The ridiculously long list of Fibro symptoms

AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM/ENDOCRINE/IMMUNE/HORMONE:

Abnormal sensitivity to hot or cold Allergies (nasal, other; new, increased or worsening) Canker sores (frequent) Chills and/or shakes when hungry (may occur instead of feeling hungry) Cold hands and feet Feeling hot or cold often Flu-like symptoms, on-going or recurrent after initial gradual or acute onset; includes mild fever (99.5-101.5 F / 37.5-38.6 C), chills, extreme fatigue after minimal exertion Hair loss (alopecia) Herpes simplex or shingles rash Increased susceptibility to infections Low-grade fevers Low blood pressure (below 110/70) Low body temperature (below 97.5) Lymph nodes painful, swollen (in neck; under arms) Night sweats (not related to menopause or fever) Orthostatic Intolerance (neurally mediated hypotension) Reactive hypoglycemia and insulin resistance Thirst, increased Temperature irregularities; often feeling hot or cold irrespective of actual ambient temperature and body temperature; low body temperature (below 97.6 F / 36.4 C) Thyroid inflammation (acute thyroiditis; hypothyroidism; Hashimoto's thyroiditis)

CARDIOPULMONARY/RESPIRATORY/CIRCULATORY:

Cardiac abnormalities (mitral valve prolapse; myocarditis; tachycardia; palpitations; dysrhythmia) Cough Dyspnoea (out of breath) or shortness of breath (air hunger) after minimal or no exertion Heart attack Heart palpitations Heart pounds so hard it shakes body, bed Pulse skips Serious rhythm disturbances of heart Sighing, frequent, not related to mental/emotional state Stroke Vasculitis

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM/NEUROLOGICAL/NEUROPATHIC/OTOLOGIC:

Abnormal CAT, MRI and/or SPECT scans Alcohol intolerance Aseptic meningitis "Brain-fog"; inability to think clearly Difficulty moving tongue to speak,Diminished or absent reflexes Fainting or blackouts; feeling like you might faint Headaches (frequent, severe, recurring) Hearing fluctuations (sounds fade then return) Hearing changes, often from day to day (need to turn up, then down, volume of radio, TV) Joint or arthritic pain not relieved by NSAIDs (ie, ibuprofen) Libido (decreased) Light-headed, feeling spaced-out Migraine headaches Muscle twitching Noise intolerance Paralysis or severe weakness of limb Paraesthesia (numbness, tingling, crawling, itching sensations) in face, head, torso, extremities Photosensitivity Radiculitis Seizures; seizure-like episodes Sensory alterations (hyper- or hypo-sensitivity) - smell, taste, hearing (noise intolerance) Severe muscle weakness Syncope (fainting) Tinnitus (ringing/noises in one or both ears) Touch or weight of clothing on or against body causes discomfort or pain Tremors, trembling

COGNITIVE FUNCTION:

Becoming lost in familiar locations when driving Difficulty with simple calculations (e.g., balancing checkbook) Difficulty expressing ideas in words Difficulty moving your mouth to speak Difficulty making decisions Difficulty following directions while driving Difficulty remembering names of objects Difficulty remembering names of people Difficulty recognizing faces Difficulty following simple written instructions Difficulty following complicated written instructions Difficulty following simple oral (spoken) instructions Difficulty following complicated oral (spoken) instructions Difficulty integrating information (putting ideas together to form a complete picture or concept) Difficulty putting tasks or things in proper sequence Difficulty paying attention Difficulty following a conversation when background noise is present Difficulty making and/or retrieving memories (long/short-term memory deficits) Difficulty understanding what you read Easily distracted during a task Feeling too disoriented to drive Forgetting how to do routine things Forgetting the use of common objects (such as, what to do with the shampoo when you are standing in the shower) Forgetting how to get to familiar places Impaired ability to concentrate Losing your train of thought in the middle of a sentence Losing track in the middle of a task (remembering what to do next) Poor judgment Switching left and right Slowed and/or slurred speech Stuttering; stammering Transposition (reversal) of numbers, words and/or letters when you speak and/or speak Word-finding difficulty Using the wrong word

DIGESTIVE/HEPATIC:

Bloating; intestinal gas Decreased appetite Digestive chemicals (acid, enzymes) reduced or absent Oesophageal reflux; heartburn Frequent constipation Frequent diarrhoea Food cravings (especially carbohydrates, sweets) Food/Substance intolerance IBS Liver function impaired; mild abnormalities Increased appetite Nausea Spleen tender or enlarged Stomach ache, cramps Vomiting Weight gain or loss

EQUILIBRIUM/PERCEPTION:

Bite your cheeks or tongue frequently Bump into things frequently Difficulty discriminating printed matter despite proper vision correction Distances (difficulty judging when driving; when putting things down on surfaces) Dizziness or vertigo Dropping things frequently Disequilibrium (balance problems) Impaired coordination Loss of balance when standing with eyes closed Perception (not quite seeing what you are looking at) Some patterns (stripes, checks) cause dizziness Spatial disorientation Staggering gait (clumsy walking) Words on printed page appear to jump off page or disappear when staring at them

EYES/VISION:

Acuity changes not related to prescription changes Blind spots Blurred vision Conjunctivitis Diminished visual acuity in absence of actual vision change Drooping eyelid Double vision Eye pain Flashes of light perceived peripherally Optic neuritis or atrophy Oscillopsia (image jiggles) Prescription changes more frequently Pressure sensation behind eyes Red and/or tearing eyes Retinal damage Slowed accommodation (switching focus from far to near, near to far) Spots or floaters not related to migraines Swelling around eyes Uveitis and/or iritis Wandering or lazy eye

HEAD/NECK/MOUTH:

Bell's palsy (facial paralysis, one or both sides) Bruxism (grinding/clenching teeth) Canker sores Dizziness when you turn your head or move Dry chronic cough Dry eyes, nose and mouth (sicca syndrome) Pain in ears, palate, gums Periodontal disease Prickling pain along skin of jaw Problems swallowing, chewing Runny nose in absence of cold, allergies Sinus infections Sore spot on the top of your head Temperomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ) Unexplained toothaches Xerostoma (dry mouth)

MUSCULOSKELETAL:

Arthritic pain that migrates from joint to joint Carpal tunnel syndrome Frozen shoulder Intermittent joint swelling Joint aches (arthralgia) Joint pain, without redness or swelling Loss of tone "Lumpy, bumpy" long muscles Morning stiffness Muscle aches (myalgia) Muscle pain, stiffness, weakness Pyriform muscle syndrome Reduced range of motion Stiff neck Writing causes pain in hand, arm shoulder


PAIN SYMPTOMS:

Abdominal pain *Chest pain* Generalized pain Joint Pain Pain that migrates from joint to joint Pain/stiffness at C1-C2 (top two vertebrae) *** Shooting or stabbing pains **** Painful tender points (FMS: 11 out of 18 tender points)

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS/MOOD/EMOTIONS:

Abrupt/Unpredictable mood swings Anxiety or fear for no obvious reason Appetite increase/decrease Decreased self-esteem Depression or depressed mood Feeling helpless and/or hopeless Feeling worthless Frequent crying for no reason Helpless/Hopeless feelings Inability to enjoy previously enjoyed activities Irritability; over-reaction New phobias/irrational fears Panic attacks Personality changes (labile, irritable, anxious, confused, forgetful) Phobias (irrational fears) Rage attacks; anger outbursts for little or no reason Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts

SENSITIVITIES:

Acute or abnormal reactions to medications Alteration in taste, smell, and/or hearing Chemicals (alcohol, medications; lower tolerance for) Food sensitivities Increased perception of and sensitivity to noise Light sensitivity Sensitivity to odours (able to detect and/or react in concentrations far lower than before and that healthy people cannot smell) NOISE sensitivities

SKIN/NAILS:

Abnormal scarring Acrodermatitis Chronica Atrophician Blotchy or mottled skin Bruise easily Bruises may take longer to appear, and/or longer to fade Bull's-eye (Erythema migraines) on light skin (resembles a bruise on dark skin) Dermographia (minor scratch pressure on skin leaves vivid red welts) Dry, itchy skin Easily scar Eczema or psoriasis Fragile nails Frequent skin irritations Lymphadenosis benigna cutis Nails that curve under or downward Overgrowing connective tissue (ingrown hair, adhesions, thickened/split cuticles, cysts, fibroids)Painful skin (abnormal/excessive pain when scratched or rubbed) "Paper" skin (feels fragile, tissue-thin when rubbed) Rashes on body, face Vertical ridges or beads in nails

SLEEP SYMPTOMS:

Abnormal brain activity in stage 4 sleep Altered sleep/wake patterns (alert/energetic late at night, sleepy during day Difficulty falling asleep Difficulty staying asleep (frequent and/or prolonged awakenings) Hypersomnia (excessive sleeping) Myclonus (restless leg syndrome; occasional jerking of entire body) Nightmares (frequent, extremely vivid and/or disturbing) Unrefreshing/Non-restorative sleep

UROGENITAL/REPRODUCTIVE:

Decreased libido Discharge from breast or galactorrhea Endometriosis Frequent urination Incontinence Impotence Infant: premature; low birth weight; low muscle tone; failure to thrive Interstitial cystitis Miscarriage or stillbirth Painful intercourse Painful urination or bladder Pelvic and/or rectal pain Prostate pain Swollen testicles Other symptoms worsen before start of menstruation Worsening of PMS

OTHER:

Abnormal or other changes in sweating Activity level reduced to less than 50% of pre-onset level Burning sensation (internal or external) Changed voice Changes in sweat odour/body odour Delayed reaction to overactivity/exertion (onset 24-48 hours after exertion) Electromagnetic (EM) sensitivity (electrical storms, full moon, affect function of electrical devices) Fatigue, prolonged, disabling, made worse by exertion or stress Fibrocystic breasts "Galloping" cholesterol and triglycerides Hair loss (not related to age, hormones, diet, medication) Hands hurt excessively when put in cold water Handwriting changes, altering signature and/or other writing Hoarseness Painful, weak grasp that gives way/lets go Periods of concentrated thinking causes physical and mental exhaustion, increases pain Sore throat Swelling/Idiopathic oedema (fluid retention syndrome) Symptoms worsened by extremes of temperature (hot, cold), stress, and/or air travel Symptoms change focus from time to time, like infection is moving through the body Thickened mucus secretions (nose, bowel, vaginal) Thickened "sleep" around eyes in mornings Very attractive to biting flies and mosquitoes Weight changes (usually gain)

by Fibromyalgia Support Network INC.

posted Nov. 23, 2018

Living Together Before Marriage:

Should They?

Nowadays, people should live together before they get married. In my first marriage I was a young woman who married a man eight years older then her. However, living together for at least a long-enough period of time would have been good experience. It may also have deterred me from getting into an abusive marriage. However, that is not always evident early.

Now let me tell you about my best relationship, in which living together for several years, we learned a lot about one another. Yes, we did get married recently too.
We met in December 2003 and began dating. Within weeks the compatibility seemed to be quite evident. However, both of us had both been twice married and twice divorced. Even though we are an older couple it was sure we wanted to not rush into marriage once again. We most definitely wanted to be sure that if we ever again it would be our last time. Therefore, May 2004, giving up my rent-controlled apartment, I moved and into his home. The relocation took me about an hour and a half from where I had been living. Also, farther away from where my disabled mother was residing at the time. However, my mother had previously made the decision that she would be going to California in July. Therefore, she urged me to make this move so she could be content knowing I would be happy before she left.

It is not always easy when one person moves into another person's home. It more then likely would have been easier had we had gotten a place we chose together. However, he's owned this home for over twenty-five years so that was not an option. I felt a bit awkward and tried my best not to step on his toes. Russ on the other hand, at first, went out of his way to make me feel like a guest. That was even more awkward as it made me feel like we were still on a date basis if I was his house guest. Even though he would say "make yourself at home", "put your things where-ever you want." However, I didn't want to just clutter up his home. I still felt the need to ask permission to do this or put that there for at least a month. Finally the newness of being in his home wore off.

Relationship wise, he at first tried to always sit beside me each evening. Still as if we were on a date. Finally, I told him "treat me like a room-mate type girlfriend and we shall get a better perspective on things". That's when things did fall better into place for us. Everyone will have to find their own way to handle the initial perspective of how to begin to join your lives together in the least awkward of ways.


Communication is one of the biggest problems for most couples. It can either go one of two ways; lack of communication or mis-communication that causes the major problems in relationships. I believe our biggest communication issues revolve around selective hearing/tuning one another out. This happens either because we are either just too tired or we simply don't hear the other one clearly enough. The latter problem is a common problem in middle-aged couples like us who do have slight hearing impairments. I for one am partially deaf in my left ear due to a disability so if we are in a vehicle and the radio is on I generally can't hear him. This is a major frustration issue for him. But, I have been told, due to my disability, it is not possible for me to wear a hearing aid.

Our other major ups and downs during these years of living together have been many. We have had to learn to adjust to sharing the blankets and bed with someone else. Many times one of our schedules conflict and one of us needs to leave for work while the other is sleeping. This can be a disturbance. It is much easier for me to roll over and fall back to sleep then for him. However, if I need to go to sleep much earlier to go to work early, it is hard for me to sleep with light seeping in under the door. There have been many times either of us has had broken sleep.

The pluses though have been that you can learn a lot about the person you care and love. You learn if they have the same taste in food, televison, if they hog the remote, are a channel hopper, how loud they like the volume on the television/radio. You also learn if they whine/complain a lot, if they will help out around the house, how good a cook they may be, what phobias they may have, if they are abusive, if they are a slob or if they are neat, what there goal/dreams may be, their outlook on life and what they would like to do when they retire someday. Most importantly you learn about their family values, their life, upbringing, and how they feel about you and if you feel you want to build a future with this person.

There was a time we separated for five months. I moved out on my own. I had my ex-husband stalking me and it was causing issues in our relationship. Things had become difficult and the magic was somewhat lost. Mainly, because I was under a lot of stress due to I felt he was also in possible danger. Since my boyfriend has MS, I thought it best under the circumstances, to protect him from my angry ex-husband. However, during those months apart we still sorta saw each other in the company of our other friends. Eventually, my ex-husband got caught. He asked me to move back in again after I explained why I had moved out, following my ex's incarceration.

Back together again he seemed to show me more appreciation. So did his grown kids. As the days passed by in our life, we seem to only grow more and more in our love. Nearly eighteen months, after reuniting, we became engaged. A week later we said our vows on August first of 2007.