The Battle rages on
If you have read my blog before, you know that I have a number of health problems from being a cancer survivor to a sufferer of Fibromyalgia. Most people and doctors acknowledge my other problems, but when it comes to the Fibromyalgia, even my orthopedic doctors say there is no such thing. I respect this doctor because he worked with me through ten surgeries for my cancer stricken arm, but he won’t discuss my Fibromyalgia. Going so far as to say that I don’t have the personality for the disease. Why? Because I don’t or won’t give up?
I have had to struggle for years to work through the pain and only five years ago stopped working. They told me if I had another problem with my arm, which had cancer, they might have to cut off my arm. Would I still be working with my Fibromyalgia? YES! I have a very high pain threshold. And pain and I are old friends. But what hurts most is having people you hope will help you, look at you as if you are not sick. Just because there are no tests the doctors can look at and say “oh yes this is what you have” doesn’t mean it’s not real. The days when it hurts so bad to take a breath, I wish I could trade places with these learned men and women!
I know there are a few new medications that might help with the pain. But after reading the side effects, I choose not to take them. Does this limit what I can do? Yes ! I can’t make plans too far in advance because I never know if my pain will allow me to do things. Would I like a better quality of life? Well I prefer not to go around in a fog but that’s just me.
I would like to see doctors get together and realize that when you have very large groups of unrelated people with he same symptoms, there must be something going on. What you call it doesn’t matter. Its real! Give the sufferer the care they need without the doubt we now see in your eyes.