FM Does Not Stand for “Fuck Me”
[Not this time, anyway.]
FM. Fibromyalgia. If you want neglectful or outright hostile treatment from some health-care providers, this is the syndrome/chronic condition for you.
I thought my health care was pretty good—I liked my doctor, I could get appointments fast, he was bright and efficient and took notes and took your blood pressure and temp and pulse himself; I liked the doctors he referred me to, though that rarely happened because I didn’t need much. Then, I did.
I asked for a referral to a sleep specialist and got a pulmonologist. Who knew dick about sleep. She looked at my overnight sleep study and gave me the kind of advice I could get from a cashier at PetSmart. The rheumatologist I’ve been referred to has been even worse—gave me a diagnosis, told me to go do research, gave me a prescription for Lyrica, and set my next appointment for 6 months down the road. Not once did she mention any side effects of Lyrica. I got an earlier-than-6-months-from-now appointment because of the extreme daily pain I’ve been in and what did she do? Tell me to gradually increase the dose and come back in 3 months. The pain I was in? No mention, description, plea got anything but a blank stare or a Yes, that’s what fibromyalgia is. I told her how I couldn’t work at a reasonable level because of the fibro fog and the pain from sitting and the stiffness in my wrists and everywhere else. I got a nod and a cheerful, That’s fibromyalgia all right. When I got to the maximum dosage and started having side effects that alarmed my family and called the office, I got, through a nurse, a strong doubt that Lyrica could possibly cause such a thing [the warning is all over the prescription record, drug maker website and all online sources] but it’s possible and rare so reduce the dosage by 75 mg and keep your appointment for June. The end.
Yeah, it’s the end all right. I’ve stepped down from Cymbalta, which is one of the scariest things I’ve done, and I can do it with Lyrica. And guess what? When she starts on about Savella—all she knows about fibromyalgia is Lyrica and Savella–I’ll say little, take the scrip, shred it and never go back. 6 months of Lyrica. No pain relief. No sleep help. Just $40 a month, blurry vision, and dizzy spells. For what? Because a rheumatologist doesn’t want to be bothered with something as individual and “needy” as fibromyalgia. I guess I’m supposed to be grateful I wasn’t told I was crazy and lazy and drug-seeking. Though all that could be in my medical record.
Fuck me? Fuck you.
