Karen Cerio Waverly, NY I am a 49-year-old woman who was diagnosed a year ago with Fibromyalgia. This is a devastating, painful, misunderstood disease. I have worked very hard all my adult life, working both full time and part time all at once. This condition totally changes every aspect of your life. There are over 10 million people afflicted with this condition in America. There are over 50 complications that accompany Fibromyalgia, of which I personally have 27. I start off my days not being able to get out of bed because I'm so stiff that I can't even move to get my medicine . I take pain pills, muscle relaxers, antidepressants. (This is what this disability reduces you to). A beta-blocker as I have developed heart problems . A year ago, the only medicine I took was Tylenol. I cannot work because I have absolutely no energy, strength, or time in which I am pain-free. How am I supposed to live and pay my bills and eat? I have applied for SSD and, of course, have been turned down like most of the people that have Fibromyalgia. YOUR STORIES Karin M. Amour, Fibromyalgia Lyssa Bode, Chronic Fatigue Immune Disfunction Syndrome Frankie Campling, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Laura Cerasuolo, Fibromyalgia/Myofacialsyndrome Karen Cerio, Fibromyalgia Rhonda Dewinter, Various Immune Diseases Jennifer Embree, Fibromyalgia/Raynaud's Syndrome Lynne Enman, Turner Syndrome/Various Fibromyalgia Patient, Covington, KY John Kennedy, Chronic Fatigue Immune Disfunction Syndrome Susan Larick, Fibromyalgia Melissa Lawler, Fibromyalgia Irene Leeder, Fibromyalgia/Various Cait Lommel, Pseudotumor Cerebri Jennifer Munn, Chronic Lyme Disease Robin Poole, Fibromyalgia/Lupus Pam Schmidt, Phenylketonuria Lynn Tonoli, Various Various Patient, Haughton, LA Suzanne Witt, Muscular Dystrophy/Fibromyalgia ARCHIVED STORIES WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Jose Pedro Greer, Physician W.F. Nagle, Physician Ronda Riebman, Exercise Cathleen Schilling, Case Manager Jim Sykes Home | Awareness | Patient Files | The Challenge | Your Stories | Outreach | Resources About the Program | About Fred Friendly Seminars | Our Partners | Site Map | Credits © 2001 Fred Friendly Seminars, Inc.