"Can you see me now!?" I don't know how many times I had thought of saying this to a Dr. while describing the symptoms of my already diagnosed Fibromyalgia, especially when they gaze back at you with this blank stare of either disbelief or annoyance. "I'm sorry, am I waisting your time?" I say to myself. Well, too bad. I am not about to get into religion on here, but I have come to the conclusion that the drones of science have forgotten what the rest of us rely on, FAITH. I am personally a realist and mainly live by the notion that my life completely rests on my ability to make things happen.
I think Fibro is life's little way of throwing a wrench into my albeit flawed ideal and saying, "See, told you it wasn't that simple". Well, thank you wrench, you're right. I can't do this by myself, so for now like most of you I am at the mercy of Dr.'s, family, friends and the occasional perfect stranger to help me make face this invisible attacker.
Mercy, mercy, me! Sounds like a lot to take on and sometimes it most definitely is. The good news, there are things you can do to help make your situation and hopefully you feel better. First and foremost my best advice is always, Be your own advocate! This is crucial, especially if you are still trying to figure out what is wrong you. It is a long and tedious path to travel in order to get to the final and last resort diagnosis of Fibromyalgia. There are so many different autoimmune diseases out there that can mimic the same symptoms unless you are tested for them all, you will never really know what you have. This is where your determination to get answers and relief come in. If you feel as though your Dr. is ignoring your concerns, tell them! Don't be afraid to stand up and say, "You know, if you don't take me seriously and help me figure out what is causing my discomfort, then I will be finding a new Dr.".
I'll tell you this, I went through 4 General Practitioners, 2 Pulmonologist's , 3 Internal Medicine Specialists, 1 Gastroenterologist, 1 Oncologist and 2 Pain Management Specialists before my final diagnosis. Only then, was I able to say without a shadow of a doubt that I have Fibromyalgia. The lesson here is, don't take no for an answer. This is your body, your life and you are the one who has to live with both. So, take a stand, make demands and find answers, it isn't until then that you can start working on a true recovery. Not only will this save you some pain and sometimes heartache in the process but it will give you a sense of empowerment, you should be in control.
Your best advocate is yourself. You would think that doctors would be a little more sensitive. I guess the best ones are.
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