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Getting a diagnosis took me ten years

I have always been overweight and had chronic pain. Whenever I would complain to my Drs. about the chronic pain, fatigue and depression, they prescribed anti-depressants and said I should consider losing weight. Gee what a concept, why didn’t I think of that? Once I even tried exercising and dieting just like they said. I walked 3-4 times a week around my neighborhood for 3 months and ate sensibly. I still felt like crap and everyday struggled just to get out of bed.

Finally after seeing the Dr, yet again I was told, well it just takes time. I gave up. Resolved myself to never feeling well again. Several years, moving several times, I finally found a Dr whose first response to my complaints wasn’t “well you might want to lose weight," instead he did blood work and finally sent me to a rheumatologist.

Hooray! At least now I know what it is and I’m not just fat and lazy. While it’s not the best news to know you have a chronic illness it is nice to know there’s treatment. I was diagnosed with RA and fibromyalgia. I wish Dr's weren’t so blind when they see a patient who is overweight to immediately assume that the weight is the problem. I could have been diagnosed and treated much sooner.

 

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