| What you should know about me: 1. My Pain - My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me.. I cannot work my pain out or shake it off It is not a pain that even stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or hands. Or, maybe gone for the day. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is real. Not receiving the deep sleep that is needed to restore the body causes many problems. 2. My fatigue - I am not merely tired. I am often in a severe state of exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities,
but I can't. Please do not take this personally. If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can't help you with yard worktoday, it isn't because I don't want to. I am, most likely paying the price for doing too much and stressing my muscles beyond their capability. 3. My forgetfulness - Those of us that suffer from FMS call this fibrofog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age, but may be connected to my sleep deprivation. I do not have "selective" memory. On some days, I just do not have any short-term memory at all. 4. My clumsiness - If I step on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd, I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have
the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stairwells one step
at a time. May balance is something I many times have no control over. 5. My sensitivities - I just can't stand it !! "IT" could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, or
odors. FMS has been called the "Aggravating everything disorder." So, don't make me open the drapes, listen to loud music or TV, or listen to your child scream. I really cannot stand IT. 6. My intolerance - I cannot stand heat or cold either. Or humidity. If I am a man, I sweat...profusely. If I am a lady,
I perspire. Both are equally embarrassing, so please do not feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. Believe me, I know. Don't be surprised if I shake. Sometimes if it is cold, I shake uncontrollably. My internal thermostat is broken. No one knows how to fix it. 7. My depression - Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of
Dr. Kevorkian's patients suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression. Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink. Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge. 8. My stress - My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I am not LAZY. Everyday stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely. Stress affects me differently than it affects you. 9. My weight - I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not my choice. My body is not your body. My appistat is broken.
What and how much I eat does not affect my weight gain or loss. No one seems to know shy. Your comments do not help. I know how I look. 10. My need for therapy - If I get a massage every week, do not envy me. My massage is not like your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out would be very painful. My whole body is knot-filled. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily. 11. Exercise - This is not the answer. If I do the type of exercise that "normals" can do, I would be bedridden for days I can, somedays, do light stretching. We with FMS are all different in what exercise we can tolerate. Do not keep suggesting I would
feel much better if I exercised. 12. My good days - If you see me smiling and functioning normally, do not assume that I am well. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness. Some days are good. These days are what keep my going. If you notice I am not smiling or acting chipper, please don't say "ahh come on, it can't be that bad". Some days it is that bad. 13. My other physical problems - FMS carries with it may other problems beyond chronic pain and fatigue. Many of us have
chronic headaches, irritable bowel, irritable bladder, Sjogrens syndrome (chronic mucous membrane dryness), hypoglycemia,
hyperglycemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, tremors and on and on. This list is different for every person. 14. My uniqueness - Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike. That means I may not have all of the problems listed above.
I do have pain above and below the waist, and on both sides of my body that has lasted for a very long time. I may have
migraines, pain in the hip or shoulders. I may have knee pain, or hand and wrist pain. I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else. | 
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