Posted in Fibromyalgia, kindness

99 Problems and #Fibromyalgia Is All Of Them

Posted on by D. Parker

Lazy. Crazy. Whiner.
Hypochondriac.
Attention-seeking.
All in your head.  
“Fibromyalgia is just another word for lazy.” yadadarcyyada.com/2013/08/31/fibromylagia-is-just-another-word-for-lazy/ 

And the classic, “But you don’t look sick”.
Feel free to add more.
I think I’ve heard them all…but you never know.

99 Problems and Fibromyalgia (Fibromialgia) is all of them…or at least it makes any problem much much much much worse.

I won’t bore you with all the symptoms:

  • Extreme, endless fatigue (I’ve never heard, “everyone gets tired”…sigh).

  • Extreme, endless all-over-body-pain 24/7/365 (“everyone has pain, especially as they get older” – how do you presume to know my pain or anyone else’s pain but yours?).

  • Dry eyes/mouth.

  • Hair loss.

  • IBS (Oh joy, love nothing more than talking about my bowels to doctors/family/friends/strangers/readers…”What did you want to be when you grow up?” “Constipated.”).

  • Dizziness.

  • Clumsiness.

  • Nausea.

  • Depression (tough not to be depressed by all this).

  • Sleep issues (screw off Alpha waves, no one wants you here).

  • Mood disorders (maybe my many, many moods are just as ordered as they should be).

  • Headaches/migraines.

  • Restless leg syndrome.

  • Anxiety (pick a kind, any kind).

  • Tender points (misnomer, not tender, excruciating, but trigger points make sense).

  • Fibrofog (what was I saying?).

  • Memory and learning problems, like, aah, like, well, there’s Fibrofog (what was I saying?).

  • Scattered thoughts (dust in the wind, all my thoughts are dust in the wind).

  • Numbness.

  • Tingling (not the good kind).

  • Shakiness (not the good kind).

  • TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome).

  • Painful and frequent urination.

  • You may notice a pattern here, #Pain!

  • Sharp pain, stabbing pain, dull aching pain, burning pain, throbbing pain (Beavis and Butthead laugh for 5 minutes now about “throbbing”).

  • Extreme sensitivity to: light, noise, sounds, smells, temperatures, humidity, dryness, changes in the weather (especially extreme heat or cold, fun in Canada, eh).

  • Also, to tastes, textures (Princess and the Pea was written about someone with Fibromyalia, for sure).

  • Stiffness (not the fun kind).;

  • Especially morning stiffness (not the fun kind).

  • Let’s not forget Allodynia.

  • Itching (like, bugs-under-your-skin-when-jonesing-kind-of-itching, er, for chocolate, my drug of choice).

  • Waking up feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck or attacked by a Terminator or zombie (brains?) – We are The Walking Dead.

  • And don’t even get me started on surviving the Holidaze, er, holidays – Christmas, New Year’s Eve, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Black Friday (it’s counted as a holiday now, right?), actually I can do CyberMonday, and they’re lined up to take me out for Valentine’s Day…


I could go on and on (really), but you get the point.

It sucks.

Chronic suckage.

What can anyone do to try to help chronic suckage?

  • Pills/medications (anti this, anti that, pro this, pro that, SSRIs, SNRIs, NSAIDs, PB&J – checking if you were still paying attention, lotions, notions, rubs, gels – not the fun kind – vitamins, supplements, opioids, snake oil, gargoyle oil, and on and on).

  • Exercise.

  • Natural remedies.

  • Injections.

  • Yoga.

  • Meditation.

  • Deep breathing (keep breathing).

  • Tai Chi (saved my life).

  • Change of diet (I do FODMAP, look it up, you’ll hate it).

  • Massage (no happy endings).

  • Physical therapy.

  • Rest/relaxation/Self-Care.

  • CBT, CBD, CBC, CBA, COD…

  • Trials.

  • Errors.

It’s all just fleeting moments of feeling almost human.

And if all wasn’t bad enough, many people assume this invisible disability is and let’s see if I have this right, a conspiracy wherein the medical profession has effectively implemented a fake syndrome just to cater to lazy people (wasn’t that nice of them?). Perfectly reasonable, it’s not as if doctors have anything better to do. Or have reputations and licenses to protect. Or have ethics. What exactly would their motivation be? Why make up an illness, aren’t there already enough? Cancer alone should keep them hopping.

There are many health issues that can not be found through standardized testing, for example: Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Cerebral Palsy, Parkinson’s, Autism, Lupus, ADD/ADHD, wheat or gluten ‘sensitivity’, acute back pain, as well as many mental health issues. So they don’t suffer, don’t feel – it’s all some magical conspiracy…

People like to mock. I get that. It’s become a past-time, even a job for some people, especially in the internet age. I also get those same people would want/expect doctors and people to believe them if they were ill, even if there was no standardized testing for their illness.

To the best of my knowledge, there’s no standardized testing for ignorance or stupidity yet either, but I’d buy stocks for that booming business.

I didn’t ask to be ill. Given the choice I’d be “normal”. I certainly didn’t ask to be mocked and harassed because I’m ill. Even if it was just ‘in my head’, shouldn’t anyone with a health issue be treated with dignity and respect? Maybe we need a standardized test for intolerance.

So how do I cope with ongoing agonizing pain, debilitating fatigue and all the other heaping piles of steaming sh*t that comes with Fibromyalgia aka chronic suckage? If you’re a reader of my blog you know, I think laughter is the best medicine. Laughing even if it hurts sometimes still makes me feel better. I go to a happy place like Psych or George Carlin, Seinfeld, Friends, The Office and more. Tons of laughter a day doesn’t keep the doctor away, but it gives me some quality of life.

For example, this was one of my Tweets last week, “When I see a thong in a store all I think is, how would I explain to #EMTs all my multiple injuries were caused by just trying on a thong. Huh. #ThatsHot #thongs“. @yadadarcyyada 

I love to share the laughter. If I can make someone smile, laugh, giggle, chortle, spew liquid from their nose, then hey, I feel better. Treatments, medications, family, friends and finding a community that gets you, that understands when you have to cancel plans (again)…

Or you can’t remember, ummm, can’t remember, er, huh…and the only good thing you can say about your day is you’re “above ground”, well, anyway.

Reunited with a fantastic friend from college (we’d lost touch when the dinosaurs died), and get this, we started going to the same Fibro group on the same day, from different cities. I don’t know what they call that, fate, destiny, providence, kismet, but I call it cool and lucky.

Finding ways to help myself by helping others.

The thing is, people are just people – no matter how rich or poor; sick (this is an equal opportunity destroyer) or well; all sizes, shapes and shades; known or unknown – you don’t know what you’re missing if you don’t give people a chance. Some will let you down, disappoint, hurt your brain, your heart, your body, but they’re oddly beneficial, they help us appreciate the good ones even more.

Get out there, in person, online, by phone, text, email, do stuff, I don’t know, play cards, smile, knit, donate (give what you can, including your time and talents), bowl, cuddle, talk, sign, sing, walk, dance, embrace your crapathy https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/05/25/crapathy/ ,

swim, skate, scuba (gate?), especially smile at children, jog, blog, snog (probably not at the same time unless you’re uber talented), ignore, don’t keep score it’s a bore, read, write, compose, doodle, paint, play, bike, hike, “Like”, bake (me a cake? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/09/16/you-had-me-at-cake/),

listen, learn, love, add to the world, be part of the solution, go out with friends, care, share, spend time with family, get to know people, smile some more (and more and more and more)!!!

Be kind, be thoughtful, be compassionate https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/20/compassion-never-goes-out-of-style/

Consider others, let your mind soar. I can’t say you won’t ever be sorry, some folks are baffling, but on a whole, you’ll be better for it (and they will be too).

Not asking anyone to feel sorry for me (although compassion and empathy are always welcome), just a reminder that everyone has problems, 99 or less, 99 or more, just because we can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there…so don’t be one of those problems.

 

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110 thoughts on “99 Problems and #Fibromyalgia Is All Of Them”

  4. Pingback: 99 Problems and #Fibromyalgia Is All Of Them #Donnamazing // yadadarcyyada #AceSocialMediaDesk reports | Ace Social News Desk

    1. Thank you kindly, Ian for the reblog and the support, as usual, WordPress messed up and few people saw this post, most had to find it (or not) through social media. But I always appreciate when you drop by to say Hi. 🙂 Hope this week is being good to you and the weekend is one of laughter and joy. 🙂 Thank you again and again. 🙂

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  5. I had to get out of bed last night as the RLS was kicking of and I needed to complete the dance on the floor.I did , I fell. Serves me right for so much clutter. I think of you a lot Sweetie so I hope some of the nice thoughts get through. I hate to think of you hurting so much.Thank you for making me smile again,
    Huge Hugs

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    1. I’m so sorry to hear that, dear David, are you ok, did you hurt anything or just your pride? I haven’t had one of those falls in a while (knock on wood) but they can be scary. Thinking of you too. 🙂
      The good news is, I remember the good days more than the bad. 🙂
      Thanks for dropping by (little fall humour there, too soon?) dearest friend and please take care of yourself, the world needs a billion or ten like you but right now we have you so stay safe.
      I assume your Christmas shopping is already done? 😉
      Hope this weekend treats you kindly.
      Massive “drop by anytime” (still too soon?) hugs xoxoxox

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  6. It takes a really special person to want to entertain people when they are in pain but if you have the strength it always enriches the soul to make people smile! I’m smiling – and eating chocolate! Thx!

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  7. Elvis demonstrating restless leg syndrome is brilliant. A friend has just been diagosed with fybromyalgia (finally) so I have some understanding of what you are putting up with.

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    1. Give her my best and if she ever has questions about chronic suckage, I really do think Fibromyalgia should be renamed Chronic Suckage, cool new medical term but I digress, myself and many others are here to help. 🙂
      Hope the week ahead gives you all its best, Mary. 🙂

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    1. PB&J is just as fun to say (as eat) lol ;
      How about happy right nows? 😉
      Hope this weekend is filled to the brink with all the happiness you can handle and then let it spill over and share. 🙂

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    1. Thank you, thank you, thank, not only for the reblog but the kind words (I”m blushing…please continue). Thank you for spreading the #bloglove and for the #Fibromyalgia awareness. Hope this day treats you kindly. Happy Thanksgiving (today and every single day we should be thankful and not take anything for granted.). Thank you again and again and again. 🙂 xox

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      1. Yes dearest Donna, you said the worthy words, we must be thankful every single day 😊 and I will heartily and honoured let you get blushing more and more 🤗😘😘❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏❤❤

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      2. And gifts are meant to be shared and given freely. 🙂
        Thank you for your kind words, I’m blushing (do continue), wishing you all the best, always. 🙂

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  12. I’m glad you are trying to laugh in the face of the demon, Donna. I know too well how tired one gets of people who seem to think their judgmental and critical comments are supposed to be helpful or even welcome. Like the “friend” who (when I was desperately struggling with my agoraphobia) who said “Just get in the car and go!”… when I would go to my car, and try — and feel my back up the sidewalk and stairs and into my home — through being completely blinded (literally) with a panic attack. A different problem, but I get it. Please be good to you. Hugs on the wing.

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    1. I just want to hug you each and every time you type something, dear Teagan, on your blog, here, anywhere. Can you feel the virtual hugs? 🙂 xox
      I understand that we should understand. No matter what people suffer from or suffer through or have or feel, they deserve dignity and kindness and compassion.
      Here’s my advice, do you, do what makes you comfortable, no one else has to live your life or live with the consequences.
      I am being so good to me it may be illegal lol 😉
      But seriously, I am actively practicing self-care and I’m not joking, learning to knit, er, trying to learn to knit. Yesterday I did a bunch or stitches in a row and felt so proud and then completely forgot again like I’d never done it at all. At that point I decided I needed to walk away and have a Dolly fix since she’s so good at tugging at the Heartstrings (aka Netflix is evil). 😉
      I’m giving you the same advice back, dearest friend, you be good to you, be gentle with yourself because you’re a gem beyond compare.
      Mega you make me smile just by breathing hugs on the wing you’re the cat’s pajamas hugs xoxox

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      1. Oooh sounds good! Thanks Donna Happy American Thanksgiving, lol. At least we get the Black Friday online sales now too. Good time to Christmas shop! Happy week to you too my fellow Canadian friend. Hugs ❤ xxx

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  15. Love your post. Thanks for shedding light on this issue. My sister has it, and she gets frustrated so often. Even medical professionals often overlook issues, or blame issues totally on fibro…”Oh, you have fibro…” As if that explains everything. Hugs to you! Appreciate your openness and humor in the face of all the challenges that come with fibromyalgia.

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    1. With any chronic illness that can be a problem, medical professionals see the illness, the label, but anything new or different should be explored, it could be something that has nothing to do with it. My thoughts re with your sister and those who love her, this challenging, invisible disability is indeed, chronic suckage. 🙂
      Hope the week is treating you all kindly and if you celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving (here in Canada our Thanksgiving is in October but the country has embraced Black Friday and Cybermonday, too tightly)! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Yes she has to fight to get them to LOOK at what is going on instead of jumping to conclusions. I love your term, Chronic Suckage. Perfect. We are celebrating, getting ready to go put the turkey in. Happy belated Thanksgiving to you! Beware Black Friday! 🙂

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      2. We have to be our own advocates and keep getting them to really listen (easier said than done).
        Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, here in Canada ours was way back in October. But I think every day offers us something to be thankful for. I’ve done well on Black Friday, but let’s see how CybermOnday does lol 😉
        Wishing you a wonder-filled week ahead, Angie. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I know several people with fibromyalgia, and it’s no laughing matter. Although the fact that you choose laughter is inspirational. The Canadian car chase made me laugh out loud. Thank you.

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    1. It truly is Chronic Suckage and I guess laughter is my way of coping. 🙂
      Yes, I love that car chase, it’s too too funny, eh. 😉
      Hope the week ahead treats you kindly. 🙂

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  18. I am so sorry that you have to bear this dreadful disease that sucks the life out of you and you are right, people don’t understand. They will throw all kinds of ‘cures’ at you and the thing is that one size does not fit all with Fibromyalgia and finding what works for you can take years. But I do know that you have a sense of humour that is a gift considering the shite that you have to put up with…Thanks for a comprehensive list of what is experienced by someone with fibro.. and glad you have found a group and an old friend to support you…love and hugs ♥

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    1. You’re always so kind and understanding, dear Sally, like a ray of sunlight on a cloudy day, thank you, not just for your lovely words but for being there and most of all, for being you. You do so much for so many, there aren’t enough words to say thank you. Happy Thank-ful day because today and every day we should be thankful. 🙂
      Hope the rest of the week and weekend are wonder-filled. 🙂

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  19. Gosh, this was funny and sad but beautifully balanced. I feel your pain, literally, with many similar symptoms but no one can figure out what is wrong. Don’t think it is fibromyalgia but who knows? Peanut butter is my go to medicine, along with all the boring ones, but then it gives me gas which makes me laugh and then I fart and then I laugh, You get the picture. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for the laugh!

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  20. Thank you for taking the time and effort to fully explain to those of us who don’t know about this dreadful chronic condition – it sounds like daily Hell… And HUGE respect for the dollops of humour with which you approach it! Sending gentle, virtual hugs…xxx

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    1. I’ll take the compliment but what I really do is make a choice to be happy and laughter, I do believe is the best medicine. 🙂
      Hope this week treats you kindly. 🙂

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  24. Pingback: Sunday Post – 1st December, 2019 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost | Brainfluff

    1. Congratulations! You must be excited about the release and those glitches can’t hold us back forever!!! I’m thrilled for you, I hope to read and review someday soon. 🙂
      Thank you for the lovely mention, but be aware it’s hard to type when tears are welling up; you’re too kind but I thank you. 🙂 And the best part, I’m in fantastic company and found new blogs to follow and new books to read. 🙂
      Hope this week is giving you its best so far and continues to get better and better. 🙂
      xoxox Big bloggy hugs

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  25. Yes to all of this! It’s so difficult with an invisible condition (I also have fibromyalgia and me/cfs) because you can look fine and dandy but feel anything but, and of course people don’t anticipate that. And there’s still a whole lot of scepticism and prejudice where fibro is concerned, like you said with ‘a conspiracy wherein the medical profession has effectively implemented a fake syndrome just to cater to lazy people’, I do feel that’s still believed far too often than not. You’ve covered what people often don’t ‘get’ with fibromyalgia – there are a lot of symptoms to contend with, and it’s relentless. We can’t get off the wheel to rest a moment, it’s just incessant and it takes everything we have just to get through the basics every day. Laughter helps me a little too, or at least trying to find a way to laugh at the situation (and my stoma, because if I didn’t laugh I’d just cry all the time!) Fantastic post. Sending hugs your way  ♥
    Caz xxxx

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    1. Can I give you a virtual gentle but heartfelt hug? Yes, you know what someone without these conditions cannot and hopefully will not know…but I hope someday they can have compassion and understanding and empathy.
      Thank you for stopping by and leaving these amazing words for all to see. xox
      Wishing you a weekend that treats you kindly, as you should be treated…I hope things are a tad less relentless.
      Big but gentle Fibro hugs xoxoxo

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    1. I’ll take that hug and raise you two lol 😉
      Thank you, Jean, so kind of your to share the Fibromyalgia awareness.
      Hope this week is being good to you so far and only gets better and better and better (and better still). 🙂 xoxo

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  27. I’m so sorry to hear this. I have friends who have been diagnosed with this and I know how debilitating it is. Sending you hugs and positive vibes. I hope you go into remission soon. If that’s possible. 🙂

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  31. D. Parker

    Amazing your sense of humor about health problems that doctors have no cure ,
    Brings up an old idiom. which sounds good but doesn’t seem to work for every ailment.

    Laughter is the best medicine

    https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200504/laughter-the-best-medicine

    i once asked a spiritual leader why I had my health problems and the answer was,

    God has a reason for you

    I still have the same health problems but I’m still alive for whatever God’s reasons are.

    Same reason for you being able to your entertaining posts, perhaps, or something or someone else?..

    Regards and good will blogging.

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    1. I really do believe laughter is the best medicine and even if it’s not curing anyone, it’s certainly giving quality of life. 🙂
      We all do what we feel we should do for whatever reasons and as long as we can laugh, we can make it. 🙂
      Thank you for dropping by with your wise and kind words, hope the week ahead treats you well. 🙂

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  32. I´m not the brightetst in the room. But I will add that it is 100 who have problems.
    And you do put yourself in that situation to have problems. You also can get out of the problems.

    Stay Frosty gentess.

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  34. Omg..great to read and hope I’ve found that I’m not alone?..I’m new to all this blogging stuff, but it looks interesting and maybe I might find a way through this fog too, pop over to my blog posts, if you can see any..erm maybe too?..I’ve forgotten, like you, as I’ve said it’s good to feel less alone, sending hugs to you all (((hugs)))

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  35. Pingback: TRAFFIC JAM WEEKEND LINKY PARTY #238 - Seeking Serenity & Harmony

    1. I’ve been overwhelmed and WordPress is playing tricks on me (no treats sadly), but I’m glad to be here and to share. 🙂 Thank you kindly. Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂

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  36. Pingback: Heavy Hitters In the Podcasting Arena - DelBlogger

    1. I’ve been overwhelmed and WordPress is playing tricks on me (no treats sadly), but I’m glad to be here and to share. 🙂 Thank you kindly. Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂

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  37. Pingback: Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party #238 - My Bijou Life

    1. I’ve been overwhelmed and WordPress is playing tricks on me (no treats sadly), but I’m glad to be here and to share. 🙂 Thank you kindly. Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂

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  38. Pingback: Featured: You’re Welcome…………#yadadarcyyada #Donnamazing | Ace Caring & Sharing NewsDesk

    1. Thank you kindly, Ian, I don’t know if you’re getting these comments, sometimes WordPress plays tricks (no treats) and says No!
      Hope this finds you safe and sound. Thank you for the lovely reblog! How delightful!
      Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂
      Big non-contagious hugs xoxo

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  39. Cold and damp here so I’m experiencing about 46 of these problems as I read this… and laughing hysterically! 😀 😀

    While hysteria is a regular part of my personal 99, I find laughter makes them all more bearable and I appreciate your post as part of today’s “medicine.”

    Wishing you warm and wonderful holidays.

    *Gentle hugs^ 🙂

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    1. I’m so sorry to hear that. Did you see my post on the new get together ‘group’ I started, “Chronic Not Hopeless”? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/01/30/chronic-not-hopeless/
      We have weekly Zoom get toegther where we chat, distract ourselves, share info, resources, laugh, a lot of laughing
      https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875955569247115…
      https://www.facebook.com/ChronicNotHopeless
      Wishing you sunshine and no dampness and no (er, less) stress, laughter, kindness and big gentle, non-contagious hugs xoxoxo
      https://chronicnothopeless.ca

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  40. Pingback: 99 Problems and #Fibromyalgia Is All Of Them | Nesie's Place

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