“Foggy Family And Foggy Friends”

“Foggy Family And Foggy Friends”  (A follow-up to “Foggy Days And Foggy Nights”)

The response that I have received from the “Foggy Days And Foggy Nights” blog has been overwhelming. Many people have written on my FB wall and many have sent private messages to me. People are hurting, depressed, feel forgotten and misunderstood. I know from experience that after a diagnosis of Fibromyalgia a person does two things, for certain; They seek all information available about Fibro and they hope and pray that their family will have the desire to learn themselves. You never want to push the information on anyone because your biggest wish is that they will willingly ask questions or find information on their own.

This is one example of something they are unlikely to be aware of; Substance P is a chemical substance in the brain. It is a neurotransmitter that essentially works as a pain messenger. Excess levels of substance P can cause pain signals to be sent to the brain even when there is no reason for such a signal to be sent, for example, no injury or illness that might cause pain. In fibromyalgia patients substance P exist in abnormally high levels, therefore may account for the persistent and chronic pain caused to those with FMS.

Being ignorant to the symptoms of Fibro will not change the fact that someone you love has been diagnosed. “Lacking knowledge is choosing ignorance.” ~ Raymond Choiniere II

This challenge is directed to friends and family: To show support for someone you love, educate yourself about Fibromyalgia.

Think of it this way: You have a friend or family member that has been diagnosed with Fibro. You tell them you don’t understand why they stay in bed so much, why they complain of aches and pains, why they take pills, why it hurts when they are touched or hugged too tightly. Why they cancel commitments or aren’t as active at church functions or with family and friends. Work is stressful and little things like the tapping of a pen or jingling of pocket-change are very annoying. You don’t understand how anyone can have so many headaches, why they frequently complain of flu-like symptoms or would rather be alone than go anywhere there will be a crowd.

You on the other hand roll out of bed with a fair amount of ease. You have time to talk with co-workers, have coffee with friends or go see a movie.  You are active in church, are social with friends or participate in community events. You may enjoy shopping, sporting events, gardening or taking a walk in the park. You may watch your favorite television shows, read books or the newspaper. Perhaps you play video games, are a Facebook addict or enjoy, at your leisure, FB games. Your life may be somewhat unaffected by your health so you are able to do the things you love.

Imagine how your loved one feels when they see you doing the things you love but you can’t find the time to learn about a disorder that affects their lifestyle.

Imagine how you would feel if you were suffering and the people you love haven’t taken 15 minutes out of their schedule to read an article about your illness. I’ll tell you; unloved, unimportant, unappreciated and depressed.

To help any person that suffers from Fibromyalgia the first step is to get educated. Education by both the patient and the loved one will decrease the frustration felt by both parties and help improve the odds of better controlling the symptoms. The following link is a great place to begin:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5763471_explain-fibromyalgia-family.html

My advice to Fibro sufferers: Control your stress by educating your family and friends, begin a strict schedule to ensure you get enough sleep, be aware of the side effects of your medication which can make you groggy and tired and never take more meds than you feel comfortable with. If you feel unable to do a low impact work-out find some stretching -exercises, which help with the flexibility of tendons and joints. Rest when possible and take part in activities when you feel well. Sitting in the house feeling sorry for yourself will not help!

Print this blog post, open the link above and print that information as well and then give the material to those people in your life that you would like to be educated on Fibromyalgia. Don’t make a big show of it, just hand them the information and ask, “Please, at your convenience, read this information. It would mean a great deal if you would do this for me.” ……..the rest is up to them.

I pray this follow-up will be a useful guide to you, your family and friends.

Love and prayers to all,

Skeeter