Fibromyalgia affects millions of people in the United States, but as a condition with wide-ranging symptoms and no tests available yet for diagnosis, it remains one of the most difficult to identify and treat. When Claudia Craig Marek was definitively diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1991, she found very little information, advice, or support for coping with her condition. Marek decided to take charge of her health and educate herself on every aspect of fibromyalgia -- by reading medical and scientific books and journals, talking with doctors, and networking with other people who have the condition. Now, as a "patient-expert," she shares her unrivaled experience and knowledge, walking those newly diagnosed step-by-step through their first year with fibromyalgia. By providing reliable, useful, empathetic, and up-to-date information you need to know when you most need to know it, The First Year -- Fibromyalgia is an indispensable resource for everyone learning to cope with this condition. Book jacket.

Claudia Craig Marek, M.A., is a medical assistant who has counseled fibromyalgia patients for more than a dozen years. She lives in Los Angeles

FOREWORD BY R. PAUL BT. AMANDA M.D

xiii

INTRODUCTION

xvii

DAY 1

Living: Getting the Right Doctor to Diagnose You

1

(5)

Learning: Relaying Your symptoms to Your Doctor

6

(4)

DAY 2

Living: What Fibromyalgia Is-And Isn't

10

(3)

Learning: Coming to Terms with a Complex Illness

13

(7)

DAY 3

Living: Musculoskeletal Symptoms: Mapping Your Pain

20

(6)

Learning: Taking a Closer Look at Your Pain

26

(7)

DAY 4

Living: Some of it Is in Your Head: The Central Nervous system

33

(11)

Learning: Coping Strategies for CNS Symptoms

44

(13)

DAY 5

Living: Understanding IBS and How It Affects Your Life

57

(10)

Learning: Strategies for Living with IBS

67

(6)

DAY 6

Living: The Pain and Shame of Genitourinary Syndrome

73

(8)

Learning: Coping Strategies for Your Genitourinary symptoms

81

(8)

DAY 7

Living: Dealing with All the Unanswered Questions and Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

89

(13)

Learning: Frequently Asked Questions about Fibromyalgia

102

(5)

FIRST-WEEK MILESTONE

107

(2)

WEEK 2

Living: Keeping Your Relationships Alive Even When You Don't Feel Well

109

(9)

Learning: Introducing Fibromyalgia to Your World

118

(4)

WEEK 3

Living: The Impact of stress

122

(4)

Learning: Managing and Reducing Your Stress

126

(12)

WEEK 4

Living: Exercise Can Heal You

138

(9)

Learning: Planning Your Exercise Regimen

147

(10)

FIRST-MONTH MILESTONE

157

(2)

MONTH 2

Living: Working with Your Doctor

159

(6)

Learning: Follow-up Appointments with Your Doctor

165

(4)

MONTH 3

Living: Hypoglycemia and Fibromyalgia Can Go Hand-in-Hand

169

(7)

Learning: What You Need to Know about the Hypoglycemic Diet

176

(9)

MONTH 4

Living: Medications and Fibromyalgia: A Double-Edged Sword

185

(13)

Learning: The Guaifenesin Protocol: A Possible Treatment Option

198

(4)

MONTH 5

Living: Alternative Therapies

202

(11)

Learning: Physical Therapies That Might Help You

213

(7)

MONTH 6

Living: Putting Your Health House in Order

220

(13)

Learning: Taking Charge of Your Overall Health

233

(6)

HALF-YEAR MILESTONE

239

(2)

MONTH 7

Living: Fibromyalgia and the Workplace

241

(15)

Learning: Housework Is Real Work, Too

256

(4)

MONTH 8

Living: Juggling Fibromyalgia and Your Personal Life

260

(8)

Learning: Tips for Guys

268

(5)

MONTH 9

Living: Take a Vacation

273

(6)

Learning: Practical Travel Advice

279

(14)

MONTH 10

Living: Finding a Support Group 28)

Learning: Starting a Group That Works for You

293

(7)

MONTH 11

Living: Discovering Fibromyalgia in Other Family Members

300

(8)

Learning: Should You Worry about Your Children?

308

(9)

MONTH 12

Living: Staying Up to Date with New Resources

317

(5)

Learning: Searching the Internet for Resources, by Malcolm Potter

322

(7)

APPENDIX 1: MEDICATIONS

329

(11)

APPENDIX 2: SUPPLEMENTS

340

(5)

NOTES

345

(2)

GLOSSARY

347

(10)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

357

(6)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

363

(2)

INDEX

365

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