My name is Jennifer but I go by Jenn. I live in Wesley Chapel Florida. I have two kids my Son Erik who is 5 and my Daughter Katelynn who is 1 1/2. I have struggled my whole life with pain but I never really complained about it. The pain started to get bad around age 16 but the man that I was with at the time told me that I was crazy and I was being a baby. After my son was born in 2006 the pain started to become unbearable at times. But still the man that I was married to told me that I was just being a whinny butt. My marriage with him ended in 2007. I then met my current husband in 2007 and we were married in 2008. After my Daughter Katelynn was born in 2009 the pain that I felt though out my whole body be came so intense that I had to be taken to the ER several time. It was when my husband pushed me to go to the doctor to try to figure out what was going on with me. So I went to my family doctor who ran a bunch of tests on me, and came back to tell me that I have gout in my right ankle as well as ankolusing spondalitus. As well as after physical exam advised me that I had fibromyalga. I was then sent to a rheumatoligest, who had done more blood work and xrays. My Rhumy told me that I don't have gout and I dont have R.A. but that I did have osteoarthritis and because I have the genetic marker for the Ankolusing Spondalitus and that I complain about my hips and my lower back he is now sending my for a MRI to confirm it. The part that I am starting to have a lot of anxiety about lately is that I am starting to realize that normal every day things that cause me pain isn't normal. Such as having your blood pressure checked. Or the stinging feeling in my arms and my shoulder when my kids hug me. My mom Catloucle told me to come here to you. She said that you guys would be able to help me understand what is going on with me. I don't sleep at night anymore my knees feel like glass breaking when I stand up and when I walk the bottom of my feet feel like I am walking on sharp rocks. I don't quiet understand what is going on with me and why its getting worse and not better since the docs have put me on meds to control it.. They having me taking Savella and Gabapenten. I also was given Flexeril to take before bed at night. The originally gave me Tramadol for the pain, but they might as well have given my peppermint candy instead. I had to plead and beg to get a script for Vicodin to stop the source of the pain that starts a horrible fast spreading pain through out my body. It doesn't really cut it all together but it sure knocks it down a few levels. I don't understand why the bottoms of my feet hurt or why my body swells. I want to hold my kids again pain free. I would like to be close with my husband again.. I really need a straight forward explanation of how this disease, disorder, syndrome, or what ever it may be, as to what is going on and why. I am so scared for my future. I have become dependent on my husband for everything and it breaks me down to have to do that since I use to be an independent woman. I am hoping that the knowledge that I gain here will help me get my independence back.

Hi, Jenn, welcome to the community. I hope you've been able to skim through the various forums--there are lots!--and find some ideas and folks who can help you. I can't imagine being young like you and going through what you're suffering. Hang on--this is a good place and pretty soon you'll find somebody with some advice.

I'm delighted to see that you're already on the fibromyalgia forum! Maybe, since there's still doubt about what the heck's going on with you, you might want to check out The Arthritis Forum: http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum86.html

With all you've been thru, I can understand why you're beginning to panic. I think one thing is that perhaps docs are beginning to treat your symptoms because they can't get to a real diagnosis & they so want to give you relief. The problem with that is that so many of these drugs have side effects, & it's possible you're experiencing some of those mixed in with disease symptoms. You might want to take a closer look at each of your prescriptions. If you get them from a single pharmacy, ask for an interactions evaluation. Probably nothing, but it can't hurt.

When will you know the MRI results?

Hang out on any of the forums--chronic pain?--where someone may have a bit of info you can use. Ask questions. Ask more questions. When you feel like giving up (& we all do, sometime or other), stop by for an infusion of stick-to-it-tiveness & sheer stubbornness.

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come, just let us know if we can be of any help. Fell free to just jump in any where.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene

My name's Zac I've just started a medical degree at Brighton uni in the United Kingdom and I want to go into surgery

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come, just let us know if we can be of any help. Fell free to just jump in any where.

There are great number of fellow members here to assist as possible. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around.

Darlene