In 2009 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Living with fibromyalgia hasn’t been an easy journey either. I was so scared because I had no idea what was wrong with me. I felt like I got run over by a truck and wearing clothes hurt. Before my diagnosis, I visited the hospital several times, and they still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. So, I became my own advocate. I kept researching until I found doctors that believed me and helped me during this hard time.
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My story begins in 2004. Over a two-year period I had lost my mother and two aunts. I was working and was enrolled at a university part-time, pursing a master’s degree. I was extremely fatigued and kept getting a sore throat. I believed the fatigue was related to a virus in my body, hence the sore throats, as well as a rigorous school and work schedule. Before being diagnosed, I thought I was going crazy. When I started to notice failing memory (brain fog), I…
I went through a lot of pain and heartache as a child. I had an abusive childhood, an alcoholic dad, I lost my brother when he was just 15, plus I was raised in a Baptist children's home for my teenage years. I was married at 19, pregnant at 20, had my first child at 21, was divorced by 24, and then married again at 27 with two stepchildren. My second husband and I had a child together, a son, before I was 30.
I have actually had to change everything. I try to live in the solution rather than live in the problem like I used to. I exercise, but not too much, I set an alarm to wake up every day at the same time, and I’ve changed what I eat. Instead of isolating myself I make sure I surround myself with family and friends who support me. Although I have tried many homeopathies I take Cymbalta, which does help quite a bit.
I am a massage therapist and was having lots of pain in my hands and wrists along with neck pain. I left work one day in tears from the pain and realized that I had to do something. I made an appointment with a neurologist and got the nerve testing and was diagnosed with carpal tunnel. I was referred to a surgeon who took her time with me and eventually did some tests that showed some pathology making her suspicious of rheumatic concerns. I was…
I can remember having symptoms of fibromyalgia as far back as 12 years old. I was a chronic insomniac even back then, and I had “growing pains” that I now know were not normal. I was tired all the time and had trouble concentrating on anything for very long. Somehow though I got through school and started a career in restaurant management. I was a superstar in management. It was my niche. I rose quickly from shift leader to assistant manager to general manager in…
In September of 2013 I started to feel tiredness, tingling, and heaviness in my legs to the point that I could not stand. In November I started having severe pain in my neck and back. I didn’t know what was happening and I cried because I thought I would die. I had a headache like nothing I’d ever experienced before – it was like my whole scalp hurt, and no painkiller helped. I could not bear the light, my blood sugar levels were low, and…
I used to be one of those people who was always doing something. Now I have to pick my activities a bit differently. Find a doctor you can trust and speak to freely, be kind to yourself and try to manage your stress levels. Love your body, learn your body and pace yourself. Having to pace myself is, and has always been, one of many daily struggles. You will have to try different things until you find what works for your body.
Fibromyalgia rules my life. I have to take one day at a time and do what I am able as each day comes. My best supporters are the people I’ve met who also have fibro, or similar health issues. They are the only ones who truly understand and I thank God for them. They have all been a genuine source of love and support. Find your strength through the good Lord (or your personal higher power) and those who suffer with you. Love everyone, but…
I wasn't officially diagnosed until 1995. This is a hard illness to have and you lose a lot of friends, they don't take you seriously and family members don’t either. Whenever I am frightened or worried, it is the Lord who speaks to my spirit to bring me comfort. Find a good doctor who cares, listens and believes in fibromyalgia; but also be your own advocate (because many doctors won't be). Eat sensibly and exercise each day; it’s so important to learn how much is…
I try very hard to keep going. Just to get out of bed, move, do what I can. I don't want this disease to define me! I do wish my husband and family had a better understanding of the disease, but I fear they believe it’s 'all in my head', and that hurts a lot. Know that it is very real and do not let any person make you feel less than who you know you are! What I once did with zest, I now…
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