Blob, Blah, Blog
September 2, 2007
Tom and I were talking about Fibromyalgia today (bleh). I told him that somehow I have to learn to make peace with it (which I think I’m slowly doing). He pointed out that the more you fight it, the bigger it grows. I thought that was a wise observation.
It made me think of B movies about things like radioactive man-eating blobs (um, like the one called “The Blob”). You release it from its jar, and it just starts growing like crazy. You shoot it, and it grows bigger. You fire missile launchers at it, and that just irritates it and makes it angry. “The more you fight it, the bigger it grows.” And so, I will learn to befriend the monster (Fibro), and maybe it will be nicer to me. If only someone had played Parcheesi with that radioactive man-eating blob, it may have stopped tormenting everyone.
FibromyOWgia 
September 2, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Oh My God. Thank you for this blog. I found this after you posted a comment on my blog (Little Miss Sew N Sew). How refreshing for me to find your blog and know that someone else feels exactly as I do. I’ve searched the internet about living with Fibromyalgia and read all the medical articles, but it is so refreshing to hear your honest feelings about it. Not all the typical yadda yadda about eat right, rest, rise above it cr@p. Know what I mean? Yes, I know you do. Keep posting. I’m linking you on my blog.
September 2, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Thank YOU! I read your blog entry, and it hit so close to home that I had to write. I’m no seamstress, but I’m linking you too! Please keep me posted on your progress. I did go on my bike ride today, by the way, but instead of trying for 30 miles, I settled for 12 🙂
September 5, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Little Miss Sew N Sew Said:
I’m in the same boat as you, Moonbeam. I just commuted an hour and a half into work today only to not have a cube of my own to sit at. I was fatigued just walking up the hill one block to the office building and then when there was nowhere for me to sit, I wanted to sit down right there and cry. Is it okay to feel sorry for ourselves even just a little bit? I want to make an arrangement with this company to allow me to work from home unless there is a meeting that requires me in the office, but I’m not quite sure how to go about doing that. Today the bottoms of my feet hurt with sharp stabbing pains and a dull ache all over. Yeah for Fibro. NOT.
September 5, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Miss Sew N Sew, I can relate! It’s so tough, sometimes. It overcomes me with frustration when I have days like yours– by the time you get to work, you’re hurting and exhausted before the day begins; any curve ball that you’re thrown almost puts you over the edge because you’re already functioning at such a low level. And how can anyone understand this kind of weird pain and fatigue?
Are you on FMLA? Do you have short term disability? Do you have a good relationship with your Manager (so that you can discuss options)? My job was so stressful that I had to walk away for a while and regroup. My doctor gave his blessing, but it will soon be time to return, and I’m not sure if I can. I’ve decided to do this MY way, and if I starve or become homeless, so be it, but at least I’ll feel that I have some level of control over my life. Gentle control, not control freak control. For me, at the bottom of this is a lot of frustration and anger at not being fully in charge of my life, because the Fibro keeps making other plans. But I’m coming to see it as a signal that I’ve got to regroup, change priorities, etc. I’m convinced that I’m going to find the magic formula to put this into remission permanently.
By the way, thank you for telling me about the sharp, stabby foot pain– I was wondering if that was Fibro. I get that too.
Sorry to be so rambling and full of advice– I know you just wanted to vent, but it brings up all kinds of stuff for me. And yes, according to the Fibromyalgia Pledge, you are allowed to feel sorry for yourself whenever you need to. It’s in the by-laws 🙂
September 5, 2007 at 2:29 pm
My work situation is that I’m new on this job. I just started in May so I’m not eligible for FMLA yet. And I have a new manager – younger than me who I doubt would understand, but maybe I’m misjudging him. He insists on having me in the office but here it is almost lunch time and he hasn’t even bothered to stop by and say hello. WTF? Why did I come in?
I work as a consultant copy writer/copy editor and they had me at a client’s site for three months. This is when the Fibro clearly presented itself. I was taking the bus, commuting two hours a day (at least), and walking almost two miles a day (because you KNOW all the doctors were saying all I needed was to exercise and go to WeightWatchers), yet my endurance level decreased and I felt worse. I’d come home and be completely incapable of doing anything. Not even fixing dinner. I kinda have a triple whammy: degenerative disk disease, vitamin D deficiency, and now Fibro. Now I’m looking for a doctor in the area who specializes in treating Fibro and who can help me with accomodations on the job.
I’m glad I found you. It’s great to be able to talk to someone who gets it and maybe we can both find solutions. I’ll print out the Fibromyalgia Pledge for daily affirmations. I hope my sharing is helping you too.
September 5, 2007 at 3:42 pm
It is 🙂