Great, now I have Fibromyalgia

For the past few months, I have been getting these bad cramps in my sides. I'm usually leaning over or twisting around or something when they hit. And when they hit, it's like someone shoved a lightning bolt up my ass. They hurt! I thought it was a product from bowling. Then I took a while off from bowling, but the cramps kept coming.

I decided to ask Dr. Google what was wrong with me today. Dr. Google wasn't very responsive until I figured out how to word my question. Then I think I hit it on the head: Fibromyalgia. Huh? What the fuck is this curious disease?

So, I've done some research and this disorder pretty much hits the nail on the head with me. The symptoms:

• Chronic pain and cramps...check
  
• Moderate to severe fatigue...check
  
• Chronic sleep distrubances...double check
  
• Irritable bowel syndrome...pretty sure that's a check, although I had chalked this one up to eating more roughage over the past few months.
  
• Cognitive Disfunction (brain fog)...check (chalked this one up to lack of sleep)
  
• Anxiety and Depression symtpoms...check (I thought it was boredom and winter weather)
  

So I pretty much match all the symtpoms of Fibromyalgia. According to Wikipedia, the disorder is not directly life threatening. However, due to the depression symptom, I guess I could decide to have a bullet for dinner one night and end it all. That's a good ways off for right now though.

The treatments are the fun part though. I have some options:

1.) I could smoke weed.
2.) I could exercise.
3.) I could get accupuncture.
4.) I could take one or more of many other drugs listed on the page.

Since I'm not a big fan of options 3 and 4, I'm left with 2 other options. I'm a big fan of weed, but those of you that have read my old blogs know that I'm too big a fan and try to keep away from it. That leaves exercise. Bah!

So, after all this research I've done this afternoon (on the clock no less!), you're telling me that I'm fat and lazy and that's why I get the shits frequently, get depressed, and have muscle cramps? What a ripoff!

In all seriousness, I guess I should see the doctor to see if this is really what I have.

*Edit*

Well, here's some news. Evidently Fibromyalgia is the reason I hate my job too!

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

Fibromyalgia can affect every aspect of a person's life. While neither degenerative nor fatal, the chronic pain associated with fibromyalgia is pervasive and persistent. FMS can severely curtail social activity and recreation, and as many as 30% of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia are unable to maintain full-time employment.[citation needed] Like others with disabilities, individuals with FMS often need accommodations to fully participate in their education or remain active in their careers.

In the United States, those who are unable to maintain a full-time job due to the condition may apply for Social Security Disability benefits. Although fibromyalgia has been recognized as a genuine, severe medical condition by the government, applicants are often denied benefits, since there are no formal diagnostic criteria or medically provable symptoms. Because of this, if an applicant does have a medically verifiable condition that would justify disability benefits in addition to fibromyalgia, it is recommended that they not list fibromyalgia in their claim. However, most are awarded benefits at the judicial level; the entire process often takes two to four years.