One goal of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act is to provide health insurance to everyone with pre-existing conditions. There is, however, one condition that could leave millions at risk: fibromyalgia.
For at least ten year now, Sandra Obenchain has been at odds with her doctors. After seeing close to 60 specialists, and spending thousands of dollars on examinations and tests, she finally received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. Even with this diagnosis however, nearly every day is a struggle for her to find effective treatment.
When he saw how difficult it was for the modern medical community to both diagnose and treat his wife’s medical condition, John Obenchain decided to take action. He founded the online fibromyalgia support group the Alliance Against All Fibromyalgias (AAAFMS), and has been an advocate for the recognition of fibromyalgia as a legitimate disease.
He is now petitioning the American Medical Association to provide education that will teach doctors how to quickly diagnose and effectively treat this often crippling condition.
Current tests and treatments are inadequate to meet today’s needs; as a result, individuals with fibromyalgia are forced to see multiple doctors, and face a medical community that lacks the training that can genuinely help them. Although many refer to fibromyalgia as a “syndrome” or a “disorder,” having seen the effects of this condition firsthand has convinced Obenchain, as well as millions of others, that it is a real disease.
Obenchain has organized a petition through Change.org. He hopes that everyone affected with fibromyalgia, whether directly, or through a friend or family member, will join him.
“We can’t give up; we need all affected by fibromyalgia to join our cause,” Obenchain says. “Together, we can make a difference.”
Obenchain hopes that his “Fibro is Real” petition, which has more than 1,100 signatures, and his YouTube video will help those in the fibromyalgia community get the recognition and proper treatment they deserve.
Sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/fibro-is-real-tell-insurance-companies-to-recognize-fibromyalgia-as-a-disease
About John Obenchain/Alliance Against All Fibromyalgias: John Obenchain has been married to his wife Sandra for over 12 years. Together, they have faced her fibromyalgia diagnosis head on. As primary caregiver and head of the household, Obenchain has seen just how drastically fibromyalgia not only affects the patient, but the entire family. He started the Alliance Against All Fibromyalgias (AAAFMS, www.aaafms.com) to help individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia as well as caregivers, families, friends, doctors, government policy makers and health care professionals. The free, open forum allows participants to ask questions, offer advice, share stories, and find comfort from others who may be going through similar situations with fibromyalgia. Obenchain, who has a master’s degree in business administration, has worked in the global pharmaceutical industry for over 15 years and is a professional public speaker registered with the National Speakers Association (NSA).
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SOURCE: The Alliance Against All Fibromyalgias (AAAFMS)
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