Solus Christus Sola Scriptura Sola Gratia Sola Fide Soli Deo Gloria Solus Christus Sola Scriptura Sola Gratia Sola Fide Soli Deo Gloria Solus Christus Sola Scriptura Sola Gratia Sola Fide Soli Deo Gloria Christ Alone Scripture Alone Grace Alone Faith Alone Glory to God Alone Christ Alone Scripture Alone Grace Alone Faith Alone Glory to God Alone Christ Alone Scripture Alone Grace Alone Faith Alone Glory to God Alone


Friday, May 11, 2007

Today, May 12, 2007 is National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Fibro-ma-what?!?! Fibromyalgia is a condition that affects a large number of people, including myself, but is not widely known or understood, even among the medical professionals.


Fibromyalgia or FMS is a chronic pain illness characterized by widespread musculoskeletal aches, pain, and stiffness, soft tissue tenderness, general fatigue, and sleep disturbances. The most common sites of pain include the neck, back, shoulders, pelvic girdle, and hands, but any body part can be affected. Fibromyalgia patients experience a range of symptoms of varying intensities that wax and wane over time.

The symptoms of Fibromyalgia include:

Pain:
The pain of FM is profound, widespread and chronic. It knows no boundaries, migrating to all parts of the body and varying in intensity. FM pain has been described as deep muscular aching, throbbing, twitching, stabbing and shooting pain. Neurological complaints such as numbness, tingling and burning are often present and add to the discomfort of the patient. The severity of the pain and stiffness is often worse in the morning. Aggravating factors that affect pain include cold/humid weather, non-restorative sleep, physical and mental fatigue, excessive physical activity, physical inactivity, anxiety and stress.

Fatigue:
In today's world many people complain of fatigue; however, the fatigue of FM is much more than being tired. It is an all-encompassing exhaustion that interferes with even the simplest daily activities. It feels like every drop of energy has been drained from the body, which at times can leave the patient with a limited ability to function both mentally and physically.

Sleep Problems:
Many fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder that prevents them from getting deep, restful, restorative sleep. Medical researchers have documented specific and distinctive abnormalities in the stage 4 deep sleep of FM patients. During sleep, individuals with FM are constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity, limiting the amount of time they spend in deep sleep.

Other Symptoms:
Additional symptoms may include: irritable bowel and bladder, headaches and migraines, restless legs syndrome (periodic limb movement disorder), impaired memory and concentration, skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud's Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination.

I once read an incredible analogy of what having Fibro means; it's called the Spoon Theory. Although it's written by a lady with Lupus, but the theory still appies to all fibro sufferers. It is worth a look at it.

2 comments:

MADDIE said...

George,
Thank you for posting about fibromyalgia. We have witnessed just how debilitating this disease is. Jeff's aunt has struggled with this for about 5 years now. It has been so sad to watch her health really deteriorate. I think most people really don't even know what this is, so thank you for making others aware.

Christy Smith

George Romano said...

Christy,

Thank you for your comments! They are appreciated. I am sorry to hear about Jeff's aunt. I know that some people with FMS havea really, really rough time. I'll be thinking about and praying for her comfort.

You're right in that a lot of people don't know what this is. It's really a shame.

Thanks,
George