Yikes - The Sleep Study & CPAP Machine

I was thrilled with the way I was feeling compared to the past, but it still wasn’t enough. I was still waking up feeling very tired and achy. Every morning I’d get up feeling like I could go back to sleep and on the weekends I often would take morning and afternoon naps. I couldn’t get much done as I had no energy. By this time, I was working just part-time.

In 2004 at an appointment with my rheumatologist, I was complaining of not sleeping very well and waking up feeling like I had never been to bed. She said it could be sleep apnea. She asked my husband if I snored at night. With a positive answer, she ordered a sleep study. At the time I weighed in at 250 plus pounds and was eating everything I could get my hands on and not exercising at all except to go to the kitchen.

After spending the night in the sleep study lab, the results showed I definitely had sleep apnea. A CPAP machine was ordered and I nearly freaked out. I couldn’t imagine being tied to a hose and a machine all night long. I had thoughts of waking up with the hose around my neck gasping for air. With a large amount of research, I discovered that choking myself was very unlikely and I might discover I could get a better night’s sleep. The first night with the CPAP was amazing. I slept through the night and woke up feeling better than I had in years. And, I didn’t snore at all according to my husband. That little machine gave me a new life. I was still having fibromyalgia flares from weather and stress, but I was definitely more rested and able to better handle a flare.

Believe in Yourself | Lifescript.com

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The pain is not in my head!

I have to admit, I had a hard time believing I had a condition known as fibromyalgia. I wasn’t even sure what it meant let alone how to spell it. The first doctor who diagnosed me in 2002 was pretty skeptical and strongly hinted that my pain was all in my head. And, he came out and blatantly said I’d feel a lot better if I’d lose some weight. After giving me four prescriptions ranging from a muscle relaxer to stronger Motrin, I was sent on my way.

Over the next year or so, my pain got progressively worse and I was growing more frustrated. My extensive research and the way I felt confirmed that the pain was not in my head. It was very real. I could barely get out of bed each morning because I was so stiff and achy. The muscle relaxers left me with a hung over feeling. No amount of coffee would help me wake up. And little did I know the caffeine was making my symptoms worse. I had no energy, fell asleep every time I sat for long and just felt horrible. I finally went back to my original doctor and begged for a referral to a rheumatologist.

I was uneasy about meeting a new doctor, but I was at my wits-end. As it turned out, my appointment with her was awesome. She specializes in fibromyalgia and didn’t once discount the way I felt. She cut back on the dosage of muscle relaxers, took me off of a couple of the medications and set me up another appointment for three months. I finally started feeling like someone believed me and that I wasn't crazy. The pain in my body was real.

Introduction to Success

Hi. My name is Marnita Jondle and I’m a fibromyalgia and weight loss success story. I’m sure you’re wondering what that exactly means. First off, let me tell you what I’m not and that’s a scientist or a member of the medical community. What I am is a real ordinary person that is living proof obesity does have a significant negative effect on the daily pain and the ongoing symptoms of fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2002 after suffering from bronchitis that nearly turned into pneumonia. I had 14 of the 18 tender points radiating pain like I’ve never felt before in my life. And, at the time my weight was hovering around 250 plus pounds which is considered morbidly obese for my 5’4” frame.

My goal with this blog is to educate and share my journey of dealing with fibromyalgia pain and how losing over 100 plus pounds has helped my symptoms in more ways than prescription medications. I have been on a myriad number of medications ranging from flexeril, Zoloft, amitriptilyn as well as Motrin and other over –the-counter pain aids.

 I want to share my experiences and touch as many people as I can. I want to help non-suffers understand that fibromyalgia is not in my head and being obese is not just because I’m lazy. It has taken a lot of mental self talk to get me off the couch especially when I’m suffering from such acute pain that just lifting a glass of water is painful. I want others to know that although my life has changed, I’m learning to live positively and enjoy my new lifestyle. I want others to share their experiences with me so that we can deal with fibromyalgia and weight loss together. Fibromyalgia is a very real disease that effects each of those diagnosed in different ways. Let’s explore life with fibromyalgia together.

Marnita