I'm 18 years old, and I've been struggling with pain for as long as I can remember. I know that even as a young child I would complain about the pain I was in. Sensitivity to pain, flat footed, etc.
up until 8th grade and up, it was mostly just an increased sensitivity and foot/ankle pain because of my flat feet, but on up I began to feel major back pains, neck, shoulders, knees, hips. All of the fibro pain points. My grandmother is diagnosed with it, and up until know I have not had the ability to take myself to a doctor to ask about a diagnosis.
ever since I started working when I hit 16, my body has slowly been deteriorating. the stress of my home life and HAVING to work 39 hours and still go to school was killing me. I dropped out, and I'm now in college working full time.
when experiencing bad flare ups, I'll often times have to crawl from my car into my house, and into bed. If I can make it to the shower, I have to show siting down. I can't straight my back anymore and ive developed a hump.
at work I often overextend myself because that's just how fast food is, and it's stressful.
I'm in bed now, and my entire body hurts. if I even put the slightest touch or pressure on any part of my body it feels like I'm being punched in that exact spot. like my entire body is a bruise.
all that is to say, it's never good enough for the people in my life. my dad doesn't believe anything is wrong, and when I was 17 I was refused when I asked for appointments for anything.
I guess I'm just ranting, I just want the people in my life to believe how awful it is, being 18 years old and knowing my body is deteriorating. I love walking and going out and traveling and I'm afraid I'm speeding up the process by working as much as I do, not that there's anything I can do to stop.
I just want a community I suppose. it's hard. nobody believes that somebody as young as me could have these problems, especially because I mask as well as possible. I'm not functional.