This is our first "imaginary patient/ consume"r that we'll then ask ALL our experts -- which means those of YOU who have fibromyalgia and the other conditions that you have experience and wise input, to write ... as well as the medical providers we now have in our midst here at Lumigrate. Please start others, such as a male, a younger woman ... just start a new Topic.
I've named her Neva Smoke, so that we take that complexity out of the mix for now. (And I had an exam in college in OT school with a patient with that name and remembered it today.)
She's 35 yrs old.
5'5, 150#, nonsmoker, blood pressure was 95/65 at last doctor's visit, which is her norm.
Exercise: Walks around neighborhood when feeling up to it, on average once a week. (15 minutes) Also, the exercise from activity of housework, which has been limited.
History of headaches, both overall/generalized and migraine intermittently,
fatigue, including when awakening
ear pain intermitently, tinnitus
hair and scalp dryness, body skin itching
foot pain (particularly upon arising from non weight bearing),
sleep disturbance with intermittent insomnia and hypersomnia with fatigue upon awakening,
upper back pain, muscle spasms in upper back and neck, shoulder pain,
chronic nasal congestion, frequent sinus infections
IBS, curious about food allergy connection,
dry eyes.
increased incidence of upper respiratory infections, sinus infections, urinary tract infections
decreased sensation of fingertips, tremor of hand/fingers
Psychosocial for Neva.
Marital status: I suggest we START on this exercise with that she lives in Grand Junction and is married
Insurance: has insurance benefits through her husband, who is one of the people who has continued with employment since the massive layoffs in 2009.
Financial: They have followed standard financial planning advise and have six months in assets in savings and that are liquid and other investments. They are fans of Suze Ormon 
SO: You guys make up:
Vocation: Works part time as a checkout clerk at a supermarket chain.
("Occupations" are ALL things that occupy time, "Vocation" is how you 'earn your living' and includes 'homemaker and stay at home mother' and can include part time work)
Occupations: Neva enjoys cooking but finds she is turning to fast food, frozen food and more convenience foods. She expresses frustration with not having the energy for organization, paperwork, and as much housekeeping as she used to. She is able to do laundry in an adaptive way and with help from family at times. She is independent with showering, dressing and grooming and hygiene, though she has started to wear her hair air-dry due to shoulder pain and upper extremity weakness.
She enjoys knitting and crochet, but finds that she is doing less of that due to neck pain and decreased sensation and increased frustration with her dexterity and fine motor coordination/ tremor.
She has two children, ages 12/male and 14/female. In school the daughter's grades have started to drop in junior high, the son's are improving. The daughter is not involved in any extracurricular work and contributes to cleaning, cooking and laundry duty. The son is involved in track and football. He used to play hockey 'back home' but those programs are not available with his school now.
Parents/ other family support. Both her and his parents live where they moved from, which is Minnesota.
Spirituality: Church associations/support. They attended a Lutheran church 'back home' but have not found something they are comfortable with in this new-to-them community.
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [1] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Links:
[1] http://twitter.com/lumigrate
[2] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#comment-416
[3] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#top
[4] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/login?destination=node/284%23comment-form
[5] http://www.lumigrate.com/user/register?destination=node/284%23comment-form
[6] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#comment-418
[7] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#comment-444
[8] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#comment-445
[9] http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/neva-smoke-35-yo-female-02102010#comment-500
[10] http://flourishwithfibro.wordpress.com
Comments
What about chronic myofascial pain with painful trigger points and pain radiating from those trigger points.
Alice Franklin was raised on a sandy beach in Point Clear, AL and lived along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama in her youth, graduating from Fairhope High School on Mobile Bay. Prior to becoming disabled due to severe spine problems, she worked her way into management and purchasing positions in industrial manufacturing and art industries. She worked her way into Lumigrate unknowingly by impressively writing at Lent 2010 about utilizing her religious and spiritual beliefs with chronic pain/disease management (she has had fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain for decades); it turns out she holds the priesthood office of elder in her church and became active again in this office in May 2010 and has been pastor or copastor in previous churches. We are so very proud to have her words and thoughts gracing our 'pages' of this website and look forward to what the future holds for her.
Neva has had a neck fusion, C5-C6, very succesfull op, and the pain and numbness down her left arm has abated, but now her neck, upper back and shoulders are always sore and she is having lots of physio, but it seems to make no difference whatsoever, but she still is quite active and walks for 4kms a day with her best friend. Her mind is still sharp and she is well able to keep up with her admin job in a busy supermarket, doing all the banking, computer work and keeping an eye on the staff. She just cannot understand that the physio is not working and as she has more, thinking THIS is the answer, she actually realizes that the pain is moving down her body, new muscles are now sore to the touch and are developing painfull nodules. She is quite outgoing, has a small circle of friends and an elderly mother that she cares for at home, as well as 3 children. She loves doing many crafts and makes wedding dresses. She is a strong believer and her faith helps her in coping with the great dissapointment of living with pain, after thinking the op would take it all away!
I'd like to see the patients roll out with the following suggestions:
1 = Neva
2 = a male -- seems most men following Lumigrate are 50ish
3 = a young woman -- Candace the health ed / counseling lead is going to get her started
4 = an older/middle aged (50-60) year old woman, such as the one Moira was suggesting, above.
So having said that, anyone can start new Topics and new hypothetical patients (and get input from your friends! ... Copy and send them the link, post it on your wall, etc.)
And I'll let people know Neva is Created and ready for people to talk about below this in Comments. Thanks everyone, this should be really interesting and helpful and FUN!
Live and Learn. Learn and Live Better! is my motto. I'm Mardy Ross, and I founded Lumigrate in 2008 after a career as an occupational therapist with a background in health education and environmental research program administration. Today I function as the desk clerk for short questions people have, as well as 'concierge' services offered for those who want a thorough exploration of their health history and direction to resources likely to progress their health according to their goals. Contact Us comes to me, so please do if you have questions or comments. Lumigrate is "Lighting the Path to Health and Well-Being" for increasing numbers of people. Follow us on social networking sites such as: Twitter: http://twitter.com/lumigrate [1] and Facebook. (There is my personal page and several Lumigrate pages. For those interested in "groovy" local education and networking for those uniquely talented LumiGRATE experts located in my own back yard, "LumiGRATE Groove of the Grand Valley" is a Facebook page to join. (Many who have joined are beyond our area but like to see the Groovy information! We not only have FUN, we are learning about other providers we can be referring patients to and 'wearing a groove' to each other's doors -- or websites/home offices!) By covering some of the things we do, including case examples, it reinforces the concepts at Lumigrate.com as well as making YOU feel that you're part of a community. Which you ARE at Lumigrate!
Can we give her depression and anxiety, resulting from her other Fibro symptoms, and possibly perimenopause?
Does she take any medications? I ask this because you say her hair is dry and her scalp itches, with all over body itching. My hair actually changes texture when I change certian medications. And if I take certain generic forms of medications, they make my entire body itch, where as the brand does not make me itch. The itching it so bad with the generic form, I will pay the extra money for the brand just to avoid the itching.
Stay happy and healthy!
Amy
flourishwithfibro.wordpress.com [10]
Twitter: fibroflr