Raising Awareness

Sharing The Symptoms

On Memorial Day my husband and step-daughter participated in a sprint triathlon, along with a bunch of our neighbors and church friends. In several conversations since, I’ve heard people mention pain and exhaustion presumably caused by lactic acid build-up and extreme exertion.

A few months ago while having a massage, I was asked if I was an athlete. I laughed out loud and immediately answered that I was not, but wanted to know what prompted the question.  I was then told that I had a lot of lactic acid built up in my muscles, which is generally found in athletes.  I always knew I had it in me to be an athlete. 

So, onto another topic for a minute. Have you heard of the Fibromyalgia Challenge? The National Fibromyalgia Association has found a way for caregivers and supporters to experience a small degree of chronic pain by placing a clothespin on a finger for thirty minutes.  Here’s more information.

I have a different idea. How about using a sprint triathlon to share the experience?  Money could even be raised to forward fibromyalgia awareness or research.  It seems like a more realistic simulation experience to me as lactic acid would temporarily build up in the tissues of participants, resulting in temporary symptoms of fibromyalgia.  Here’s a link that explains this, as well as giving some treatment tips.  It would be an exercise in true empathy.  What do you think?  Are you on board?