my co-workers daughter has fibro | Arthritis Information

I just found out on Sunday that my co-workers daughter has fibro. She is in the 10^th grade and is in a debilitating amount of pain, it seems nothing is working. she spent most of her freshman year out of school because of the pain and other associated problems and they decided that it would be best if she were home-schooled. She really isn’t doing well in her classes and is on the verge of failing out. She wants to drop out, get her GED and then enter community college. I was wondering if anyone had any tricks to help controlling pain, what meds work for you and any suggestions that you can offer from personal experience with fibro that could help her and her family. Thanks for all the help.

I don't have fibro but I did live through high school with mostly unmedicated RA. The best thing I can say is to get a good support system, eat right and get some exercise, whatever she can stand to do. For me, it came down to my wanting to finish bad enough to grit my teeth and just do what had to be done. I know that's not very helpful, but it's all I've got. I hope your friend's daughter gets what she needs to finish school. Has she tried lycria, it was just approved for fibro pain and is helping me somewhat.

amber- i do agree that exercising, eating right and having a good support system are important. I just feel so bad, it sounds like shes at the point of giving up. I told him I didn’t think it would be a good idea to have her drop out because a lot of what you learn in 10^th and 11^th grade is a background for college. I also don’t think she’ll have any easier of a time with college than high school because I think her pain issue is the underlying problem. I guess the school isn’t being that helpful and I suggested finding a tutor but I didn’t know what to say about the fibro. as a teacher what do you think about her getting her ged?

michelb- i don't remember what meds shes on but i'll write it down and mention it to her dad, thanks for the suggestion!

Bless her heart Jessica...I was dx'd with costo when I was 19 and fibro when I was twenty. I know I had it for a few years before dx. I was given Flexeril and anti-inflammatories right off the bat. I took Bufferin before dx.

I hate your friend's daughter is so young...but theres so much better meds now than when I was first dx'd, less harsh on the stomach with something like Prevacid and Prilocsec ( what I take) . Flexeril is still, IMO, the best muscle relaxer I can get relief from. Lyrica is another med being used for Fibro with good results. I have a perscription for it, just haven't tried it yet. Hope this young lady has a good Dr that can help her. Good luck to her.

Sometimes getting a GED is the best option-- it just depends on the student and the situation. I'm sure she has teachers who care enough to provide tutoring if she's willing to put in the time. I allow students to come in at lunch for tutoring and I stay after school two days per week. What do her parents think?

moana- i'm not sure what her doctor says but i know that her father feels there could be more done, i'll tell him about the meds you mentioned. thanks for the advise

amber- her father is thinking about giving her concent (the issue came up because shes turning 16 soon). he has mentioned that the school has been really difficult when it comes to offering support and options this year because she is being homschooled.

Her medical condition needs to be taken into account by the school. She
can have something called a 504 plan which the school is bound by law to
follow. Basically, this plan will be developed by the parents and the
school staff. It would address he medical situation and hopefully reach a
solution. Homebound teachers can be made available to her through the
school. This would be at no cost to the family. This would keep her up
with the curriculum. She would take the same tests and complete the
same work as her classmates-just at her own pace. We have a number of
students with medical conditions. The school system must meet the
needs of all kids. Make sure that her dad is being upfront with the school.
Now if she is being pulled out to be homeschooled-that would mean that
they are removing her from the system. Homebound-still in the system-
just at home.

They can also bring a child advocate to the meeting. This would be
somebody that would speak on behalf of the child. Once again, no cost
to the family. The school MUST serve it's students.

Community college will be a rude wake-call to her. The pace will be
faster and the classes larger. She needs these next few years of school to
learn about her disease and coping stratagies.

rocckyd39412.7699768519

I am being sent to a supposedly prestigious fibro clinic. I will let you know what they tell me. So much of my problems are being attributed to fibro. I had no idea how debilitating fibro could be.

PS Lyrica has helped me. It is not a cure but the best drug I have found. I got off of prednisone because I was worried about the interaction. First time in about four years I have been off pred.

Roxy- please do keep me updated on the fibro clinic, I’m trying to learn a lot more about fibro so I can be a support to him and his daughter. A few others have mentioned lyrica in this and other fibro posts, so I’m going to mention it to him as well. Thanks a lot!