Fibromites are a lot like Humpty Dumpty. When we “fall”, it is difficult to put us back together again. An injury tends to spiral out of control into a fibro flare. About two years ago I suddenly turned into a klutz, or so it seemed.
My fifty pound pittador retriever (one of my rescue dogs) was racing through the house towards the back door with an antler in his mouth, eager to run outside to play, when he clipped the back of my legs. My legs flew out from under me, and I landed on the floor with my back straddling two steps.
The dog went outside to play without me without even realizing I had been sidelined. Since that moment, my left elbow and shoulder have hurt daily. My knees and back have never been the same. Two and a half years later, I am in physical therapy trying to strengthen my knees.
I believe that this fall may have somehow triggered my fibromyalgia. Yep, fibromites are like Humpty-Dumpty. GPs, PTs, chiropractors, orthopedists, rheumatologists, and all the king’s horses have all tried, to no avail, to put me back together again.
Of course it doesn’t help matters when I continue to injure myself. Ten and a half months ago, I slipped on icy steps during one of Atlanta’s rare winter storms and landed on an ice-covered cement path. I was knocked unconscious for what I believe was only a split second and suffered a concussion.
With this fall, one of my pittador retrievers came to my rescue. She pushed her head under my body and managed to shove me towards the steps. I wrapped my arms around her warm fur, and I let her drag me into the house. I call her my rescue dog now (instead of my rescued dog).
So, am I a klutz or do fibromites push their tired, aching bodies to the point where it is difficult to recover from one tiny misstep? Are fibromites too weak to support the activities we push ourselves through?
Just last night, I fell again. I went to work, went to physical therapy, went to my son’s school and stood on cement for one hour happily viewing the night sky through a telescope … my legs were exhausted. I came home, and I fell directly on my sore knees. This morning when I attempted to crawl out of bed, I realized my hands, shoulders, back, and ankles were also sore from the fall.
Dang, not another fibro flare! Will they ever put Humpty-Dumpty back together again?
