On pain's trail [fibromyalgia]

Los Angeles Times ^ | August 22, 2005 | Shari Roan

[Dick Vomer]

Doctors are in the stone age when it comes to nerve pain. You think they would be humble enough to admit it?

OK... I think you're right... Doctors, especially "medical American" doctors, are in the stone age when it comes to "nerve pain".(as opposed to 'gas pain', 'bone pain', 'organ pain', 'muscle pain'....etc). Could you please inform me on how the body senses or is able to transmit "pain" other than with a "nerve".

All the stone age doctors would like to know...

I've seen and (now on this thread) have met several people with Fibromyalgia and "nerve pain". Who are the folks that aren't in the "stone age" that I should refer these kind folks to?

[Dick Vomer]

You know, it's people like you that make life harder for the handicapped or disabled. You are the type of person who would demand that I have a seizure just to prove that I'm an epileptic or have my brother go into a diabetic coma to prove he's a type 1 diabetic.

... now let me get this straight. I should prescribe medications for life, keep you from having a drivers or pilot's license, prevent you from entering the Armed Forces and label you with epilepsy just on the fact that you "think" you're an epileptic as opposed to doing an EEG and "seeing" the seizures

..... and I should restrict your diet, make you stick yourself with a needle thousands of times in your life, possibly implant a medical device in your body that secretes insulin and could kill you if your blood sugar gets to low, increase your insurance rates for health and life because you "say" you're a type 1 diabetic.... as opposed to doing a 3 hour Glucose tolerance test and use other objective tests to determine if you've really got a disease....................... OK, I'm game. let's do that... sounds kinda kewl.

Now you won't mind that I could be wrong and since there is no way to "test" and see if I'm wrong, you won't mind being on meds all your life...or limiting your activity and diet.... neat.

Please read what you've written and THINK about it. The disease you are diagnose with IS a catch all diagnosis. I'm not saying that you don't have pain... I'm saying that doctors may be looking at the wrong things and coming to the wrong conclusion about what is causing your pain.... that's all I'm saying.

As far as making handicapped people's lives miserable..... yeah, ok, whatever... I eat cows, shoot guns, beat baby seals, drive a truck, listen to country and hard rock music and all kinds of other evil stuff.