At one time, David Thomson was a buffed provincial correctional officer by day and gentle giant to his one-year-old son Andrew by night.
Today, the 46-year-old Richmondite lives with chronic pain and fatigue, and has a difficult time sleeping.
In 2000, Thomson was stricken with post-traumatic hyperirritability syndrome, a rare form of fibromyalgia, changing his once active life into one of constant pain and fatigue.
Yet, to see him you would never guess the extent of his disease.
"All people see is this 5'10", 250pound guy who looks pretty healthy," he said, adding he was off work for more than five years. "At grocery stores, people used to give me dirty looks when they'd see me stand by as my wife packed the groceries."
Thomson said chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are all labeled "invisible" because it is usually impossible to tell by looking at a person that they suffer from one or more of these disabling conditions.
Thomson has set out to inform the general public about these invisible diseases by organizing the inaugural Richmond Centre for Disability's (RCD) Invisible Illness Awareness Week, running Sept. 10 to 14, at various venues in Richmond.
"We want to provide hope and let people who live with an invisible disease know that there are services and programs available," said Thomson, who is the facilitator of the event and the public education coordinator at RCD.
The five-day forum offers wellnessbased, empowering and educational activities for anyone suffering from an invisible illness. RCD also wants to raise awareness about invisible diseases to health care providers, family and friends.
"So many people suffer in silence and get really isolated," he said. "Friends doubt you or they don't understand or they tell you you haven't tried everything to get better."
Thomson said the event will offer a "wellness smorgasbord."
There will be guest speakers, breathing and stretching exercises, distraction therapy, laughter yoga, guided imagery, massage therapy and much more.
"There will be alternatives therapies discussed as well," he added. "This forum is to help people feel better now and for tomorrow."
For Thomson, the first signs of trouble happened in 2000 when he fell down the stairs at home and severely damaged his tailbone.
A week later, while working at the Vancouver Courthouse, an alarm went off, and like he was trained to do, he was to fall to the ground.
"Instead, I fell flat on my face," he said of that day in June. "That was the first inkling that something was wrong."
He was 34. "Doctors originally thought I had a back problem and put me in bed for three months," said Thomson. "I had shooting pains in my legs and back, and pain took over my life."
That day in June was also the last one he would ever work as a correctional officer.
"I've probably had this disease in my body since I was 15 and if I had a desk job, I might still be pretty healthy," he added.
"My wife Heather had to become the main breadwinner while I learned to be the stay-at-home dad."
For more than a dozen years, he has had to battle the stigmas attached to his invisible disease.
"Because so many people don't understand, and think somehow we should do more or find alternative treatments, many of us who have invisible diseases fall into deep depression," he said.
"For years, it was hard on my marriage and on my son, because daddy couldn't play with him like other kids did with their dads."
In 2009, Thomson went back to BCIT where he earned a diploma in occupational health and safety.
"Right now, I can work 15 hours a week," he said. "I've learned ways to manage my pain and I want this forum to offer hope to others like me."
RCD presents Invisible Illness Awareness Week from Monday, Sept. 10 to Friday, Sept.14 at the centre, as well as other venues around Richmond.
It is a wellness based, empowering and educational week offering a number of activities and workshops, as well as a pub night, a free barbecue, and inspirational performing arts shows at Richmond Hospital.
For more information about all of the programs and daily activities, call 6042322404 or visit www.rcdrichmond.org.
CHRONIC PAIN COSTS
- A 50 per cent reduced quality of life
- Negative impact on relationships
- 50 per cent of sufferers lose their job or have to reduce their hours
- 60 per cent are not effectively managing their pain
- Loss of self esteem
- Increased rates of depression
- Twice the average likehood of suicide while awaiting treatment
- The cost to the Canadian economy is estimated to be $30 billion a year in medical care, lost productivity and lost tax revenues.
As boomers age, it's estimated to cost the healthcare system even more.
