New to Fibromyalgia?

Welcome to 4 Percent, my blog that serves to chronicle the issues that I deal with in having Fibromyalgia.

Please note that I as chronicle what I am going through, I believe that I may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as well, so some of this information may be changing. (more on this later)

If you are new to Fibromyalgia and would just like to learn more, I'm starting to put together sections that would help both people who have FMS and those who don't, but are looking to understand it.

Photo courtesy of www.fightingfatigue.org

What is Fibromyalgia? 
Fibromyalgia (fībrōmīˈalj(ē)ə) Syndrome (FMS) is a syndrome/disease that is characterized by all over pain, tight/knotted muscles which occur in areas called "tender points" in the body. When touched, these points hurt when touched.

It is also accompanied by physical and mental exhaustion and a mental fog/confusion (called fibro fog). This confusion often leaves one with the inability to think or come up with the right words.

People with FMS often have difficulty sleeping and wake up tired and achy all over.

One of the things that is difficult is that even if people have heard of fibromyalgia, it is thought of as a "women's disease", even by some doctors.

Fibro, to me is best described as feeling like you have the flu all of the time.

There is a good article called Tips For Dealing with People In Pain that is good to help understand people with chronic pain better.


Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Symptoms - I've started organizing, as best I can, the symptoms of FMS that I deal with.

• Memory/Cognitive Issues - According to Wikipedia, "cognitive dysfunction or brain fog is defined as unusually poor mental function, associated with confusion, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating."
• Exhaustion

Help for those with Fibromyalgia
If you are a man, the best site that I can recommend is MenWithFibro. This site as a ton of information as well as an active forum for guys who suffer with fibromyalgia.

The Spoon Theory is a must read for those who struggle to find a way to explain how someone with a chronic pain condition like Fibromyalgia feels and deals with in managing their day.

The Mental Aspect of Chronic Illness is a good article that helps one understand the mental aspects that people deal with when thinking about the chronic illness that they have.

There is another article, Explaining Fibromyalgia to Normals which is another good write-up of how to talk to people without Fibromyalgia to help them understand what we go through on a daily basis.


I guess that's all for now.