Fibromyalgia

I don't get it. I simply just don't understand.

What I DO understand is that it CAN be a very painful and debilitating disease, and I'm not denying it's exsistance or "making fun" or anything. I understand this can be a controversial topic...But I'm a controversial girl.

I guess what I don't understand is the people who claim to be diagnosed with it but show no signs of it.

What sparked this is I was watching Hoarders: Burried Alive last night. A woman, who seemed the be in her early 40's claimed to have Fibro. Yet, one of the things that contributed to her hoarding was roaming around and shopping for hours on end at thrift stores, flea markets, etc... She claimed that whenever she would have a "flare-up" going out shopping made her feel better. Yet she could not work due to her Fibro and was on disability.

This is strikingly similar to a personal experience of mine. For almost 2 years, I supported my ex-fiance and his mother. I supported him because he got fired from Walmart and was too lazy and unmotivated to find another job. And I supported his mother because she was "diagnosed" with Fibro and just couldn't muster up the energry to sit at a desk for 8 hours...Which she did anyway at home. On the computer. But she too had NO troubles walking around a store for hours and hours. And yet everyone was expected to feel sorry for her.

Just a little tidbit of information...The Dr. that "diagnosed" her with it, just recently lost his medical licesnse for "diagnosing" patients with diseases they did not have, just so they could get pain meds and get disability payments.

This just boggles my mind. How does one justify these actions? I can truly understand the individuals who have a disease such as this, and are actually IN PAIN and continue to do what they need to do to help themselves. But I have zero tolerance for people who just expect things to be handed to them. Go cry to Obama if you want a handout, not a hand.

My dad was 68 years old. Had terminal cancer. He had 2/3rds of his tongue cut out, could not swallow his own saliva. He had to suction it out or spit into paper towels. He had a feeding tube which we had to feed him things like Ensure. He could not speak except through his treach. He went to work every.single.day up until 3 months before he passed away. He never even collected disability until then. He knew he had to provide for his family. And he knew if he just surrendered to the disease, that was it. He might as well have just shot himself.

Again, this isn't meant to be offensive to anyone. I happen to know people who have this disease and actually are affected by it so much that they honest to God can't work. It's just the people who use it as an excuse to get money from the goverment and to get out of working.

So if you DO have Fibromyalgia and you DO suffer everyday and you're reading this, don't give into the disease!! Fight to take your life back! Don't let it take over you!