Now that you’ve had a chance to read my post from yesterday about Fibromyalgia or Fibro and the WebMD published article, I’d love to know your thoughts on one particular part of it:
“—Fibromyalgia is not a specific illness,” says Michael McNett, MD. McNett directs the Fibromyalgia Treatment Centers of America, headquartered in Chicago. “Fibromyalgia is more like a symptom complex, and different people appear to have different reasons why they get this symptom complex,” he says. “So what works for one person very frequently does not work for another.”
Hm-m-mmm. I don’t know if the beginning part of that statement rubs you the tiniest bit wrong or not, but I’m having some trouble digesting it. I guess I’m wondering if Dr. McNett really meant to imply that Fibromyalgia really is not a specific illness? After all, even though Fibromyalgia is thought to be quite complex and manifests differently in many individuals, it is classified as a) a specific chronic illness and b) is recognized as such by the general medical establishment, Social Security Administration and more. Until major revisions are made otherwise, illness information and disability criteria for Fibromyalgia Syndrome have already been established!
This type of thinking is similar to the debate surrounding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Why? a) Because even after more than twenty years, neither illness is specifically categorized or understood 100%, and b) Because there is a lot of information pointing to the fact that both illnesses are indeed complex medical problems. Many people wonder whether there is more than one simple illness going on within each category, but time and proof will have to reveal these answers.
There’s more…
Yes, both of these illnesses are complex in terms of who is affected, how a person comes down with symptoms, how the symptoms manifest, what medicines or remedies, if any, work on symptoms and the long term prognosis of anyone who wants to get well.
However, as long as no one steps outside the bounds of common sense by insinuating that neither Fibromyalgia nor Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are not legitimate medical problems and that they only exist as the product of someone’s imagination, well, I’m a reasonable person and I imagine you are, too.
We’ve come a little way in understanding Fibro. Certainly, there’s so much more to go. Maybe it will end up that we have to view all of our concepts about the illness and its symptoms entirely differently, but not so far.
Today, I ask for your opinion about this question and a few more. After all, the only opinion that counts at the end of the day is your own. You are the one who has to live with your illness.
1: If you suffer with Fibromyalgia/ Fibro, do you believe that you have one illness or several going on?
2: Is living with Fibromyalgia making your life darned tough? (Yes or no)
3: If you knew that is was possible to get over and get well from Fibro, what lengths would you be willing to take to get healthy?
Yes, I know those are tough questions, but they’re important if you want to move yourself off center and proceed with your life. I encourage you to jot off your quick answers and share them with us at the Health Matters Show in blog comment form.
In the meantime, dear one, I hope that you feel better today. This Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome blog and podcast is dedicated to your optimum health and wellbeing.
Thanks, Cinda Crawford, host of the Health Matters Show
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }