A New Life Change: Fibromyalgia

For those of you who don't know I have been going through a great deal of medical testing the past few months.  I have had a great deal of pain and fatigue along with some other things that have been going on for many months and we have been working with my GP and others to get to the bottom of.    For a long time I just ignored it.  I figured I'm 40 with a 3 year old and I'm going to be tired and have aches and pains, but this went way beyond that.  It had gotten to the point where I dreaded the first steps of the morning because they were so painful.  I hit my 41st birthday this summer and I felt like I was 81.  This was not being in the 40's with a pre-schooler this was something else.  This past Wednesday I met again with the Rheumatologist to get the results of what we hoped might the last of the tests and some answers.  Final diagnosis at this time:  Fibromyalgia.  So, I have now begun the research process to find out all I can about this and what we can do since the new drug Cymbalta they are using is not an option for me as well as corticosteroids or muscle relaxers.  The body doesn't react well to any of those and I don't want to take a ton of pills either.  I hate pills!  But that's a whole other story.  The Rheumatologist that I saw, who was fantastic, has given us several holistic options such as Yoga and massage and I'm researching several diet options. If anyone who is reading this has any information, knows of anyone dealing with this or is dealing with this and has suggestions on anything, I would love to get the information.  This is all new to me.  I have always  been a self-sufficient, independent person, the person who takes care of things and gets things done.  Now I'm going to have to learn how to ask for help and make changes that right now I'm having a hard time dealing with.  Change isn't a bad thing, I actually like change, when I'm the one in control of the change!  I know there will be ups and downs, so it's time to deal with each day as it comes and to realize I can't control everything.  I think I have tried this many times before but always seemed to manage to go back to what I guess I would call my comfort zone.  Now, I have to let go of the control to find comfort.  Boy, I think this is going to be a tough lesson for me! :-)  I will keep you posted!

Labor Story for Labor Day

In reading some of my friends blogs tonight, I'm going to follow their lead with the following meme.  I also just watched an episode of John and Kate + 8 on TLC and they had taken their 4 year old sextuplets to the NICU to see where they had been born.  So, In honor of labor day.... a labor story.

How long were your labors?

I have only had 1 and it is a very long story.  So, to make the long story as short as possible.  I went into labor on a Monday evening.   Contractions were every 5 minutes lasting about a minute.  After some discussion at the hospital triage (there was some confusion as to how far along I was.  I was 6 weeks early.  Once this was confirmed by my doc, the nurses were hopping. They thought I was full term.) I was admitted and sent directly to labor and delivery.  This was were I was until my beautiful Doodlebug was born on Wednesday at 10:47pm.  If we want to talk actual hours from when the contractions began to when I actually delivered I believe that would be 52 hours and 17 minutes.  I told you it was a long story! :-)

How did you know you were in labor?

I went from 0-60 in about an hour.  We had gone to the airport to sign for some tickets. Another long story.  On the way back I began having contractions.  Within an hour they were every 5 minutes lasting about a minute.  They were pretty good ones but I was able to breathe and do my thing up until Wednesday morning. 

Where did you deliver?

At the hospital!  I had hoped to do some laboring at home, do the tub thing, a little relaxation etc.  but that was not meant to be.  Doodlebug had other plans! :-)

Drugs?

Oh my yes!    Because I was 6 weeks early we had hoped that my labor would stop because my doc wanted to get at least another 3 weeks.  At 34 weeks they don't do anything to stop or kick your labor into gear they just let the body do it's thing.  Tuesday morning contractions were still going the same but a bit stronger and by Tuesday evening I was dilated to 3 centimeters so I wasn't going anywhere.  They gave me something to try to help me sleep but it didn't do a thing.  By early Wednesday morning I was done.  I woke DH up with a banshee type scream that shook the building, "GET SOMEONE HERE NOW!"  That was his description although I don't remember screaming but I know I was extremely insistent and was ready to induce physical harm on anyone that walked in the room that didn't have relief on the way.  The nurse, who was wonderful, checked me and  I was 5 centimeters.  They ordered the epidural and I was a happy camper.  I recall telling the anesthesiologist that I loved him multiple times.  We thought Doodlebug would be here by noon, but the labor stalled.  They called the high risk doc in to do an amniocentesis to check lung development.  During the nurse change over at 7pm my water broke and I immediately dilated to 10 centimeters.  The drugs were so very good!

C-Section?

No, but my doc told me that since Doodlebug had come face up and got stuck even being early, that they predicted that if I had gone full term I would have been a c-section.  

Who Delivered?

My incredible doc.  She is just so amazing.  We had an amazing team with us during that time.  I was in the smallest room but had the most people in there from my doc and nurse, to my mom, DH, my Doula, and the neo-natal and respiratory specialist teams.  We were a packed house!  I had a hard time with pushing but on the last push for some reason I got it and Doodlebug shot out and doc was there to literally catch her!

You know, it was long and it was scary but it was such an amazing experience.  An experience that we had dreamed about.  One that we had waited so long for, one that we just didn't think we would get to have.  I wouldn't change a thing.