Life with Fibromyalgia and M.E./CFS

---

I started with hand pain, just that simple hand pain age 30, never considered going to a doctor, my hands looked fine but oh the pain would have me in tears as I tried to use them, but how would anyone believe me...........then over next few years I started having pain in arms, legs, everywhere ( already had neck pain  from a car accident age 20 and it started to travel down and join the rest.  

 

I was diagnosed with 'yuppie Flu' in 1988 as I started collapsing with fatigue as well as the pain.  That lasted 3 years but then eased but by 1993 I was in such pain I had to stop most things but was not officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia until 1998.

 

In 2001 the fatigue came back very badly and I was again diagnosed with M.E/CFS along with the Fibromyalgia.  

 

Since then both flare, sometimes its pain  worse, others it fatigue.

 

I also have major memory problems, balance problems, my arms and legs will not move when I want them to, my bladder also gives me problems around the clock.  I have intense itchiness on and off, sleep never refreshes me  -oh the list cannot go on but although its taken me a long, long time I have learnt to live with them and have some semblance of life, not the one I had hoped for but a life non the less, something I never thought I would ever achieve and thought I would spend the rest of my life lying in a darken room in bed 24/7.