Here’s the latest news: Annette Hong Kam was caught fighting again! Having known Annette as a friendly and mild-mannered person, most people would be surprised to learn what a fierce fighter she is. That is, unless you have ever faced her on the tennis court and felt the power of her ground strokes. As much as she is a hard-charging tennis player, she is even more formidable when she is fighting for humanitarian causes and for the welfare of others.
After graduating from Kaimuki, Annette studied nursing at the University of Hawai‘i. She became a registered nurse and worked at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children. She started off working in the Special Care Unit, eventually becoming a day shift charge nurse in the Mother Baby Care Unit where she saw a lot of our classmates and their babies over the years.
Annette is a champion for the cause of fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a condition of widespread pain in the body’s muscles and trigger points, and is difficult to diagnose and treat. Annette’s involvement with fibromyalgia began in a personal way. She had undiagnosed fibromyalgia until she was in a car accident in 1998 when she fell asleep while driving. During her treatment, she met Dr. Paul St. Amand from UCLA who was also a fibromyalgia sufferer in remission. His guaifenesin protocol reversed her symptoms. She went from a limping nurse to playing tennis 3-4 times a week and participating in a national tennis tournament.
Annette created a nonprofit organization called “informed Fibromyalgics on Guaifensesin (iFoG),” and currently serves as its leader. Annette and iFoG have helped hundreds of Hawai‘i patients with fibromyalgia. In 2015, after 42 years at Kapiolani, Annette retired to concentrate on iFoG and she is busier than ever.
Annette’s proudest moment was seeing a fibromyalgic patient graduate from pharmacy school. The woman was in constant pain, sleeping 18 hours a day and failing school. Many thought she would never attain her goals. After being helped by iFoG, she was able to complete her education and graduate as a pharmacist.
Annette has spent her entire career helping people and continues to fight for others as her life’s passion.
