Hi,
I'm 19 and was diagnosed last year with a mild form of FM, though I have been suffering since I was 16. The doctors were really unhelpful - all they would do is perform a bloodtest for something else, tell me it was negative and then that would be it. They wouldn't look for anything else. I went countless times over the course of 2 years before it was finally a physiotherapist and my chiropractors that suggested that I might have FM and sent a referall to my doctor who then sent me to see a specialist in a hospital. The specialist made me feel really uncomfortable and he seemed quite reluctant to believe me. Eventually he told me that it was most probable that I have a mild form of it and that there was no cure and if the pain was bad to just take some meds. He then left the room. I have received no information on what it actually means, how to make it better - nothing. I feel really let down by my healthcare system. Espcecially as I was at my worst during the last 2 years of school which included my most important exams. I missed a ridiculous amount of school and when I was actually in I couldn't concentrate. When it came to my exams I basically had to teach myself 2 years of work. My grades were alright considering, but before FM I was predicted straight A's and likely to go to Oxford or Cambridge. I feel really frustrated, and no one I know really understands or just tells me to 'deal with it' when all I want to do is lie down and cry.
I was so active before - I played badminton for my city and I was on the top teams in my school for hockey, netball, athletics and cross-country. I then ended up dropping down to pretty much the bottom teams of each sport as due to FM my fitness just wasn't there - my muscles would be tired before I'd even started running or my shoulders in so much pain I couldn't even let people touch them.
I don't know what to do, I feel so depressed all the time that such a bright future has suddenly been taken away from me. Now I have no clue, and only the prospect that things might get even worse in the future.
I guess I'm just looking for some advice or support. The tiredness is really hard to deal with and very hard to explain to people. I'm currently on a gap year doing some volunteer work but I'm quite worried about the idea of starting university in September.
