One of the most difficult things I have ever had to deal with is to live with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal syndrome with symptoms of chronic muscle pain, painful tender points, enormous amounts of fatigue, sleep problems and “brain fog.” After months of medical tests, I was diagnosed with fybro the summer right before my first semester of school. At the time the diagnoses did not make sense to me. I was fit and in the best health I had ever been in a long time but was hit with bouts of enormous pain and fatigue. It seemed that no matter how much I laid of the weights, my routine at the gym and/or slept the pain and exhaustion continued to increase. I also began to experience stomach problems and difficulty in concentration.…show more content… I found myself having to study and take many naps as well as pace my energy levels. Because people with fybromyalgia look so normal it is hard for society to be sympathetic. I learned that I had to educate people on my condition and that accept that even then they might not believe what I was going through. I experienced many embarrassing moments where I seemed to be fine and would then be hit with off the chart pain levels causing me to tear or excuse myself. As I approached tests these pain visits would frequent me more often. I recall going to office hours and my teachers looking at me puzzled. Finally one of my teachers encouraged me to join DSPS. Joining DSPS was probably one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I walked in looking perfectly normal asking for services. I recall feeling that I was taking services away from people with visible disabilities and felt I had no right to be there and yet I needed the help. At times I needed a ride from one end of the campus to another because the backpack was too heavy and the muscle pain in my body would wear me out. I also needed the extra time for testing since the brain fog would be so severe I found that I had to fight to focus which would exhaust
