Fibromyalgia

[annieap]

Just curious, has anyone here been diagnosed with fibromyaligia (fm), sjorgren's disease and/or chronic fatigue syndrom (cfs)?

[kcredden]

Not me, although several talk of it, on the diabeties mailing list.

[mark]

........personally, you guys may "beat me" up or "slap me" around a little for saying this.....but....here goes......

I don't know anything about the other 2 diseases Annie mentioned, but this "Fibromyalgia" in my opinion is a fancy medical term for stress. I know an individual that has this so-called Fibromyalgia. Personally, I feel its a copout to the real world. This individual only goes to work & spends the rest of their free time living in their home like a hermit & taking pain pills to help this problem for whatever reason.

My wife & I has consistently asked this person to join us for various activities only to be told they are sick & cannot attend. Well, one only asks so many times & then you quit.

So, IMO, the cure for this "so-called" disease is simple. Get up off your butt, throw away the medicine & do something positive for yourself and/or others. Get out & play golf, garden, go to the movies, fishing, camping or whatever else you would like to do for pleasure. Get a positive attitude & make something out of life.

Life is way too short to let something like this dominate you.

Well, that's my opinion.

Start slapping. I can take it.................see ya Mark

[kcredden]

........personally, you guys may "beat me" up or "slap me" around a little for saying this.....but....here goes......

You won't get a slap from me. You just expressed an opinion, and didn't attack anyone. So in my eyes, you did nothing wrong.

Thanks for posting that. I want to show everyone that opinions are allowed on the board; at least from me. It's personal attacks and other things similar that I'll come down on.

[trying NOT to be seen as the heavy here]

Anne: If you wish, I can have some off the diabeties mailing list contact you. Just need an e-mail account I can post to it, at your descretion

Kc

[kcredden]

Anne:

I did find this: http://www.fmnetnews.com/pages/basics.html

Interesting. So CFS has an offical name, I take it. I had a friend who had CFS years ago, when it was called CFS. I didn't know they got the name finally. But the web site does describe exactly what she was going though. I think she finally got over it. I'll have to ask her sometime.

Well wishes to the person your asking about!

[annieap]

Fibromyalgia is not a fancy name for stress nor is it a cop out to the real world. Some people do handle the pain differently than others and may give in more readily to the pain.

After extensive testing four years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I have been in remission for two years now but still have flare-ups from time to time. I do not take pain meds other than the occassional Excedrin. But, over the course of the past four years, I have had flare-ups so painful that it was nearly impossible to make it from one room to the next without crying, let alone trying to do an activity outside the home.

My reason for the initial post was not to be criticized or told that I am copping out on the real world. It was to try to make a connection with others in the area that may have FM. But I was ready for negative feedback. When a person is diagnosed with something others cannot see or are not familiar with, then automatically it does not exist.

So, IMO, the cure for this "so-called" disease is simple. Get up off your butt, throw away the medicine & do something positive for yourself and/or others. Get out & play golf, garden, go to the movies, fishing, camping or whatever else you would like to do for pleasure. Get a positive attitude & make something out of life.

Life is way too short to let something like this dominate you.

Mark, if someone you were close to were diagnosed with rhuematoid arthritis would you also give them this same advice since you cannot see the pain? Or how about someone diagnosed with Lupus? Just curious.

[mark]

...................Annie, you have something different than the person I was referring to in my earlier post. What you explained isn't the same at all. The person I was referring to said they have Fibromyalgia but the symptoms aren't the same as those you mentioned. I probably shouldn't have "jumped" in so quickly going solely on the info I know of the other person.

We are talking apples & oranges regarding the symptoms in this post because you aren't ANYTHING like this other person!! As a matter of fact, both of are totally 180 degrees of each other.

Regardless, if I stepped on your toes or if you felt "criticized" in any way with my comments, I apologize.

SINCERELY!! .................see ya Mark

[annieap]

Kevin, the link you posted is very informative and I like the way it explains out the symptoms rather than just list them. Just to clarify CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and Fibromyalgia are two different illnesses but do tend to go hand in hand.
The one symptom not listed on the site is what is referred to as Fibro-fog. Even though in remission, I still have fibro fog flareups a couple times a week. My kids are used to it and most the time we get really big laughs out of it. We just blame the fibro fog on being blonde...lol

[annieap]

Mark, no need to apologize... my toes are ok other than being a little bit cold...lol

[GirlColumbo]

Annie, I have fibromyalgia, and believe you me it is not in my head.Fibro and CFS have very similar symptoms. Fibro is kind of like arthuritis except the pain is more in the muscle, tendons and joints. Flare ups cause musch pain and discomfort. I see you also have the fibro fog, now that is something one has to experience to understand. there is a great web site for those of us who suffer, google in fibro message boards and it will take you there. Fibro is something no one can understand unless they have it, it is a chronic disease.

I have long ago stopped trying to explain to my family why on some days i dont have the energy to pick my self up off my chair. Cold weather or i should say cold damp weather is the worst, and very hot humid days.

I try to do as much as i can on good days so i dont get over whelmed with house work.
Mark you are correct in saying it is from STRESS, because stress definately will bring on a flare up.
I dont use my pain as any excuse to get out of work, been working like a dog since i was 16 years old, in tobacco, hay, what ever made a dollar, plus i was a waitress for almost 18 years. Just had to learn how to get through the work day as best i could. But as you get older it is harder to do.
Between the firbo fog and my ADD, i can be quite confusing to others

[mark]

Mark you are correct in saying it is from STRESS, because stress definately will bring on a flare up.
I dont use my pain as any excuse to get out of work, been working like a dog since i was 16 years old, in tobacco, hay, what ever made a dollar, plus i was a waitress for almost 18 years. Just had to learn how to get through the work day as best i could. But as you get older it is harder to do.
Between the firbo fog and my ADD, i can be quite confusing to others

I'm glad you're a fighter there Girl Columbo, unlike the individual I was referring to in the above post. I was stereotyping & I know it got me into trouble.

Stress is a word I try my best to avoid, make living easier........see ya Mark

[GirlColumbo]

HI Mark, I dont think you were sterotyping, Fibro is a very misunderstood disease, and there are many out there who have heard about it and use it for a lame excuse to not have to work and they dont even have the disease. There are millions who have it, mostly females but also many males.

Although it is very hard to work in the later stages there are many of us who have no other choice but to get up and go to work, that is not to say that i dont wimp out by the end of the day...............

...........The only time you will find i get mad will be over some idiot who abuses a child, the elderly or an animal, then my claws come out.

Everyone has a right to feel the way they do about something

[mark]

...........The only time you will find i get mad will be over some idiot who abuses a child, the elderly or an animal, then my claws come out.

We are in total agreement on this one!! ..........see ya Mark

[annieap]

GirlColumbo, in dealing with fibro over the years, I have come up with several effective ways to not "wimp out" at the end of the day. I understand what it feels like to make yourself get up in the morning, force yourself through the day, and feel like a semi has ran over you, backed up and drug you around the block a few times.
And then there's the fibrofog...completely forgetting what word you were about to say or totally losing your train of thought in midsentence.
Most folks that know me have no clue what I live with everyday because I choose not to let this take over my life and it sounds like you have made that same choice!
I coach basketball, baseball and softball at the Boys & Girls club, volunteer at school, and try to keep my spirits up.
Would love to talk further with you about FM.

[kcredden]

I think the only way to truly understand what a person goes though, with a chronic diease, is to have one yourself. Being a diabetic really has opened my eyes. Both to others who stuggle with a chronic diease, and to the doctors who treat us. They honestly don't know, and are in their own fog. It's like their a sort of computer where they can't deviate from the data they have at hand.

Because of the way diabetes is, and everyone reacts differently, I've had to learn how to treat myself, and keep myself healthy. My doctor sadly, knows as little about diabeties as I once did. He's said that bascially I'm my own best doctor, since I've finally got my sugars to non-diabetic normal ranges.

Mental diease is probably the same too. I thought I may have been bipolar at one time, but it seems the mood swings was caused by my out-of-control blood sugars, and trust me. I couldn't combat them. Sometimes I'd have a light form of depression; mainly weather related, and what's bad is like the fibrofog, I couldn't concenrate, work, and my mind was like those commericals for ADD "The channel keeps switching in your mind.". I'd get these bursts of manic energy, I couldn't sleep, I'd work myself so hard, I'd be hurting for days, debilitating headaches, and be irritable. I never knew what was wrong! Now I'm a normal ranged diabetic, I'm mello, man. Like a boat on a calm lake, you dig? (oyi, someone stop my beatnik phase :)

So I know what Anne, and GirlC is going though - at least to a point. Of course, I don't have flu-like pain, but yes I know what it's like to have a body not working right. :)

[annieap]

One thing I can say is I have a wonderful doctor who has been extremely helpful with the hypoglycemia and fibromyalgia. And he is on top of the tests I am going through now also.
Kevin, it sounds to me like maybe you should look for another doctor if yours doesn't know much about diabetes. I dont think I would be able to put much faith in a physcian that says I am my own best doctor. And I certainly wouldn't put anymore money in his wallet!