Renate Seelhof, 62, from Hohenpolding, suffers from fibromyalgia. The disease was diagnosed 18 years ago at the Großhadern Clinic.
Even today, she is sometimes not taken seriously and dismissed as a hypochondriac. She has had to fight again and again for years to have her illness recognized. The discrepancy between her appearance and her actual state of being is Seel Hof's dilemma. She says: "You can't tell from looking at me that I'm sick. Many people don't understand when I withdraw because I need peace and quiet." The mother of three children is now fighting for recognition of the disease. She is also trying to raise awareness of fibromyalgia in the German parliament, the Bundestag, and in other countries. The campaign is called "Fibromyalgia in Germany: A Woman's Fight for Recognition" and is being supported by the German National Foundation for Health and Wellness. The 62-year-old has lost a lot of her quality of life due to her illness. Seelhof wants to help fellow sufferers to recognize and accept the disease. “Only when we are heard will the disease that cannot be seen be given the necessary respect, she says.