Finding the cure
You can llearn more about fibriomyalgia and Lyrica here.
Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome has long been one of the most complex medical situations that has baffled many doctors. Recent years has shown little improvement in the cure of the disease although the only way doctors dealt with the sickness was through trial and error.
In June this year however, a new medicine called Lyrica was approved by the FDA and is said to be the first drug especially made to treat fibromyalgia. Dr. Lucinda Bateman, who has been working with the condition for more than a decade now, says that nationwide there are three to six million people suffering from it. One of them is Maureen Higham, who has been suffering for almost a decade already.
“You go through a period where you start to doubt yourself and you think ‘maybe I am crazy’ Do crazy people think they are crazy?” says Maureen.
For nine years this has been her life; doctor after doctor, test after test, frustration after frustration.
“There was one doctor as we were trying so hard to find answers, he said to me well at least it is not life threatening, and I looked at him and I thought I’d rather it be life threatening. This is life stealing,” says Higham.
Unfortunately, Maureen is not one of those who are greatly benefiting from the new medicine. But other people like Richard Sloan report positive effects.
“After about 3 or 4 months I was like, ‘wow this stuff really works’,” says Sloan.
Today, thanks to Lyrica, he’s running and training for a career in law enforcement.
“I’m able to spend better quality time with my children I don’t think enough can be said for the amount of energy that I feel. I have now,” says Sloan
Photo credits: Lisa Fanucchi