FIBROMYALGIA – THE OTHER F WORD

What is fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a chronic illness/disorder/disease (can be defined using all of these) that causes widespread debilitating pain, chronic fatigue, and difficulties with cognitive function coined by the term “Fibo Fog.” There are over 200 symptoms associated with the illness, including

• Widespread pain
• Stiffness
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Speech difficulty
• Light and hearing sensitivity
• Chronic nausea
• Poor memory and concentration
• Chronic dehydrationPoor circulation in extremities
• Delayed and difficult time healing
• Compromised immune symptom
• IBS
• Syncope and vertigo, or light headiness, dizziness, fainting
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Muscle spasm
• And the list continues on and on

I personally suffer from all that I’ve listed and more. It’s far from a one size fits all kind of illness. Different individuals, out of the millions diagnosed, experience different symptoms and at varying severities. I happen to be one of the lucky lotto winners who have a very severe case, and I experience symptoms severely and daily without much break.

Fibro is largely diagnosed by a method of exclusion and using an 11-point test. I was diagnosed after extensive blood testing, hitting each tender pressure point on the 11-point test (not always used), and an examination of my collected symptoms and ailments between my doctor and me.

Is there a treatment for it?

It’s a chronic condition with no cure. Treatment options do not inspire hope for most. My personal treatment involves a number of medications and supplements, a close relationship with my doctor, and a list of tips and tricks I’ve implemented, but continue to tweak, in hopes to help manage my symptoms. So far, I feel the fibro is lapping me in success.

When was I diagnosed? How long have I had it?

I was diagnosed on November 21st, 2016 and things just clicked and finally made sense to me. Though I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 24 years old, I have a lifelong history of symptoms and flares. What had been experiencing all my life finally had a name, a cause, and acknowledgment. A “flare” is when symptoms flare and become much worse. My symptoms will flare uncontrollably most days consecutively. Flares severely impact my ability to do even the most basics of things. Can you get out of bed, take a quick shower, and muscle through the day? If your answer is yes, of course, I can, then I truly envy you. Most days I can’t.

How does it affect me?

It has affected nearly every aspect of my health and my life. It’s robbed me of opportunity, talent, and certain life paths. I often struggle to do the most basic of tasks from getting up out of bed to preparing a meal. The pain is unbearable. I struggle to walk and as of the last few years, you will see me in a wheelchair when I am out of the house. I am fighting like hell to get more movement but there are times I just can’t. Just writing this post will knock me out for the rest of the day.

A number of people will refer to themselves as “Spoonies” which is a reference to the metaphor of how much we are able to do in a day. Each day you have a number of spoons to complete each task. Take a shower? That’s a spoon. Do the laundry? That’s a spoon. You get the idea. When we are out of spoons, we can no longer perform tasks, so what you’ve used your spoons on needs to be well thought out and used wisely.

I struggle with talking, so a majority of the time you will notice I am silent. There are times I stutter, mix up and use the wrong words. Other times no memory form of the words I am hearing from the other person, and I become lost in the conversation. I also often forget what I had intended to say next so instead of speaking back I’m left speechless. My wife will speak for me in a majority of situations. Even for simple things like telling a server my order at a restaurant.

I am not the person many of you will remember me being. I feel like an empty shell of the woman I once was. A majority of the days the illness defeats me at every turn, it’s like I don’t even stand a chance, but to date that hasn’t stopped me from picking myself back up and trying it all over again. Because no matter what! I am a FIBRO WARRIOR and I will keep up the fight!!