As a registered nurse of about eighteen years and a fibromyalgia patient of about six years, I know pain.  I know him firsthand as a monster that plagues myself and millions of others everday of our lives.  Do I need sympathy?  No.  Not sympathy.  However, I do want to be believed.  The doubts of fibromyalgia attacks our very integrity and dignity.  No one wants to live in pain and have their own family and friends added to the public opinion poll which says "Fibromyalgia is a waste basket disease which people make up".

The evidence is no further than the google button if you choose to type in "fibromyalgia research 2009".  I say the year 2009 because strides and strides were made with university medical studies on the disease most of us call "The Beast".  Brain imaging techniques have actually "seen" the pain signals being sent to the brain without any outside stimuli.  My meaning is that the pain is there though no one has beaten me when I feel as if my entire body should have bruises. 

The evidence has not only come in the form of the visual images of pain on brain scans.  Evidence mounts also in the area of neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitters are those chemicals each of us have in varying levels.  The most common one is serotonin.  I must mention norepinephrine and also dopamine.  Just in the last year studies have shown that fibromyalgia patients have lowered levels of dopamine.  This particular chemical is also off balance with diseases such as Parkinson's.  We have altered levels of serotonin, norepinephrine and several other chemicls.  Go ahead.  Google away if you believe I am not telling the truths.

Levels of a chemical labeled "substance P" is also in very large abundance in the central nervous system.  Yes, we all have substance P.  It is responsible for the transmission of pain signals in the brain.  Fibromyalgia patients have an over abundance of substance P.  This is partly responsible for our pain. 

Studies have also shown in the last year that grey matter in the brain dissipates at higher rates in those of us plagued by the disease called fibromyalgia.  This little tid bit of information explains much about why we have impaired congnitive processes.  Perhaps it is why sometimes we can swear we have alzheimers.  Memory and concentration as well as balance and coordination are added to the problems of pain with fibromyalgia.  And not only our brains age more rapidly, but our entire bodies tend to do the same. 

I am writing here just a very few facts about the disease we call "fibromyalgia".  I am quite sure some would like for me to shut up.  My answer is "NO".  I won't.  I am an advocate and also an activist in my own soul about the education of fibro and the removal of the stigma attached thereof.