Fibromyalgia - A Soldier's Story

For those who are military veterans, do you recall those days you pitched tents, dug trenches, dug fox holes, worked in the motor pool, did sergeants time training/did PT/did ruck marches outside even in the rain, physically played war-games (not on the computer I might add), etc.  

Well, do you remember after so many years, you moved to the other side of the ladder, where you might see a 2 or 3 star general on a daily basis because you worked for him OR, yes, with him?  

My point is, you noticed those folks who had not seen both worlds could not ever relate to what the other faced.  Believe it or not, those people (at least some of them) had no sympathy/empathy for their comrades on the other end of the ladder.  

I could go on and on about the negative things I heard each side  say about the other without having any real knowledge...better yet wisdom of what their worlds looked like.  

It's easy to tell someone to "suck it up and drive on" OR that their symptoms aren't real OR they are an hypochondriac OR they just want attention OR it is all in their heads.  I even had a doctor once to tell me I needed a boyfriend :-)  (at that time, I did agree with the doc, only to have my boyfriend massage my aching body!!!!!)  

I digressed!  Anyway, it is easy to not feel empathy/sympathy for someone especially if you haven't experienced one ounce of that persons PAIN.

To those who suffer not, Fibromyalgia is not in our heads!