Re: Fwd: Fibromyalgia---would you like to have it. My letter to the damn cartoonist

[Guest guest]

AMEN Debra.

I have been a paramedic for over 2 decades and now I

can bearly move myself let a lone patients.

If only I knew back a few years after breaking my

shoulder and left arm i was heading double trouble

down a very difficult road. now my doctors tell me

well your job in EMS sure did not help. Micro

repeative tears and strains make a bigger one later.

Diane

--- debra van ness wrote:

> She needs to just draw her little trivial cartoons

> and stay under her rock. She is not fit for human

> kind.

> Debra V.

>

> debra van ness wrote:

> Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:03:12 -0800 (PST)

>

> Subject: Fibromyalgia---would you like to have

>

it??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

> To: mrosenberg@...

>

> Shame on you for having the nerve to say " if

> fibromyalgia is real " . What do you know? Let me

> tell you that I have this horribly painful and

> debilitating illness. I am not a lunatic or a

> hypochondriac. I am a respected registered nurse

> who was diagnosed with this about 5 years ago. I

> had it for years and ignored the symtoms because

> they were mild. That is until 5 years ago when it

> hit me hard. I had never HEARD of fibromyalgia even

> as a healthcare professional. I became very ill

> with burning torturous pain in my hands with the

> flare that sent me to seek a diagnosis. I also had

> horrible all over body aches I could not make sense

> of, numbness and tingling, weakness, extreme

> exhaustion, and pure pain in the knees so bad I

> could not get out of the bathtub by myself. I felt

> as if I was literally dying. I told my family at

> that time what to do if I died. I gave instructions

> on what I wanted for my children should I die. I

> HAD NEVER read about this disease nor its

> symtpoms as of yet. After diganosis, I began to

> look up information on it.

> My life has never been the same again. I live day

> to day with pain, exhaustion, numbness and tingling

> and stiffness so bad I can hardly get out of bed

> most days. I still work but with much difficulty.

> Now, I face all this along with the stigma of being

> called a liar, hypochondriac, lunatic, or drug

> seeker. I never had pain that Tylenol would not fix

> until that flare about 5 years ago. Symptoms

> started in my 20's so mild I ignored it.

> I do fortuantely have a doctor who knows

> fibromyalgia is real and he will treat me. So many

> others of the millions in this country affected by

> this are not so lucky.

>

> I am a respected nurse of 15 years now. It does

> flare and go into remission at times for some

> people. However, the majority of my life I have to

> plan everything around this illness to be sure I am

> able to go to work out of neccessity. I have two

> young children ages 5 and 10 and I do not enjoy the

> fact I cannot participate in their lives as a parent

> should be able to.

> I get no government funds, no sympathy anywhere,

> and live with a stigma everyday.

>

> I do not take Lyrica because of cost issues. My

> doctor does not try to push me to take it so the

> drug company can " make money " .

>

> Just think... would you like to have a miserable

> illness no one can identify on a lab test yet and

> have the majority of the population tell you that

> you are a liar? This is really a wonderful hamane

> way to treat people isn't it.

>

> The next time you get the flu and ache everywhere

> only 1/4 as bad as my body does, I hope someone

> tells you it is " just a cold and a little fever " ....

> " You don't have pain, because I cannot see it " .

>

> Thanks to you and all the people who see

> fibromayalgia as a disease made up by lunatics and

> liars, we suffer from more emotional pain to add to

> the disabling physical pain we suffer.

> It is not just pain either. There is a host of

> other symptoms that come with it. If I told you all

> of it, you would surely think I am a liar or crazy.

> Oh yeah, I choose to live like this!

>

> I do not get any secondary gains from this

> " imagined " illness. I only hear criticism from the

> nay sayers such as yourself. I am taking up for the

> 6-10 million Americans with this horrible illness.

> (Not to mention the millions worldwide). Some of

> them are bedbound or in wheelchairs. I am a lucky

> one so far. However, from my own experience I know

> this thing worsens with the years.

>

> Thanks for the kind humanity,

> Debra Van Ness R.N.

>

> ---------------------------------

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> ---------------------------------

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> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

> 1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences

> with everyone on the list as to what treatments do

> and don't work for us, pls always check with your

> dr. Some treatments are dangerous when given along

> with other meds as well as to certain health

> conditions or just dangerous in general.

>

> 2. If you are in a difficult situation (doesn't

> matter what it is) pls don't be afraid to ask for

> help. It is the first step to trying to make that

> situation better.

>

> 3. To unsubscribe the e-mail is:

>

Fibromyalgia_Support_Group-unsubscribe

>

> 4. Also, it is not uncommon for more than one member

> to be feeling bad at the same time when it comes to

> flares and b/c of that potentially take something

> another member says the wrong way. And that

> includes the things that one member may find funny

> (even if it's laughing at fibro itself) even though

> we who deal with illness whether one such as fibro

> or multiple illnesses try to keep a sense of humor.

>

> 5. Pls let's be gentle with each other, and if you

> are having a bad day pls let us know so that we can

> do our best to offer our support.

>

> Have a nice day everyone.

>

>