Philip (Phil) England

I have been trying to raise awareness about Fibromyalgia for ages, and also have a car sticker in my car. In any health blog I try to include Fibromyalgia and how is it affecting how I am feeling. I have been a sufferer of Fibromyalgia for a number of years, it coupled with Ankylosing Spondylitis makes my life a living hell.  I think of Fibro as an amplifier for pain, seems to double or triple the pain I suffer with. Plus I've been getting more forgetful forgetting simple things like words and what I am doing. It also makes my body tingle and go itchy.  If I forget to take my gabapentin it's like asking for my body to be attacked. Why does Fibro do this to me? It's really affecting my life, I just hate it. My GP doesn't seem to know. Fibromyalgia seems to be shroud in mystery! If you suffer with Fibromyalgia , share your experiences here so others could benefit from anything we post. Useful websites to help: NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/ UK CHAR

Life with spondylitis, an inflammatory disease, can mean living your days in constant lower back pain as your immune system attacks your joints and spine. Unfortunately, because your outward appearance may not reflect the physical pain happening in your body, your friends, family, co-workers, and other observers might think you’re perfectly fine. One survey found that  54 percent  of people with ankylosing spondylitis felt that friends and family did not understand their chronic illness. Spondylitis and chronic pain can take a toll on your overall wellness and quality of life. A strong  network of support  is one way to get the help you need when living with spondylitis. Because the symptoms of spondylitis are often invisible, it’s important to be able to discuss your condition with the people who love you most or those who will see you most often. Understanding Spondylitis Pain Spondylitis , a type of arthritis, is an autoimmune disease, which means that the immune system

I had two appointments today. The first one this morning, in Singleton Hospital, with Dr Nash (Rheumatology). He just wanted to touch base in person. He poked and prodded a bit to see where and if I was tender in places. He did find a few areas, still feeling where he located them even after 5 hours passing from the appointment. The second was a virtual one, a video call with physiotherapy at Morriston. They say I'm doing ok with the exercises I was given, keep doing them, but if I get in too much pain don't keep going, just stop. If the pain keeps about for over half hour after then I have done too much. I also have to remember to stop beating my self up over things that I have no control over. Things will improve, just have to give things time. With having Ankylosing Spondylitis and Osteoarthritis, coupled with a slight heart condition and also fibromyalgia (specialist today in Singleton said it seems it is a sure thing that I have that due to being lethargic, run down, pain