herlimbs,actuallyendsupmaking
the 32-year-old more sensitive to
painthantheaverageperson.(At
the end of the day, her pain has
exhaustedhertothepointshe’ll
conk out in her car, unable to find
the energy to drag herself inside.)
Evenmoretroublingisthenewsthat chronic conditions can be
genetic, especially in women. Even
ifyoudon’tinheritanything,thanks
to female biology you could still
be vulnerable to long-term pain.
1pm
Beforeaworklunch,Ihavetoask,
howfaristhewalk?Willwebe
seatedrightaway?Internally,I’m
giving myself a pep talk – you can
do this, you can do this. If I’m
alreadyinalotofpain,I’llexcuse
myself to the ladies’ room to rub
my foot and take an ibuprofen.
3pm
Back at work, I cancel
or rearrange plans.
I’m not afraid to lie.
I’ll beg to relocate
ahappyhour,saying
I’m craving nachos;
really, I need the
spot’s on-site
parking.9pm
Rest, hope, repeat.
Ifthepainisreally
bad, it can prevent
me from sleeping,
which means it will
be even worse
tomorrow.
I desperately hope
to conk out soon.7pm
Sometimes when I’m out, it’s hard
tofocusonanythingotherthan
thesharpachesinmyfoot.IfI’m
about to go on a date and the
painisawful,I’llmakealast-
minute decision to put on
my surgical shoe. This way
it’llbeobviousthatIcan’t
bar-hop or walk around.Why? Because women appear
tobenaturallymoreproneto
inflammation,arootcauseof
many chronic ailments. Hormones
alsoplayarole.Testosteronehas
anti-inflammatory properties,
suggests Klimas, and women can
have 10 times less of the stuff than
men. Pile on behavioural factors
and you get a perfect storm. “Our
fast-paced, stressed lifestyles are
triggering more inflammation
than ever,” says Klimas.Andthenthere’sthis:unlikewith,
say,cancerorastomachulcer,
doctorscan’ttakeacellbiopsyor
run an X-ray to pinpoint the root
causeofallchronicaches.Thiscan
lead to trial-and-error medicine
–aspincycleofdiagnosesand
treatments that may leave the
afflictedinevenmoredistress.
If,thatis,doctorsevenbelieve
theirpatientsinthefirstplace.SUFFERING
IN SILENCE
“I’veseenmorethan50
doctors. Some have told me
mypainisallinmyhead.
Others have lectured me on
fibromyalgia being a made-up
diagnosis. Waking up with pain
isonething–seeingadoctor
whoyou’rehopingcanhelpyou
but instead essentially laughs
is something else entirely.”
Sara Drenner, 30, fibromyalgia£When it comes to sickness,
seeing is believing. We’re
conditionedtoshowempathy
towards recognisable problems
(likeabrokenleg),butwehave
ahardertimewithoutvisualor
diagnostic proof, says Dr Leonard
Jason,apsychologyprofessor.
“Ifyou’renotinawheelchairor
walkingaroundwithacane,people
–evendoctors–hear‘I’malways
tired and in pain’ and think, ‘Yeah,
who isn’t these days?’.”
The result: when those with
chronicpaintalkabouttheir
symptoms–oftenexcessive
fatigueorunexplainedaches- it can sound a whole lot like
What’s up, Doc?
Alongwithariseinchronicpaincasesisanincrease
inmedicalmisdiagnoses.Followthesestepstohelp
you and your GP uncover what’s really wrong.Keepapaindiary
No detail is too small. If a headache woke you up at
1am and then again at 4am – and lasted 12 minutes
each time – write it down. “It hurts” won’t help much.Find the right expert
Your doctor may be smart, but he’s likely not skilled
in the specifics of your condition, says Dr David
Kloth.Getareferraltoapainspecialist(you’llgo
toaparticulardiseaseproafter a diagnosis).Book a double
Identifying a chronic condition takes longer than
the average eight-minute GP visit, says Dr Nancy
Klimas. Ask the receptionist for back-to-back slots.See someone else
If your GP doesn’t seem confident in a diagnosis or
youfeelyou’rebeingrushed,asecond(orthird,
or fourth) opinion becomes imperative.Be patient
Becausepeoplewantafastanswertheyoftencare
more about treatments than finding the right team
(youmightneedmultipledocsand/ortherapists).
But the latter is crucial to achieve long-term relief.95special report