What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a common and disabling disorder
affecting
affecting 2-4% of
the population, women more often than men. Patients with Fibromyalgia usually ache
all over, sleep poorly, are stiff on waking and are tired all day. They are prone to
headaches, memory and concentration problems, dizziness, numbness and tingling, itching,
fluid retention, crampy abdominal or pelvic pain and diarrhea. Most people with
Fibromyalgia have sleep problems.
Those of us who have Fibromyalgia feel as if they have the
flu continually. We feel like we have been hit with a Mac Truck or have been run
over by a steam roller. Our bodies feel bruised and sore. We have various
kinds of pain...shooting, stabbing, burning, aching, you name it. The pain can move
around to different parts of the body all in the same day.
We can't get enough energy to do anything like we used to do and
if we do find the energy the pain takes over if we overdo in the least. Some of us
are still working, others of us have had to leave working behind due to the pain and
fatigue and cognitive problems.
Yes, we do look ok but many of us have learned how to "cover
up" and not show our pain. We usually get caught quick though because as much
as the head says "You can do it!" the body soon tells you that "if you
think you can, you're crazy, I'll show you!"
Yes, there are some things that we can do to help relieve some of
the pain. Live with less stress, do stretching exercises, go to bed at the same time each
night and take pills. Lots of pills. We try vitamins, natural remedies, tens
units, heat, cold, massage, physical therapy. If you hurt most of the time, wouldn't
you try anything that might help, too?
Other things that can help you are:
(1) Join a support group
(2) take a water
therapy class
(3) learn all you can about Fibromyalgia
(4) Keep busy doing the things you like to do and
can do, pity parties don't help anything.
There are lots of Links on the Internet that can help us
understand the nature of this disease. On my next page you will find the
Fibromyalgia Web Ring and also links I have to Fibromyalgia on the net that I have found.
Page 2
Links
Page 3
Fibromyalgia Thoughts and Poems etc
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