Growing
up wasn't the same for me as most children from the 90’s. I had a big imagination,
love for playing outside, and playing with my pets. Having separated parents
since the age of 3 I was moved from house to house on a weekly basis. Three
days at dads, then three days at mom, and on night at my nanas. But being at my
mom’s house was never the same. I’d ask my mom if we could go somewhere, most
the times I got “not today” “sorry sweety, my back hurts” “give me an hour see
how I feel” those hours never did end. For those who don’t know what fibromyalgia
is widespread muscle pain and tenderness from hyperactive nerves.
Living
with some who has fibromyalgia is hard, almost as hard as it is for the one who
has it as it is for the other who lives with the person. One time my best
friend Colin Bechtel his Mom, Lauri, my mom and I were at kids history museum
in Bangor. We were there for maybe two hours, now two hours. Everyone knows
when you’re a kid two hours never feels like that much when you’re having fun. We
had to leave early because my mom’s nerves were flaring up and it was causing
her to be in tears, it hurt her so bad. No matter if she sat down stood up it wouldn’t
help.
It
never failed either. 99 percent of the time for 13 years mom and I would always
either have to leave somewhere earlier, say no to family things, she had to
call out of work numerous times because she couldn’t even stand up. Even though
I could have still gone to do thing with family and such, I thought it would be
upsetting to my mom if I left her behind, so instead I would stay behind and help
her. Sometimes it was so bad, I had to cook dinner. I learned how to cook and
provide for myself and care for another since a very young age.
Most
recently she had a surgery done, it was an $80,000 procedure three doctors, and
two specialist were flown in from Boston mass. It’s been 10 months and most of
her pain is gone every once in a while she has sore days we call them but it’s
not every day. I just wish they had done this for her, 14 years ago when she
first was diagnosed. And it makes me wonder if they had done this sooner, would
my childhood had been different?
