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Yvonne Scott: My struggle with fibromyalgia

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Category: General Information

Published on Thursday, 16 January 2020 12:12

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I was diagnosed in my mid-twenties but had suffered increasing symptoms for over several years before.  I used to do long distance running and cross country races for School and once I left school and started working I went to the gym 4 times a week and swam a mile 3 times a week but gradually I found I could do less and less until I could barely walk some days.  I managed to continue to work full time until I was 45 but by then I had spent about 10 years on crutches, I have 'smart' crutches that distribute the weight and pressure along the forearm and take the pressure of the hands and wrists as I also have osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis.  As my condition has deteriorated as the years have gone on, I have lost friends and then family who didn’t or wouldn’t understand what was happening me.  If it wasn’t for my new husband (married 2 years) and his family I wouldn't have anyone.  2 years ago, I joined the local Fibro support group and have made some new friends who understand and accept my limitations and unreliability as they are dealing with the same.

It took several years and many, many tests before I got my diagnosis (35 years ago) and once everything else was eliminated I was told it had to be Fibro and that there was nothing that could be done about it so to go away and get on with it

Fibro is a robber - it has systematically robbed me of my fitness, looks, friends, family, ability to work and my independence.  I am still relatively young, 52, but feel much older and I am dependent on my husband for a lot of things, I now have to use a wheelchair a lot of the time, I have difficulty washing and dressing at times and a lot of the housework is beyond me these days.  I am fortunate that he is so loving and understanding, I was already severely affected by the time we met so he knew what he was getting into.  1 year ago, he changed jobs to a part time role much near to home so as to be able to help me more and take care of me.