Paige Kelly
Paige was previously an advocate on Paige Insomnia.Sleep-Disorders.net.
Elijah Kelly is a woman, wife, and mother. She works full-time for an educational nonprofit in Austin Texas, where she and her husband are raising 2 boys. In 2013, she was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome after complications with her first pregnancy. Her symptoms were exacerbated further with the pregnancy of her second son.
In 2013 a rheumatologist told Paige she did not have a diagnosis for her but would prescribe medication for fibromyalgia just in case. Paige refused the diagnosis and the medication and continued to seek answers for the joint pain, swelling, headaches, nerve pain, and neuropathy in her feet. In 2019, after a month-long headache, one MRI, 3 neurologists, 2 rheumatologists, a dentist, a podiatrist, two chiropractors, acupuncture, physical therapy, several diet changes, multiple prescriptions, pain management, and new exercise routine; Paige was re-diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
Although she had rejected the diagnosis six years earlier, her constant physical pain and lack of answers finally led her to listen to a neurologist she trusted.
“Paige, you are not going to want to hear this, but unfortunately it’s just the way it is.-- We just don’t have a diagnosis for you.”
“You fall into the “other” category, and because of that, we diagnose the undiagnosable with Fibromyalgia. You have all the classic symptoms and more. And the truth is, in the future, the medical community will probably figure out that fibromyalgia is 4 or five different diseases. But right now this is what we have to go with”.
She finally felt heard and so she listened.
The myriad of symptoms has led Paige to a pain management doctor and medication management. Between the meds and her history of depression and anxiety, she is now facing a new challenge, insomnia. And although she has struggled with sleep before, she is now living with this disorder on a daily basis. Paige has decided to share her struggle and family’s story on her blog ElijahKelly.com, where you can find her discussing everything from parenting to chronic pain and insomnia.
Paige graduated from St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX where she earned a B.S. in Organizational Communication and a Masters in Organizational Leadership and Ethics. She has been a flight attendant for over 18 years and loves to travel and meet new and interesting people. In her spare time, she loves to craft, write... and sometimes workout.
Click here to read all of Paige's articles on Insomnia.Sleep-Disorders.net