Vanessa Atler's new diary!! oh my word!

[GMAN]

www.vanessascorner.com/Journal/052805.asp (http://www.vanessascorner.com/Journal/052805.asp)

I had no idea this has happened to her! I feel so bad for her:( She has a disease called fibromyalgia that has no cure...she was close to death it seems! Oh my word! Vanessa is in my prayers:( It seems like she's slowly getting better though.

[wunderbere]

Thank you, everyone for your kind thoughts for those of us with fibromyalgia.

Calculusfan, yes, my symptoms became obvious after an injury--a figure skating "injury," ironically. I had what looked like a knee injury, although multiple X-rays, MRIs, surgery, and months of therapy didn't locate the problem or help the pain. After that, my other knee began hurting, then other joints and muscles. I began having nerve spasms and strange symptoms like my fingers locking in place. I ached all over like I had the flu, I was cold all the time and so exhausted that I could barely get out of bed. At the same time all of this was happening, I developed tons of food, drug, and pollen allergies. Basically, I can't eat out right now, because I'm allergic to dozens of foods.

Recent theories about the cause of fibromyalgia include that there is an initial trigger that causes the immune system to begin to "melt down." That trigger could be an accident--in sports or even a car accident--or it could be a long-term infection (endotoxin) that the body has been unable to fight because the endotoxin is in your white blood cells, or a bout of illness like in GRATEFULMKFAN's case, or it could even be emotional stress, which wears down your immune system. In Vanessa's case, it sounds like the accident may have been the trigger.

Fibromyalgia is difficult for many doctors to diagnose because it doesn't show up on the typical blood tests that they run to check for various diseases. Fibromyalgia causes a myriad of immunological dysfunctions, which result in a variety of symptoms that don't show up on these blood tests. If a doctor knows what to look for, it's fairly easy to diagnose. Based on what I told my fibromyalgia specialist, he was basically able to list my symptoms, which are all fairly common among fibromyalgia patients--including very small details like low body temperature and low blood pressure. A dozen other (less knowledgeable) doctors looked at me like I was nuts, when I described my symptoms. Some doctors don't even believe fibromyalgia is a real disease.

Anyway, thank you for asking questions. I really think it's important for public awareness to be raised about fibromyalgia. It's real, and it's a devastating illness. I feel for those of you who are suffering from fibromyalgia and hope you'll find a way to live a productive and fulfilling life despite the illness.

[berthesghost]

"I guess all the speculation about Tara thinking it was all worth it for the gold may have been wrong. "

Speculation?:eek :eek The words "but it was worth it!" only came striaght from her own mouth. :rolleyes

[butterfly021]

I meant other people's speculation in the thread in skating chat that keeps resurfacing! People keep asking the question even though she did say it was worth it.