Though Morgan Freeman is known worldwide for his commanding voice and acting prowess, he actually wanted to be a fighter pilot in his early years. After a four-year stint in the air force, however, he turned his attention to the Broadway stage. He continued his work on Broadway during the ’70s before finally making it to the television screen in 1980.
It was during this time that he became more famous for his portrayal of a variety of characters and started getting award recognition. This led to him landing more roles that initially weren’t written for Black characters. His success in movies didn’t mean that he completely gave up on Broadway, though. In 2008, he returned to the stage in "The Country Girl".
Unfortunately, that’s also the year that marked a significant change in his health. Not only did the actor get into a serious car crash while traveling with a friend, but his doctors also discovered that he’d been dealing with a chronic illness - fibromyalgia.
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Morgan Freeman: Giving A Voice To Fibromyalgia
Though Freeman doesn’t talk about his illness much, he admitted in an interview with Esquire that the pain is often “excruciating” and that he’s had to make a lot of changes to his life to cope.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that is known to cause widespread musculoskeletal pain. While all the pathways of the illness aren’t clear, doctors have surmised that it affects the way your brain processes painful and nonpainful signals. The end result is that people who are dealing with fibromyalgia often feel amplified pain throughout the body.
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Interestingly, it’s believed that a traumatic incident or injury can offset fibromyalgia though researchers are still not sure how that works.
Apart from pain and stiffness, people with the illness can experience chronic fatigue, headaches, trouble concentrating, stomach problems, and numbness in the extremities.
There may also be complications from the disease that cause additional symptoms. Some of these issues include an increased risk of developing inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as higher rates of depression. Depending on what’s bothering you, the doctor may need to treat those separately.
How The Disease Is Diagnosed
There has been a lot of progress in how fibromyalgia is diagnosed but your doctor will still need to rule out other illnesses that can cause similar symptoms.
To rule them out, you may need to undergo blood tests such as the complete blood count, rheumatoid factor, thyroid function tests, Vitamin D levels, celiac serology, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and cyclic citrullinated peptide test.
Your level of pain will also be key in getting a diagnosis. If you’ve been experiencing widespread discomfort for three months or more, your doctor will conduct a more thorough exam.
This exam entails checking four different areas of the body for chronic pain. Among the areas the doctor will check are your shoulders, arms, jaw, hips, legs, neck, and back.
Typical Treatment Options For Fibromyalgia
Since this is a chronic condition, your doctor will aim to reduce the symptoms as much as possible. Your management program may include pain relievers, anti-seizure medications, as well as antidepressants. Bear in mind that it can take some time to determine the right mix of medications for you. These may also change over time if you’re no longer responding to the ones you’ve been prescribed.
In addition to medication, physical or occupational therapy may help with pain management as well as stiffness. People who are having trouble coping with their illness may also benefit from counseling. There is a growing support group for those with fibromyalgia so it helps to reach out to one of those too.
Fibromyalgia tends to affect African Americans slightly more than other ethnicities. This is especially true for women. If you’re experiencing symptoms of the disease, it’s important to talk to your doctor as soon as possible so you can start managing them.
