What It Is Like to Live with an Invisible Illness

Fibromyalgia has a lot of misconceptions attached to it. What do you wish people understood about fibromyalgia?

No matter what meds or natural remedies or treatments that might work a little or a lot or not at all... fibromyalgia is there every moment of the day.  Kind of like a constant bad flu, constant discomfort and/or pain and ache.

Has any one told you that "you don't look sick?"

Yes all the time, and I also just see it in so many eyes.... "you're not as bad as they say (???)"  This is the one best moment out of my entire week as I have just rested up for 3 or 4 days or more, in order to get here for an hour or so at all.  Without the 1500 percent effort it took to come out today... and whatever pain meds I have used, I would be at home resting/lying about.  I spend most of my time trying to recuperate from the little bit that I did do.

Tell us, who is your biggest support system while coping with fibromyalgia?

The occasional comment from a friend or relative who also has a lot of pain, shows some support... but in general there really is no one who actually "gets" it.  I feel alone and lost in the universe and I don't fit in anywhere at all.  At any event I am ready to go home much earlier than most, and people think that you don't want to see them when you really do, but you just can't keep up any longer because you hurt head to toe.  It is unbelievably hard.  People drop away out of your life because you can't keep up with the social expectations involved.  I would not wish this "hell on earth" on anyone.