STORY - Related to fibromyalgia

[Guest guest]

Via Joan A.:

For Immediate Release

25 April 2005

National Fibromyalgia Association

RANDY'S RACE " Man with fibromyalgia risks health

to raise awareness of " woman's illness " at 25th

Annual Super Chevy Show

POMONA, California -- " Men have fibromyalgia, too. Not

just women! "

That is the message Randy Wold has been telling as

many people as he can ever since he was diagnosed

in 2001 with fibromyalgia, the chronic pain

disorder many consider a " woman's illness " since

almost 90 percent of the 10 million people

diagnosed with fibromyalgia are women.

Wold also wants to let men know that despite its

physically debilitating effects, fibromyalgia

need not rob them of their " manliness. "

" Having fibromyalgia definitely has affected my

self-esteem as a man, but we can still do a lot

of things that help us keep our male identity

and quality of life, " Wold explained. " It might

not be the life you thought you'd have, but you

can't stop living. "

On April 30, Wold will have a chance to share his

message with up to 40,000 people when the 53-year-old Cypress

resident competes in the 25th Annual Super Chevy Show at the

Pomona Raceway-Fairplex.

Wold is an experienced racer riding under the

" Purple Reign " banner with his brothers since

he was 17 years old. But, as a person with

fibromyalgia, he also knows the physical

repercussions, especially after a grueling

quarter-mile drag race with speeds up to

135 mph. To Wold, t's a price he is willing to pay.

" I always have a 'flare' (period of amplified

symptoms, including widespread muscle pain,

headaches, fatigue, sleeplessness) after

strenuous activity, or sometimes just a round of

golf will knock me out for a few days, but if this

is what it takes to let people know about

fibromyalgia, then I'm willing to risk the

consequences, " said Wold.

Wold, a member of the board of directors of the

National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA), also

hopes to raise money for the nonprofit

organization.

" Randy is just one of those courageous individuals

who is willing to step out of the box to help raise

awareness of fibromyalgia, especially

for the men who are not always willing to admit

they have this illness, " said Lynne Matallana,

president and founder of the National Fibromyalgia

Association, which is one of Wold's sponsors in

the race.

" Randy and his Purple Reign Racing team live with

chronic pain everyday and still compete, " said

Grant R. , President and COO of Swiss

Medica, Inc., another sponsor which will be

launching their new product 024 Fibromyalgia

in June. " It's important to support people who

prove it can be done. "

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org