ohsam | Fibromyalgia plot bunny

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Fibromyalgia plot bunny

I've been having this urge now for a while to read a fic where Sam suffers from fibromyalgia (I know it's more common in women but it can also affect men), so I decided to try posting this here. I would like it to be gen. Comforting and helpful big brother Dean who maybe has to remind Sam to take care of himself sometimes is also awesome. That's it, I'm not too particular in details other than those (it could be cool if John was in the story as well but that isn't a must). Any takers? I'd be ever so grateful. :-D

Edit: I decided to add this comment for a little more info, as I'd actually thought of this possibility but failed to mention it in my post: "Fibromyalgia affects different people to varying degrees, but I don't think Sam could deal with a lot of the aspects of hunting, all the extreme physical aspects of it.
I can't see John handling the news well, if they finally got a correct diagnosis, or Dean, actually, because I'd think it would really get in the way of hunting. Still, it would be a good subject for someone to tackle, rather than the more common hurt/comfort scenarios."

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Well I would probably never attempt this because my mother has it and I would never want to put even fictional characters through as much pain as my mother goes through but I can give any advice/knowledge or general medical facts needed if someone ever wanted to write this

I'm sorry about your mother. :-( Is this something do you think I should have put behind a cut?

I don't have any problems with you putting it out there. As someone who lives with a few chronic illnesses, including this one, and is a HUGE h/c fan, the only thing that bugs me about illness fic is when people get it seriously wrong. Especially in a way that trivializes the condition.

Eh. Enough disability politics, this is a fun site. This is an awesome prompt, and I love you for posting it. 'Nuff said.

Ok, thank you :-). I actually have a dear friend who has this and I know how some people seem to trivialize it or act as though it's "all in her head" even! :-( So I would love it if someone wrote a good, acurate fic about this.

No, nothing at all sweetie because it is pretty rare and uncommon half the population doesn't know what it is that's why it gets misdiagnosed.

Yes, I have a sweet one who suffered with it for a long while before finally being diagnosed.

I'd be interested in reading a story like this if it was written by someone who really understand the condition. I've got fibromyalgia myself, and I know it affects different people to varying degrees, but I don't think Sam could deal with a lot of the aspects of hunting, all the extreme physical aspects of it.

I can't see John handling the news well, if they finally got a correct diagnosis, or Dean, actually, because I'd think it would really get in the way of hunting. Still, it would be a good subject for someone to tackle, rather than the more common hurt/comfort scenarios.

Yes, that is very true that it would likely get in the way of hunting, I'd actually thought of that and probably should've mentioned that possibility in the prompt. I think I'll go edit the entry. :-)

Oh, and I LOVE your icon! XD

Thanks! Somebody made it for me. I told her I wanted the word Padalicious, and gave her a few pictures to work with. I'm terrible with icons, pictures, etc., so I'm lucky she was willing to make one for me!

That's cool. I used to like to fiddle around with pics until my old comp. with my photo program died. :-( I really ought to get some more icons. :-)

I'd think the beatings would be the biggest issue. That's certainly my biggest problem when it comes to contact sports--I can get out there and DO, I just pay later.

And that seems like something Sam would do, too- just keep pushing himself without thinking of (or caring?) what it would do to him. And maybe Dean would have to remind him to ease up, OR unintentionally push him too hard (and Sam not speak up about it) and then Dean feels bad about it. Or John could push him, if he were in the story.

So many tantalizing possibilities!

Yes! Please, somebody write this? XD

I think that as much as Sam gets thrown around, beaten, etc., he'd have a harder time than most. But another difficult thing would be staying in the same position for hours, on stakeout or whatever. I have a hell of a time sitting, standing, or whatever, in one position for more than a few minutes.

It's funny, we're so used to seeing Sam as this poster boy for good health and a strong body, it's hard to imagine how he'd deal with something like fm, where it's not even visible to anybody else. It's one thing to have a bone sticking out of your leg, but if there's not even any swelling, people tend to think you're faking it.

"But another difficult thing would be staying in the same position for hours, on stakeout or whatever" Or in the Impala.

"people tend to think you're faking it." I can see John or maybe Dean not understanding what was really going on, and telling him to "snap out of it" or something, at least at first.

I can see Sam telling himself "snap out of it." Repeatedly, maybe even after he knows better.

Oh, yes, I hadn't thought of that.

Oh, God, yes, the hours in the Impala! His knees, and possibly ankles, would be killing him. They'd have to take breaks for him to stretch his legs out, he he'd have to spend a lot of time in the back seat, awkwardly trying to make as much room as possible for his legs.

I can see John and Dean telling him to stop whining or quit being such a baby. But since it doesn't (as far as I know) manifest in childhood or the teen years, it's possible they wouldn't know about it till John was missing and Dean came to pick Sam up at Stanford.

"What's the matter, Sammy, quit squirming so much. You gotta pee, again?"

"No, I'm just...never mind."

Dean would want to know what's wrong, because the last time he saw Sam like that, he was having growing pains. It might take a good long while, and some research, for Dean to understand, if Sam even had a diagnosis at that time. Which Jess would probably have insisted on. :) And John? Not so much with the sympathy, I'm thinking. "Man up and sit still, damn it!" etc.

Yeah, lots of not-fun for Sam, on top of all the pain and discomfort. And let's not forget the fatigue and general lack of energy! Again, it's one thing for people to look at Bobby in a wheelchair and understand why he's not actively hunting any more, but to see someone who looks like Sam, saying he can't hunt any more for health reasons, they're not gonna get it, even if he tries to explain it. Very different from a missing or non-working limb, for instance.

Edited 2011-01-31 14:53 (UTC)

AWESOME ideas! And it would be cool if there was a part (flashback or whatever) where it showed Jess prompting him to get checked out and then their reactions to the diagnosis. And maybe it took a bit of time to get diagnosed and so their frustrations about not knowing what was going on.
And maybe Jess has to try to cheer him up, comfort him, let him know it doesn't change how she feels about him, sees him, or anything.

I like your ideas, too! I might have to end up writing this myself, though it will no doubt be done in fits and starts. I really wish real life didn't cut into my fannish life so much, you know? So very annoying!

Just did a little quick research, 'cause I have a lot of books on the subject, and apparently yes, even elementary school-age children do get fibromyalgia. But I'll bet it's the kind of thing John wouldn't both to take Sam to a doctor about, considering it seems like they have to have major, visible trauma in order before going to the hospital. So...interesting ideas swimming around in my brain now.

Edited 2011-02-01 01:22 (UTC)

Oh I would love it if this got written, even if it was in fits and starts. :-) I know, I've been actually TRYING to get a fic written for a long time, but I just keep running out of time!

I think you and I are sharing some brain waves today. I was thinking of a lot of the same things.

Mind if I friend you?

Friend away! I'll friend you back.

I'm thinking I might try to write something for this challenge, though it might take me a while. I haven't finished a story in ages, mainly because of a lot of real-life commitments and worries, plus having fibromyalgia myself. I've had a diagnosis for a couple of decades now, but I'm still learning more about it and trying to figure out what works for me.

Just did some research in a book I just got on the subject, and it looks like elementary school-age kids can get fm, so maybe Sam could get it early and not have it diagnosed until Jess insists. Hm, maybe she knows someone, or has a family member with it, so she might at least suspect what it could be.

Edited 2011-02-01 01:23 (UTC)

I want to write this prompt, too. I have a slightly different idea about how it happened to him, but that's ok.

Yes, it can start at any age. Juvenile fibromyalgia is sometimes confused with growing pains, but it is typically LESS severe during growth spurts, because growth hormone is good for muscles. I was 18 when mine started.

You can both write one, if you want. :-D That would be AWESOME! XD

I don't know how old I was when it started, but I had some other major health issues since early childhood, requiring numerous hospitalizations, so it's hard to say. It was finally diagnosed when I was in my mid-20s, and they were trying to figure out why the repetitive pain I had in my wrists was NOT carpal tunnel, which is so clearly should have been. Because what else is there? Sigh. Turns out all the other random pain I had various places in my body were related, imagine that!

Heh. Mine started in my arms too. Rather abruptly, and I'd been VERY healthy as a child. I was diagnosed at 20.

It's amazing, though, how so many doctors still don't seem to know what it is or believe in it. I can understand why the average person might not have heard much about it, but I'm beginning to think the condition is more widespread than we realize. I guess it's because so many of the symptoms are the same as other conditions. But some people feel like you can't have more than one thing wrong with you at a time, like if you have pain in your neck, you can't have it in your ankle or elbow at the same time, so it's very hard to explain.

I did it! It turned into a 16,000 word epic which took me 8 months to write, but here it is:
http://greeneyes-fan.livejournal.com/28721.html

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!! XD

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