WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER DISBELIEF

How do you deal with it?

Do you deal with it?

Or do you make it worse.

I got a comment on a previous post from someone who does not believe that Fibromyalgia is real. I went to the site and I was appalled. I wasn't appalled by the fact that this person doesn't believe in Fibromyalgia. I wasn't appalled by some of the things that were used for this persons evidence.

I was appalled by the vile and venom that was spewed by those with Fibromyalgia.

To me, there is no excuse for that kind of behavior.

Lets face it. There is a lot of speculation about the cause. No one has been able to pin it down. Yet. There is a great deal of research going on and that is a good thing. Hopefully, in the near future there will be management tools beyond Lyrica and antidepressants. I know there are people out there that take them but I can't. It makes me squirrely and I think they can be very dangerous if you quit them cold turkey. I've written on this before. I'm not a doctor and if you use this please don't take my word for this. It's strictly a personal observation. 

What I have a real problem with is people sitting behind a keyboard spewing garbage. It's ok if there are those out there who do not believe in this. That opens discussion and they have a right to their opinion. We may not like it but that's what makes this country great. We have free speech.  What we have is difficult enough to deal with. Why compound it?

I was asked an interesting question.  "What does Fibro add for me if I have other issues?"

I've been open about the fact that I have thyroid issues and the symptoms are closely related to Fibromyalgia. I've also been open about the fact that all this came about after a nasty car accident in 2008. 

While I believe that this is a central nervous system dysfunction there isn't concrete evidence of trauma being a cause. There are doctors out there that believe it's related to thyroid problems, AV shunts in the hands, inflammatory cytokines and all sorts of theories. The fact is that we just don't know the cause. 

What does it add for me?

I wouldn't say it adds anything. What it does is let me know that I have a constant level of pain that I have to manage daily that I didn't have to manage before. There are days when I want to curl up in a fetal position and throw a huge pity party for myself. There are days that I whine like crazy until I drive myself crazy. Then there are days (most days) that life goes on.  Mostly, my symptoms include pain. I don't have a lot of fatigue but I know when my body says stop. I don't have depression but living in constant pain can get depressing. I do remember the time when I didn't have to constantly manage pain.

I know that some of the pain is directly from lower lumbar and cervical injuries. The rest of it that fluctuates is from the Fibromyalgia. There are many spots....not just tender points...that are painful to the touch. 

I don't exaggerate pain because I don't like it.

It limits me and that really pisses me off.

What I do like is finding out the "why."

And, I think that is open to discussion.

Open, thoughtful and rational discussion.

It's important for all of us to remember that we should treat others,

how we want to be treated.

Be kind to each other.