Hi. My name is Nicole Marie and I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and Lupus. I wasn’t always like this. Let me break it down for you.
And so the road to nowhere but somewhere began.
I was treated for my back pain but continued to spiral downward with horrible symptoms. I developed huge knots in my low and upper back, thighs, and glutes. I had swelling and inflammation everywhere. I had random rashes, fevers, and just overall sickness for what seemed like forever. I could no longer do many things that I was able to do before falling ill. To this day climbing stairs is a chore.
Three years go by with my health getting worse every year. For an entire year I could not walk more then 5 minutes. FINALLY, I demanded my doctor send me to a specialist; a rheumatologist. And so the road continues…
My new rheumatologist ran blood work tests. I went for my results and I was given the diagnosis of “Connective Tissue Disease”. Which is basically a diagnosis saying your immune system is screwed up and you have several positive variables for Lupus and RA but not enough to diagnose one or the other completely. So, I start new meds and hope for the best. After trying all kinds of meds for Fibromyalgia I was not optimistic but thought maybe now that I have a deeper diagnosis I will get some relief.
I ended up switching my rheumatologist because I continued to digress and she didn’t think outside the box. My new rheumatologist ran in depth blood tests. And after years of this, that, and the third my Rheumatoid Factor came back positive (which was never tested before hand). Diagnosis; Rheumatoid Arthritis with Positive RA Factor and multiple sites of inflammation, Fibromyalgia and Latent Lupus. Again, new meds.This time I felt relief and I was optimistic about feeling better. New meds have completely changed my quality of life. I will always have limitations, flares, and set-backs; but with a great rheumatologist by my side I feel confident in fighting the good fight.
I always encourage those diagnosed with Fibromyalgia to seek out a specialist for further testing. It took several years to discover my diseases; with a lot of frustration, pain, and confusion. Chronic pain effects every facet of your life. You have to be strong and persistent. Let your loved ones help you and listen to your body. Time is fleeting. Take care and be well. Never stop fighting the good fight.
It’s a long hard road to nowhere but somewhere….
Somewhere strong.
