I understand your frustration. My doctor told me that none of the rheumatologists in reno deal with fibromyalgia. Doctors act so perplexed when they do a procedure on me and they tell me it won’t hurt but it’s excruciating. For example yesterday, they removed my big toenail. The shots made me want to die it was so painful. Gabapentin is all they give me. Sometimes I don’t hurt much at all, usually when I don’t eat for days I feel better. But my mental state is a problem. Family members don’t understand and that’s hard for me.

I am 75, was fibro diagnosed in early thirties. My dr, who’s now deceased, told me there are a myriad of connective tissue diseases that mimic each other. He felt in time I’d have enough symptoms to make a clear diagnosis, until then, he diagnosed me with fibromyalgia. He thought chronic fatigue was a quack diagnosis.

Forty years have passed and I had another full battery of tests because the symptoms of muscle stiffness - relieved with rest - seemed different. They did find idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.

I have never had the energy others have and they now have a name for the flu-like muscle aches after exercising: post-exertion malaise. It’s frustrating when I’m told exercising will make me feel better. Exercising makes me sick.

I now have bone on bone OA in one knee and am not sure knee replacement surgery is right for me.

I am independent, take muscle relaxers and Tylenol as needed, but knee is making it difficult to walk. Tired all the time. Not terribly social, I am comfortable being at home and getting out daily to go to a store just to stroll and use my legs. About 4K steps per day.

I do think fibro is autoimmune, caused by virus. I had severe stiffness in my spine and legs when first diagnosed - a coworker I worked in close proximity was diagnosed the previous year and another close co-worker was also diagnosed.