Now, I am using this platform to talk about the everyday struggle to stay healthy in mind, body, and spirit. It's hard work, and there is no right way to do it. So, why not share my way? Maybe, my way will resonate with someone, and it will help someone out there get past whatever obstacle is standing in the way of their own health.
With that being said, this month's topic is Polymyalgia. Yep, you read that right. Not Fibromyalgia. Polymyalgia. It's OK. I'd never heard of it either until about four weeks ago.
I haven't really mentioned it here, but I've actually been not feeling well since February. I didn't want to say anything, because there are so many people out there right now fighting much deadlier diseases. Plus, after talking about cancer for several years, I just didn't want to whine about not feeling good again.
Let me just tell you what my symptoms were in case any of you out there ever encounter this. In February, I got sick, and I never got well. For five months, I didn't get well. I felt like I had the flu that entire time. In fact, I still do most days. I'm achey, I occasionally run a low fever, and I'm so tired that some days I think that I will not be able to keep going. Before I knew what this was, my family would tell me that I was extremely pale. I'm super fair skinned so this isn't terribly unusual. At its worst, I was nauseated and dizzy for days on end. Everything I ate made me sick, and I developed dark circles under my eyes, which lucky me, I still have.
At first, I thought it was just because I was working so many hours. So, when we had to shelter in place and teach from home, I thought it would get better since I wouldn't be working overtime with my drama learners. I was wrong. It got worse. The achiness worsened to the point that my muscles hurt so bad that I couldn't sleep. Because I was already so tired and then my sleep was severely disrupted, I started having trouble focusing and even thinking of words. More days than not, I honestly could not move. It was all I could do to stand up and go to the bathroom.
I went to my doctor. She thought that it was my anemia and ordered infusions. Turns out that wasn't it. My iron was low, but my hemoglobin was fine. So, back to the doc. She thought it was my blood pressure, so we changed medicine. Nope. That wasn't it either. I went to the doctor three times. Nothing. Finally, I was able to see my oncologist. I hadn't seen him at my regular appointment, because the treatment center had only been seeing active cancer patients for a couple of months during the pandemic.
One blood test, and finally there was an answer. I have Polymyalgia. Turns out I'm at high risk. White women over 50 are the most likely people to get Polymyalgia.
I can't tell you what a relief it was to have a diagnosis! I really thought that this was just how I was going to feel forever. I thought maybe this is what it feels like when you get older, and I just needed to get over it. It was incredibly depressing, because I was, and still am many days, miserable. No one wants to live like that. Now that I know there is an end in sight, I can work through the bad days instead of resigning myself to living in pain. I'm learning natural ways to combat the disorder. Hot baths, vitamin B shots, rest, and massage are all great ways to ease the discomfort.
Polymyalgia is an autoimmune disorder. It is an inflammatory disease that causes pain and stiffness in the muscles. Most people feel this pain and stiffness in their shoulders and hips. While I definitely have pain in my shoulders and hips, I also have it in my neck and feet. It is very easy to treat, but the treatment does come with risks. In order to fight Polymyalgia, long term steroids are needed.
Some people get Polymyalgia confused with Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is not an autoimmune disorder. It is a malfunction of the central nervous system.
I am feeling better little by little and learning how to deal with the bad days.
There are two lessons to learn here.
#1 - You have to . . . HAVE TO . . . advocate for yourself. There were a couple of times that I gave up, and my family had to step in. My cute little mom actually made an appointment with my doctor for me, because I was so frustrated and refused to go back. When I finally got myself out of my funk, I decided to figure this out and fight for tests to get this thing under control. It worked! One visit to my oncologist, and it was done.
#2 - There is never a time when you should think feeling sick is OK. You know your body better than anyone else. If you feel bad, figure it out. Demand the tests, find the right doctor, do the research. Then, do all the things you know will make you feel better. Drink more water, exercise more, spend time with family, cuddle with your fur babies, eat healthier, take a day off from your regular routine. Whatever it is that you need to do to feel OK, DO IT without guilt.
I will be adding some information about Polymyalgia Rheumatica to the resources page over the next few weeks. If you have questions or have the same symptoms as I had, peruse the Polymyalgia section.
Take care of yourselves, my friends! I'll be here taking care of me.