Today was my first appointment for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Walking into it, I truly didn't know what to expect. All I knew was that it was supposed to give me tools to help with my fibro. I didn't actually get to meet with the therapist I originally scheduled with. He had to reschedule, but he didn't have an available time slot until the end of August. So I set up an appointment with someone else. Kate (can't remember her last name......sad, isn't it?)
I met with her today. As she escorted me into her office, we realized that the papers I filled out at orientation weren't in my file. So, I basically got to start from scratch. No big. We started talking about my symptoms: pain, fatigue, sleep deprivation, depression, crying spells, anxiety, to name a few. While not really fibro related, we started with the crying. Something I've never really been able to overcome. I told her it's most difficult when seeing my doctor because I tend to be nervous about what my doctor will say (especially new doctors), whether they will believe Fibro exists or if it's all in my head. When the crying spells start, they just don't understand it. She told me it's not that "weird". She said it's possible that for me, it's a stress coping mechanism. She said it's perfectly natural, which just made me feel more comfortable and at ease when I did cry in her office.
We talked a lot about the things I'm going through now, my goals for the future, things I dealt with in the past. Truly, we kinda jumped around a lot. But the best part was learning that she had fibro too! I mean of all things, I got assigned to a therapist who knows EXACTLY what I deal with every day. She had some resources I hadn't really explored too. She gave me a copy of a magazine she subscribes to and on the back she wrote the name of a book: From Fatigued to Fantastic by Jacob Teitelbaum. So, I'll be purchasing that book and will hopefully have it by next week.
The only real disappointment is that she'll be having knee surgery in a couple weeks. So, she won't be able to see me again until September, but I really like her. I like that she can relate well to me, so I can deal with waiting. In the meantime, I can get that book, and begin working through it.
She also suggested I have a simple blood test done as well. She said that in some cases, the flu-like symptoms that can come on during a flare could actually have it's roots in the Epsteen-Barr Virus, which typically results in cold sores. She said some people present without cold sores, but can get sores inside the mouth. With the canker sores I tend to get, I think it's at least worth looking into. That virus can be managed with medication so if I test positive for it, I might be able to reduce the severity of my flares.
All in all, my hour with her felt very productive and encouraging. I can't wait for our next appointment.
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