
to our little sanctuary mummatez
I've done a bit of twiddling with your post with the paragraphs to make it easier to read. When reading a larger block of text, some of us find it difficult to keep track of where we have got to and can end up reading the same bit over and over
It sounds like the rheumi you saw was extremely efficient, which is just what you need when dealing with something like FM, Lupus etc.
How you're thinking and feeling at the moment is fairly typical after you've been told you have FM. Give yourself a little time for things to start to settle and make a little more sense, then you'll start to find your way thru this bit.
What the leaflet says about there being no cure for FM is right unfortunately

At the moment, the best we can hope for is finding the right mix of meds, treatments and therapies to manage the condition as best we can.
Wrt to avoiding opiates, it is often said that opiates are ineffective in dealing with the pain experienced with FM. However, quite a few of us have them in our cocktails (codeine, Tramadol etc) as they are helpful to some. Maybe speak to your GP about this, depending on what you have tried/are currently taking, to see if this type of med might be suitable for you.
It is difficult for those around us to understand what we experience each day. It doesn't help that there isn't anything that most people have experienced that can be used as a comparison. Even tho he doesn't fully understand, having a supportive OH does make a real difference.
As to whether you will spend the rest of your days with poor sleep, being extremely fatigued, and feeling hurty all the time, it's not an easy question to answer. For some, they find they are able to manage their condition effectively that they are able to carry on with something like a normal life. For a few, they have periods where their symptoms can go into a dormant~like state and can do pretty much do everything they did pre~FM. For a significant number of us tho, things do change over time. In my case, over the years since FM started appearing, I've found myself becoming much slower in what I do as pain levels, stiffness etc have changed and increased.
Even tho things may change, it doesn't mean that the FibroDays are always dark and oppressive. As you learn more about the condition, how it affects you, and what your new capabilities and limits are, it is still possible to have some

along the way. It may not be like how you used to enjoy things, but it is still possible to find yourself

quite a lot

For a lot of us, FM has helped us find pleasure in the smaller things each day that we might not have considered quite so much previously.
Take each day as it comes, or even each part of the day as it comes, and you will start to find things becoming a little lighter and brighter. It is quite a bumpy road, and it's not always an easy one to follow, but it is still possible to live your life with FM
