by Melody Hatke

Created on: May 21, 2009

When you tell someone you have fibromyalgia, most generally, they will say, "Oh". They really mean, oh well, no big deal. But living with fibromyalgia, is a big deal. I think fibromyalgia is overlooked, because we don't have people dying from the disease. So this disease is put on the back burner. Or maybe it is because we do not have any celebrities with fibromyalgia, so it is not as publicized as other diseases. Fibromyalgia is still out there, and can be a very crippling and debilitating disease.

My first experience with fibromyalgia was in 1998. I was working in a plastics factory, I had to remove a small plastic piece, from the press, scrape off any excess plastic, and then toss it into a box. Light work, no heavy lifting, and I was sitting down. But at the end of eight hours, I felt as if, someone had hit me, as hard as they could, in the middle of my back. The pain was so strong it almost took my breath away. I went to see my family doctor, and after a few blood tests, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

Over the past eleven years with fibromyalgia, I have had good times and bad times. I have had to quit different jobs, when eight hours are over, and I felt like I was hit by a semi-truck,I knew that was not the job for me! I have found that fibromyalgia is tricky, I will be at work and feel great, then I go to break and sit down for fifteen minutes, then I can barely move when my break is over, every muscle is screaming in pain. Sometimes I may make it through the whole eight hours pain free, then I get in my vehicle to drive home, when I get home, I have a difficult time getting out of my truck due to the severe pain.

Most mornings, I have a very difficult time, getting up out of bed. Every muscle in my body is tight, sore and stiff, I moan and sometimes even cry out in pain, just moving to get out of bed. But I know, once I get up and move around, the pain and stiffness, lessens to a more tolerable degree. The pain is not gone, I am just able to withstand the lower level of pain. I have also found, that I have a higher threshold for pain now, than I did in the years before fibromyalgia.

I do not take any medications for pain on a daily basis. Nor do I take any medications for fibrmyalgia, I am trying to hold off on medications as long as possible. I do exercise faithfully, at least every other day, I find this extremely helpful. I am doing the best I can to live a long, healthy and productive life.

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