I Got Some 'Splainin' To Do

My parents have expressed some concerns over my last post. They worry what people will think of me when they read about the meds I'm on.

I have fibromyalgia & have been displaying symptoms since I was 13. This involves chronic pain throughout the body & stiffness (I was once misdiagnosed with arthritis in college), chronic fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, headaches, numbness in the extremities, sensitivity to touch & difficulty focusing. This site has more information.

These conditions have had a huge impact on my life. I have had to quit my dream of training horses professionally. I can't go into nursing as I planned. I am constantly exhausted & yet unable to sleep. Three times one summer while I was at Cessna, I had to be sent home for 3 days due to the dizziness & blackouts.

All that said, there are times that meds come in very handy for helping to control some of the symptoms. Sleeping pills, anti-inflammatories, pain pills... Since Cessna I haven't used the pain meds other than plain 'ol ibuprofen or tylenol. The Zoloft I mentioned in the previous post helps with the depression that can come as a result of constant pain. Don't worry, it isn't bad, just gives me that obnoxious weepiness.

So, that's what I deal with on a daily basis, but I really have it pretty good. Yeah, I'll most likely have this the rest of my life, but it's not cancer, it's not MS or a multitude of other things that others have to put up with. And if someone thinks less of me for depending on a few minor medications, well, that's their problem & they just need to get over it.