Angela Renee Nimmo's Story

What were the steps leading up to your diagnosis?

I worked as a nurse at a nursing home for about 10 years. Unfortunately I rarely had help lifting sometimes very large patients. I suppose this continuous type of work finally weakened my back.

One evening I was rolling a rather heavy patient toward me when something in my lower lumbar region popped. I felt it and heard my back crack. I didn’t think I needed to go to the hospital but the head nurse sent me home with ice. However as the evening progressed, the pain became unbearable and started radiating down both of my legs. I went to the ER and ended up being off work for about six weeks.

I hurt my back again about a week after returning to work. After several weeks the doctor put me on light duty. I was treated like a dog at the nursing home. They made me take physical therapy because they had a PT department, and they did all kinds of modalities on me because my right leg had drawn up in to my body, making one leg shorter. But nothing worked to make the pain go away.

Finally, out of desperation, I was sent across the street to the hospital PT department. The physical therapist there worked on me once and then told me she couldn’t do anything for me and that she thought I had fibromyalgia.

I went to the workers’ compensation doctor and he diagnosed me with fibromyalgia by ruling out other diseases and doing the 18-point trigger test. When he pressed on my trigger points, I almost jumped off the table.

He said fibromyalgia was not a workers’ compensation issue. I got a lawyer, and after about a year of fighting with the insurance company and being treated like a slave at the nursing home, I was rewarded a settlement. In 2006 after a yearlong battle I was given disability.

Everything has changed. I have almost every symptom of fibro: IBS, urinary problems, chronic fatigue, constant pain all over, Raynaud's syndrome, nerve damage, DDD, PCOS, clinical depression, anxiety, short term memory loss, fibro fog, chemical sensitivity to chlorine, sun, sunscreen, salt water, bug spray, perfume, etc., and sensitivity to light, touch and sound.

The fibro fog is the issue I hate the most. Not remembering words is so embarrassing to me.

I miss working with the elderly very much. Housework that used to take an hour now takes all day because I have to rest. I also have OCD when it comes to cleaning or thing like checking the door before going out. I’ve never had anxiety before, and it came on for no reason.

What accomplishment are you proud of?

In 2011 I had gastric bypass surgery and lost 125 lbs. I have had some regain, but I am still holding my own. I am also proud of my two beautiful children.

Who has been there for you? How?

I have been married three times since my diagnosis. I was married for 14 years before all this, which ended in divorce. My second husband died of a massive heart attack. My third hubby was a very big mistake and did not last long.

My fourth hubby, Scott, has been the most supportive. However my hubby who died was there from the beginning, through workers’ compensation and getting disability.

My parents try to understand, and so does the rest of my family. My cousin is really the only one that understands because she has FM and CFS. I’ve got a lot of support from mental health groups and fibro support groups like myfibroteam.com.

What's your advice to someone else living with Fibromyalgia?

Never give up, and take one day at a time. If you accomplish one thing in a day, you need to be proud that you were able to do something. Be your own advocate, because no one else will be. Learn your limits and learn to say no. Research fibromyalgia — start by reading the book Fibromyalgia for Dummies.