| The Beginning At thirty two I had two small children and an incredible amount of energy. I come from a high energy family and looking after my children, working part time, keeping my house clean, walking three miles daily, doing aerobic exercises, taking courses, belonging to two organizations and participating in my children's activities seemed reasonable and enjoyable. However, that winter I had an extremely bad flu which resulted in pneumonia and after that I just couldn't seem to get going again. I was tired all the time and I ached. In my family those symptons mean you take stock and make whatever adjustments are needed to regain your health. For me that had always meant, check and adjust my diet if necessary , and get outside and walk. Only this time it didn't seem to be working and walking made my muscles ache as if it was the first time I had used those muscles in years. So I walked more and they hurt more. Thinking that perhaps I had picked up another virus I saw my doctor and this is where my stoy varies from most fibromyalgia patients. This was back in 1985 and when tests came back with everything looking fine and when specialists said they could find nothing this doctor kept looking and narrowing things down until one of the specialists made a dignosis of fibromyalgia. He and I both agreed that this condition most closely matched my symptons. Funny how you feel such relief when you finally know what it is, and how nothing prepares you for the frustration of suffering from a condition that neither the public or most people really understand. Next page copyright� 2000, Mitsou. All Rights Reserved. |