KEEPING A PERSONAL MEDICAL JOURNAL — by Catherine Morgan – (cross posted at Catherine-Morgan.com)

Whether you are suffering from a chronic illness, pregnant, or just getting older. Keeping a personal medical journal, is important, and can really come in handy. Some may want to do this on a weekly or monthly basis, others on a daily basis, this will depend on the severity of your health issues.

STEP ONE: Just go out and get a notebook that you can use for this purpose alone. This journal will be helpful to you, as well as the medical practitioners you are working with. Especially, if you move, need to change doctors, or are hospitalized. Which reminds me, if you go on vacation, or extended holiday, bring your medical information with you, it will make it much easier if you need to see an unfamiliar physician, or be hospitalized.

STEP TWO: Begin with a page that states your medical history, as well as your current diagnosis or health issues. Take some time with this part. Make sure you include dates of hospitalizations, and prior surgeries, these are questions you will be asked if you see a new doctor or are hospitalized

STEP THREE: List your medications, if you take the same pills on a daily basis, list them on the front of your journal, if you have some that you take, as needed, list them with your daily entries. Make sure when you list your medications, you specify the dosage (ie: Placebo 1mg, 2 tablets, three times a day), also include why you are taking this medication (ie: blood pressure, depression, etc).

IMPORTANT: If you are taking any medications that you don’t normally take (ie: medications for pain, cold, fever), and you are taking them several times a day (ie: every four hours, every six hours), make sure you keep a close record of the times your are taking these medications. It is very easy to get confused, and take more than you are suppose to, and in many cases this could cause serious health issues.

STEP FOUR: Entries. Depending on your condition, you may want to use a page for each entry, or maybe just a few lines, what ever works for you. Of course, start with the date and time. Then, anything relevant to your medical condition (ie: blood pressure, fatigue, pain, blood sugar, etc), as well as your “emotional” condition (ie: happy, sad, depressed, anxious, etc).

The “emotional” thing may not seem very important, but if you have a chronic illness, you may feel very sad or down at times. It’s helpful to see your emotional history for yourself, not only so you can notify your doctor when needed, but also so you can see how many “good days” you are having. It’s easy to forget the good days, when you are feeling down, sometimes it’s just helpful to be able to look back and see for yourself. Little smiley faces (or sad faces) work good for this purpose.

STEP FIVE: Include any specific recommendations from your doctor (ie: amount of exercise, special diet requirements, etc). Don’t forget to include the dates and times of your upcoming doctor appointments. Many times people with chronic medical conditions will need to see several different doctors, and it can all get very confusing.

With that said, you can also find a spot in your journal to write down any questions you may want to ask the doctor during your appointment. Sometimes, you can feel rushed or just forget to ask the doctor something that was important to you. So, make a list, it’s a big help.

So, you have the idea. It seems like a lot of work, but once you get it started, it’s just a matter of maintaining it. Then the next time you have to go to the doctors, you will be able to give the doctor a better and more complete idea of how you have been since your last visit. You may even want to ask the doctor or nurse to jot down your vital signs, test results, or any other important information, right into your journal.

With all the confusion of chronic illness, prescriptions, doctors appointments, and so on. Keeping a personal medical journal for yourself, can go a long way to the betterment of your overall health and wellness. I think you will find it to be very helpful, to both you and your doctors. Good luck, and be well.

Is stress wearing you down? Are you worried about the bad economy? Your job? The mortgage? Your health? Your family? If so, you are not alone.

Life is always changing, and that can feel very stressful. But often, seemingly bad things will happen in our lives, that will actually turn out to be the catalysts to something positive. It’s very true that when one door closes another will open. Although it never feels so great when that one door closes. Recently I’ve had several doors close on me. But as hard as it’s been, I can already see that these things needed to happen to bring me closer to where I am meant to be.

There are three things we can do to help relieve the stress in our lives…

Number one is acceptance. We need to accept that life does not always go the way we perceive to be best.

From This Journey – Stress or Sadness…

Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:

1. Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
5. If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply be kind to others.
8. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
9. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
10. Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
11. The second mouse gets the cheese.
12. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
13. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
14. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
15. We could learn a lot from crayons… Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
16. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Number two is gratitude. Take time to recognize all that you have to be grateful for.

From Britt Bravo – Keeping a Gratitude Journal…

One tool to help keep life in perspective is a gratitude journal where you write down a few things each day that you are thankful for. They can be big things, like I’m thankful that I have a warm, dry place to live in the midst of this crazy California rainstorm, or small things, like I had a really yummy hot chocolate the other day.

Number three is your inner game and positive affirmations.

What is your inner voice saying to you? Have you developed the habit of saying negative things to yourself? If so, this is a habit that needs to be broken.

From Family Matters…

Whether we speak out loud or we are in silence, our brain is in continuous chatter. We have thoughts about things to do, feelings, expectations, ideas, reminders, theories and conversations.

. . .

Much of our mind chatter is thoughts we have been given by others, thoughts based on past experiences we have had (as kids), things we have seen in the media and interpretations of what has happened around us. The real challenge is to switch from negative thoughts to positive ones.

From Creating Effective Affirmations…

Taking a wealth/prosperity affirmation as our example, it’s unlikely that a wealthy person would tell someone “I’m a very wealthy person” or “I’m a multi-millionaire,” but they might tell someone “I’m never in need of money” or “My finances are better than they’ve ever been before.” Think of a way in which you’d tell your friends and family about your wealth, and use that as your money mantra. If you use a lot of slang or colloquial phrases, fashion your affirmation that way. A person who refers to money as “dough,” for instance, would probably be better off writing her mantra as “I’m rollin’ in dough!” than as “I have a lot of money!” Keep your own speech pattern in mind when you write out your affirmations, and they’ll be much more powerful for you.

From Angela Booth’s Writing Blog – Affirmations For Writers…

Here’s how to create your own empowering affirmations: create them from your mind tapes. Just switch the old tapes from negative statements to positive ones.

For example:

* Writing is hard, I’ve never been good at writing BECOMES: “Writing is easy and fun for me, I’ve always been great at writing”;

* I can’t write BECOMES: “I write easily and effortlessly, I’m an excellent writer.”

Try it. Affirmations enhance your creativity and your income. Why walk around with old, damaging self-talk? Start changing your self-talk today, with the power of affirmations.

Here are some videos on the topic of positive affirmations that your might find helpful…

Your thoughts create your future…

From affirmation cards by Louise Hay…

An affirmation video…

A healing affirmation video…

This issue is so important, and that is because; When you suffer from chronic illness, although you are being treated (even successfully), going back to your former life before you were sick may be impossible. I hear this all the time from others suffering with CFS and FM, and I am certain it holds true for many others suffering with chronic disease as well. The biggest problem, is that many of us “define” ourselves through our work, or what we do for a living. Quite frankly, this is a bad idea even if you are a healthy person. None of us “are” our work. Our work is not who we are, it’s simply what we do. But, we all know it doesn’t always feel that way, especially when out of nowhere, we are unable to do what we do.

So….What do you do, when this happens to you? Well, it’s not so different than when a stay at home mom sees her last child off to college. They call it “Empty Nest Syndrome” for her, and it can be quite devastating for a women who has devoted her life up until then (usually at least 18 years or more) to being the best mom she could be, and doing it as a career. Now she is left with no-one to mother, and she loses her sense of “self”. At this point, she can choose to except her new life and find new and exciting things to do with herself (maybe go back to school, get back into a career, take up a hobby, or maybe travel), or she can choose to be sad and depressed and feel like her life is over because she has no-one left to take care of. It’s not the same as losing your identity due to illness, but it is an example of seeing your life (or identity), as half full or half empty.

Living Well With Chronic Illness – Redefining Yourself – by Catherine Morgan

Feeling sorry for yourself can be a full time job, but it’s a job that doesn’t benefit you in any way….so just take it on a part-time basis. Then on the days you’re not working hard at that job, focus on finding something to do with your life that can benefit you.

READ FULL POST AT CAPESSA HEALTH AND FITNESS

CFS is a multi-system disease which causes extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, cognitive dysfunction, hypersensitivity, orthostatic intolerance, digestive disturbances, depression, poor immune response, and cardiac and respiratory problems. According to the CDC, studies show that disability in CFIDS patients is comparable to multiple sclerosis, AIDS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, end-stage renal disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Yet, studies have shown that patients diagnosed with “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” are not taken as seriously as patients with the same symptoms but a different name for their diagnosis. Thus, the name CFS not only affects the quality of treatment patients receive, but the amount of money committed to research! PWCs deserve to be taken seriously, to have a name for their illness that preserves their dignity, and to receive appropriate medical care! Spread the message — CFS: Change the Name!

Campaign For a Fair Name

SIGN PETITION

*If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome exercise can be very difficult, and extreme moderation may be necessary.  Always check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.

I thought I would take tonight’s post to do a roundup of some of the great fitness blogs on BlogHer.  I took some time and surfed the Health and Wellness BlogHer Blogroll (I also used BlogHers new search tool), and here are fourteen of those blogs.  Do you blog about fitness?  If so, leave you link in comments.

Workin On My Fitness…

What I cover on Workin On My Fitness:

• The basics on exercising, fitness terms and how to do certain workouts
• Nutrition information and eating healthy
• Latest fitness trends – apparel, shoes, accessories
• My personal journey in getting back in shape
• Personal views towards diet and fitness
• Useful online & offline workout tools

I believe being healthy goes hand in hand with feeling good about yourself and being happy. If you’re not happy, then you’re most likely not exercising and eating healthy. Ever since I started working out again, I’ve felt more happy and everyday I know that my body is looking better as a new day approaches. I guess you may think that it may be vain for someone to care about their appearance, but I don’t! If you look good, you’ll feel good too! So I really hope that you enjoy my site and feel free to contact me for any reason.

Spin Diva…

Are you looking for new ways to get your family in shape? This blog is to inspire families, like yours, with ideas that will get you on the right path to a healthier lifestyle. I am a military spouse and busy mom of four and a Certified Group and Personal Fitness Trainer, but you can call me Spin Diva. Finding the time to exercise, energize and revitalize is not easy, but we can do it together. I am passionate about teaching others how to reach their fitness goals and bring the kids along with them.

At home, I am a run-around-mom or a RAM because staying home doesn’t really happen much. I am usually running to the gym, Soccer practice, Choir rehearsal or recital, Art exhibition or a PTA event.

Catapult Fitness…

Launched in April 2008, Catapult Fitness is focused on empowering individuals to lead a healthier life through exercise and nutrition.

Fab, Fit and 40…

I turned 39 on April 20, 2008 and gave myself 365 days to lose 50 pounds. Fit Fab and 40 will document my meals, exercise, and progress so my readers can hold me accountable. I live in South Florida with my husband, two children, and two yellow Labradors. For work, I own a PR consulting firm that focuses on health, medicine, technology, science, and environmental businesses.

Go Workout Mom…

After having children, I spent a good two years searching for the best time to really, really start working out. I needed a cheerleader to get me back into shape. I had the knowledge and the experience to make fitness a priority in my life, but I had not taken action. By creating a blog that offers Moms a journey to pursue their own physical fitness, I hope to establish a community of moms to support and cheer each other on to a healthy lifestyle.

Fit Bottomed Girls…

The Fit Bottomed Girls don’t take anything too seriously—including fitness. Here, two regular girls share their trials, tribulations and adventures in staying fit to help you know what’s good and what’s whack when it comes to working out.

Weight For Deb…

Healthy living.  A new frontier for me.  This is the continuing journey of Deb, who started really  learning about food, exercise and healthy living in 2006.

Fitness Cure…

I am a woman who was raised on McDonalds, never played a sport, experienced every diet, underwent an eating disorder and was raised by a ‘fitness challenged’ mother.

In the same token, I have also competed in beauty and fitness competitions since age 16, became a personal trainer at 20, a fitness manager at 22, group exercise director at 23 and project coordinator for a large fitness company at 24.

Why is THIS site different from others? Because the content is written from a person who understands what it means to be challenged, unmotivated, unsuccessful, happy, inspired and accomplished.

We are not suffering from laziness or lack of education. Our overweight world is suffering from a disease called ‘inaction’. What creates inaction? Lack of motivation.

Fitnessista…

A city girl in a small town: Valdosta is…cute. It’s clean, the people are friendly, there is an abundance of fresh produce, particurly sweet potatoes, but due to the lack of shopping and outdoor activities, the Fitnessista is BORED. A new military wife, she will discuss the trials, tribulations and random adventures of said town, as well as her true passions: fitness, healthy recipes and nutritional advice.

Flip This Body…

Taking inspiration from house flipping shows, I decided to take charge of my life and flip this body. I hope this blog will help others who are trying to lose weight to learn more about their options.

Fitness NYC…

This blog is about staying fit in the city that never sleeps. I’m on a mission to find NYC’s best workout, one class at a time.

Fitness Fixation…

So much of the fitness and health writing out there is so dry you practically have to hydrate after you read it. I think it’s time we injected some humor into the genre.

The Fit Shack…

I am passionate about achieving and maintaining optimum health. After struggling with weight and food issues for most of my life, I am intent on mastering these issues now, while at the same time, passing on to others the information and experiences I have gained.

Here at The Fit Shack, I write about such topics as today’s processed and fast food industry, food addiction, sugar, emotional eating, and the mind/body connection. I don’t believe in quick fixes but do believe in getting to the core of what motivates you to overeat and then solving/healing those issues.

Fitness Transform…

Mikki Reilly is a personal fitness trainer who has helped countless clients transform their health and fitness. As owner of Fitness Transform, she is currently writing articles, speaking and training clients in Santa Barbara, California.

Also See:

Exercise and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Yoga For Fibromyalgia

Could you or someone you love be at risk for a fatal medication error? It’s more common than you may think. [cross-posted at BlogHer Health and Wellness]

A new study shows that (in home) accidental overdoses are on the rise. Most recently, the death of actor Heath Ledger, has been in the news. But, this isn’t a problem confined to Hollywood…

Almost 50 million death certificates were filed in the United States between Jan. 1, 1983, and Dec. 31, 2004, 224,355 of them involving fatal medication errors (FMEs). After examining all of these documents, the authors discovered that the overall death rate from fatal medical errors increased by 360.5 percent during that time period.

Overall, the increase in FMEs was particularly pronounced among people aged 40 to 59, where the increase was 890.8 percent.

Even if you don’t read any other part of this post, please read this…

In researching for this post, I came across a Drug Interaction Tool (at Annie’s Annals) that could save your life. All you need to do, is list the medications you are taking, and this tool will list any possible interaction.

Even if all of your prescription medications have no interactions, bookmark and save this link for anytime you are considering taking an over-the-counter medication (or something previously prescribed). This tool will reveal any possible interactions between your medications, from mild to severe. It will also give you a detailed explanation as to what type of interactions could be caused, and why.

*Don’t stop taking medications that have been prescribed to you without first discussing it with your doctor…The benefit of the medication could far outweigh the risk of interaction, and only your doctor can tell you this for sure.

This is from Amanda Gardner for HealthDay…

According to background information in the paper, published in the July 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, there has recently been a dramatic shift in fatal overdoses away from inpatient settings to outpatient settings. More and more medications are taken outside of the hospital or clinic, with far less oversight from health-care professionals, the researchers said.

At the same time, more medications that once were available only by prescription are now bought over-the-counter, and more people are taking more than one medication.

All of this makes it easier for individuals to combine medications with alcohol and/or street drugs. But despite this shift, few if any studies have looked at drug errors outside clinical settings.

From Sarah Carl at GlamFit…

Awareness of this unfortunate trend can help educate the public about how to properly medicate. Many people think that overdoses occur when a desperate individual swallows a handful of pills with the intention of doing harm to themselves. but this is no longer the sole case. Mixing prescribed doses of just two medications can yield disastrous results.

But hopefully, this report and articles about it will bring to light the seriousness with which people should take their meds — even the ones they consider safe for “every day” conditions. And hopefully greater awareness will bring home the fact that there’s a reason doctors advise you to take your medication as prescribed.

Accidental overdoses soar over 360%

The researchers conclude that medication education must also include home use of prescription drugs.

“Dark Knight” star Heath Ledger died from a combination of sleeping pills, painkillers and anti-anxiety drugs on January 22, 2008. A toxicology report found acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone and hydrocodone (painkillers), diazepam (Valium, anti-anxiety), temazepam (sleeping pill), alprazolam (Xanax, anti-anxiety), and doxylamine (antihistamine).

Ledger was said to be suffering from insomnia since his Joker role in “Dark Knight” as well as general anxiety.

From MotherWarriors…

One simple thing parents can do is to clean out their medicine cabinets and get rid of pain killers prescribed for an operation or particular condition that are no longer used. Those that are being used should be locked up. We lock up toxic substances when our kids are little and it’s still important to keep dangerous substances away from kids even when they’re old enough to know better. It doesn’t really cost anything. It’s just an exercise in patience, which is what being a parent is about a lot of the time.

Many children are also abusing over-the-counter cough medication…

Over the years, teens discovered that they still could get high by taking large doses of any OTC medicine containing dextromethorphan (also called DXM). Dextromethorphan-containing products — tablets, capsules, gel caps, lozenges, and syrups — are labeled DM, cough suppressant, or Tuss (or contain “tuss” in the title).

Medicines containing dextromethorphan are easy to find, affordable for cash-strapped teens, and perfectly legal. Getting access to the dangerous drug is often as easy as walking into the local drugstore with a few dollars or raiding the family medicine cabinet. And because it’s found in over-the-counter medicines, many teens naively assume that DXM can’t be dangerous.

You can learn more about how to stop teen cough medicine abuse at Five Moms and also at Kids Health.

We are five moms—a pediatric nurse practitioner, an accountant, a D.A.R.E. officer, an educator, and an author—from different backgrounds and from all over the country. We’ve come together with a common concern: teenagers abusing cough medicine to get high. We worry not only about our own kids, but about those of our friends and neighbors, too.

So when the Consumer Healthcare Products Association asked us to spread the word to parents, we stepped forward. The idea is a simple one. We will each tell five more moms about this nationwide problem, and they will tell another five, and another five beyond that. Soon, we hope to reach every parent in America with this message: that we must work together to educate our teens about the dangers of cough medicine abuse.

So…Are you or someone in your family at risk for having a fatal medication error? Awareness is the first step in prevention.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election

Healthy Living: Can Yoga Help Reduce Symptoms of Chronic Illness? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

Back in March, I told you about yet another invisible illness that I’ve had the pleasure of being diagnosed with. Fibromalgia. It was also at that appointment where I learned of the 20+ pounds I had put on in less than a year. And it wasn’t like I was at my ideal weight before that time either. For the first time in my life, I actually weighed more than I did when I was pregnant. It was then that I decided I must begin to take eating healthy more seriously. Aside from not being able to fit into my skinny jeans, the extra weight was exacerbating all of my invisible medical problems.

Since then I’ve lost about fifteen pounds, and I’m starting to think there might be a chance that I’ll be able to finally get back down to my ideal weight. The main problem I’m facing now, is my inability to exercise. It’s not that I have an aversion to exercising, it’s because I also have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (here are some videos that might help you understand), and one of the most devastating symptoms is something called post-exertional malaise. Basically, even though I need to exercise to be healthy and lose weight, just a little bit of exercise can make my fatigue and pain much worse.

I know that yoga would be the best type of exercise for me to try, and I’ve always wanted to try it. But, up until now, I thought yoga was the type of thing that would be too difficult to learn how to do on my own. And then I came across a book on yoga, that was written specifically for people with Fibromyalgia. I was a little skeptical at first, but I was also ready to give something new a try. So, I emailed the publisher, and asked them to send me a review copy of Yoga for Fibromyalgia: Move, Breathe, and Relax to Improve Your Quality of Life by Shoosh Lettick Crotzer.

When I received the book, I was happy to see that it was an easy read, and included many pictures of the yoga positions it was recommending. It’s not a book that claims to be a cure for Fibromyagia, but rather a book that aims to improve the quality of life, of anyone suffering with this debilitating illness. There are positions for reducing pain and fatigue, improving sleep, and maintaining flexibility. If you are living with Fibromyagia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I think you would find this book very helpful. I’ve only just begun to learn these yoga positions, but I intend to make them part of my personal healthy living program, and I’m hopeful that this will be just the type of exercise that will help me.

Here are some other BlogHers that are blogging about yoga…

From BlissChick – 8 Triggers For Centering Yourself

I started this week writing about becoming imbalanced over the weekend (which happened for a variety of reasons). I have spent the whole week getting back to myself, doing all the things I know I have to do to be in my center, to feel good and to be productive.

And this got me to thinking about reminders. Remembering to be centered. Remembering what is important. Remembering what we value and where we want to put our energy.

From Somebody Heal Me – Meditation & Yoga Can Reduce Migraines

Researchers speculate that yoga, meditation and deep breathing help prevent migraines by raising serotonin levels.

From BlogHer contributing editor Mipmup

The popularity of yoga is undeniable. Research varies, but it is estimated that from 15 to 28 million people practice yoga in the United States alone. And with good cause. Yoga “asanas,” or postures, benefit the body physically, mentally and spiritually. Besides keeping fit, yoga is being used to treat HIV/AIDS, depression, heart disease, cancer and anxiety disorders. So who’s blogging about it?

the accidental yogist, as the name implies, finds herself unexpectedly exploring yoga after a knee injury.

Notesgirl has written up a complete step-by-step yoga practice for digestion and stress relief.

the ohmtastic blog is the blog of the founder of ohmtastic lifestyle apparel. She has a useful post on reducing injury during practice.

Everything Yoga, the blog of a registered yoga teacher, posts about the “prenatal yoga trend.”

Are you blogging about yoga? Are you using yoga to help reduce symptoms of chronic illness? I hope you’ll let me know what you think in comments.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at catherine-morgan.com, The Political Voices of Women, and The Care2 Election Blog

—

IF YOU WILL BE IN THE AREA, YOU MAY WANT TO ATTEND THIS BOOK EVENT…

Join us to celebrate the launch of Yoga for Fibromyalgia.

Sunday, June 29, 2008
1:00 – 4:00 P.M.

Coalesce Bookstore
845 Main Street
Morro Bay, CA 93442
(805) 772-2880
coalesce@charter.net

—

Fibromyalgia: An Invisible Disease? — by Catherine Morgan (cross-posted at BlogHer)

I try not to be a complainer, but last week I was seriously not feeling well. I actually resorted to sending a message to the other women in my community to ask for help (and I’ve never done that before).

I thought I would take tonight’s post to talk about what was wrong with me last week, because I know many women are suffering with the same problem.

The good news is, I finally found a doctor in Florida that believes in my diagnosis. I was only changing doctors because I needed someone closer, I had long since given up on finding a doctor that actually understood or had compassion for my condition. So, you can imaging my shock when I went in for my initial appointment, and the doctor told me that not only did he understand what was wrong with me, but he wrote the book, literally. Can you believe it? What are the chances of that happening? I have to admit, my first thought was…This guy can not be from Florida.

And I was right.

But who cares, he’s here now, and he’s my doctor.

Yippee!

Well, not so fast.

The bad news is, he found something else wrong with me. I know, just my luck. Other doctors had told me, that because I have a lot of joint pain, I “probably” had Fibromyagia in addition to CFS. But I had never been “officially” diagnosed. And I’m beginning to wish I never was.

I made the mistake of questioning the doctor on his Fibromyalgia diagnosis. I should have known better, but I really didn’t want to be diagnosed with another “imaginary” disease. Let’s face it, having one “invisible” disease is more than enough for anyone. I didn’t want to be diagnosed with another disease that people don’t even believe exists. After ten years, I’ve gotten to hate having to either pretend I am perfectly fine, or explain why I’m not but still look like I am.

But this doctor wasn’t going to let me off the hook. He was determined to prove to me that I had Fibromyalgia. So he began to touch what is known as the “tender” points, all eighteen of them. [Let me just add one thing here...The person who developed this lovely diagnostic technique, OBVIOUSLY didn't have Fibromyalgia. Let me put it to you this way - Is a jalapeño pepper "mild"? Is a migraine "uncomfortable"? Maybe if you've never had a jalapeño pepper or a migraine.] I had to admit, the “tender” points were hurting me. And if that doctor touched any of them, even one more time, I would have kicked him in his “tender” point.

So, all of this happened on Friday, March 7th – By the next morning, the pain was radiating from all of these so-called “tender” points and throughout my entire body. I felt horrible, everything hurt me. And I didn’t start feeling better until almost a week later. Don’t get me wrong, I really am happy that I found a doctor that doesn’t treat me like a nut case with a disease that isn’t real…I just could have lived without knowing that my random joint pain was really Fibromyalgia.

It would be so much better if these dammed “invisible” diseases, didn’t have “actual” symptoms.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
CatherineBlogs, The Political Voices of Women, Care2 Election Blog