Talk to People
Our friends and family would be horrified if they discovered their celebrations were causing us stress and pain. Deep down, we know that all they want is for us to be with them on their special day and share in their happiness.
They don’t care whether or not we can stand for the day, or dance all night, or party into the early hours. They will just be grateful that we made the effort.
However, it’s important that people at the event know about your condition and know how to help you. I’m not suggesting you trouble the bride and groom with tales of your chronic pain moments before their big day, but make sure there are people on the day who can spring in to action to support you if necessary.
Make a Plan
Unfortunately, fibromyalgia means we can’t be as spontaneous as we used to be. We need to forward plan and we need to think about how we can protect ourselves on a busy day.
Have you planned your travel? Do you know where you’re staying? How can you get home if you need to leave early? Perhaps you can stay at the venue and sneak up to your room for frequent rests. It’s important that you have a plan and know how to use it.
Take Supplies
No one wants to go to a wedding or birthday with a big bag full of medical equipment. For a start, it rarely matches the outfit! But there are things that you could – and should – think about taking with you.
Medication is a must, as is anything else that gives you instant relief. Think about the things that you suffer most with and how you can fight them; for example, sitting on church benches or pub seating often causes me pain, so I’ll be taking a big scarf that doubles up as a seat cushion!
Make a Choice
There comes a point where we need to make a choice about what we want to do vs what we should do. I like to think I’m pretty sensible about my fibromyalgia most of the time, but I also know that when I am a bridesmaid at my best friend’s wedding I’m going to do all I can to be part of the party!
There are times when we should decline the invitation and stay home to rest, there are other times when we should celebrate for an hour then sneak off early, and then there are the times when we should go armed with painkillers and throw ourselves into a flare-up.
It’s definitely not sensible, but I am of the opinion that sometimes, it’s necessary. Every now and again an event will come along where you make the choice to accept a flare-up and celebrate with your very best friends.
