#3 Fibromyalgia - The Knowledge and The Struggle

I had two more babies in the course of the next few years, Katie and Sierra. Katie had numerous health problems (another story) and Sierra was born in West Virginia where we lived they for 2 ½ years (that is another whole story) We had moved back to California, I found a Dr who diagnosed me with full-blown Fibromyalgia. I was about six months a long with Shelby.

Finally after 6 years “It” had a name. A very real disease causing chronic pain, fatigue, and many other aliments, including the fact that I was getting sick so often. But because I was pregnant with Shelby, the Dr said “there is not much we can do for you right now”

I left Dr’s office upset and so discouraged. No one had ever heard of Fibromyalgia and so many people did not understand. I did not look “sick”.

Being the person I am I wanted to know all I could about this condition I was dealing with, but at that time they still did not know much about it or how to deal with it.

We moved shortly after Shelby was born to Alabama. The Lord blessed us with finding a house close to the chapel and close to great schools for the kids.

But I continued suffering, at this point it was the first time I had ever sought help from medication for the depression I was experiencing. It helped a little, but not as much as I had hoped. We lived Alabama for about a year and half, where for most of my time there I was sick and ended up having to have my tonsils taken out. I did not think I was going to survive.

Our next move took us to Ohio, but for only 7 months, again I was still so sick and I didn’t even have a Dr. there, I was feeling very alone. I was desperate; I tried so many different Herbs, Vitamins and Supplements, some so very expensive but full of empty results.

The next move brought us here to Provo, we moved in with Mark and Natalie Holden for a month. With our six girls and their five kids, we were a little cramped but it was fun. She told me of a Dr whose nurse had Fibromyalgia and that he had been attending extra meetings and classes to understand it better. But once again he could not do much for me I was pregnant again. This time we really were not prepared for that news. Not only was I pregnant, but I was pregnant with twin boys. I was in shock, I have never laughed and cried so hard in my life.

The pregnancy was hard on me I was put down to bed for almost 3 months. My Mother came and moved in with us to help take care of me, the house and my other 6 children. I ended up developing Preeclampsia (when your blood pressure goes so high that you can end up having a stroke, it can also affect the mother's kidneys, liver, and brain) I ended up having an emergency C-section 6 weeks early. One twin (Derek) was 6 lbs 3 oz and the other (Devin) only weighting 3 lbs 15 oz

I was so big and puffy.
Preeclampsia & Twins will do that to you!

Christi, Derek & Devin - Sep 1999

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I really never did recovered after the twins were born. It was so traumatic on my body and brain. Life with twins was fun, exciting, hard, and overwhelming. I nursed them just about 5 months it was exhausting. It seemed that every time I got them attached all heck broke loose in the house.

Just over two and 1/2 years after the boys were born, I was really not feeling well, I went to the Dr with my blood pressure it was in the range of 168 over 124, if you don’t know what that means, I was in stage 3 hypertension and very close to having stroke. I was quickly put on medication for my blood pressure. I also went on Klonopin, this is an anti seizure medication that stopped me from walking and talking in my sleep for the first time in my life. I was also put on a medication for depression. Getting everything back in check was a process of trial and error until we could found out what would work for me.

After a few years, it was time to have Lindsay (that is another story unto its self) I went to the Dr and explained to him that I knew I had another little girl waiting to come to our family. (It’s great to have an LDS Dr) But that meant I needed to go off ALL my medications and needed to be monitored very closely. All seemed to be going well until once again, but very quickly this time I developed Preeclampsia. I had to have another c-section, this time a month early. Lindsay was healthy weighting in at 6 lbs 8oz. I nursed her for about 9 months. But I was still in so much pain, tired all the time and still sick so often. My blood pressure continued to be a problem.