I'm a 57 year old divorced male high school teacher. I have taught for the last 16 years. Over the last 5 years has been an extremely stressful time in my life. I have Degenerative Spinal Stenosis. in C7 and L1-S1. I'm about to under go epidurals for my back. I've had an epridural in the C7 area in 2008 and it lasted less than a year and now have other areas in my spine that need treatment . In 2009 I had a series of mini-strokes also.
It was about 20 years ago that I was diagnosed as having Chronic Epstein Barr Virus syndrome, it lasted for almost a year before I was better( I worked in a Petrochemical lab and suffered an inhalational injury and hydrocarbon poisoning). It took a while for my doctor to arrive at the EBV syndrome diagnosis.
Fast forward 20 years, my job as a high school teacher is stressful to say the least. For almost the last year, I have had body aches in my joints, severe fatigue , depression and memory problems. I've missed a lot of work already this year. I know what's wrong with my back but I didn't mention my past bout with EBV syndrome to my Orthopedic doctors, since it was so long ago. I'm at the point I can't perform my duties as a teacher proficientley.
I'm wondering from my symptoms if I may have EBV again and Fibromyalgia. I know
the only way to determine EBV is to have a blood work up. My Orthopedist said I'm not disabled because my Spinal Stenosis is treatable with epidurals.
I'm so frustrated with waking up tired and my overall joints aching most of the time, even on Norco 10/325 2-3 times a day and sometimes it only make the pain tolerable. Most people do not think of a teachers job as being very physical but standing for prolonged periods and then sitting working at a computer for 2-4 hours at a stretch, just makes my back hurt that much worse. Throw in moving desks and lifting items up to 50lbs, just aggrivate my back. I have 3 more years to go before I can qualify for my retirement pension.
The year I had my mini-strokes, I was at a new high school(new teachers at new districts are on probationary contracts) my contract was not renewed. I was unemployed for the whole 09-10 school year. I could not find an Orthopedist to treat my Spinal Stenosis without insurance, so it's been right at 2 years that I've had extreme back pain. I've returned to work this school year and have health insurance again but my contract may no be renewed due to the days I've missed this year.
Excuse me for rambling but there is something else going on with my body other than my Spinal Stenosis. How would doctors determine if I have Fibromyalgia?
Thanks
JT