Hi everyone I too am new to the site as of today-but also not new to CFS or FMS. I tend to think I have had it for over 15 yrs. but just got diagosed in 2004. I would have flu like symptoms but no flu and couldnt get out of bed and take a shower without being exhausted. When I could not lift my arms up to throw hay for the horses and came back exhasted after walking 100 ft I finally gave in and went to the Dr. Never did see a Dr. but saw a nurse practitioner. She ran a simple CBC to rule out anemia,West Nile, Cat scratch fever and Lyme. So this is how they diagnosed me-cough! She put me on Effexor XR 75 mg,Ultram 300mg a day(doesnt work) and Klonopin I have taken for years 0.5mg qhs. There are no FMS specialists anywhere near me and doctors I have lost all faith in. Actually what the nurse has me on is kind of working but I have days I can hardly move and now I can't open a simple jar and my hands tingle and go numb. I would assume an MRI would not measure pain-because some days you cannot even touch the side of my legs. Am I correct? How was everyone else diagnosed because I somehow feel a simple CBC was not how to DX this--LOL.