Coping With Fibromyalgia Local Woman Turns to Unconventional Equine Treatment
"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." - Winston Churchill
By Jim Evans

Avalon "Avie-Mare" and Scherry. Photo courtesy of scherry Clarke

Fibromyalgia is a greatly misunderstood illness that most people who have it wouldn't wish on their worst enemies because it affects every aspect of their life. Fibromyalgia, or FM, is characterized by one or more symptoms including chronic - and widespread - musculoskeletal pain and stiffness, exhausting fatigue, lack of restorative sleep, irritable bowel and bladder, headaches (often migraines), skin sensitivities and rashes, dry eyes and mouth, anxiety, depression, ringing in the ears, dizziness, vision problems, Raynaud's Syndrome, neurological symptoms, and impaired coordination (source: National Fibromyalgia Association, www.fmaaware.org).

It affects approximately 3 percent to 6 percent of the U.S. population (more women than men), and an accurate diagnosis takes an average of five years - an eternity for the long-suffering patient.

There is no known cure for FM, and its cause is still a mystery, although

there is some evidence that it may be hereditary, and its onset is often triggered by a traumatic illness or injury. Indeed, the cumulative stress of a teenage pregnancy, domestic abuse and sexual assault may well have triggered FM for Scherry Clarke.

A nervous, highly spirited 6-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter named Avalon. Photo courtesy of scherry Clarke

Clarke was diagnosed with FM five years ago and has experienced almost all of the known symptoms of the disease at one time or another.

"In my early 30s, I began suffering from morning stiffness, muscular aches, chronic migraine headaches, panic and anxiety disorders, and constant fatigue," she said, "and I was finally diagnosed in 2001."

She was forced to quit work as an administrative assistant at Ramona United Methodist Church last September because of her FM and other medical problems.

While Clarke employs most of the traditional treatments

for FM - including pain medication, sleep management therapy, psychological support, water therapy, stretching exercises and a host of naturopathic remedies - she has found unexpected relief from an unconventional source: a horse.

Born in Fort Ord, Clarke, 42, grew up around military bases in the U.S. and Germany, and learned to ride as a youngster on the plains of Kansas near Fort Riley. She and her husband, James, and their children moved from Spring Valley to Ramona four years ago so they could realize their dream of becoming horse owners.

"There has always been a mysterious, magical and very therapeutic connection with equines and humans, especially women," Clarke said. Many of my friends who own horses feel the same way - that without their horses they would be 'basket cases,' and that their horses serve as therapists.

"I had experienced exactly that (feeling) from my childhood connection with them and had longed to rekindle that connection throughout the years I was raising my children. I was at one of the lowest points of my life when my hero, Avalon, came into my life."

Avalon or "Avie-Mare" as Clarke came to call her, is the Missouri Foxtrotter that she purchased three years ago. Known for its surefootedness and unusual diagonal gait that resembles a "fox trot" (the front feet walk and the back feet trot behind with reach in each stride), the fox-trotting horse provides a smooth and

comfortable ride - especially for physically challenged riders. A "big girl" at almost 15.3 hands tall and 1,100 pounds, Avie was nervous and extremely spooky at first but with proper training and "a lot of determination and hard work on both parts," according to Clarke, she began to change, and a bond was formed.

"Prior to purchasing Avalon, I had been plagued by resentment, guilt and misery for most of my life," Clarke said. "I was sorry for myself, impatient and resigned to merely go through the agonizing motions of life until I felt the sweet oblivion of death. I hated the pain. It was like a coat I put on each morning and slept with each night - a coat that I could never remove or find relief from. After awhile, any garment that never gets cleansed begins to stink, and I was consumed by the agony that encased me 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I was impatient, short, resentful and very sorry for myself, convinced that nobody could possibly understand what I was forced to endure. I had begun to turn away from everyone, even my own husband and children, preferring to be alone with my pain."

With the arrival of Avie-Mare, Clarke was forced to start caring for her new horse which diverted attention from her own personal pain. In the beginning, she would literally shake before each ride because the FM affected her entire nervous system, and the normal apprehension of riding was intensified by her condition. Her legs would tremble violently when she put her weight in the stirrup.

The turning point came "when Avie and I were zipping along in the round pen one day, My oldest son came up to the gate with his fianc, and they both commented that I was actually smiling as I sped along with Avalon. I was smiling, and I found myself in the days ahead not only smiling but laughing out loud. I began to love the outdoors again. Avalon needed me to teach her loyalty, serenity, trust, patience and love - her reason for existing was to champion a sick, tired, middle-aged woman and give her the courage to live again.

"I won't allow FM to steal my life or the lives of family and loved ones. I refuse to give the disease the power over me that it wants. My family has been very supportive, too. James (they have been married 20 years) is a great friend to me, and my children (ages 24, 22, 20 and 13) are a great source of comfort."

Her advice to others with FM. "Exercise is paramount in maintaining a degree of fitness and quality of life. Even though you are in pain, and everything that we have been taught tells us that pain is the signal to stop, it is not the same with

FM. The end result of not using your muscles will be devastating."

And finally, she said, "Find something that you are passionate about. For me it's my horses and my family. For others it might be gardening, writing, volunteering, other types of pets. Whatever it is, pour your heart and soul into it, and you will find that you have less and less tolerance for the demon that is Fibromyalgia. You cannot vanquish the monster, but you can keep it at bay, and in the end you will emerge the victor."

Scherry Clarke has recently started a Fibromyalgia support group in the Ramona/Poway area. For further information, contact her at Avie Mare@cox.net.