What can I do for my partner

[trevors_mom]

My partner was diagnosed with Fibro 6 months ago. I want to be a good partner but I just dont understand it. How can I help her, and how can I be supportive so that she is not feeling so alone. She works 40 hour weeks, she also has some foot thing that inflames the bottom tendon.

Please tell me what I can do to help relieve the pain and how to be a good supportive partner.

[Barliman]

Originally Posted by trevors_mom

My partner was diagnosed with Fibro 6 months ago. I want to be a good partner but I just dont understand it. How can I help her, and how can I be supportive so that she is not feeling so alone. She works 40 hour weeks, she also has some foot thing that inflames the bottom tendon.

Please tell me what I can do to help relieve the pain and how to be a good supportive partner.

Try this site

http://www.pathoutofpain.com.au/info...formation.html

[QueensU_girl]

Is she getting physiotherapy or trigger point injections? Those can both help.

So can getting an overnight sleep study. Most Fibro people have a sleep disorder of Stage 3 and 4. That is when muscle healing happens.

Studies show that if healthy young people are woken up enuf many times in night on purpose) and it causes them(to not get enuf Stage 3 and 4, they get FibroFog (memory problems; ADD type problems) and body and muscle pain.

[QueensU_girl]

Here is the reference:
Moldofsky H, Scarisbrick P (Jan-Feb 1976). Induction of neurasthenic musculoskeletal pain syndrome by selective sleep stage deprivation. Psychosom Med 38 (1): 35–44.

[trevors_mom]

Thank you for these suggestions. I feel so helpless when she is in pain and just dont "get it" know what I mean?

[QueensU_girl]

It is hard to be with someone who is chronically ill, or ill in cycles.

Are you near any bigger cities that have support groups for family members of the chronically ill? Try researching this?

[Imnapl]

Originally Posted by trevors_mom

Thank you for these suggestions. I feel so helpless when she is in pain and just dont "get it" know what I mean?

Is it that you don't understand why she's in pain?

[trevors_mom]

No I dont understand why the Dr can not fix it, nor can I understand the amount of pain because I am not in any pain.

[DeadSteam]

I can sympathize with what your going through. My wife was diagnosed with fybromyalgia only a month ago. I allways just assumed she was a low energy person. But hearing her talk now It seems the reason she used to lay around in bed all day on her days off was because she was allways in pain. She has had the pain since she was a teenager and repeatedly sought treatment but was told over and over by doctors that it was "in her head". She just started treatment and has been finding relief in short 4-5 hour doses.

Anyways, I truly understand.. I'd do anything to be able to take away her pain.. or even understand it. I suffered some very severe injuries, but they were allways very short term pain.. I try to imagine what my life might be like if I was allways in constant debilitating pain.. And I can't... So I try to pretend for her sake I understand.

Edit! one thing that's helped is I've become a sort of untrained massusse, it seems to help her at least temporarily, and ift gives us some time to be together even thought she want's to sleep all day and I'm bouncing off the walls.

[kattsqueen]

please check out addfibro.com

[Mary]

.... Hi, I also have fibromyalgia. Diagnosed in 2003. It's been a long hard road since that day. Lots of pain, changing meds when one doesn't work anymore. Muscle massage, heat therapy, ice therapy... I've found that leg cramp meds work for me.. especially at night. Sometimes better than the pain killers the doctor has prescribed.

One thing for the sufferer and the spouse of someone who has fibromyalgia... tons of research. There are many helpful websites and books out there to help you find peace of mind and to also point you in the right direction for therapy.

Hot tubs.. are also good... a foot massager helps too.. because my feet get so sore. I've soaked my feet in ice cold water.. just to ease the pain.

If you have questions, .. you can always pm me... I'll be happy to answer you.

p.s. Don't give up exercise, because tons of fresh air and walking actually help with easing the insomnia.