Living with Fibromyalgia: Lisa’s Story
Lisa's GYN referred her to an internist, who then referred her to a specialist in rheumatoid arthritis. The doctor ordered x-rays, and after reviewing them did an 18-point pressure test. Lisa had pain in all eighteen points. The specialist gave her a diagnosis. She had Fibromyalgia.
Lisa was lucky. Because of the knowledge that her GYN had of FMS, she was diagnosed quickly. Many sufferers aren't diagnosed for years. Some never are. Their doctors tell them their pain is psychological. Since symptoms aren't visible, people assume the pain is all in the suffer's mind. Even today, some physicians do not recognize FMS as a legitimate disorder.
Once Lisa was diagnosed, treatment began. Her doctor prescribed a strong pain killer and a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS) unit. TENS is used for many types of chronic pain, not just FMS. It sends electrical impulses to nerves and blocks pain signals to the brain. (My daughter's GYN uses it in the labor room.) TENS increases production of endorphins, which are natural pain killers produced by the body.
Once Lisa's symptoms had subsided, the doctor ordered light exercise to help loosen painful joints and improve their flexibility. For very severe cases where exercise causes excruciating pain, light stretching or hydrotherapy can be helpful.
At her doctor's suggestion Lisa and her husband installed a hot tub with air jets in their home. This relaxes taut muscles and gives some temporary relief. Lisa also goes to the YWCA to swim at least twice a week. Though she can't swim vigorously, like she used to, she finds swimming refreshing and it helps to keep her muscles flexible.
Lisa's memory loss and her feeling of living in a fog is sometimes referred to as "fibrofog." The symptoms are the inability to concentrate and short term memory loss. FMS impairs the sense of thinking. Lisa overcomes this by doing things that stimulate her mentally. She takes a mild antidepressant on a daily basis to help her sleep. Most people who suffer from FMS have problems sleeping.
Researchers have found that there is no one single cause for FMS. It can be caused, they believe, by a traumatic experience, an injury, a lack of REM sleep, depression or an abnormality in the spinal cord. Some doctors feel it is linked to sleep disorders. Others feel it is not. Some think FMS is triggered by an infectious agent, such as
Latest Articles