My name is Sara Davis and I have Fibromyalgia.
My symptoms came on when I was 14, after a severe case with Mono. Before that I had been healthy and happy all of my life. I earned my black belt in Tae Kwon Do; played soccer; and just had a lot of fun. I had no idea it was possible to become so sick almost overnight. The pain was almost unbearable. I missed a lot of school, but the worst part was that I couldn’t participate with my friends. My parents took me to doctor after doctor. Not only did the doctors not help me, I honestly felt like they didn’t care and wouldn’t be able to make me well. After several months I became very, very depressed and didn’t know what to do. There were times when I didn’t think I could live.
Then my parents discovered Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers in Portland, Oregon.
When they first took me there I thought it would be no different than all the other doctors I had gone to. The first difference was that Dr. Elzinga, and the staff really cared. They took a lot of blood and the thought of being poked every week with an IV was almost more than I could take. But Vicki, the nurse decided that a PICC line would be best for me and I wouldn’t need to get poked every week.
It really was not bad and after a few weeks I started feeling better and better. The fibro is not completely gone, but I am feeling wonderful most of the time and loving my life again. I am again very involved in theatre at school and have even enrolled in an intensive 9 week, 6 days a week kick boxing and nutrition class!
I can’t thank everyone who had a part of making me better, I can honestly say the Fibromyalgia & Fatigue Centers gave me my life back.