My Story:
Are you suffering from a dabilitating illness and still manage to operate a business? Is it even possible?
My Story: Looking back on it, I suppose I knew that something was wrong with me, but I just blamed it on stress and overwork, or maybe even a touch of arthritis. I had spells about twice a year where I felt as though I had a bad case of the flu, but I knew it was not the flu. I would be flat on my back, in pain, with barely the energy to traverse from bed to bath room and back to bed. These spells would last for a few days and then I would begin to feel myself again. This went on for many years, until one day I woke up with that funny feeling again... But this time it did not go away. Over the next few weeks my entire life was turned upside-down as I found myself unable to function normally. In fact I was barely functioning at all. I decided to visit the doctor to find out what was happening to me and finally after seven specialists I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. "Fibromyalgia. What the heck is Fibromyalgia"? I asked the doctor. His answer was very vague as he tried to explain to me that this illness was unexplainable. He did not even know exactly what it was, or how I came to have it, but he was certain that I had it. He explained that it might be chronic inflamation of my muscles and surrounding tissues. (But nobody knew for certain what it was or how it was destoying my life). There were so many questions racing through my mind and as I began to ask those questions like, Is this serious? Is it fatal? Will it get better? Will it get worse? Is there medication for my illness? Will I still be able to work and support my family? (just to name a few). His basic answers to my questions were "We don't know". In fact none of the specialists knew anything except for the fact that they didn't know much at all. They didn't know what caused it or exactly how to treat it. They only knew that I had it! As I slowly came to the realization that my life was never going to be the same, I became quite distressed. I did not know what to do or where to turn. For a time, I tried to continue at my job, but it was a very physical job and I found myself less and less able to accomplish it and soon I came to realize that I was not going to be able to continue my chosen profession. I went back to the doctor and asked him if I was going to become disabled. He did not answer me... He quietly handed me a referal to a pain management specialist. That is when I began to become afraid, very afraid. Throughout my life I had never taken any medication for pain. The strongest medicine I had taken was an occasional dose of nyquil. The thought of taking pain medication scared me because I had family members who abused thier pain meds and were reduced to nothing more than slobbering idiots. Was I going to become a slobbering idiot who could not work and function and support my family? Out of desperation I called a family friend (he used to date my sister) who happened to be a doctor of internal medicine and asked him for his advice. What should I do now? He calmly and knowingly said not to panic. He explained that he did not know all that he would like to know about fibromyalgia, but he knew someone who might help. It turned out to be another pain management specialist. However, I felt a little more at ease as he assured me that although we would not be able to cure fibromyalgia, we would be able to get me back to a decent quality of life. I put my trust in him, and within a few months we had found the right medications in the right amounts to keep me functioning and that was far better than anything I had received so far. I began to regain some quality of life again although I was never to be the same, at least I had hope and Faith for the future. I am a Christian and although I never lost my Faith in God, I have asked him why? Why me? His answer is from the Bible "My Grace is sufficient for you". Although I did not fully understand it at the time, I am learning more and more each day that I can depend on God for all things. I would rather that He heal me, but if I must suffer, at least I know He will make something good come of it.
I have tried to keep this story short and only provide the highlights of my experience but I have so much more to share with everyone. I thought I had empathy for people with chronic pain and illness (BUT I HAD NO CLUE)! Perhaps this is God's way to spur me into action, because if I concentrate on helping others, my suffering means very little in the overall scheme of things.
So for now I would just like to say that I am a work in progress and I am building a business that will work with my Fibromyalgia instead of against it and if you suffer as I do, I want to help you. I want to share with you what has taken me much time and money to learn. So that you can have the victory over your spiritual life as well as your finances. For those of us who are determined to succeed, nothing is impossible as long as we work together. So let us share of ourselves with others who also suffer.
Here is a Partial List of Fibromyalgia Symptoms:
stiffness
headaches
fatigue
dizziness
numbness
tingling
itching
irritable bowel syndrome
TMJ syndrome
sensitivity to light
sensitivity to sound
sensitivity to odors
visual disturbances
memory lapses
problems with concentration
depression
anxiety
recurrent flu-like symptoms
recurrent sore throat
night sweats
cold hands and feet
GERD
painful lymph nodes under the arms and neck
allergies
yeast infections
over-sensitive bladder
attention deficit disorder
communication difficulties
panic attacks
mood swings
light headedness
nightmares
tinnutus
sensitivity to medications
restless leg syndrome
muscle spasms
fibrofog (feeling spaced out)
(And the list goes on... and on...! For me, the worst part is the Fatigue, I can work through the pain, but the fatigue is sometimes the most discouraging symptom)