Words from the Heart

Some days, it feels like I am walking in the fog. (c) 2011 LMRNeas In this post, I will be discussing the pros and cons of a silent illness as it appears with family and friends. Since I cannot speak for every person with a silent illness, I am inviting those who also suffer to add their voices to this post by sharing their stories. When we tell our stories, we help ourselves as well as others. ~~~~ I began having arthritis symptoms as a child, after several bouts of what was then called, "scarletina."  My knees would become hot, swollen, and enflamed. My hands would ache. However, blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis always came back negative.  I remember being told by family members to "stop pretending" that I was sick.  As a child, when the adults around you don't believe you, it leaves scars that take years to heal. As I grew older, I would get strep throats so bad that my throat would close. I would be rushed to the hospital for massiv...

There have been times in the lives of people with silent diseases, illnesses, or syndromes when they have heard, "You're sick, again?" in a tone that lets them know that the person speaking these words is done. They can come from family, friends or from those at work. How can you respond to this? First, let me say that hearing this is like someone running their nails down a blackboard. If a person with a silent illness hears this regularly, it can cause emotional and mental stress, which then leads to a host of other issues. Having someone to talk, someone who understands the condition as well as your history, is key to staying on an even keel. Additionally, knowing how to respond, what to say and how to explain your condition so that others can understand is very important. This takes courage. Too many of us simply shut down. We either walk away, give some cursory answer that does nothing to enlighten the speaker of the irritating words, or explode from pent up ...

My decision to write a post about fibromyalgia isn't to start a pity party. I am writing in the hopes that this will bring some awareness to how conditions such as fibromyalgia, MS,  endometriosis , migraine and a host of other disease/conditions are not obvious. The victim doesn't "look" ill, and yet, they may be doing all they can to put one foot in front of the other without screaming. I have fibromyalgia. This was diagnosed close to 25 years ago after years of being in pain and having mysterious symptoms that the medical field could not diagnose. When I was given the diagnosis two things happened.  First, I began learning everything I could about this condition and how to keep it from taking over my life. Second, I promised myself I would not let this condition get in my way. I will tell you, this has not been easy.  For years, I was told I was either lying about my pain to seek attention or I was a    hypochondriac .  I am neither.  ...

Many years ago, I learned that writing was essential to my well-being. If I wrote down my thoughts, dreams, plans, fantasies, I felt "good." Today, I received my subscription to "O" magazine. It is one of two magazines I get monthly...The Sun is the other. In this issue of "O," is an ad for a new resource for people with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with many confusing symptoms. The one common link is that all people with fibromyalgia have pain. This pain can get so debilitating, that the person cannot function normally. Simple tasks like putting on clothes or walking across the room become impossible. As one who struggles daily with this condition, I have found certain things that truly help keep the pain to a minimum. What a delight it was to check out the link to fibrocenter.com and find that what I had discovered for myself is now being affirmed by doctors and other healthcare practitioners! For instance, I know that if I w...