23 | February | 2019 | Nesie's Place

5/5 Stars!

Coming-of-age stories are generally personal experiences and observations told through the eyes of one character. They can be heartfelt, emotional and even insightful, but still, it’s one person’s journey.

The King of FU is all those things, and more.

The narrator has a natural curiosity and endless questions, but he also has explanations.

Don’t expect those explanations to be delivered with childlike, wide-eyed curiosity and innocence though.

They’re irreverent, sarcastic, profane… and spot on!

Separated by a generation in age, the author’s childhood journey and musings were relatable to my own. We didn’t have the advent of technology, but upgrading televisions from black and white to color was a huge deal.

Covering topics from sibling rivalry to family pets, extended family, and parochial school, this read is too cute and humorous.

Sections about the opposite sex, masturbation, and porn are jaw-dropping and hilarious.

The King’s recollections of friendships and suicide made me stop and think… and not necessarily about the past.

But my favorite part is the King’s descriptions and relationships with his parents-the Computer Science Major and the Insurance Underwriter. Their names will change, as he changes, but it’s when the Computer Science Major, who has morphed into the Homeopathic Doctor, becomes MOTHER, I cheered. Great scene! *Waves goodbye to the Big Red-Headed Mutant!*

The King isn’t as out of step with life as he believes and appears to have a better grasp on life than some adults.

Which is the cusp of the problem—the King doesn’t understand the big deal about being an adult when most spend so much time behaving badly.

The King of FU is unique because it is not written in a traditional book format. It’s also not poetry, prose, rhythmic or metered. And while certain words may wear quotation marks, exclamation points, and question marks for emphasis, this read is punctuation light. I can remember three periods offhand and one of those is at the end of the book.

However, the lack of punctuation doesn’t hinder or confuse. The author’s delivery enhances the story and I don’t believe it would have the same impact if written in a regular book format.

From dead squirrels to childhood mishaps, to learning to drive, this short read can be enjoyed by all readers, regardless of preferred genre, because if you look past the horns and fur, you just may see a bit of yourself.

Enjoy!

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The King of FU is a magically realistic poetic memoir about growing up in America in the nineties on the cusp of the age of the internet. It is a voyage that navigates through family tribalism, supervisors, white-gloved Sheriffs, bullies, sex, suicide, dead prisoners, drugs, porn, middle school, and Jesus; all in search of answering one of life’s greatest mysteries: what is the point of adults? This artistic masterpiece comes from the mind of author Benjamin Davis with illustrations by Russian artist Nikita Klimov.

Fibro Cloud

There is so much mystery in the world of fibromyalgia, in large part because it effects everyone differently. Another reason for the mystery is due to the similarity in fibro symptoms compared to other diseases and syndromes. Fibromyalgia is sometimes misdiagnosed as a different problem and vice versa. This is because the myriad of symptoms associated with fibro are commonly found in other illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, also known as MS. So how can you tell if it’s fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis?

What Exactly is MS?

The National MS Society defines it as follows: “Multiple sclerosis (MS) involves an immune-mediated process in which an abnormal response of the body’s immune system is directed against the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.” If you or a loved one live with fibromyalgia, you can definitely spot some familiar buzz words and phrases, can’t you? Specifically, “immune system,” “abnormal response,” and “central nervous system.” In fact, the similarities in symptoms become quite striking when you review a side-by-side comparison. Note that most, not all, of the fibromyalgia symptoms overlap with MS symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish whether it’s fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis:

MS SYMTPOMS	FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS
Fatigue	Fatigue/Exhaustion
Numbness or Tingling	Numbness &/or Tingling
Weakness	Muscle Weakness
Dizziness & Vertigo	Dizziness
Pain	Pain
Emotional Changes	Anxiety
Walking (Gait) Difficulties	Impaired Coordination
Spasticity (i.e., muscle stiffness and spasms)	Muscular aching, throbbing, & twitching
Vision Problems	Vision Problems
Bladder Problems	Bladder Problems
Bowel Problems	Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Cognitive Changes	Cognitive Problems
Depression	Depression
Tremor	Restless Leg Syndrome
Headache	Headaches/Migraines
Swallowing Problems	Dry Eyes & Mouth
Itching	Itching &/or Burning
Sexual Problems	Insomnia/Poor sleep
Speech Problems	Ringing in the Ears
Breathing Problems	Neurological Symptoms
Seizures	Skin Sensitivities & Rashes
Hearing Loss

It is plain to see many similarities in symptoms between fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis, including clear neurological connections associated with pain, numbness, and tingling. However, experts explain that unlike MS, fibromyalgia does not show up as brain lesions on an MRI. Furthermore, while both conditions have no known source, MS is distinctly categorized as an auto-immune disease, but fibromyalgia is not. So that is one way to determine if it’s fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis.

A key difference in MS is that the patient actually accrues long-term nerve damage which leads to physical and cognitive impairments. In fact, some types of MS are progressive. Primary Progressive MS (PPMS), for example, “is characterized by worsening neurologic function (accumulation of disability) from the onset of symptoms, without early relapses or remissions.” While fibromyalgia, on the other hand, is often mistakenly considered an arthritic condition, it does not actually cause damage to joints, muscles, or tissues.

Just What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is primarily characterized by chronic and wide-spread pain. A close second is the debilitating fatigue. But as you can see from the chart above, the symptoms are quite broad. The problem many patients run into is that fibromyalgia resembles so many other conditions that it’s usually difficult to nail down a diagnosis. However, some physicians are more inclined to spot it than others.

How Are MS and Fibromyalgia Evaluated?

The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that a fibromyalgia diagnosis is comprised of a detailed muscle exam that includes checking for tenderness at specific locations on the body. Rating the severity of specific symptoms is another key part of the exam. The symptoms must be present for at least three months. They add that there are no blood, urine, or laboratory tests which can provide a conclusive fibromyalgia diagnosis. However, fibro diagnosis also means that no other disorder or condition can explain the symptoms.

Diagnosing MS, however, is quite different because it causes several more neurological symptoms than fibromyalgia. Thus, exams tend to focus on brain and nerve function, including a brain MRI and sometimes a spinal tap. Even though MS can also be difficult to diagnose, it is often easier than fibromyalgia. This is because the evaluation requires searching for lesions or damaged areas to the central nervous system.

How Can I Tell if it’s fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis?

It’s true that the similarities between multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia are striking. But given the neurological damage caused by MS, it is a condition that is slightly easier to target than fibromyalgia. Patients with MS are usually treated by a neurologist. But so are many fibro patients. As such, a neurologist likely has a keen eye in making the distinction between the two.