May 12, 2015 is “Fibromyalgia Awareness Day”. It’s actually called National Fibromyalgia and
Chronic Pain Awareness Day. But that’s a bit too long and wordy to fit neatly
on a banner, and it’s a little too cumbersome for a song. (“Happy Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain Awareness Day to
You…”) So, to keep it more concise, I’ll just wish you all a Happy Fibro Day.
So, what do I wish for on this Fibro Day?
I wish that people would understand that Fibromyalgia is a REAL condition. Statistically, 3-6 percent of the population
in the United States suffers from Fibromyalgia.
Yet, many people are not convinced that it’s real. This is partly
because there is currently no definitive medical test for Fibromyalgia. Also, the
main symptoms of Fibromyalgia (pain, fatigue, mental confusion) are not
visible. If people can’t see the
symptoms, they don’t understand them. In addition, nobody understands the root
cause of Fibromyalgia. And if something doesn’t have a known cause, its
legitimacy is often questioned. This is
why even medical professionals call Fibromyalgia a “trash can” diagnosis (as my
own doctor did when I first asked her about it).
I wish that people wouldn’t judge those of us who have Fibromyalgia. People
who suffer from Fibromyalgia are often called lazy, fat, attention-seeking,
hypochondriac, and crazy (among other things.) Adding to the judgmental views
of Fibromyalgia is the fact that most Fibromyalgia patients are female. As many
as 90 percent of Fibromyalgia cases are diagnosed in females, according to U.S.
government statistics. In general, society seems to be more comfortable judging
women than men. Women are often taken less seriously than men and we have to
fight harder to be recognized for our rights and accomplishments. Weight gain
(caused by medications or the disease itself) as well as the inability to work
outside of the home are causes for ridicule for many female sufferers of
Fibromyalgia.
I wish that people would understand how hard it is for us to just get
through a normal day. Those of us who have Fibromyalgia only have a certain
amount of energy to get through each day. Any activity takes away from
that energy reserve. Taking a shower is
exhausting. Getting dressed is exhausting. Making breakfast is exhausting. And it goes on and on throughout the day. Things
that healthy people consider normal are often extremely difficult for
Fibromyalgia sufferers. (And by the way, the exhaustion that we feel isn’t like
simply being a little sleepy. It’s more like the feeling you have after you’ve
been sick with the flu for a week and your entire body aches and your muscles
feel like lead weights. Imagine that, all the time.) We need people to
understand that by the end of the day we might not have the energy to cook
dinner, socialize or do much more than sit.
I wish that people would understand that we are in control of our own
pain management and treatment plans. I really do appreciate when friends or
family members tell me about treatments they’ve read about. It shows me that
they care, and that means the world to me. However, I want people to know that most
of the time, if you’ve read about it, so have I. Most people with Fibromyalgia
have spent many hours researching treatments, and we’ve either tried them or we
have good reasons for why we decided not to try them. If there was a legitimate
cure for Fibromyalgia, we would know about it and we’d already be using it.
I could probably go on, but I will stop here. I wish everybody who has Fibromyalgia a
pain-free day!
