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Fibromyalgia
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This is an expository essay about the illness from which I suffer and have for several years. I wrote this for my class in school. This is not the final copy that I must turn in at the end of the class, but it is sufficient for this site. FMS is symptomatic, which means that it cannot be identified using any blood test but simply is identified by first ruling out other illnesses with similar symptoms and identifying key symptoms associated with it for an extended period of time. I wish to also stress that it is imperative that you have supportive people around you: those that ask how you are feeling and offer to help etc. Understanding supportive people are necessary for anyone suffering from a debilitating illness. Empathy is also important. Many people are naturally more empathic than others while some are able to learn it. But I try to only surround myself with those who are empathic as well. I find it too difficult to deal with cold and insensitive people who seem to not care about me or what I am going through.

The Invisible Illness

            Fibromyalgia Syndrome(FMS) is debilitating and impacts the patient’s daily life because of pain, fatigue, and mental fog that they deal with on a daily basis. FMS can be very debilitating. The cause is unknown but the effects are very real. One sufferer who will be referred to as Patient X describes it as being an elderly person trapped in a young person’s body. Fibromyalgia Syndrome is mainly soreness and pain. There are however several other symptoms which also greatly affect the sufferers life: fatigue, brain fog, forgetfulness, a vague uncomfortable nauseated feeling, and frequent headaches. These symptoms and their unpredictability in turn make it difficult for the sufferer to keep or maintain any job with a regular schedule. At most the person with this illness must manage their symptoms. They must also be prepared for an attack or “flare-up”. The flare-up can come on suddenly or be preceded by something, such as extreme stress or improper diet, or overexertion. The flare-up is an onset of many symptoms at once or a few, but at a severe debilitating degree. Patient X, who although has rare flare-ups, can only lie in bed and many times feels so miserable, she is not even able to read or lie in a comfortable position. She often wishes at those times that it were a fatal disease, so there would at least be a conclusion to the discomfort. The unpredictability of the symptoms and their severity make her appear unreliable to potential employers.

            The patient with Fibromyalgia Syndrome often goes through a trial period as doctors try to determine what is wrong with them. The main reasons for this are that there are no definitive tests to prove FMS. Also many doctors still do not recognize the illness as being legitimate or “real”. Patient X feels this is a conclusion that doctors come to when they don’t understand something or don’t know how to treat it. Especially with the treatment of doctors toward illnesses from which mostly women suffer. According to an article written by Hobson in Women’s Health Guide 10/29/2007, “Over the past decade… doctors have come to understand that Fibromyalgia is actually a problem of the central nervous system—the brain and the spinal cord”

            Many people do not have a supportive network of family and friends who are understanding and emotionally supportive. It is necessary to have support and people who are understanding around you. There is no cure for this condition, but with proper care, patience, and support, it can be managed.

            Understanding how their bodies work and understanding their physical limitations are both very important parts of living with this illness. Patient X says that this was one of the most difficult lessons for her in dealing with FMS. Many Fibromyalgia patients have a tendency to “overdo” it. They often go too far with exercise or chores until they collapse and end up in bed in order to recover from their exertion. That can be very challenging when first diagnosed with the illness, learning their physical limits. Many of which may be limits they are very unaccustomed to having.

            The symptom which may be confusing and difficult for loved ones to deal with is the “brain fog”. The patient has difficulty recalling events and important details. People have high expectations of young people to recall events, movies, books, etc. But for the Fibromyalgia sufferer it can be too much. In this age of technology young people are expected to do more and achieve more than ever.

            Looking good is not always feeling good. It is very frustrating for many Fibromyalgia patients to explain how they feel to an acquaintance, or friend, only to hear, “Well, you look good”, be reminded how many more problems others have, or have someone who tells you that their suffering is worse. Many of these people feel that they are seeing eye to eye with the sufferer or being helpful, but to the person with this illness these comments can often seem invalidating and even hurtful. This illness has no external signs. Patients often look fine. But the external signs of many illnesses are not present. There are even chemotherapy patients that look well aside from their hair or lack thereof. Almost all patients with Fibromyalgia look well, even great at times. A person’s outward appearance is certainly not always an indicator of how they feel. Anyone can get Fibromyalgia: men, women, even children. However it is more prevalent in women. NFA (2007) estimates “that 3-6% of the U.S. population has FM.” NFA (2007) Who is Affected? Para 1.

            Doctors now know from MRI scans that Fibromyalgia patients have a lower threshold for pain and stimuli. Patient X says she also takes longer to heal from injuries like a broken bone, surgery, or a bad fall, which fits with her analogy of having the physical constitution of someone much older.

            According to Fibromyalgia symptoms’ website the neurotransmitters and hormones related to the autonomic nervous system are responsible for the malfunctioning that leads to the Fibromyalgia symptoms . Fibromyalgia-Symptoms (2007) Fibromyalgia Causes: Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction. Para. 3-11 The National Fibromyalgia Association (2007) says that recent studies show that “genetic factors may predispose individuals to a genetic susceptibility to FM” What Causes Fibromyalgia? Para. 2. They also have done brain scan research that suggests “abnormal pain perception”. NFA (2007) What Causes Fibromyalgia? Para. 3. This may explain why a person with this illness feels pain from something that others do not, and extreme pain others may only feel mildly. The Fibromyalgia patient’s pain receptors are extremely sensitive.

            So what does all this mean for the patient and their families? The patient must learn all they can about their own body and their individual reactions to exertion, stimuli, and diet. While the family and friends of the sufferer need to be patient, understanding, and research as much as they can as well. There is a plethora of information available out there so that both the patient and their support system can be well informed. Patient X has suffered with this illness severely since 2000, but has hope that one day she will regain the energy and control over her symptoms that she needs to not have to rely on permanent disability. Fibromyalgia is a chronic and pervasive illness, but medical science is learning more about it every day. Some day it will be better understood. We now know that it is a real illness and is not psychosomatic. The FDA has approved a drug Pregabalin under the brand name Lyrica. These and other drugs combined with other therapies can help many patients and give them renewed hope to become more able to lead a more productive life.

References:

National Fibromyalgia Website, (2007). What Causes Fibromyalgia?

Retrieved December 3, 2007 from http://www.fmaware.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fibromyalgia_causes

Fibromyalgia Symptoms Website, (2007). New Medications to Try

Retrieved December 3, 2007 from

http://www.fibromyalgia-symptoms.org/fibromyalgia_side_effects.html

Hobson, K. (2007, October 29). Gain Against the Pain. (Cover story). U.S. News & World Report, 143(15), 52-53. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from Master FILE Premier database.

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