Fibromyalgia, Bipolar, and me…

Hi Guys!
I’m actually writing this out before hand because my endless streams of consciousness get confusing and I wanted to give you all some facts with your funny today (or MY funny, I’m not going to presume to know how you feel about things). As I’ve talked about in detail, I suffer from both Bipolar and Fibro among some other alphabet disorders and such. Part of the challenge when you suffer from multiple illnesses is difficulty TREATING the illness has a whole because you are so busy trying to battle symptoms
Ah, the overlap symptoms, where Fibromyalgia and Bipolar Disorder play their favorite game of “Fibro, flare, bipolar or unidentifiable illness?” Let’s dive into this delightful pool of confusion, shall we?

• Fatigue Fiesta: Is it the fibro fog or the bipolar brain drain? Who knows! One day you’re bouncing off the walls with energy, the next you’re contemplating the physics of whether it’s possible to sleep while standing up. I’m talented enough to get both in the same day. I know, don’t be jealous lol Why choose between chronic fatigue and mood-induced exhaustion when you can have both, right? When you are dealing with this fatigue, it touches so many other parts of your life, and being tired all the time ruins your quality of life.
• Pain Parade: Is it fibro spreading its discomfort like peanut butter on toast, or just your bipolar mood swings throwing a tantrum in the form of physical agony? Who needs targeted discomfort when you’ve got a buffet of sensations to keep you guessing? Every new ache becomes a game of medical Clue: “Was it Colonel Fibro in the living room with the pain stick, or Professor Bipolar in the kitchen with the mood swing?” It’s like living in a mystery novel, except the plot twists are your own nerve endings.
• Gaslighting: Oh, don’t even get me started. Before you can say “It’s all in your head,” we’ve already played that mind game with ourselves a hundred times over. And when someone finally agrees with the doubts we’ve been wrestling with, it’s like a twisted validation that only makes things worse.
• Take my cardiac arrest saga, for example. My heart decided to play hopscotch with its rhythm, and each fluttery beat had me convinced it was just another fibro flare-up. So, I shrugged it off, attributing it to the usual suspects. Turns out, it was a serious problem hiding in plain sight, but hey, who needs hindsight when you’ve got a PhD in self-gaslighting, right?
• So, here’s to the dangers of doubting your own symptoms and the perils of playing doctor with Dr. Google. Because when it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry – even if it means admitting that sometimes, you don’t have all the answers.

• Sleepless Slumber Party: Can’t sleep? Welcome to the club! With both fibro and bipolar on the guest list, your nights are a delightful mix of tossing, turning, and contemplating the meaning of life at 3 AM. Is it the fibro’s fault for making your bed feel like a bed of nails, or is it the bipolar’s insistence on turning your brain into a 24/7 circus of thoughts? Sleep is overrated anyway, right? That’s why sticking to a routine is essential. I sleep ok finally, but I had to change a lot, I’m in bed by 9pm 90% of the time because I changed my routine to what fit me best. For the life of me I CANNOT sleep past 4 am so I have to adjust my bedtime accordingly. As I said, listen to the natural rhythm of your body as much as you can

• Mood Swing Shindig: Ah, the pièce de résistance of symptom overlap! One minute you’re as giddy as a kid in a candy store, the next you’re contemplating whether it’s socially acceptable to cry into your cereal. Is it the fibro fog clouding your emotions, or is it the bipolar rollercoaster taking you on a wild ride through the valleys of despair and the peaks of mania? Who needs emotional stability when you can have a mood swing buffet? Being in a mixed episode for a prolonged period of time, I can’t hold on to the ride and bouncing between the highs and lows is leaving me bruised and bewildered

• So, dear patient, welcome to the wonderful world where fibro and bipolar team up to keep you guessing and your doctors scratching their heads. Who needs clarity when you can have a medical mystery novel written by the masters of chaos themselves? Enjoy the ride!

Be kind to yourselves, and each other!