Most people in my opinion, think that all chronic conditions are visible, but this is not the fact.
There are many different chronic conditions that are invisible, like Fibromyalgia, M.E (myalgic encephalomyelitis), CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and many more, but today I am only going to write about Fibromyalgia.
The name fibromyalgia comes from the Latin word 'fibro' which means fibrous tissues referring for tendons & ligaments, 'my' means muscles and 'algia' means pain.
I would like to share with you my personal experience and how a person feels when having an invisible chronic condition. I would also like to bring up more awareness on these conditions, especially Fibromyalgia.
As a person who has this condition myself, I can say it`s not easy to live with, especially when it has to do with pain and fatigue, which varies from mild to moderate and moderate to severe. At times this will leave you disabled and unable to maintain your daily routine, like holding a mug, brushing your hair, able to maintain a full time or part time job, taking frequent sick leave, at times it can leave you bedbound and much more problems, which we as sufferers encounter in our daily lives.
No one really knows the exact cause of fibromyalgia and research into this cause is still being done. The three major symptoms are: widespread musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, fatigue and trouble sleeping. There are more than other fifty symptoms, which vary from a person to another. Muscle, ligament and tendon stiffness become prone to spasm.
A person with fibromyalgia is very sensitive to touch. Being touched is a sensation for most persons, but in fibromyalgia sufferers, touch means pain. Anyone can develop fibromyalgia, although the condition affects more women than men. It occurs between the ages of 35-60, but it can develop in people of any age, including children and the elderly. It is common in woman but there are men who have this condition as well.
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but treatment can and may ease the symptoms. A sufferer can treat this condition by a combination of medical treatment, complementary therapies and lifestyle changes. As we are all different, even in this condition treatment has to be done on an individual basis. What is good for a person, it`s not always good for another.
Symptoms may sometimes get better or worse, depending on certain factors which can bring up a flare up of this condition, like stress, bereavement, broken relationships, trauma, after an operation, changes in weather and more.
Persons, who have fibromyalgia, are unlikely that the condition will ever resolve permanently, although there may be a period of time when symptoms lessens. Most people have to learn to live with the condition long-term. However, fibromyalgia is not life-threatening and does not reduce life expectancy.
Being an active person, working long hour shifts, having a social life, never makes you think that due to this condition, all this has to change; you have to change your lifestyle. When you start feeling pain, muscle stiffness and/or spasms, fatigue which worsen if you don`t rest and at times it won`t even go by rest, finding it difficult to sleep, difficulty concentrating (fibro fog), chronic headaches, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) together with many other symptoms, leaves you unable to keep your normal daily activities.
Partners, relatives, friends and colleagues don`t understand what it really feels like, being in pain, feel fatigue, because we look normal, but inside we suffer a lot and sometimes in silence. All this will make it more difficult for us sufferers to find support in those persons around us. On the other hand these persons need support too and they need to be aware more of this condition. In some cases psychological support is needed for sufferers, partners and relatives.
I always say that I want to be understood and don`t want others around me to feel sorry for me, this will make things worse. I want to be positive and if I am surrounded by persons who are negative, it will make my positive thinking go down. With all the respect, I would like and try not to pay attention to these persons, but after all I am human and a caring person!
Having this condition for more than eight years has changed my life a lot; I needed to change my lifestyle, tried different medical treatments but not all has effect and if pain subsides for some time, tried to avoid medicine as much as possible due to the side effects. I don`t wish to have more problems but prefer avoiding them if I can! In the last eight years I also experimented with different therapies like; hydrotherapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, massages, gentle exercises and more. Normally massages are really very helpful, but due to financial problems I could not have them on a regular basis.
I will to continue to try and experiment different complimentary therapies, until I feel better and better.
After sharing my experience, I can tell you that since I was diagnosed of having fibromyalgia, I passed from a lot of stress, bereavements and other health problems. Having all this made my symptoms worse because I was having regular flare ups. But I didn`t stop there, but continued to look forward in a positive way, asking for professional help when I needed it. All this make me grow more and I feel stronger than before. Life is fragile, but we all need to have positive thinking in all situations, I know it`s not easy.
By moaning all the time will only makes your life and those around you in a heavy and negative environment. Come on, we need to breath!
I don`t want to be a victim, I want to be a Survivor!
Resist, Owner of myself, Self confidence, Assertiveness, Nice thoughts, No to negativity
Empoweredwith positivity
There are many different chronic conditions that are invisible, like Fibromyalgia, M.E (myalgic encephalomyelitis), CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and many more, but today I am only going to write about Fibromyalgia.
The name fibromyalgia comes from the Latin word 'fibro' which means fibrous tissues referring for tendons & ligaments, 'my' means muscles and 'algia' means pain.
I would like to share with you my personal experience and how a person feels when having an invisible chronic condition. I would also like to bring up more awareness on these conditions, especially Fibromyalgia.
As a person who has this condition myself, I can say it`s not easy to live with, especially when it has to do with pain and fatigue, which varies from mild to moderate and moderate to severe. At times this will leave you disabled and unable to maintain your daily routine, like holding a mug, brushing your hair, able to maintain a full time or part time job, taking frequent sick leave, at times it can leave you bedbound and much more problems, which we as sufferers encounter in our daily lives.
No one really knows the exact cause of fibromyalgia and research into this cause is still being done. The three major symptoms are: widespread musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, fatigue and trouble sleeping. There are more than other fifty symptoms, which vary from a person to another. Muscle, ligament and tendon stiffness become prone to spasm.
A person with fibromyalgia is very sensitive to touch. Being touched is a sensation for most persons, but in fibromyalgia sufferers, touch means pain. Anyone can develop fibromyalgia, although the condition affects more women than men. It occurs between the ages of 35-60, but it can develop in people of any age, including children and the elderly. It is common in woman but there are men who have this condition as well.
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, but treatment can and may ease the symptoms. A sufferer can treat this condition by a combination of medical treatment, complementary therapies and lifestyle changes. As we are all different, even in this condition treatment has to be done on an individual basis. What is good for a person, it`s not always good for another.
Symptoms may sometimes get better or worse, depending on certain factors which can bring up a flare up of this condition, like stress, bereavement, broken relationships, trauma, after an operation, changes in weather and more.
Persons, who have fibromyalgia, are unlikely that the condition will ever resolve permanently, although there may be a period of time when symptoms lessens. Most people have to learn to live with the condition long-term. However, fibromyalgia is not life-threatening and does not reduce life expectancy.
Being an active person, working long hour shifts, having a social life, never makes you think that due to this condition, all this has to change; you have to change your lifestyle. When you start feeling pain, muscle stiffness and/or spasms, fatigue which worsen if you don`t rest and at times it won`t even go by rest, finding it difficult to sleep, difficulty concentrating (fibro fog), chronic headaches, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) together with many other symptoms, leaves you unable to keep your normal daily activities.
Partners, relatives, friends and colleagues don`t understand what it really feels like, being in pain, feel fatigue, because we look normal, but inside we suffer a lot and sometimes in silence. All this will make it more difficult for us sufferers to find support in those persons around us. On the other hand these persons need support too and they need to be aware more of this condition. In some cases psychological support is needed for sufferers, partners and relatives.
I always say that I want to be understood and don`t want others around me to feel sorry for me, this will make things worse. I want to be positive and if I am surrounded by persons who are negative, it will make my positive thinking go down. With all the respect, I would like and try not to pay attention to these persons, but after all I am human and a caring person!
Having this condition for more than eight years has changed my life a lot; I needed to change my lifestyle, tried different medical treatments but not all has effect and if pain subsides for some time, tried to avoid medicine as much as possible due to the side effects. I don`t wish to have more problems but prefer avoiding them if I can! In the last eight years I also experimented with different therapies like; hydrotherapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, massages, gentle exercises and more. Normally massages are really very helpful, but due to financial problems I could not have them on a regular basis.
I will to continue to try and experiment different complimentary therapies, until I feel better and better.
After sharing my experience, I can tell you that since I was diagnosed of having fibromyalgia, I passed from a lot of stress, bereavements and other health problems. Having all this made my symptoms worse because I was having regular flare ups. But I didn`t stop there, but continued to look forward in a positive way, asking for professional help when I needed it. All this make me grow more and I feel stronger than before. Life is fragile, but we all need to have positive thinking in all situations, I know it`s not easy.
By moaning all the time will only makes your life and those around you in a heavy and negative environment. Come on, we need to breath!
I don`t want to be a victim, I want to be a Survivor!
Resist, Owner of myself, Self confidence, Assertiveness, Nice thoughts, No to negativity
Empoweredwith positivity
| If you suffer with chronic pain, we suggest 11 Chronic Pain eBooks |
written by Rosanne Caruana
for the Successlodge Community
www.successlodge.com
Tomorrow the 12th May 2010 is the Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. As a person with Fibromyalgia , I would like to bring up more awareness on this condition. Hoping one day Fibromyalgia will be recognized and accepted as an invisible chronic condition by the Authorities and those who have it will have rights and benefits accordingly on an individual basis.
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