Over the years I've had to learn to live with my health issues. Some of
them have been with me for most of my life, and others are more recent.
All of them impact my quality of life in a significant way. I hope by sharing
my struggles people will see that they are not alone in the fight!
I developed terrible headaches at the age of twelve. They literally stopped
me in my tracks. I would just take Tylenol and lay down until they passed.
A few years later I went to the doctor for another problem and finally learned
what the headaches were actually all about. They were tension/migraine
headaches. I was told to keep up the medication and rest when one occurred,
and that if they got worse other measures could be taken. Thankfully, I have
never had to start prescription medication.
At age sixteen I developed a goiter on my thyroid gland. I eventually found
out that I have an auto immune disease called Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My
own antibodies attacked my thyroid gland, eventually killing it all together.
I am on Armor thyroid medication for this problem, and will have to take it
for the rest of my life.
After starting the thyroid medication the doctor thought I would feel better,
but I didn't. I kept feeling very fatigued, ached all the time, had insomnia, and
continued to gain weight even while on a very strict diet. Eventually, the
doctor sent me to an Endocrinologist who diagnosed me with insulin resistance
or pre-diabetes. I was started on metformin to help my body use the excess
insulin, and lower my blood sugar to normal levels so that my symptoms would
improve.
The metformin helped with weight loss, and lowered my blood sugar, but I still
had constant pain and fatigue, along with a whole list of other symptoms. After
numerous blood tests to rule out any other auto immune diseases I was diagnosed
with fibromyalgia. The best treatment protocol for fibromyalgia is adequate rest,
eating less processed foods, exercise, and managing stress.
Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck managing my insomnia or stress over the
last few years. Therefore, all of my conditions have gotten worse instead of better.
Last week I was put on trazaodne, a medication that is supposed to help me with
sleeping and the chronic pain. I have noticed an improvement in my sleep quality
already, so I am hopeful.
It is not easy managing daily life when you have multiple health conditions. I am
very lucky in that I have a supportive husband and son. I can't begin to express
how much they help me. All of my conditions would be improved by rest, eating
right, and stress management. It's not easy to accomplish those things when in
constant pain however. It's even harder when you have to work outside the home.
Whenever this is the case for me, I try to rest as much as possible in the evenings
after work, get some type of exercise, and keep my eating under control. It doesn't
stop the pain or fatigue, but it does make it easier to deal with. These, along with
the new medication will hopefully improve my symptoms greatly.
If you have multiple health problems talk candidly with your doctor. He should be
able to come up with a plan to help control the symptoms. If you have to work
outside the home, try to take time for yourself during your off hours, and learn
coping techniques. You can have a productive life; it just takes more work when
you have several conditions to deal with. The old adage "If at first you don't
succeed, try, try again" is definitely true in our case. Keep on top of your health,
talk to your doctor, and reduce stress in your life.
Never give up on yourself. You can do this! You can get control of your life again.
It may be different than before, but it can still be rewarding. Everyone deserves
the best life they can have. Some of us just have to work harder for it!
