Fibromyalgia Awareness Month is important to me because I have it and know others that do. One of the biggest challenges Fibromyalgia patients face is there are so many different symptoms and they mimic other illnesses. That’s one reason it can years to get a proper diagnosis.
Why National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day?
Fibromyalgia is a chronic, complicated disease that affects millions of men and women throughout the world. A musculoskeletal illness produces widespread severe pain with symptoms like increased skin sensitivity, muscular rigidity, difficulty sleeping, memory and attention problems, excessive weariness, and headaches.
It is a challenging condition to identify because there isn’t a single test that can detect and treat it, and the symptoms get frequently misdiagnosed as attributed to other illnesses. Many people feel that the condition is psychological and not genuine due to a lack of research and the difficulties in defining the variables that cause it. Furthermore, there is no permanent relief for the suffering.
As a result, the keys to combating Fibromyalgia are awareness and financing. The goal of this day is to raise awareness about the condition and to encourage further research into finding a cure. The day’s observances greatly minimize the level of threat and the likelihood of being afflicted. When we try to learn more about a disorder like fibromyalgia, we realize just how far we’ve come in terms of innovation and advancement. Observing National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day allows us to reflect on our accomplishments.
Thoughts
Another huge challenge of having Fibromyalgia is it’s invisible, you don’t look sick unless you’re having your worst day. Most of the time you look fine and that is where the misunderstanding about the illness starts with friends and family. You can’t predict how you’ll feel tomorrow let alone next week, so you make plans, only to have a flair day and can’t get out of bed or can’t think straight and have to cancel your plans.
When people think you look fine and you’re not they can take it personally, that’s why it is important to talk with friends and family and fill them in on the basics of the illness and tell them that when you have to cancel on short notice it has nothing to do with them or not want ing to see them.
One thing I would highly suggest for someone newly diagnosed is to take your loved one or family member to all of your doctor’s appointments. This made a huge difference for me with my mental illness. My husband got to hear everything from the doctor’s mouth and got a better understanding of what I was dealing with. We also tell our doctor symptoms we don’t talk about every day and this is another time your loved one can understand all the ways Fibromyalgia affects your life.
Another way you can help is to participate in a Clinical Trial for Fibromyalgia, Keep your eyes open for news about trials in your area. It’s always possible you’ll get a drug that helps you in some way vs a placebo. It’s a 50% chance.
Go easy on yourself. If the house isn’t as clean as you’d like, don’t worry about it. Work a little at a time or call a house cleaning service if you can.
I’ve included a few posts I’ve written on the subject.
https://lookingforthelight.blog/2022/05/05/my-tips-for-some…roawarenessmonth/
https://lookingforthelight.blog/2021/05/12/fibromyalgia-tho…not-a-pity-party/
https://lookingforthelight.blog/2020/07/29/fibromyalgia-tho…-without-a-flair/
https://lookingforthelight.blog/2020/10/13/fibromyalgia-tho…ration-and-anger/
You can find more posts on my site.
Melinda
References:
lookingforthelight.blog 
My roommate is now obsessed with thinking she has Fibro. BUT she also has been searching for any kind of medical diagnosis for some reason. First it was ADHD, Autism spectrum, heart issues, etc.. So I don’t know if she really has it or not, but she claims to, although she hasn’t gotten a proper diagnosis from a Dr. yet
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She’s kinda all over the board. It can be hard, she needs to see her doctor and be sure to take notes of the exact symptoms she’s going thru.
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She spent like two days at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville doing tests and everything came back fine. I think she wants something to be wrong, which is weird. So she finds an issue and matches herself to it
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I used to do that and in the end, it was my depression. I would not or could not put my finger on what was wrong so I looked for answers, If you look long enough you can find one, it may not be the right one. Once my depression was under control I was able to see, as I can now when something is really wrong. That doesn’t mean something isn’t wrong, sometimes it takes years but when you’re all over the board and none of the symptoms line up as one problem it may be depression Just a wild guess from my experience. I was a hypochondriac before.
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I’m not discrediting anyone in any way, but my roommate uses her issues to get away with A LOT. Not cleaning, not keeping up, and even hygiene it seems. She shields herself by making excuses. So I don’t know if there is an actual issue or if she’s searching for one so she can use it as a shield to get away with stuff. I definitely think depression and anxiety is there, but she really refuses to accept those labels. She wants something bigger.
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Depression can be hard for people to come to terms with. It sounds like it is a possibility here and unfortunately, until she s ready to really face what’s wrong she will continue down the same path. Maybe you can coax her if you have that kind of relationship where you can talk to her about it. The hygiene part is a giveaway for me.
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We don’t have the best relationship. She’ll get attitude unless I agree with everything she says. Which is why I don’t always believe that what she chases after is true. I do think there is depression and anxiety, but I don’t see her accepting those as her issues any time soon.
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Hopefully she’ll find her way.
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Here’s hoping
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