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Helena Nov 20, 2005

Sorry to hear about your problems Shari - I really do hope you can find some relief from it one way or other. I have some idea of what you're going through because I have had intermittent back/hip/leg/shoulder pain for years and years. I'm pretty sure my hip pain is hormone related (it tends to be cyclical) but it's getting worse with age. I'm 41. Just last week I went shopping and hobbled around the shops looking for places to rest. The docs look at me blank when I ask them about it, suggesting pain killers and (more) exercise. One did say 'well, some might call it fibromyalgia' but that's not a diagnosis that's readily accepted here.....in my experience, anyway.

I think you've been given some excellent advice on this thread. It's always good to arm yourself with a little knowledge, and at least it may help you feel more in control of the situation. And of course there'll be plenty of friendly support here when you need it, too!  :rose:

Daphne, I'm interested to hear that your chiropractor helped your sinus problem? I have sinus troubles myself, and this has made me think.....

Dilu Nov 20, 2005

Accupuncture is one of the methods of pain relief that are strongly being investigated.  I have seen accupuncture do remarkable things...

Shari, let me know when you are ready for more reading material and if you aren't able to get some of the ones I have found let me know and I'll print them up and mail them to you.

Is it possible to get massage 2x a week

is it possible for your husband to go to a massage therapy session and learn how to do it to help you?

be careful of too much ibuprofen.  It is a wonderful medicine.  One of the best over the counter anti immflamatories, but it can wreck the tummmy- so try to eat something, even just a little at the same time you use ibuprofen.  Even just a couple of spoons of oatmeal will help a great deal!

hugs Dilu

Pipa Nov 20, 2005

I would defintley recommend acupuncture to anyone. i looked at it like i had tried SO many different anti-inflammotry pain killers and NONE of them worked. so when the Doc suggested acupuncture i said sure why not. got nothing to lose and it saves pumping chemicals into your body. i would recommend it to everyone, it's always worth a go !!!

Helena - i am so sorry to hear about your pains you get and that your Doc just looks at you blank. it's NO fun having alot of pain all over and the Doc's cant/dont seem to help you,  :hug:

Helena Nov 20, 2005

Aww, thanks Pipa :hug:. But my pain only sounds like a fraction of what poor Shari's going through. I just wanted her to know I can relate. And then you have your wrist to contend with... (how's it feeling now?).

Love your new avatar, by the way!!!!

Pipa Nov 20, 2005

Helena - Thankyou re:avatar :)
my wrist is doing better than it was . still sore in places but it's not sore from the injection no more !!

Ahh i wish i had a magic serum that would cure us all of our aches & pains !! alot of us seem to have them in some place or another it's no fun

:hug: for everyone !!!!!!!!!!!!

Shari - let us know if you find anything out about your legs !!!!

rosebearcottage Nov 20, 2005

Shari,
I recently have been dealing with pain in the bottom of my foot , leg and lower back that has put me out of commision completely a few days. I went to the chiropractor and x-rays showed that I had a couple of different issues going on. The chiropractor is helping get the pressure off of these areas which is affecting the nerves. I have been in a lot of pain with an actual knot in the bottom on my foot which caused me the same problems you discribed, unable to be on my legs for a long peroid of time, not being able to walk very long and even pain sitting without something behind my lower back. The treatments are helping and I've noticed if I don't keep my appointment, which is hard for me to do due to the type of employment I have, I go right back to where I was before. I feel for you. My problems may be associated with two bad falls in the pasts.
I hope my experience is able to help you in some way.
Hugs,
Debbie

Shari Nov 20, 2005

Girls ,you are all just the sweetest angels ever.I'm keeping track of all this and I've decided to start a "pain journal" for the next few months.Then I will take all your advice and my journal to the doctor and make her listen.I am so sorry for those of you who are suffering also.
Helena ,I have the hip pain and once spent a whole night at work felling like my hip was out of joint,or alignment,that's when I went for the orthotic shoes and knots in my feet and legs were one of the things the shoes were supposed to fix.He said I was very out of alignment.
I will read all your info Dilu but I'm being evaluated by my principal at school tomorrow and trying to get ready and I am very stressed about it.I will read tomorrow  :hug:
Daphne,I also have bad sinus problems and I'm going to look into the chiropractor as soon as I can.I'll also check out the acupunture route.
I'll keep you updated as I collect info and hound my doctor. I was starting to feel quite hopeless but you have given me stength and hope.      :hug:  :hug:

Tammy Nov 21, 2005

Gee Shari, sorry to hear that you are in so much pain.  I have no advice, but it sounds like others have great ideas.  I hope something will work for you to ease the pain.  It is frustrating when the doctor looks at you with no solution !
Take Care  :hug:

Eileen Nov 21, 2005

Shari,  :hug:

Is there any chance that your pain might be caused by plantar fasciitis? Has the pain ever started in your foot, or heel, when you first stepped out of bed?

Nurses Dilu and Judi? Is this possible?

I ask because I've heard that plantar fasciitis can cause pain all the way up the legs. I had this condition a few years ago, and nothing worked until I ordered a foot exerciser from a physiotherapist in Alberta. It looked like a golf club with a stirrup on the end, but the thing worked like magic--the improvement was unbelievable.

Shari, I'm horrified to hear that you've had such a rude brushoff from the provincial health system. How dare they . . . I'd try to find another doctor, or go to an emergency room, and insist on seeing a specialist!!!

Maltilda, I hope you feel much, much better soon!  :hug:

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorNov 21, 2005

Shari, I really feel for you.  I don't have anything of meaty substance to offer in terms of cure or advice, but I do have loads of empathy.

I think Winney has fibromyalgia; she may be able to offer you some assistance, from personal experience.  If she doesn't pop on here soon, drop her a PM.  She's always happy to help someone out!

I hope, with all my heart, that you find some relief soon, friend.

Hugs,

matilda Nov 21, 2005

DAPHNE!!! Your absolutely right.

I do Hydrotherapy and I do body balance, which is   Yoga ,Tai Chi, & Pilates. They arent a cure. BUT boy to they ever help.

But when in Shari's full schedule will she fit this in. .........................

Shari Nov 21, 2005

Thanks Shelli,I have been in contact with Winney and she was a tremendous help and gave me lots of support.The problem is my Doctor is unwilling to treat me as Fibromyalgia and I am looking for ways to deal with the pain.Matilda and a few others have also chatted with me.
Yes Matlida,the full schedule is a problem and by the tome I'm in full blown pain,it's very hard to do any yoga or excercise.
Dilu has given me wonderful support and lots to read so I will start in on that after school today.I'm getting some epson salt today too.

Better get myself off to school.Hugs,Shari.

lapousmor Nov 21, 2005

Hi Shari,

I'm Malko, Sophie's boyfriend...
Sophie told me about you, and I read the post concerning your pain problem.
The fibromyalgia-like symptoms you described associated with your many allergies made me think about an auto-immune disease... Some of them have symptoms that can be easily confused with fibromyalgia.
I was particularly thinking about rheumatoid arthritis, certain forms of systemic lupus erythematosus, and maybe some forms of systemic sclerosis.
Your doctor can diagnose such diseases, and their effects can be greatly softened by medical treatments. You could talk her about the auto-immune hypothesis, and see what she says...

I hope you'll find the cause of your pain, and a way to cure it.

Friendly,

Malko.

psichick78 Nov 21, 2005

What a nice guy??
Advice way over my head, but do try and talk about that stuff with your doctor.

I feel soo bad for you. How do you live in pain AND work!!!!!!!!! Y ou poor thing.
I can't say anything to help you, just give you big hugs!! 

   

Heather

Deb Nov 21, 2005

Dilu ~ I'm thinking of giving accupunture a whirl.  Am trying to find out if any portion of a treatment is covered under my health insurance plan.  I have a lot of pain in my neck, shoulders, hips. 

I feel for you Shari.

Shari Nov 21, 2005

Thank-you so much Malko.So sweet of you to respond and I will add these to my pain journal and take them to my doctor.She did feel that the intense allergies are having an affect on other things and I am supposed to see a dietician.Maybe if I can get a handle on one,the other will be easier to manage.

Thanks for the hugs Heather,looks painful though 

I'm feeling for you also,my massage therapist is trying to work through a twenty year old whiplash injury and a neck full of golfball knots.She does seem to be helping. Gentle hugs to you Deb.

Deb Nov 21, 2005

Shari ~
I'm going to shamelessly steal your idea of keeping a pain journal.  I was in two accidents when I was 18, just a few weeks apart.  I fell off a horse onto a large rock and cracked my tailbone, then two weeks later an auto accident.  I couldn't walk immediately following the accident and crawled to a farmhouse.  Pretty resilient at 18 though, thankfully!

After the holidays, I'm going to pursue an acupuncturist for help.  Found out my medical plan covers 100% of services after a $25 per visit co-pay, and the acupuncturist must also be an MD.

:hug:

Shari Nov 21, 2005

Go right ahead Deb.Wow,you are strong.Are you still able to ride? I've always wanted a horse with all my heart.I will have to look into the acupuncture also. Hugs and more hugs.  

Carolyn Green Nov 22, 2005

Hi Shari,

I was so sorry to hear of all the pain you are experincing and really hope that the Doctors will
be able to help to alleviate the pain.

Hugs
Carolyn

Dilu Nov 22, 2005

Eileen,

Plantar fascitis was what I was looking for when I asked her about getting up in the middle of the night-  If you go to hop out of bed and are instantly paralyzed with severe pain, I would have leaned that way.  Glad to hear you are doing so well!

However her doc has already given a provisional dx.

I am not sure how the Canadian health system works.  Is there disability insurance?

Would a DX like this really ruin it for the rest of your life re: health insurance etc?

Scarry stuff...

poor Shari....

I am concerned that your doctor is not willing to dig deep enough to get a true dx.  Because the treatments will vary....

Lupus would have some different txs than fibromyalgia which can get confused with chronic fatigue. 

In your system can you go above the local doc?  Is your local doc the gatekeeper to ALL things medical?   Yikes!

I don't know what your finances are like but.....have you considered a small spa, its like a tub with jets that swirl the water around etc.  We are on a well too, but while we don't have a water problem it uses electricity to swirl and heat the water, so we got one for all the arthritis stuff going on here in the golly house.  the initial outlay was  steep, but it something that lasts for ever and helps an awful lot.
I hate giving up more money to thye utilities if I can figure a way around it.

Hope your evaluation went ok.  Talk about stress.....

That's great Deb.  I have seen accupuncture do some pretty amazing things, and in other cases nothing.

it depends on the problems and the needle work skill of the practitioner.

I'll be waiting on pins and needles to hear if it helps you  :lola: :lola: :lola:

sorry- the Maxalt kicked in and now I'm a wee bit wonky... :wacko:

Celena Nov 22, 2005

Hi Shari

So sorry to hear about your leg pain.  I hope the doctor will be able to diagnose and properly treat you soon.  It is terrible to live with pain everyday.  I have pain in my knee everytime i used the staircase whether going up or down.  These already giving me hell, I can imagine what you are going through with.

You should consider Malko's advice, get it check out and hopefully rule that out!, coz my sister has SLE, and everyday if she doesn't take her pill (i think some sort of steroid to make the immune system sleep)...she couldn't move at all.  The pain is very intense.  Affected most of her joints.  Can't even bend her fingers.

Take care, Shari.  :hug:

Warm wishes
Celena

lapousmor Nov 22, 2005

Dear all,

Sophie's speaking... I hope that Malko's advice can be helpful...
The more ideas we get, the more chances you dear shari can get a chance to be helped by your Doctor. both Malko and I were horrified to read that doctors in your country prefer to avoid such diagnosis because of insurance problems... Isn't health more important than everything else in Canada? This is so unfair.
Well, Shari and Deb, I whish you find good ways to feel better.
Never forget we'll always be there for you. If you need any kind of help, just ask.

Take care girls,
Beary hugs,
Sophie.