Thank you John, Tim and Sue --
@John: One doctor tried to paste the "fibro" label on me once but didn't get very far.
@Tim: I'm not sure how it would change my treatment, but we live in a constant state of fear, right?
Afraid we're not going to be believed/taken seriously.
Afraid we'll be left to suffer so insurance companies save money.
Afraid doctors are going to let us suffer to avoid having to deal with controlled substances, even if it's a lifeline for basic functionality for so many of us.
I'm just tired of having to constantly have to fight all these little battles that are slowly adding up to 5-10% of my waking adult life --- I thought that when I was diagnosed 8 years ago, all of them would diminish and normalize. They didn't go away entirely, but they did subside with finally getting a diagnosis. I just can't handle being tossed onto the "undiagnosed" pile again. I'll lose my mind.
@Sue: Thanks for being another data point RE women tending not to fuse. This has been my understanding from the reading I've done, and hopefully my new Rheumatologist as well. We'll see.
-M
