I'm a pointless nostalgic, drama abolitionist, hopeless romantic, sometimes just hopeless. Fond of hats, naps, dogs, the ocean, classic movies, puns, soy lattes, nice people. Queen of Planet Dropping Things. Thyroid cancer survivor and chronic pain sufferer.
"Awful happens all the time, don't let it kill you." - Jason Mraz
#fibromyalgia
Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day!
During my experience as a migraine health advocate and blogger, I’ve gotten to know many people with fibromyalgia. Today, I’d like to help raise awareness of fibromyalgia, to support my fellow chronic pain friends.
Here are some of my favorite fibromyalgia resources/blogs:
- Brainless Blogger: Fibromyalgia articles of interest
- Flares of Fibro: a fantastic tumblr
- Voices of Fibromyalgia: blogger
- Felicia Fibro
Did I miss anyone? Let me know so I can edit the post please!
What are your favorite fibromyalgia resources? What are you doing to raise awareness of fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia has a reputation as a mysterious illness: The symptoms are diverse, the causes are unknown and the diagnosis is difficult. For the first time, researchers at the University Hospital of Würzburg now have found clear proof of damage to patients’ small fibers.
The responsibility for pain and temperature sensation lies with so-called small fibers, i.e. small-caliber pain-transmitting nerve fibers terminating in the skin. In the search for the causes of fibromyalgia-related pain, University of Würzburg researchers have focused their research on these fibers. With success: “We have detected clear signs of damage to the small fibers in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome,” says Nurcan Üçeyler, a private lecturer at the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Würzburg. The results of their study are reported in the current issue of the journal Brain.
According to Üçeyler, this discovery heralds a “paradigm shift”: The results of the study are highly relevant in that they challenge the conventional pathophysiological concept of fibromyalgia. “Since we have established that the small fibers are impaired in patients with fibromyalgia, the pain related to this disease now fulfils the criteria for being considered as neuropathic pain, i.e. pain arising from an impairment or illness of the nervous system,” Üçeyler explains. Furthermore, for the first time, medical professionals have an objectively measurable criterion at their disposal to help them with their diagnosis.
Universität Würzburg: Fibromyalgia: First Proof Found
(via heatherpattern)
(via fibromyalgialife)
I am going to be forced to work and study full-time with severely debilitating FMS. I want to prove to this person the severity of this illness. Reblog this only if you’re a chronically ill person who is unable to maintain a full-time job/school without it worsening your symptoms to the point of disfunction. Please help.
(via fantasticallyfibro)
Some researchers have written that patients with Fibromyalgia have a lowered threshold for pain. This statement has been used to belittle and even to victimize Fibromyalgia patients. It is important to make something very clear. PEOPLE WITH FIBROMYALGIA EXPERIENCE A LOT MORE PAIN FROM ANY GIVEN STIMULUS THAN A HEALTHY PERSON WOULD. But, based upon my observations, many patients with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain have a high pain tolerance, even though they feel pain more readily. The amount of pain some of us endure is amazing.
Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofascial Pain: A Survival Manual (Second Edition) by Devin Starlanyl and Mary Ellen Copeland (via younolongerownthoserights)
Yes I am addicted to all day tattoo sessions so I’m not exactly a puss in the pain department
(via thirdeyerefraction)
Yeah, I have a really high pain threshold. I’ve had all kinds of piercings and I usually don’t realize I’m hurt until I see the trail of blood behind me.
(via entropyandflux)No shiiiit! I broke my hand, set it, finished making supper, cleaned up THEN went to the ER.
(via iputtheableindisabled)
So, as I posted earlier today, I have pink eye in both eyes. But that isn’t what this is about. Do you all think that when you have Fibro stuff like this can throw you for a loop? I have had pink eye several times in my life and I usually do OK with it. This time around…I feel like a bowling ball size eye smacked me right in the ass. Such fatigue! What are your thoughts? Can milder things like this cause your Fibro to spiral out of control?
Hell yes. When I get a simple head cold, for example, I am completely knocked on my ass for at least a week. I mean, we are already struggling with fatigue and chronic pain. Add anything on top of that and it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is May 12th. I, personally, am quite aware of #fibromyalgia.
itty:
mark found this in one of his comics.
I know a lot of people who I’d love to shoot with a fibro taser gun. My ex-husband, several ex-doctors, many Rebublicans…
May is Fibromyalgia awareness month.
Showering,
Getting dressed,
Going to the store,
The movies,
eating,
the doctors who work to save us,
waking up,
Getting a haircut,
All the little things to you are mountains to us.
(via sickgirldiary)
Regarding the awful physical therapist I saw yesterday: the medical organization that she works for has a form on their website that I can fill out to submit “any positive or negative feedback about a health care provider.” Well, they’d better brace themselves for a shitload of negative feedback about that PT who made me cry. Oh boy. This will be fun. And I’m glad they have a form rather than a telephone number; I express myself much better in writing than in person or over the phone. I will do my best to refrain from using the word “bitch.” I just need to look up synonyms for intolerant, uncaring, bully, aggressive, and asshole.
I had a horrible day. My rheumatologist sent me to physical therapy for my fibromyalgia. I’ve gone before but it’s been a couple of years. In the past it’s been fine, I did strengthening with a resistance band, and sometimes they did muscle stim or TENS or even massage. Today, however, I met with a new PT for a consultation and the woman actually made me burst into tears. I was hurting - obviously, I’m always hurting - and she was incredibly intolerant. From the time I walked into the room she was condescending and aggressive. “You’re standing wrong, you’re walking wrong, of course you have back pain, you’re weak, you don’t need to stretch your neck, you’re over-stretched, stand against the wall with your shoulders up and back and the back of your hands pressed against the wall…” I did it and it was incredibly painful. She didn’t care. Then she tried to tell me how to breathe, that I shouldn’t inhale, just exhale hard and let my lungs automatically bring in air, then exhale hard again - it felt like I was hyperventilating. I immediately got lightheaded and super anxious and she said that meant I was doing it right. It was awful and I burst into tears. She didn’t even offer me a tissue. She just said “when you’re ready I’ll show you how to lie down properly.” AS I SAT THERE SOBBING. I went to the restroom, tried to calm myself down for 10 minutes, and when I *finally* came out, she handed me some papers and told me to make appointments for more sessions at the front desk. Fuck that! I hauled ass out of there. Fortunately my brother had brought me because there’s no way I could have driven myself home in that state. Also fortunately, I had a prescription for Valium waiting for me at CVS, so I took one, went to bed, cried for about an hour and a half, then slept for 3 hours.
I’m going to call tomorrow and find out how to file a complaint against her. She should not be treating patients that way.
