I’ve known about Fibromyalgia Syndrome (a.k.a. Fibro or FMS) for over 25 years. My mother was diagnosed with it in her early fifties and has suffered through the past 25 years or so.  Like so many others I thought it was more of a “Female Illness”. Years passes and I all but forgot about Fibro and/or what it does to you — except for the horror stories my Mother, Doris Yingling, would tell me about being in such horrific pain.

I never imagined I someday be diagnosed with it myself. WOW was I wrong…about a lot of things!!

Here is something I lifted off the National Fibromyalgia Association’s web page www.fmaware.org.

Fibromyalgia means pain in the fibrous tissues of the body–the muscles, ligaments and tendons. FMS used to be called fibrositis, which implied that there was inflammation in the muscles, but recent research has proved that there is no inflammation.

FMS does not damage the tissues and is not progressive. Because various other symptoms often accompany the muscle pain, it’s often called Fibromyalgia Syndrome. Routine laboratory tests usually reveal nothing abnormal in patients with FMS. However, FMS sufferers are sensitive to pressure in specific areas of the body called “tender points.”

In 1990 the American College of Rheumatology established formal criteria for diagnosing Fibromyalgia (primarily for research purposes). To meet the diagnostic criteria, patients must have:

• Widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least three months
• At least 11 of the 18 specified tender points
• Other common symptoms associated with Fibromyalgia include fatigue, sleep disorder, cognitive impairments (i.e., the Fibro Fog), numbness and tingling sensations, irritable bowel symptoms, and more.

I want to describe what I believe Fibro IS NOT and what it IS. You may disagree or have other ideas. I’d love to get as much input as possible.  This is just my opinion, so please reply accordingly.

What FMS IS NOT:

1. A “Female” Disease
2. All in Our Heads
3. A deadly disease
4. Widely understood by the Medical Community (although it is getting better)
   
5. Widely understood by the general public (lots of education is needed here)
   
6. Something that can be detected in a blood test or x-ray
7. Something that will go away like a virus or bacterial infection
8. Always shows itself in the same way, with the same pain patterns, or the same intensity (this is HUGE…and likely one of the biggest contributors to the overall misunderstanding of Fibro)

What Fibro IS:

1. A VERY REAL disease…Thanks to the FDA we now have at least one drug specifically designed to treat Fibro pain — Lyrica.
   
2. A “diagnosis of exclusion” meaning it must be diagnosed to the exclusion of all other potential disease processes.
3. An “invisible” illness (sufferers don’t look sick), a detail that can be very difficult for loved ones to understand.
4. Becoming more and more accepted in the Medical Community as a legitimate disease process &/or diagnosis
   
5. A “Non-remitting Disease”, in layman’s terms: It will never go away
6. Different almost everyday
7. It is often hard to adequately explain to people who don’t understand why we hurt

There are a lot more on both sides, but this is a good start for now…

As I said, I have learned a lot since being diagnosed in 2004. A lot about the disease and about myself. I learned I’ve probably had it for years.  I’ve learned that my onset was triggered by a traumatic event in my life, as is the case with many people…& man, does it ever trigger a demon.  It can be almost anything, physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional.  The key is the event is powerful enough to trigger the disease.

It hasn’t been a joyride.  It requires that a choice be made to proceed with life or stop living. Here is something I’d like everyone to think about: Embrace those things you cannot change. Making them a part of who you are and not an enemy to wage war against, because the battleground of the war you wage will be your own body, mind, and soul.

Below are some basic data points related to Fibro.  Once again, a major source was www.fmaware.org. It’s a great resource and a “jumping on point” for Fibro information on the Internet. There are many, many other sources available on the Internet.

FMS is often co-mingled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CMS). [58% of Females and 80% of Male FMS patients]

• Both disorders affect people of any age and gender, but they are more common among women.
• The two conditions can be extremely debilitating, though their symptoms are largely invisible.
• Onset often occurs during childbearing years.
• Many symptoms are common to both illness groups, including headaches, numbness or tingling, dizziness, irritable bowel, cognitive problems, and more.
• Most sufferers have sleep disorders, such as “alpha-delta” or unrefreshing sleep.
• Symptoms wax and wane, and flare-ups can be triggered by stress.
• Viruses or traumatic injury have been suspected as triggers.
• Immune system and/or neuroendocrine system abnormalities are thought to be a possible underlying cause of the disorders.

FMS is often accompanyed with depression [50% of FMS patients suffer depression] – I have it. Pervasive pain can and does render people dysfunctional. It is nothing to be ashamed of and should not be ignored. Clinical Depression is not something that you can just “pick yourself up by the ole boot straps”. It should be treated and dealt with accordingly.

FMS is almost always associated with sleep depreviation [95% of FMS patients suffer from sleep deprevation] – If you are one of the 5%, God bless you. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 2 years ago. Sleep apnea and sleep deprevation are not the same thing. Sleep deprevation is the result of many things of which constant pain and sleep apnea are two big contributors. I find that I don’t sleep much any more. I’m not sure why, but it is what it is….HELP!!

Well that’s enough for today. Next I’ll begin talking about some of the side effects &/or by-products of having this disease (there’s a BIG list of stuff).

Let me hear from you and let’s learn together.

Take care of yourself, have a wonderful holiday season, and choose to live richly…

~Ross

P.S. – Visit this website for Male FMS folk: http://www.menwithfibro.com/home.html