A Tokyo woman with fibromyalgia is sharing on social media her experience of remaining undiagnosed for over a decade despite her persistent symptoms, highlighting challenges faced by an estimated 2 million patients in Japan. She is calling for greater awareness and understanding of the disease characterized by severe pain throughout the body and public support for those suffering from this often-misunderstood illness. Many fibromyalgia patients are struggling because their symptoms are not easily recognized, leading to a lack of understanding from people around them.
Reina Serikyaku, a 30-year-old certified care worker, first noticed something wrong when she was a first-year student at a junior high school on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture. She had sudden chest pains during class and was taken to hospital by ambulance. A blood test and an electrocardiogram did not find any abnormalities, however.
After she moved to Tokyo for further education, the pain spread throughout her body. Despite visits to countless medical facilities, the cause behind the symptoms remained unknown. One doctor dismissed her concerns, telling her not to worry about the pain because it was just her imagination.
Gradually, Serikyaku stopped seeking medical help. The turning point came about a year and a half ago, when she was finally diagnosed at a medical institution that specializes in fibromyalgia — more than 10 years after her initial symptoms emerged. Her husband introduced the facility to her.
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed based on widespread pain and other factors while other diseases with similar symptoms are ruled out. The Japanese Society of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Pain has compiled a list of about 130 medical institutions staffed with doctors who have received training related to fibromyalgia. But the facilities are not located evenly across the nation.
Patients continue to face challenges even after diagnosis. Some find it difficult to work and therefore face financial difficulties. A petition seeking necessary support for patients with fibromyalgia and other conditions was submitted to this year’s special parliamentary session.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
