My Struggle With Fibromyalgia

Today is not a good day for me.  It's not the weather, because it is 

beautiful outside.  The best weather we have experienced in months.

Yet, it's hard to me to get out there and enjoy it right now because I 

am having a Fibromyalgia flare-up.  It's probably the worst flare-up

I have ever had.  I have been fortunate because the last one was

two and one half years ago after my Mom died.

I was originally diagnosed years ago, before I was married.  The 

townhouse I was living in was struck by lightning during a summer

storm.  It burned to the ground while I was at work leaving me

homeless and left with just the clothes on my back and my car.

The car was stolen from a Houston shopping parking lot two

weeks later while I was inside a Target store buying household

items for my new apartment.

My world had fallen apart and I fell apart physically too.  I

went to a doctor who could find nothing wrong with me 

despite my panic attacks, and pain all over my body and

the most debilitating headaches and fatigue.  He came to the

conclusion that I had Fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is not a disease, it is a syndrome that leaves it's victim 

suffering with pain throughout the body.  It doesn't affect the joints like

arthritis does, but rather deep muscle tissue.  It can be a dull ache or 

sometimes a stabbing pain.  It often causes stiffness and limits ease of

mobility.  It disrupts sleep especially when sleep is needed.   Researchers

have show that during a flare-up the brain activity during sleep increases

so the sufferer is not getting the deep sleep needed to maintain a

healthy body.  During a flare-up, I wake up in the morning feeling  

almost more tired and achey than when I went to sleep.

There is no cure for this syndrome.  Hopefully this current flare-up

will not last too much longer, or at least will become less intense.

As I said, the last flare-up was two and one half years ago and when

I am symptom free, I am a very energetic person.  Right now I have

so little energy.  Yesterday when I went to the grocery store I could

hardly wait to finish and get home again.  I was exhausted.

All I can do now is take care not to over do and to try to get a

good night's sleep.  I am praying that this will come to an end

soon and that I can return to the life I love.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley