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

[Guest guest]

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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