Welcome to FibroLife-Thru A Lens:

  A work in progress:   Updates added regularly:   Keep visiting me:

This site is about life with Fibromyalgia predominantly, but will also include information on many other
"invisible" illnesses and more from guest bloggers and research. Including, but not limited to, ME/CFS, Lupus, TMJ, EDS and Arthritis. Part guide and part blog I am hoping to offer helpful information about Living with Fibro & other similar illnesses. It will also be about my fibro life. My journey, experiences, treatments etc.
As a lighter side to this will be the photography. Its my passion, my art. The one thing that helps me fight the Fibrofog. Moments of happiness captured in an image I can look back at and trigger a memory. Whether that be a picture of an animal at a safari park, a bird in my garden, or a photoshop image created just for the fun of it.

I want you to join me: This site is about ALL OF US...
I will be inviting you, my fibromites and spoonie friends, to send me things you want to see on here as well. Your experiences and stories, your days out, your recommendations and yes, your pictures too.

To those of you who may have stumbled across this site and wonder who we are, here is a brief explanation about Fibromyalgia. For more details on the "Spoonie" reference I highly recommend you click on the Links and visit BYDLS.com

So, what is Fibro ?

In short Fibro is an 'Invisible Illness'. Read on for more information and please check out all links on this site for further details, in depth research, suggested treatments and most importantly, Fibromites Blogs - No one can tell us more about this illness than those of us with it !!

  FMS (fibromyalgia [fi-bro-my-Al-juh] syndrome) is a widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still unknown. Fibromyalgia means pain in the fibrous tissues in the body.

  The pain comes from the connective tissues, such as the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. FMS does not involve the joints, as does rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

  Most patients with fibromyalgia say that they ache all over. Their muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes the muscles twitch and at other times they burn. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, but it shows up in people of all ages....

....Musculoskeletal pain and fatigue experienced by fibromyalgia syndrome patients is a chronic problem, which tends to have a waxing and waning intensity. There is currently no generally accepted cure for this condition According to recent research; most patients can expect to have this problem lifelong....

JUST SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS AND ASSOCIATED SYNDROMES

Pain - The pain of fibromyalgia has no boundaries. Quite often, the pain and stiffness are worse in the morning and you may hurt more in muscle groups that are used repetitively. People with FMS suffer chronic widespread pain, which can be described as burning,
throbbing, shooting, or stabbing, Painful areas often include the upper back, shoulders, neck, the low back, and other areas around the joints. Many people will say, "I hurt all over."

Fatigue - This symptom can be mild in some patients and yet incapacitating in others. The fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel totally drained of energy. Many patients depict this situation by saying that they feel as though their arms and legs are tied to concrete blocks, and they have difficulty concentrating. Most people with FMS complain of fatigue. It can be profound, interfering with all daily activities.

Sleep disorder - Most fibromyalgia patients have an associated sleep disorder called the alpha-EEG anomaly. This condition was uncovered in a sleep lab with the aid of a machine which recorded the brain waves of patients during sleep. Researchers found that fibromyalgia syndrome patients could fall asleep without much trouble, but their deep level (or stage 4) sleep was constantly interrupted by bursts of awake-like brain activity.). The sleep pattern for clinically depressed patients is distinctly different from that found in FMS or CFS.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Constipation, diarrhoea, frequent abdominal pain, abdominal gas and nausea represents symptoms frequently found in roughly 40% to 70% of fibromyalgia patients.

Chronic headaches - Recurrent migraine or tension-type headaches are seen in about 50% of fibromyalgia patients and can pose as a major problem in coping for this patient group.

Temporo-mandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome - This syndrome, sometimes referred to
as TMJD, causes tremendous face and head pain in one quarter of FMS patients. However, a
1997 report indicates that as many as 90% of fibromyalgia patients may have jaw and facial tenderness that could produce, at least intermittently, symptoms of TMJD. Most of the problems associated with this condition are thought to be related to the muscles and ligaments surrounding the joint and not necessarily the joint itself.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome - Sensitivities to odours, noise, bright lights, medications and various foods is common in roughly 50% of FMS or CFS patients.

Other common symptoms - Painful menstrual periods (dysmenorrhea), chest pain, morning stiffness, cognitive or memory impairment, numbness and tingling sensations, muscle twitching, irritable bladder, the feeling of swollen extremities, skin sensitivities, dry eyes and mouth, frequent changes in eye prescription, dizziness, and impaired coordination can occur.

POSSIBLE CAUSES

The cause of fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome remains elusive, but there are many triggering events thought to precipitate its onset. A few examples would be an infection (viral or bacterial), an automobile accident or the development of another disorder, such as Rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or hypothyroidism. These triggering events probably don't cause FMS, but rather, they may awaken an underlying physiological abnormality that's already present in the form of genetic predisposition.

(paragraphs taken from ukfibromyalgia.com)
For more detailed information please click and visit the UK Fibromyalgia website.