While each person with fibromyalgia experiences the condition differently, one thing most fibro warriors have in common is fighting other peoples’ doubt that fibro is a “real” condition. Lady Gaga, who first opened up about having fibromyalgia last year while promoting her documentary “Gaga: Five Foot Two,” revealed exactly what she would say to those who are questioning her pain.
Gaga appeared at the MTV Movie and TV Awards to announce “Five Foot Two” had won Best Music Documentary and to present “Black Panther” with the Best Movie award, and spoke to Variety backstage after the taping on Saturday about the documentary, which chronicled her illness and raised awareness of the condition.
“I made a decision really early on that I wanted Chris [Moukarbel, the film’s director] to have full access to me and my life. I just blocked the cameras out so they could capture the realities of my life,” she said.
Of her fibromyalgia, she added:
“To anyone that doesn’t believe in fibromyalgia: I dare you to spend five minutes in my body on a day when I’m in pain, and then try and say it again.”
In January, Gaga’s “Joanne” world tour was cut short due to her severe pain.
“I’m so devastated I don’t know how to describe it. All I know is that if I don’t do this, I am not standing by the words or meaning of my music. My medical team is supporting the decision for me to recover at home,” she said at the time.
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I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 6 years ago. I do not have flare-ups. I’m in excruciating pain 24/7. The meds don’t help me. I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan and for her to share her story has been validation for me. It’s very difficult to suffer as we do and then have someone, a medical professional tell you need to seek psychological help bc there is nothing physically wrong with you. To tell you you don’t have fibromyalgia bc there is no such disease well, it’s wrong. Gaga has given us a voice and for that I’m ever so grateful. May God bless all of us who suffer!
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 13 yrs ago..I have a lot of pain..I just have come to the conclusion in my life that people are going to believe what they want to believe..I ignore negative comments about it Bc it doesn’t help me with what I’m going thru. I know how I feel and I don’t need any clarification from anyone. They either believe it or they don’t. I still have a battle to fight regardless of their opinion
I have been fighting this debilitating disease for about 40 yrs. It doesn’t get better, as each year just seems to get worse. Now my memory is just terrible, and I just smile and carry on as much as I can and say I’m fine or I’m ok. I turn 71 yrs shortly and I do have days I just want it all to end, but I live for my family ( my husband 2 sons and grandson )who is my greatest support.I’m pretty much isolated and I’m fine with that. I truly respect Lady Gaga for her bravery and continuing on. Talk about a Fibro Warrior. Sending gentle hugs
I have had fibromyalgia for about 35 years I’m 57 and just got diagnosed last year. because when I was younger everyone said I was a hypochondriac or over exaggerating or looking for attention and I believed them and just thought everybody must feel like this and then come to find out no!!! Not everyone has pain 24/7, brain fog and total exhaustion after even a rare good nights sleep. It’s real and a painful life. I’ve been called lazy crazy and a loser my whole life and I’m tired….
I’m going through this now and yes I have friends n family who think it’s all in my head the more you take the time to understand the condition the more you might not be so judgmental. It hurts cause they all think they know. My husband doesn’t care at all. He wants to know why things aren’t done n task shouldn’t be that hard. I am in pain 24/7 n I am extremely exhausted n have been for sometime. It even took me a while to except this because of how people treat you.
Thank you I felt like I was the only one especially on the husband part. I get so jealous when I see women with husbands that believe them and help them with anything they need and just the understanding of it.
As someone who didn’t know what was going on with them for the longest time and then finally being able to have a diagnosis and not feeling like I was crazy I was forever grateful but it is hard to describe to people what is going on because they don’t understand the pain that we are in the utter fatigue literally waking up out of bed and being so fatigued to that you can’t even get up the memory loss
I was the same way .it took years they thought I had lupus . Thank God I didn’t. But yes I was frustrated as well . Especially with how I reated to cold id get headaches, then my body would be in pain and id be fatigue the rest of the day.
It was confirmed that I had Fibromyalgia in 2013, and that there is no medicine or cure for this. It is a disease in the muscle and nerves that there is no cure for. I take a medication for seizures that helps somewhat, although I hurt everyday, all day, some days worse then others. People do not understand, no matter how many times, or how precise you explain, most days I just want to scream, crying in pain, the muscle spasms are so severe sometimes that I fear they will lock up and stay that way! So very Painful! This is Real, very very REAL!
SHANNON
Thank you to all you brave women for the courage it takes to speak it out loud. I was diagnosed around 37 years ago and honestly I DIDN’T believe it. I thought the Dr. was being a bit dramatic ???? Well – it took quite some time for me to face my denial (I’m kinda an expert at it ha ha ) and start listening to my body which was foreign to me as I’ve been a life long disassociater – It just seemed easier to “go away” so to speak, than be present and feel ALL of it, the relentless pain, trauma, isolation…….. My story is likely not too different from others that suffer – I’ll just say I have the scars that tell the story. Now my life is pretty small – I’m my moms caregiver and work a program of recovery – that is about all I can do – but I still do push myself and most people, I believe, don’t realize the depth of my suffering. Well until I’m so beating down by it all – it’s evident how I’m doing by looking at me. I try to hide it but sometimes it’s not possible. What does help is articles like this, as it normalizes what I’m going through as well as a My Fibro site – a forum for others to vent and relate and receive validation and encouragement. So thank you again for your courage to – once again – show me I’m not alone. One Day at a Time Shannon