Hi again

Thank you so much for all your help for Mom with the Flu.

It is extremely frustrating trying to educate the family about this disease as I think they are in Big Denial about their Mother having something wrong with her. I am a late comer to all of this. Just 2 Yrs with my Honey

I have Multiple Sclerosis & have been dealing with it for several years now. I am disabled but doing very well with new drugs. Most people don't even know I have it. I take Very Good care of Myself - I Have To. It took a long while for my Honey to "Get It" with me. He now takes Very Good care of me. Now I'm trying to get his family to "Get It" with his Mother & start taking Good Care of her.

I am a Strong advocate & Very Educated about My Disease. I understand that I have limits and try not to push myself beyond those limits. As I am sure that Mom should also! This stuff Stinks!!

As for Mom the family really has little Knowledge or Respect for her Fibromyalgia & what an Autoimmune disease can do to a body. It looks like I am going to have to be the Strong advocate for her also - That's why I'm here trying to find out more about Fibro and how it effects You & Her and how I can help her get the Help she needs.

She is on a truck load of pain meds that are Not working..........That's how I finally found out that she has Fibro - I kept questioning Why is she taking All these Major pain Meds???? What is Hurting Her that she needs these meds??? Something is not Right??
Oh Mom has Fibromyalgia No Big Deal - What????? It Is a Huge Deal!!!!

I was traveling to Portland, OR for my monthly MS treatments at OHSU & started figuring out that she is Not being treated properly(my opinion). I have found a Fibro clinic there but nobody is interested or has time to take her. She was DX by PCP about 10 years ago but has never had a full workup or seen a specialist - Unbelievable to me!!!

So it looks like it's going to be Me being the squeaky wheel for her. She is 68 and frail. She recently lost 40 lbs for No reason. I get upset because she has 3 daughters in Portland to take care of her but she is being left to fend for herself.

I am new to the family. I am also extremely strong willed and opinionated. I was a Radiation Therapist treating cancer before becoming disabled & I have a strong medical background. I don't take No and I Will Not Let This Go On As Is!!!

I'm sure that it doesn't sit very well with the rest of them that I voice my opinions about "Their" Mother but somebody needs to take her health issues seriously. Maybe they are to close and don't want to see that their Mothers health is failing.

I am the only person to have even Looked Up what Fibromyalgia is. Denial is Not going to help Mom much!!!

So here I am asking for Your Help and Support so I can Support and Help His Lovely Mother. We live about 275 miles away but I am willing to go up there and take her myself to the Fibro clinic.

I need Your Help educating Me so I can go up there with as much Knowledge about Fibromyalgia that I possibly can. What questions to ask? What type of meds should she be taking? What can she do to help eleviate symptoms - exercise? Diet? Anything else???? Anyone from Portland??? Who do you see????
I need all the help that I can get!!!
I will be hanging around here reading and learning as much as I can.

Thank You All So Much
DD~

[QUOTE=DaDiva;249188]Hi again
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed by pain in trigger areas located all over the body. The easiest way to explain is the pain is usually centered in whaterver bends (think elbows, shoulders, knees etc.) Some days you are exhausted, feel like you have the flu, joints are swollen, joints are painful, sleepless nights, and sensitivity to light. Headaches, diahrrea, and stomach pain is often present also.
I have found relief using Pain A Trate
Additional relief has came from soaking in Bath Therapy (drug store sells this)
Any one with Fibro, should avoid stress, nap every day, rest as often as needed, soak in Epsom Salt or Bath Therapy for pain, eat chicken and take Vitamin D (new to me, but people on this line swear by it) and move at own pace. At times you wil loose balance and be unable to concentrate due to pain level. There is NO cure for Fibromyalgia. I've had it for 8+ years and have learned to take it easy. Slow is the way to go except on the good days. You never know what will be a good day. Not overtiring yourself is the best strategy always.
Good luck and she is lucky to have a daughter in law like you.

Hi Diva! I could have written your post only about my MIL who has Alzheimers. Her kids, except my DH are in denial too. It's a hard place to be in, as a DIL.

Anyway, FM is miserable and I can attest to that. Besides stress, the Barometric pressure changes mess w/me something fierce. I only take Tramadol as needed, as I have had FM for quite a while, and I think I get used to the pain at times. Fatigue is major w/FM also. I can feel OK one minute and all of a sudden, wham!! I wither and feel like someone pulled the plug on me.

I have a book that helped me when I was first dx's called The Fibromyalgia Handbook by Harris H. McIlwain, MD and Debra Fulghum Bruse, MS.

I also gathered as much info online and from the FM Soc.

I see a Rheumatologist and that might be a good step for your MIL. He treats many cases of FM, and totally "gets" it.

Good luck and I have to tell you that I totally admire your determination to help your MIL. I tried w/mine, and got shut down by her Oldest son and dau.

I would want to be sure she has the correct diagnosis also -??

[She was DX by PCP about 10 years ago but has never had a full workup or seen a specialist - Unbelievable to me!!! ]


useful info sticky thread-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread304.html

Can you list her symptoms or have her make a list of them-
maybe start with the worst symptoms first and go down the list to the less bothersome

and did she see any dr since the rapid weight loss?
could be something new.....