Review: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Fibromyalgia

What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know about Fibromyalgia: Why Doctors Can’t or Won’t Treat Chronic Pain  The title is misleading.I almost didn’t read this book (leaving it on the shelf with so many others) because of the title and what I expected to find inside. What I expected to find was yet another “How to cure your Fibromyalgia” book, with some theory about what causes it and how to fix it. I figured she’d talk about how doctors don’t really believe in chronic pain because they can’t see it, and don’t really treat it because doctors like to fix things and if they can’t fix it they want it to go away. But, that wasn’t what I found. Well, except for a little bit about the doctors not really believing our pain is as bad as it is and not wanting to treat chronic pain both because they don’t like to treat things they can’t FIX, among other reasons.

But, those types of thoughts were interspersed in what this book was really about, Linda’s story. This book should be entitled “One Woman’s Journey With Fibromyalgia”. From the onset of her pains and being ignored by doctors to her current status (I hope she’s doing even better), this book is her journey. She shares what she learns along the way, with the help of Dr Rhoades, MD (her pain doctor).

Reading this book felt like sitting down to have a cup of coffee with a good friend who also has Fibromyalgia. From the issues of finding a diagnosis, to finding a doctor (after she moved), to dealing with her partner/spouse and questioning his decision to stand by her. Her story resonates. She shares her struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts and as I read it I could completely relate because I’ve been there too. There were so many times while reading that I’d smile because I’d be thinking “Hey, it’s not just me” or I’d nod and think “Yep, been there!” and even a few times where I thought “Girl, how could you think that (or do that)?”. We each travel through our lives differently and make our own decisions based on the information we are given. This book is the story of Linda’s journey and decisions based on the information she found and was given. She admits that she doesn’t know it all and that what works for her may not work for others (or that what worked for others didn’t work for her). She questions the variety of treatments and even the variety of how FM is diagnosed, and if you get nothing else out of this book you should walk away with the empowerment to question everything around you, and to be your own advocate.But, I’m betting you’ll also walk away with a sense of knowing that you aren’t alone.