My Fibro

roser13, ASN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I must say that I personally had no opinion on fibromyalgia, be it real or imaginary, until being told by an ED patient that she had "stage 4 fibromyalgia with metz." I'll let my gentle readers determine for themselves which side of the fence I'm on now.

LOL! (lips sealed shut and fingers taped down)

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Jun 13, 2015

I think some people with chronic conditions that spend a lot of time at doctor's offices, going for all kinds of tests and in and out of hospitals begin to identify with their illness. It becomes a part of who they are.
I've seen it been identified as a badge of honor type of thing (think CA survivor), and also as a way to manipulate others with their neediness and refuse to take responsibility for themselves. They project a "woe is me" attitude and hide behind their illness. Use it as a crutch to blame their (unrelated) shortcomings on. Not to pick on any certain illnesses, because I know they are real conditions that cause much suffering, but in my experience, the individuals that tend to "use" their illness to their advantage have been those with MS, anorexia, cystic fibrosis and certain psychiatric disorders.
Again, I feel for these people who I'm sure are just trying to cope with a chronic illness the best they know how. However, dealing with someone who uses their condition as a shield against the rules the rest of us must follow and who plays on the emotions and sympathies of those around them is exasperating at times.

You have GOT to be kidding me. I think anyone who is a cancer survivor has every right to yell it from any surface they would like to. That is hardly a badge that many of us would want to put on.

And people with chronic pain which impedes function, MS (

I get that as a nurse, one could get pretty fed up with constant bell ringing. However, it is much more likely that the demands one dislikes so much are from the VIP's that came in to "have a little work done" and are still there, private pay, 2 weeks later as to not give their secret away....and have made each nurse on the unit their fetch and carry private duty "girl/boy"......

Farawyn · Jun 13, 2015

But they're your willies nonewtheless. LOL

And her 2 cents.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

If someone has an illness, isn't referring to it as "my -----" just more sensible than calling it "Mary's -----".

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 13, 2015

I don't see the problem with calling chronic conditions "my (blank)". I have an array of diagnoses that I call "my" diabetes/arthritis/bipolar etc. After all, they ARE mine---I own them. They don't own me, however.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I'm sorry did I actually read in here that someone thought chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia were first world illnesses? I have several chronic illnesses. Epilepsy being one of them along with fibromyalgia, and endometriosis. I shouldn't be alive right now with the epilepsy. It's not a diagnosis anyone questions because my seizures can be seen. They've been under control for 5 years now. The fibro not so much.

i most certainly have never used any of my illnesses as a crutch or to gain sympathy from anyone. I was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 15. But if this was the 1950s, I would be in an insane asylum for the epilepsy. They thought it was a mental condition. Finally, it got studied enough and people educated about it. The same needs to happen with fibro.

I'm going to walk away right now, because this makes me very angry at the attitudes of people who are supposed to be educated professionals. The stigma with chronic pain diseases and mental illness is crazy.

I will say this though. They know what causes fibro. In the csf there is something called substance p. It tells your brain how much pain you are in at the moment. People with fibro have elevated levels of this, which tells your brain you are in pain, when you actually aren't. So say you break your leg, your body will produce more substance p to tell you brain something is wrong. That is the whole point of you feeling pain. To make you stop and fix the problem. People with fibro produce too much of this substance. Therefore your body thinks something is wrong where there isn't. Fibro has been documented since the 1800s. It has just now making way because before it was chalked up to women's hysteria.

So for the poster that thinks it's a first world problem, it's only because third world countries probably still consider it women's hysteria. We obviously have better medical equipment and facilities to try and understand. Please think before you post hurtful degrading things to other people.

RestlessHeart · Jun 13, 2015

Im kind of in shock at what some are saying. I work full time plus. 8-10 hours a day at least 5 days a week and have home issues including a better half with MS. I have had 30 surgeries, 2 broken backs and a fractured neck to name but a couple issues, I have numerous titanium pins plates and screws from my shoulders to my ankles. I also have type II diabetes, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue and the infamous Fibromyalgia. I take pain meds every day....spaced because of work . I wear my scars as badges of honor because it means I survived things most people wouldnt / couldnt or dont. I seldom EVER tell people about the fibro or Chronic pain and Chronic Fatigue because right away they "hear" or "think" drug seeker.

I own me....I am not owned by them. I find it slightly discomforting and barbaric that just because you cant see these conditions you think they dont exist or that we're malingerers (is that even a word) or drug seeking / attention seeking. I expect more out of trained Medical People...expect is operative because we all know it seldom happens.

Have a good weekend people

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 13, 2015

Deleted; wrong quote, can't find the one I want.

MaryAnnD · Jun 13, 2015

Have been ill for a while now, recently diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. The pain has absolutely made me more empathetic.

PhillyRNtoBe · Jun 13, 2015

I've got to say, if I'm being honest, that I do have some bias against diagnoses such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. To me, it is a little like the concept of "First World Diseases". I know young people my age or younger with some of these diagnoses who are disabled from work, yet, hello, they are out doing vigorous leisure activities in the community. They are like little energizer bunnies, but are too ill to work.
After 33 years of being a nurse, I feel exhausted at the very thought of going to work, but I'm solo and don't have a financial safety net so I just keep working.

I think there is a difference between drug addicts who know how to use a particular diagnosis to get what they want and people who actually suffer with chronic pain but have no intention of abusing narcotics.

I think we as a medical professionals don't get to see enough of the strong patients with "Fibro" who suck it up and find alternative ways to deal with it, without over using pain meds.

You only get to experience the ones with low pain thresholds, no coping skills and/or pain med addiction. (Or just hands down scheming addicts.)There is a clear stereotype associated with this and unfortunately we allow the addicts to overshadow those who truly suffer.

Sometimes becoming addicted to pain treatment is the aftermath and patients lose control of their behavior. It's unfortunate that an average, decent person who just cannot handle pain may end up becoming an addict because of this condition. You may only experience them when they are not themselves AFTER they were forced to see a pain management specialist who will only pump them full of narcotics. I think each individual's motivations are different. Try and separate them not lump them all together.

I know someone with Fibro and she suffers immensely. She refuses to take narcotic pain meds and will only seek alternatives. After the only option given to her was drugs she learned other ways to cope because nobody seems to give a hoot about her in the medical world. She is a grandmother and refused to spend her granddaughters childhood addicted to narcotics. You won't see people like her in the ER because there is nothing we can do to help her. She knows it and so do we.

mvm2 · Jun 13, 2015

What is up lately with people having a problem with the word MY so much. There was a post on the PCT board as well having a fit over a nurse asked someone do you know where my tech is.

My is just a part of the English language and I do not think it is a word that is offensive or is meant to be offensive.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 13, 2015

I think some people with chronic conditions that spend a lot of time at doctor's offices, going for all kinds of tests and in and out of hospitals begin to identify with their illness. It becomes a part of who they are.
I've seen it been identified as a badge of honor type of thing (think CA survivor), and also as a way to manipulate others with their neediness and refuse to take responsibility for themselves. They project a "woe is me" attitude and hide behind their illness. Use it as a crutch to blame their (unrelated) shortcomings on. Not to pick on any certain illnesses, because I know they are real conditions that cause much suffering, but in my experience, the individuals that tend to "use" their illness to their advantage have been those with MS, anorexia, cystic fibrosis and certain psychiatric disorders.
Again, I feel for these people who I'm sure are just trying to cope with a chronic illness the best they know how. However, dealing with someone who uses their condition as a shield against the rules the rest of us must follow and who plays on the emotions and sympathies of those around them is exasperating at times.

Oh, yeah...having cancer is blast. I just love having a handicapped placard so I can get a better parking spot that those slobs who don't cave CA. Being able to use having cancer to get bennies non-cancer individuals don't get makes baldness and getting sick from chemo totally worth it.