self-help: When the pain won't go away

By ASHLEY ADAMS Evening Sun Reporter Diane Fetters said she has found a ray of sunshine in her dark, dreary world. Janice Smith now has more good days than bad. Wendi White knows there is no cure, but at least she's found a way to manage her symptoms. All three women have struggled with pain over the years, only to be bounced from doctor to doctor without a diagnosis. They suffered a range of symptoms from habitual flu-like symptoms to chronic fatigue. All were diagnosed with a disease called fibromyalgia and found a way to manage the symptoms. Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain illness that affects an estimated 10 million Americans, with the illness being most prevalent in women. Although characterized by chronic, widespread body pain, fibromyalgia has a variety of other symptoms that include fatigue; problems with cognitive functioning, memory and concentration; irritable bowel; headaches and migraines; and neurological symptoms such as dizziness, vision problems, numbness, noise sensitivity or impaired coordination. The cause of fibromyalgia remains a mystery and there is no known cure. Treatment mainly focuses on relieving symptoms and improving functions. Fetters, a Gardners resident, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 20 years ago. She has been on medication for her pain ever since she was diagnosed. She experienced extreme tiredness and restrictive movement, even having to walk with a cane at times. Her symptoms, Fetters said, come and go. "It is horrific," she said. "There are times you think it is going away. Then all of a sudden it comes back and you think 'What did I do?'" Fetters saw an ad in the newspaper for a FibroFit class hosted by White. FibroFit is a 12-week, self-help wellness course that teaches participants how to manage the symptoms of fibromyalgia. "It has helped me physically and emotionally and spiritually," Fetters said. "I think that the reality of (fibromyalgia) is it can be managed but it's not going to disappear." Smith was diagnosed with fibromyalgia three years ago. She has since been diagnosed with Lyme disease instead of fibromyalgia. But she goes to White for massages to help relieve her pain. "It helps a lot with the pain and keeping it under control," Smith said. In addition to the FibroFit class, White developed the massage technique specifically for fibromyalgia patients. The technique focuses on stretching the tissue around tender points, which can trigger pain in fibromyalgia sufferers. Regular massages, White said, can often be painful for fibromyalgia patients because pressure on different muscles and points of the body trigger pain. White knows this because she also suffers from fibromyalgia. And after years of pain and taking medicine, White found a way to manage her symptoms through natural remedies. But she knows she isn't alone when it comes to fibromyalgia. So to help others, White just completed her third book, educating other sufferers on how to manage the symptoms without taking medication. The books discuss all the techniques she uses to help her symptoms. "You can't cure it but you can manage it," she said. White founded the Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute and holds support groups once a month. "I just want people to know there is help out there," White said. "You go to the doctor and get all these medications but they don't really help you get well." And although she feels better and has made a living out of making others feel better, the best part of her job, White said, is hearing her patients' success stories. "Some couldn't walk or do their gardening," White said. "They leave me messages or tell me that my techniques have given them peace of mind. I'm glad I could help them feel better." Contact Ashley Adams at aadams@eveningsun.com. IF YOU GO Fibromyalgia Awareness Day is Friday. To mark the day, the Fibromyalgia Wellness Institute will host a wellness conference from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church, 200 Frederick St., Hanover. The conference is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required by calling Wendi White at (717) 495-4478.