It's easier knowing

Hey gang. So as of last posting I was uber tired and trying to self diagnose and control my health. A lot of that had to do with money. Here you have to pay upfront for everything and you get reimbursed once a year, so I was going as long as I could to try to fix it. I was doing really good with lowering stress but physically my body was getting weaker. My legs and hips were especially restless so I was not getting any REM sleep. I had the foreboding that this was something more serious then a sinus infection gone awry. Because I have an aunt with rheumatoid arthritis I was sent to a rheumeatologist to get checked out. My blood work and joints checked out and so I was clear but he diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia.You can read about it here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001463/ My first reaction was that I was upset to have some weirdo disease. The doctor was very positive and said that I am young and motivated and that my body is in my hands. I can learn how to regulate it and improve my situation but its all on how motivated I am. So even though I was upset I was sure I could be positive about it and take control of it like I do with so many other things. He put me on Lyrica and another drug called amitripidine (I think). The medicine is to help me be pain free and sleeping so eventually I could get to the part where I can exercise and participate in my life again. Its working but I am still learning what the balance is. At first when I felt so much better I threw a BBQ for the 4th of July. I did way to much. It was really fun but for the next three days I was wiped out. I spoke with one of the nurses and she was really great in giving me a pep talk. She said I had to give myself time to learn to listen to my body. I don't have to figure it all out today. I am still learning and making mistakes. Our whole family is learning and changing some of the ways we have thought about our future. For instance Fibromyalgia is exasperated by cold and damp..... yeah I live in Ireland y'all. So maybe our future is not here. But for now I am taking it one day at a time and trying to remember to be grateful for all the diseases I DON'T have. I am blessed that we have a good situation, with an au pair that helps me, and a husband who gives good rubdowns :) . I am grateful for my faith that gets me through so much. I am grateful for my extended family that stays close even on the other side of the globe. Life is different, but still so good.