Living With Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain disorder, affects more than 10 million Americans, but it is not a disorder that many people know a lot about. In an effort to raise awareness, we spoke to two women who deal with Fibromyalgia every day. Brenda’s Story Steve & Brenda Willcuts Brenda Willcuts of Yankton lives a full life. She works as a classified sales rep at the Press & Dakotan. Brenda and her husband, Steve, have a daughter and sonin-law. Brenda is an active collector of all things Coca-Cola, and Brenda has fibromyalgia. Brenda was officially diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009 after at least a year of doctor’s appointments. “I would always tell the doctor that I hurt so bad it felt like my bones ache,” she said. “They would do blood tests and find nothing and say, ‘You just have arthritis’.” Brenda’s doctor put her on arthritis medication which provided no relief for her symptoms. “It wasn’t doing anything for me,” she said. “I never had, and still don’t have a day that I don’t hurt. Some days it’s so-so and some it’s really bad, but it’s always there.” Chronic, widespread body pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia, but a variety of other symptoms are common in fibromyalgia patients. The National Fibromyalgia Association says symptoms include: moderate to severe fatigue, sleep disorders, problems with cognitive functioning, IBS, headaches and migraines, anxiety and depression and environmental sensitivities. Symptoms vary in intensity and frequency from person-to-person, and some people may have only one to two symptoms while others may have many. Eventually, Brenda saw a specialist who diagnosed her with fibromyalgia and prescribed her Lyrica (one of only three medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Fibromyalgia). She was also prescribed Ambien, a sleep aid, to help her rest. “The part that really gets to me is the trouble sleeping,” she said. “I am always tired. I couldn’t tell you when the last time I actually slept through the night.” Brenda said she often wakes in the night from pain and has a hard time finding a comfortable position for sleeping. vFIBROMYALGIA continued on page 6 BUILDING PORTFOLIOS ISN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE DO. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IS. Planning and investing for your future, your family, or your business doesn’t have to be complicated. Especially when you have someone you trust, who has taken the time to get to know you and your specific situation, helping guide you along the way. We start by listening to your needs, then delivering the quality, sophisticated advice you expect and deserve. LIFE WELL PLANNED. Yankton’s Premiere Knitting Store Yarn • Books • Needles & Hooks Ask About Our Class Schedule! 1101 Broadway, Suite 104 • Morgen Square 605-689-3999 • www.eweknitit.com Open: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm • Saturday 10am-5pm Kathy Greeneway Certified Financial PlannerTM 225 Cedar Street, Yankton (605)665-4940 First Dakota Brokerage Services, Inc. A subsidiary of First Dakota National Bank. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC an independent broker/dealer. Securities are offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., (Member FINRA/SIPC), and are not insured by the FDIC, any other government agency or any other bank insurance, are not deposits or obligations of the bank, not guaranteed by First Dakota National Bank, and are subject to risks, including the possible loss of principal. Raymond James is not affiliated with First Dakota National Bank. HERVOICE MAY/JUNE 2015v5