Fibromyalgia

Some of you know that I have fibromyalgia, but most of you probably don't because it's not something I usually talk about. I'm not one to whine or complain much about it, because it doesn't do a bit of good. But a few weeks ago, one of my readers asked me in a private e-mail what fibromyalgia is, how it affects me, and what I do to cope with it. So, here goes. . .

Fibromyalgia isn't technically a "disease", it's a syndrome. On WebMd, it is defined as "a syndrome, distinguised by chronic pain in the muscles, ligaments, or bursae around the joints. It is called a syndrome because it includes a set of conditions that always occur together. . . It comes from a combination of three Latin words. Fibro- (fibrous, for the soft tissues of the body under the skin, especially around the joints, including tendons, and ligaments), my-(myo - for muscles), and algia (pain) mean pain in the supporting tissues of the body, such as tissues around the knee or muscles around the shoulder." There is no cure for it, and it usually persists into old age. In the past, many believed it was just a "psychological aberration" because it has no visible signs and it couldn't be confirmed in laboratory tests. However, it now appears as a disorder of the neuroendocrine system involving chemicals of the brain and blood that regulate how pain is perceived in the body.

The pain is often described as "burning, gnawing, sore, stiff, shooting, deep aching, or radiating". There are 18 tender points on the body which can be affected. Fatigue can affect normal functioning. Neurological symptoms are possible. Numbness and tingling in the arms and legs are common. Severe tension headaches or migraines occur in about 40 percent of persons with fibromyalgia. There are a myriad of other symptoms as well, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

For me, the symptoms came on gradually. But they got worse until I could no longer ignore them. I can remember being very frightened, wondering what could possibly be wrong with me. I went to the doctorabout 10 years ago, and he was able to diagnose me immediately. It was such a relief to know that there was a concrete reason as to why I was feeling the way I was feeling, and it wasn't a terminal illness. I took matters into my own hands, and devised my own treatment plan which included an increase in exercise, taking some medication (a muscle relaxant), and eating much healthier.

My doctor also recommended that I join a support group. However, the one I went to (for just one meeting, I might add) wasn't very well run. There were a couple of people in wheelchairs. All of the people there complained about what was happening to their bodies - and rightfully so - but none of them were doing anything to help stave off the progression of their symptoms. It was a very depressing evening, but frankly, it helped to firm up my resolve to stay on my course of treatment. When I returned to my doctor several months later, he asked me about the support group, and I told him what I had witnessed. I said that I did not want to end up in a wheelchair like the two women I saw at that meeting. He smiled gently and said "Val, you can end up incapacitated if you don't continue doing what you're doing right now." That frightened me even more, but it also gave me an incentive to try to stay active and exercise. Most people with this condition allow the pain to get in the way of exercising - but you still have to do it because if you don't, then the muscles atrophy. Most people allow the pain to affect the quality of life - but you can't because if you do, then you begin to feel pretty hopeless and helpless.

Some days, the pain is worse than other days. Some days, I wish I could just stay in bed all day. Those are the days that I remember the ladies in the wheelchairs, and that gives me the incentive to keep on going. There are days when I'm feeling pretty good, so I relish those days and live them to the fullest. But one thing I have discovered through all of this is that I can't allow the way I feel (both physically and emotionally) to dictate my thoughts and my actions because if I do, then I would become literally and figuratively paralyzed. I draw on my strength and faith to help me through the "bad" days. I offer up my sufferings to the Lord - a concept which is known as the redemptive nature of suffering. And I am just so grateful that, despite all the pain, I am still here to be my kid's mom.