Living with FibromyalgiaThis section is a place to share stories about Living with Fibromyalgia. Below are entries of those who have already shared their stories. We hope that you find their experiences helpful to your own situation. You may also Help others by sharing your story. To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download We need support too I, like so many went undiagnosed for many years. I knew something was terribly wrong around 1992, as I was having new symptoms and my migraines were becoming more frequent and severe. I had been married for 21 years and it was a good marriage, with 2 wonderful children. I had the wonderful family I had always prayed for. My parents were both deceased, so all the other family I had was a brother and sister. I became very depressed, as no-one seemed to know what was wrong. My husband left me for a coworker 15 years younger and in perfect health, leaving me to care for our 2 children. And that was only the beginning. Within a period of just over a year he divorced me, forced me to file bankruptcy, I lost my only brother to cancer, lost my home, both children went into deep depressions, one suicidal and there were many other things. Too many to mention. He took me to court many times to drain me of any financial means that I had. Because of major errors, he was able to stop all support so I became destitute with nowhere to go, as my sister was too busy with her own life. I had a wonderful physician who became my touchstone, my lifeline and I was finally diagnosed with severe Fibromyalgia in 1996. Due to the overwhelming stressors in my life my symptoms were off the charts! And I was basically on my own. I had wonderful friends who did their best, but were so overwhelmed they slowly faded into the distance. I had never felt so abandoned and alone in my life to the point that I contemplated suicide. But couldn’t do that to my children since I was all that they had. What I want to share is through all of this I had to come to some realizations of this disease. Since it is invisible to most people and not known or understood especially by the majority of the medical profession it becomes a crazy-making disease that can cause many to go into isolation and lose all hope. We are looked at as drug seekers, addicts, etc. And that is why the suicide rate is so high. Unfortunately, we must find a way to become our own support and more importantly our own advocates! Which can be so difficult when you can hardly function most of the time. I knew one woman who could not get any pain medication from her physician and was contemplating suicide. Then she was diagnosed with “cancer.” And her physician began giving her all types of pain meds. The irony in this is her pain had not changed only the label! It is very difficult to understand why people with terminal illnesses receive so much support and pain meds, but those of us with chronic pain that can go on for years and years with no relief are left to suffer. It is nothing less than inhumane. I hope that in the near future there will be more knowledge of Fibromyalgia to both the medical profession and the public and we will get the pain medication and support that we, as humans deserve. My prayers are with you all. Comments
August 2007
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