have it confirmed that they actually do know what they're talking about!
My optician takes my character into account too. I was complaining of headaches and he sussed that the vision between eyes was 0.25dioptre out, which most people wouldn't notice, but because I'm a perfectionist and such - I noticed! He dutifully agreed to help me sort it out.

Cwta wrote:

There's a renowned (?!) palm reader in town tomorrow and I thought about going in without various medical accessories and seeing what he said. Shall I??

I wouldn't recommend it. But I dare say I'm being controversial saying that.

Cwta wrote:

Oops, cat brought in mouse so I'm off on a rescue missiion, poor little squeaker.

Caught it yet?

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Maybe that's part of our motivation to educate ourselves so we can insist "look, I'm suffering from this, you won't listen so I looked it up and it sounds like x,y z. What's the likelihood?"

Once again, that depends on the doc. I took an article to the same GP who asked me if I'd been dieting, 'cos on the surface it looked like I'd got Fibro. She read the article, then said, "never heard of it", and that was the end of the conversation.

Fast forward to a consultation with the GP I now see, she'd spent the previous weeks going through my notes quite carefully, then told me that I'd had a diagnosis of ME (that was news to me, cos as far as I was aware, I'd never been given an official diagnosis), which I politely challenged and gave my reasons why I didn't think that was the case. She immediately ordered a ream and half of blood tests, which showed up the usual abnormalities, which lead to the referral to my current Rheumatologist. Even she agrees with me that I can't have been suffering from a viral infection continuously for the past 18 or 19 years.

Bit of a laugh really, I'm no longer allowed to give blood, on the grounds that taking that much blood in one go could trigger epilepsy - but on the other hand, I regularly have blood tests that involve taking almost as much blood in one go as I used to give during a donation session. (They used to take 1/2 the normal amount from me a) because I didn't weigh a huge amount, b) 'cos my veins would refuse to flow for long enough to fill the bag, but 'cos I've got a rare(ish) blood group they wanted some of it at least.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Should be struck off!!
Your GP now sounds similar to mine - she even (bless) took my notes home to go through all the meds for IBS to see if any of them could be contributing. This is why I came off Immodium and onto Loperamide. I take an acute dose and she felt it was eliminating a poss complication.
I've actually moved out of the catchment area of the surgery, but she just said, we won't tell anyone your new address and use Dad's as he is in catchment area!

I made an official complaint to the Practice Manager in the end - one mistake after another. It's obvious that plenty of people know what she's like - when I was waiting for an appointment to a couple of specialists, I ended up talking to one of their secretaries at the hospital, explaining the problems I'd been having getting the referrals. She asked me who my GP was, I told her and her response was "say no more". I've now refused point blank to see her. I don't care who I see, but even if I was dying I'd refuse to see her. She'd probably just tell me I was imagining things.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

Trust you to have a rare blood group s/e

'Snot my fault. I blame me mother.

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

I've been blessed in my life with people being incredibly kind to me at various times of need and so desperately believe in karma and "pay it forward" that I try very hard to good for others where I can.

Despite all that's happened over the years, I still feel that I've been incredibly lucky in a lot of way. After all, realistically, I should be dead by now...

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

No. not caught mouse yet, but have distracted cat,m so when it makes an appearance I'll pounce with my glass (at the ready) and liberate it. It only freaks me out when she brings in frogs

I suffer from frogs - the neighbours have a pond, and this year they put up a new fence which goes right down to the ground. Which means they now can't get back into my neighbours' garden. You don't want to know what happened to the one I didn't notice while I was mowing the lawn. :eek:

Careful_with_that_Axe wrote: »

I had wondered about Raeh too. Hope she's OK.

Wasn't she due for a short weekend away? If I'm wrong, I hope she's okay.