I am currently preparing a talk on Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to be presented at Pediatric Grand Rounds (a weekly meeting of all interested pediatrics and other health professionals) at our local hospital. I am starting with basic information about fibromyalgia; how our brain processes pain differently than others, how prevalent it is, what to look for during office visits, and common treatments and recovery rates.
Putting all of this together has made me realize how poorly understood the illness really is. I only knew the tip of the iceberg about the syndrome until I was diagnosed and threw my heart and soul into learning all I could about every aspect of fibromyalgia. Now that I know tons more, I have learned that there is tons more we need to know to understand the syndrome.
So I would like to give a big shout out of THANKS! to my family and friends who continue to support me through this illness, even though I know that they probably don’t understand more than the tip of the iceberg. But the agreeing to provide seemingly endless back rubs, the interest and concern, as well as just being there has meant the world to me. I am so grateful, and wish that all patients with a chronic illness had such great support.
All of you lift my spirits and make it easier to deal with this complicated long term illness. If I am feeling better, I have more to give to my patients.
Thanks guys! XOXO