Tag Archives: chronicillness

Four reasons I blog about my fibromyalgia journey…

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You may be wondering why I write and blog about my fibromyalgia journey. There are many different reasons behind why I began blogging. Many people probably think I blog to receive attention – wrong assumption! Here are the reasons I began blogging…

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1. After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I soon learned that I was beginning to journey down a pathway that many health care providers and people do not understand. I realized fibromyalgia was recognized as a condition, but it is very much misunderstood. After different “treatment” routes attempted and no improvements noted, my frustration soon set in. I figured people all over the world who are diagnosed with fibromyalgia, must be feeling the exact same frustration as myself. It took me a long time to find the courage to begin my blog, because I was afraid of being judged or my blog would simply fail. After months of deep consideration I started my website and promoted as much as I could. My goal was to help other fibro fighters feel not so alone. Chronic illness can be just that- lonely. It becomes a journey that is only understood by those directly affected by fibromyalgia.

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2. As I research to write blog posts, I learn more information about fibromyalgia. I’ve learned a lot of new information about fibromyalgia – probably more then most health care providers I have seen know. Most doctors know the basic information about fibromyalgia, but are they able to provide information on all the previous fibromyalgia studies completed? Probably not. The more I research, the more quality information I can also share for you all.

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3. Through blogging I am able to find purpose in life. Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I had to stop working, give up my career I trained in and stay home most days to learn to manage my fibromyalgia. I felt a loss of identity ( which is often felt by people with chronic illness). As human beings we seek purpose in life. We wake up, go to work, work towards a goal, ect. When one is diagnosed with chronic pain such as fibromyalgia, our whole life is turned upside down. I find since I started my blog I have a sense of purpose back. Blogging gives me a goal to work towards – helping others. It brings a sense of accomplishment when I see people connecting to what I have written! When you have purpose, you are more likely to actively seek self management for your fibromyalgia!

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I came across a 2018 study which stated that “regular blogging is potentially useful for people with chronic pain as it provides a conduit to enable them to connect with others who understand and share their experiences of pain, possibly encouraging increased participation in personally meaningful life activities, positive pain management experiences, and social connectedness.” You can read the article here.

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4. Raising awareness and fighting stigmas. Writing about fibromyalgia raises awareness – especially if people without fibromyalgia read my blog posts. My posts give people the opportunity to read and understand what living with fibromyalgia is really like. My blogs also help spread fibromyalgia information/awareness to anyone who has just recently been diagnosed as well. When you are newly diagnosed, it can be overwhelming. There is also such a stigma attached to a fibromyalgia diagnosis – even if I can make a small change in one person’s attitude towards chronic pain- I have succeeded!

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There you have it! The four main reasons I decided to begin blogging about my journey with fibromyalgia. I hope as you read my blog posts, at least one post resonates with you!

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Before fibromyalgia is diagnosed, many other conditions should be ruled out. There are many conditions that can mimic fibromyalgia!

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Polymyalgia rheumatica

Polymyalgia rheumatica is an inflammatory disorder that can result in muscle pain, stiffness, muscle weakness, flulike symptoms and sleep disruptions. Before I got my diagnosis of fibromyalgia my doctor was debating whether my condition was polymyalgia or fibromyalgia. He was very certain I had one or the either. He ran a blood test to see if I had high inflammation markers to help diagnose. I had very little inflammation markers found – which led my doctor to believe it was fibromyalgia. One can still be diagnosed with polymyalgia even if there is low inflammation found. Polymyalgia can be treated with a corticosteroids.

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You can read more about polymyalgia rheumatica here.

Rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is also an inflammatory disease. In rheumatoid arthritis the lining of your joints is affected. It causes painful inflammation that can lead to bone erosion and joint deformity! I originally went to the doctor because my finger joints were very painful and beginning to throb. My elbows were the same as my hands. According to blood test results, I was not showing signs of any autoimmune diseases and had a negative CPP result. A CCP blood test can usually detect antibodies present in rheumatoid arthritis. To be cautious my doctor referred me to a rheumatologist who screened me for RA. The rheumatologist did ultrasounds on both hands and my elbows. There was no evidence in my joints of any inflammatory joint disease being present. At this point RA was ruled out and the rheumatologist confirmed a diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

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You can read more on rheumatoid arthritis here.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the central nervous system ( brain and spinal cord). The immune system will attack the myelin sheath that surrounds your nerves. It results in inflammation and destroys nerve cell processes and myelin. MS can cause pain, fatigue, stiffness, numbness and tingling and more. Often times health care providers will order an MRI to help determine if it is MS. Multiple sclerosis can cause lesions to form on the brain and cervical spinal cord. My doctor agreed to order an MRI. We both figured nothing would show. Results showed one lesion on my brain stem – usually where MS lesions are found. I was referred to a neurologist. The neurologist repeated the MRI. no other lesions were found. The lesion found was most likely causes by my migraines.

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You can read more on MS here.

Lupus

Lupus can also be misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. However lupus is an autoimmune disease. Lupus involves widespread inflammation throughout the body and affects many organs. Your immune system will attack its own tissues and organs resulting in inflammation. Lupus can cause fatigue, muscle pain, fevers, headaches etc. Doctors can run a blood test to check your ANA levels in your body. A positive ANA test may mean you have lupus. 97% of people with lupus have antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in their blood. Keep in mind Just because your ANA test is positive doesn’t always mean you have lupus. My doctor ruled out lupus as my inflammatory markers were low and My ANA was negative. The rheumatologist also agreed I did not have lupus due to all blood work indicating negative results. I know people who had a negative ANA reading and still got diagnosed with Lupus.

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You can read more about lupus here.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome usually accompanies fibromyalgia. However, they are both completely different conditions. CFS symptoms can mimic fibromyalgia symptoms. Once again chronic fatigue syndrome is difficult to diagnose just like fibromyalgia. Fatigue does accompany fibromyalgia, but the fatigue felt in CFS can be worse and life altering. I have not been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, but I stand firm when I tell many health care providers that I have it. I suffer from daily sore throats, swollen lymph nodes, fevers, awake unrefreshed and any physical/emotional stress causes extreme exhaustion to result. This year I will be pushing the subject of CFS with my doctor.

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You can read more on CFS here.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi. People can contract it from ticks. Lyme has many fibromyalgia symptoms such as muscle/joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fatigue, and rashes. In Canada it can be very difficult to get tested for Lyme disease. We do have testing for it, but I often hear it is not very reliable. Many people will seek Lyme testing in the USA or pay to see a natural path who can test for it, but it is sent to Germany to actually be tested. I often hear that even if it does come back positive, health care providers still so not accept the results. Maybe where you live, you have better options to being tested for Lyme disease.

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You can read more about lyme here.

Thyroid diseases

People with hypothyroidism may display symptoms of fibromyalgia such as fatigue, depression and muscle/joint pain. Hypothyroidism results when your thyroid doesn’t produce enough hormone. A simple blood test can confirm if you have hypothyroidism. It will test your TSH levels. (thyroid stimulating hormone) My doctor quickly ordered blood work, which indicated my thyroid was working as it should.

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Read more about hypothyroidism here:

Hashimoto’s disease can also be mistaken for fibromyalgia. Hashimoto’s is actually an autoimmune disorder. A health care provider can order a test to see if there are specific antibodies in your body. The antibodies created by your immune system attack thyroid cells as if they were bacteria or viruses – leading to damaged cells and cell death.

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Read more about Hashimoto’s here:

I am sure there are possibly more conditions that can be mistaken for fibromyalgia. However, these are the ones that come to mind. I’ve had many of these conditions ruled out from blood work. Many are autoimmune diseases and my blood work indicates no autoimmune diseases detected. One can still be diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder with negative indicators – but in my case it has been ruled out.

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12 ways I hide my Fibromyalgia Pain and other symptoms

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1. People with chronic pain learn to hide their pain well. You are probably thinking – pain is not visible. Pain itself isn’t visible, but when my pain levels are so intense – it makes me drop e to the floor and all I can do is cry. That is visible! Just because I have a smile on my face, doesn’t mean I don’t have pain. I have pain everyday – the only thing that changes is the intensity levels of the pain. The pain does not go away.

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2. I stay at home on my worst days. No one ever sees my worst days. I only tend to leave the house when I feel not too bad. Even doctors hardly ever see my bad days, yet alone friends. Since you only see me on my good days, you may think fibromyalgia isn’t as bad as it seems. If you take a few moments to speak to the people I live with – who witness my bad days head on, you may actually take a step back and realize how painful and life altering fibromyalgia can be.

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3. I often pretend the pain I have isn’t there. I may have pain in my knees, but try to walk and carry myself as if the pain isn’t there. When you see me at the store and stop to talk, you won’t know I’m having that extreme knee pain nor will you find I mention pain at all. Unless others experience chronic pain themselves, they will never understand what it feels like. It is not your everyday pain – it is worse.

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4. I use a lot of medications to drown out the pain so I can half function when I leave the house. I don’t mean just take a Tylenol. Tylenol doesn’t ease my levels of pain like it may ease your backpain. You should see the endless bottles of prescription medications I take daily. You may understand after seeing my “pharmacy” in the kitchen cupboard how I am able to half function. If I do not take these medications I can’t even get out of bed, yet alone function to leave the house.

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5. I force myself to be okay when I am actually not. I may tell you I’m ok, but inside my body wants to just shut down and collapse to the ground. When you see me, I may want to actually lay down like a 2 year old kicking and screaming in a temper tantrum, from the frustration that goes along with any chronic illness – but instead I force a fake smile upon my face.

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6. I often isolate myself from having to socialize with others. It is easier to stay home then explain to people why I do not work or why I have to leave a get together suddenly because I need to rest. I don’t like to explain to people why I don’t work and why I am not having an alcoholic beverage! To be honest socializing can become absolutely exhausting for people who deal with chronic pain 24/7.

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7. I hide the emotional aspect of fibromyalgia, I used to be embarrassed about the mental toll fibromyalgia has had on me. Chronic illnesses can create anxiety, depression and panic attacks to form. I bet when you talk to me you would never know I actually have an extreme anxiety disorder. It is being managed, but circumstances and pain levels can trigger an anxiety attack to take place.

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8. I usually give a short answer when Asked how Am I doing. It is too hard to actually explain how I am doing. I often say I am doing okay when I am not to avoid being told, ” I hope you feel better soon!” I have a chronic pain condition with no cure. Chronic means it will most likely not go away.

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9. I tend to hide my pain behind humor. I may be in pain, but I still can joke. Might as well joke instead of cry.

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10. When you see me you may think I dress the way I do to be comfortable. The truth is the baggy sweaters and sweat pants hide my bloated stomach. Many people with fibromyalgia also suffer from stomach issues. I am one of those “lucky” people.

11. People often ask why I don’t feel well. If I know they won’t be able to fully understand what fibromyalgia is I often say I must have a flu bug or a migraine. It is just easier then having to explain to people what fibromyalgia is and how it affects me.

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12. I often forget what I am saying and lose my train of thought. It is part of fibro fog, but I often joke it must be “old age ” setting in, instead of explaining why my cognitive functioning is affected by fibromyalgia.

Does fibromyalgia weaken the immune system? According to researchers it does!

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Does fibromyalgia weaken our immune system?! We are usually told it doesn’t, but sometimes I wonder how accurate this information is. Doctors never seem to share the studies done on fibromyalgia. Why is it when we do get sick, it feels 3x as bad!?! At least for myself it does. Fibromyalgia seems to amplify whatever illness you are battling off at the time. I also find that it takes me longer to recover. I just got the news yesterday that I tested positive for strep throat. I’ve had strep throat several times before my fibromyalgia diagnosis. Now it feels like the symptoms of strep are worse. I know the strains of the strep virus change and alter overtime and become stronger, but I also feel like my body does not handle getting sick very well anymore.

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Does fibromyalgia cause our immune system to be weak!? Even though we are told by doctors that fibromyalgia doesn’t weaken our immune system, are our doctors familiar with research and studies being done on fibromyalgia?!! According to a study completed, various reports prove that fibromyalgia does in fact weaken our immune system. A study revealed that patients with fibromyalgia were exhibiting higher white blood cell count and cytokines ( immune cells) then people without fibromyalgia.

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A similar study reported that fibromyalgia weakens our brains immune system. A reduced blood flow to the brains pain center results and affects neuron receptors. This will lead to increased pain , and higher stress levels. Your immune system will become weak and and will be incapable of fighting off bacteria.

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People with fibromyalgia often have lower cortisol ( primary stress hormone) levels. Lower cortisol levels cause an increased level of estrogen to form in the body. Estrogen is seen to have a strong effect on the immune system. When there are high levels of estrogen in the body, the immune system is more likely to have an autoimmune response. This series of events causes progestin in the body to decrease. When progestin is low our immune system may tend to flare a lot . The fluctuation of these hormone levels are know to weaken our immune system. ( 2021 study showed an immune response was found).

Other factors that can also lower ones immune system are lack of sleep which people with fibromyalgia often battle and chronic fatigue levels. When people with fibromyalgia get sick with a cold, flu, sinus infection or in my case strep throat, it puts extra stress on our body. The stress our body feels from being sick can trigger a fibromyalgia flare. The flare up can intensify both fibromyalgia symptoms and illness symptoms all at once making it feel like you are even sicker! It is best to prevent getting sick. If you do get sick, self care is needed. Be sure to take care of yourself!

https://southernpainclinic.com/blog/why-does-fibromyalgia-weaken-the-immune-system/

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Fibromyalgia what you should know about me…

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT Me

Author’s note: This letter is based on communications with people throughout the world, males and females, who suffer from fibromyalgia. It does not represent any one of the over 10,000,000 people with FMS, but it can help the healthy person understand how devastating this illness can be. Please do not take these people and their pain lightly. You wouldn’t want to spend even a day in their shoes…or their bodies. This is not my post. Im just reposting to share with everyone!

  • My pain – My pain is not your pain. It is not caused by inflammation. Taking your arthritis medication will not help me. I can not work my pain out or shake it off. It is not even a pain that stays put. Today it is in my shoulder, but tomorrow it may be in my foot or gone. My pain is believed to be caused by improper signals sent to the brain, possibly due to sleep disorders. It is not well understood, but it is real.
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2. My fatigue – I am not merely tired. I am often in a severe state of exhaustion. I may want to participate in physical activities, but I can’t. Please do not take this personally. If you saw me shopping in the mall yesterday, but I can’t help you with yard work today, it isn’t because I don’t want to. I am, most likely, paying the price for stressing my muscles beyond their capability.

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3. My forgetfulness – Those of us who suffer from it call it fibrofog. I may not remember your name, but I do remember you. I may not remember what I promised to do for you, even though you told me just seconds ago. My problem has nothing to do with my age but may be related to sleep deprivation. I do not have a selective memory. On some days, I just don’t have any short-term memory at all.

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4. My clumsiness – If I step on your toes or run into you five times in a crowd, I am not purposely targeting you. I do not have the muscle control for that. If you are behind me on the stairs, please be patient. These days, I take life and stairwells one step at a time.

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5. My sensitivities – I just can’t stand it! “It” could be any number of things: bright sunlight, loud or high-pitched noises, odors. FMS has been called the “aggravating everything disorder.” So don’t make me open the drapes or listen to your child scream. I really can’t stand it.

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6. My intolerance – I can’t stand heat, either. Or humidity. If I am a man, I sweat…profusely. If I am a lady, I perspire. Both are equally embarrassing, so please don’t feel compelled to point this shortcoming out to me. I know. And don’t be surprised if I shake uncontrollably when it’s cold. I don’t tolerate cold, either. My internal thermostat is broken, and nobody knows how to fix it.

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7. My depression – Yes, there are days when I would rather stay in bed or in the house or die. I have lost count of how many of Dr. Kevorkian’s patients suffered from FMS as well as other related illnesses. Severe, unrelenting pain can cause depression. Your sincere concern and understanding can pull me back from the brink. Your snide remarks can tip me over the edge.

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8. My stress – My body does not handle stress well. If I have to give up my job, work part time, or handle my responsibilities from home, I’m not lazy. Everyday stresses make my symptoms worse and can incapacitate me completely.

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9. My weight – I may be fat or I may be skinny. Either way, it is not by choice. My body is not your body. My appestat is broken, and nobody can tell me how to fix it.

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10. My need for therapy – If I get a massage every week, don’t envy me. My massage is not your massage. Consider how a massage would feel if that charley horse you had in your leg last week was all over your body. Massaging it out was very painful, but it had to be done. My body is knot-filled. If I can stand the pain, regular massage can help, at least temporarily.

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11. My good days – If you see me smiling and functioning normally, don’t assume I am well. I suffer from a chronic pain and fatigue illness with no cure. I can have my good days or weeks or even months. In fact, the good days are what keep me going.

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12. my uniqueness – Even those who suffer from FMS are not alike. That means I may not have all of the problems mentioned above. I do have pain above and below the waist and on both sides of my body which has lasted for a very long time. I may have migraines or hip pain or shoulder pain or knee pain, but I do not have exactly the same pain as anyone else.

I hope that this helps you understand me, but if you still doubt my pain, your local bookstore, library and the internet have many good books and articles on fibromyalgia.

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What fibromyalgia pain may feel like. Real life examples…

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We all know that fibromyalgia is an invisible condition. I decided to explain what fibromyalgia would look like and feel like to people without fibromyalgia.

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I am including a sensitivity warning on this post as I have visually described what some fibromyalgia pain can feel like! If reading such imagery, I suggest you not read this post.

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1. Have you ever had a huge bruise somewhere on your body that hurts when you barely touch it?! The type of bruise that turns dark purple/ blue and stays for over a week?!! Image your entire body covered head to toe in bruises. Pretty painful thinking about it. I often tell people my body feels so bruised up. The below picture is a image that represents fibromyalgia pain well. This image often circulates on fibromyalgia groups with a description stating, “If fibromyalgia were visible!”

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2. Ever dropped a glass item and watched it shatter such as a drinking glass? I know I have and picking up the glass, results in possibilities of getting glass splinters in your fingers or accidentally stepping on a piece. Now image the spot where the shard entered getting infected and the area starts to throb. Try to image that feeling in every muscle you have – there are over 600 muscles in your body.

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3. Have you ever been on an acreage or farm that has barbed wire fences installed?!? The barbs on the fence are very sharp. I know I’ve cut my finger on these fences and snagged my clothing. Now image a piece of barbed wire wrapped around your legs and arms. The bards dig in and feel uncomfortable and possibly cut your skin. Now imagine someone pulling that piece of barbed wire tighter. What an unpleasant thought, yet alone feeling! Welcome to what fibromyalgia pain can be compared to.

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4. We have all received a static shock at some point in our lives unintentionally. Clothing creates shocks during the winter months. Imagine feeling like you are being shocked all day with no break. Everything you touch shocks you. Every step generates a shock. The feeling can become annoying or uncomfortable. Imagine putting on fuzzy socks and dragging your feet across the rug. It creates lots of shocks back to back. Now image these shocks in your brain or in every muscle in your body at once. Ouch!!

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5. Ahh! Sunshine!! Image you are Enjoying a beautiful day at the beach, not a worry in sight… until the next day when you realize you forgot to apply the sunscreen. Your skin is screaming back at you as you try to soothe the redness. Your sunburnt area is so sore even applying aloe makes you want to cry or the touch of your shirt lightly resting on your skin is unbearable. People with fibromyalgia can experience sensations like their skin has been burnt, with no relief. The touch of wearing clothing is enough to make us want to scream. People with fibromyalgia often get rashes on their body that can burn. I have experienced a few of these attacks.

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6. Image sitting around a relaxing campfire on a beautiful summer evening. You throw a piece of wood on the fire that begins to spit hot coals from the fire and sparks. Have you ever had a spark land on your skin and it hurts?! People with fibromyalgia can also experience these sensations without the visible sparks. It isn’t just one spark, its continuous spark pain for hours on end – even days..

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7. Imagine you just got off a long shift at work. You are exhausted and feel like you have been through the wringer! Now force yourself to stay awake. The fatigue a person with fibromyalgia feels everyday is equivalent to someone without fibromyalgia not sleeping at all for three days! Can you function if you were to stay awake for three days straight? Not even a 5 minute cat nap? I bet the answer is no.

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Fibromyalgia might be invisible, but there are many ways to visualize and represent what fibromyalgia pain can feel like. These are only six that I have written about. There are many more examples that come to mind.

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What happens if you start your day with selfcare….

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When I got diagnosed with fibromyalgia I bought the book “Let that Sh*t Go” – written by Nina Purewal and Kate Petriw. This book has been an eye opener and has helped me look at life differently. In one of the chapters they write about how self love is selfless. The chapter begins by having you imagine that you just woke up and so many thoughts begin to flow – listing off everything you need to do that today. Instead of getting ready and jumping right into that to do list, what if you started your day off with something you absolutely enjoy like reading a book for 30 minutes before begin that long list of yours?!! How do you think the rest of your day would pan out!?!

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I decided to put it to the test to see if it really made a difference. Instead of worrying about housework, what I would cook for supper, ect – or in my case what wouldn’t get done due to high pain levels and fatigue, I allowed myself to watch an episode of a favorite tv show, listened to music or a couple chapters of my audiobook. I found taking time to start my day this way made a huge difference. I was able to handle most high pain days a little better. Not everyday, but most. Being on disability, my schedule allowed me to be able to do this. I know lots of you reading this may not have the opportunity to do something just for yourself first thing in the morning, but what about a few small things throughout the day? Even calling your best friend for 5 minutes can be considered self care or take a minute to take a deep breathe in and out. The authors of this book, explain the purpose of starting your day by doing a self care activity, is so that you don’t start your day overwhelmed and anxious. Instead of trying to pour from an empty cup, you start your day with a full cup. For those of you who have not heard this saying, it basically means you can’t take care of others ( or in this case your to do list) unless you first take care of yourself!

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I believe the saying is true to its words. How can you go to work and be productive, care for your family, coach hockey, be supportive to friends ect. if you are running on empty all of the time?!? The answer is you can’t – or at least not effectively. Not taking time for self care actually has many negative effects. We will notice that when we get run down, and don’t stop to take a break, we often get sick more often. When we don’t slow down, we feel overwhelmed, exhausted and anxious when things don’t go our way. At least I do. Being stressed can create tense muscles and headaches to form. For people with fibromyalgia, adding tense muscles from stress is not going to help our pain levels, but will result with increased pain.

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Self care is a very important aspect in anyone’s life , but for those who have a chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, it becomes necessary for survival. Life gets so hectic that many people forget to incorporates self care routines into their lives. Making time for selfcare has proven to be beneficially. Self care helps reduce or eliminate stress, anxiety and depression. It can also increase your mental health and self esteem, along with improving your physical health. These are just a few benefits to practicing self care. There are many other benefits.

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Taking some time for yourself, will help you be in a “happy zone” which then tends to have a trickle down effect. Ever had one of those days where everything goes wrong? One incident after the other seems to take place? Now imagine yourself starting that day over, but starting it by doing a self care activity first. You begin your day with your cup full. The result will most likely be that you will handle your day completely different. The coffee you spilled all over your meeting notes in your office may not seem like such a big deal. Your child missing the bus home may not throw you over the edge. Why? because you took the time to start your day by taking care of yourself!

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What can cause a fibromyalgia flare up…

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1. Weather changes or season changes. The constant changes in weather can contribute to fibromyalgia flares arising. Every fall my body responds poorly to the change of seasons – summer to fall. As the cooler temperatures set in, my aches and pains soon become consistent deep down to the bone pain. The colder the temperature drops the worse my pain levels become. The chronic fatigue becomes even more debilitating – making tasks even harder to complete. Getting out of bed in the morning itself is a challenge. I keep telling everyone that I need to win the lottery and buy my own tropical island. For myself warmer weather eases my pain levels. Other people, find heat difficult to handle. Everyone’s body is different. If I wake up with deep down aching during the spring and summer months – I often know the humidity is usually going to be high or if rain is on its way. Who needs a weather app when your body tells you the weather as soon as you wake up!!

2. Stress can also create a flare up to form. As we all know stress is not kind to our bodies, even without factoring fibromyalgia into the picture. Stress weakens our bodies, causing our body to become vulnerable. For people with fibromyalgia, the stress response tends to be heightened symptoms. It is very important for people who live with fibromyalgia to learn how to manage their stress in their lives.

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3. Over exertion. People with fibromyalgia or any chronic pain disorder need to pace themselves even on their good days. Its probably not a good idea to clean the house, go get groceries, run errands, and attend a friend’s birthday party in the evening. Trying to accomplish too much will cause over exertion and a fibro flare will result! I often make this mistake and then end up bed ridden for days to come.

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4. Illness. Even a common cold can create a flare up. People with fibromyalgia tend to have a cold or flu worse then people without fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia can cause inflammation in the body and then add in a cold or flu that may cause further inflammation to form is unpleasant. I often wonder why when I get a cold it seems three times as bad then before my fibromyalgia diagnosis. According to my lab work my immune system is working as it should with no limitations detected , but yet it takes me longer to recover from the cold. Prevention is the key! Avoid being around other people who are sick.

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5. Lack of sleep. One bad night of sleep can cause a major flare up. This happens to me often as I have insomnia plus pain levels wake me up through out the night. Once I wake up, there is a slim chance of me falling back to sleep. For the last week, I have been waking up at three or four am, and then I can’t get back to sleep. It makes for a very long day. Even if I go to bed an hour later then I normally do the pain levels and chronic fatigue both hit a level of ten!

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6. Hormonal changes. Changes in hormone level can cause one to experience a flare. A women’s menstrual cycle, causes hormone levels to fluctuate. These fluctuations can be enough stress on the body to create a flare up! Thinking about it…is it really a flare up or does fibromyalgia just make a women’s menstrual cycle symptoms feel worse?!? I’ll let you be the judge of that question! I don’t really have the answer ro my own question. Just food for thought.

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7. Treatment changes. Adding new medications can cause a person’s body to react. Maybe the increased dosage your doctor prescribed caused some of your symptoms to get worse. I recently had a dosage increase of medication and I felt nauseated everyday for two weeks. I often get nausea, but this was worse. Even adding in a treatment pain such as light stretches can cause higher pain levels and fatigue to form. Any changes to your treatment plan causes stress to your body. The stress then is not tolerated well causing a flare up! I changed both my medications at the same time which caused extreme stress to my body. I probably should have increased each medication separately instead of at the same time.

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8. Travelling. For myself this is a major cause for a flare up. When we travel we have to sit in a vehicle or whatever means of transportation you take for extended amounts of time. This in itself is hard on your body. Sitting in a vehicle creates pain levels to increase which causes fatigue to set in from mentally enduring the higher pain levels. When you travel daily routines are also set aside for the day or even several days. After I travel I always go into a very bad flare up that lasts for days or even up to a week later.

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9. Individual sensitivities. This can range from certain scents, brightness of light, loudness or even triggered by an allergy. You may have other sensitivities. For myself I have become sensitive to scents. Stores that use sir fresheners or are using essential oils can trigger me to go into a flare. I have gone into several stores and had to immediately leave due to the scents. Loud noises is also a trigger for me.

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Five of the Hardest “pills” to swallow when diagnosed with a chronic condition

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I saw the above picture floating around facebook this week and realized how true these statements are.

Five of the hardest “pills” to swallow in regards to chronic illnesses:

1. Giving up your career. Most people who get diagnosed with chronic conditions often have to face the dilemma of continuing to work or giving up their career or job they are employed in. No matter what job path you follow, the road can become difficult when you factor in a chronic condition like fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is very unpredictable and varies day to day. While battling the intense pain, extreme fatigue and any other symptoms that arise, punctuality at a job dwindles. Did you know the pain chronic pain sufferers feel would send people without pain conditions to the hospital seeking relief?!? If I went to the hospital every time I had pain, I would live there because the pain never really goes away. Most people will continue to work for as long as they can to avoid financial burdens. Let’s face it, cost of living is getting expensive and continues to rise every day. Others may not have the opportunity to even consider limiting work hours or ceasing work completely – so they carry on ignoring the pain and other symptoms the best they can. Everyone’s situation will be different, and each and every one of us will have to make the best choice for our circumstances. There are a lot of aspects to consider before making your choice. Writing a pro and con list may help you make your decision. In a study it showed that working can improve one’s overall health and well-being, along with decreased fatigue and pain levels. I’m not so sure I agree with this study, as I found the complete opposite. Maybe for some people fibromyalgia is milder and not so disabling, but for myself I felt I could not continue to work due to the unpredictability and forever changing symptoms that rear their ugly heads. Working as an educational assistant in schools with children with developmental challenges became too overwhelming and demanding that I remained off of work.

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2. There is no cure for your illness. Before I got my solid diagnosis, I yearned to know what was wrong with me. All the unexplained symptoms were very mentally and physically draining. When I finally got told it was fibromyalgia, I was happy to have a diagnosis, but finding out there is no cure is a slap in the face. It usually takes a long time period before one is diagnosed with fibromyalgia, leaving that person trying to manage the symptoms until then. We learn how quickly fibromyalgia can alter life – then to be told there is no cure is difficult to absorb. You wonder how you will survive the rest of your life in pain and start to wonder if you have the strength to do so- somehow you manage to find the courage to get through each day. It can be overwhelming to think about trying to manage a condition the rest of your life that is forever changing. Day by day! That is my best advice. I find looking too far ahead is overwhelming and the anxiety begins to set in. I learn to wake up each morning and gage what my day may look like. If I wake up feeling not well and in pain my day is low key.

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3. Losing friendships/relationships

Sadly, chronic pain conditions can put a strain on one’s friendships and relationships. When one is diagnosed with a chronic condition their capabilities alter daily. Friends I once had connections with, I know longer do because of the limitations fibromyalgia creates. I find myself scared to make plans, because I never know how I will feel. Family and friends may not understand why you avoid going out with them – I try to be honest and make sure they know it is for this reason and I am not avoiding them personally. Your once shared hobbies/activities may soon not be able to be your hobbies anymore due to your condition. For example, you may have joined a sports team such as pickleball or badminton but had to give it up due to high pain levels. You soon lose connection with the other team members because you no longer have anything in common. Fibromyalgia can also strain marriages. A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic reported the following: 1. One out of four felt that his or her spouse didn’t understand fibromyalgia. 2. One out of ten people reported fibromyalgia helped lead to a breakup. I’m lucky in this aspect. My boyfriend is very understanding and supportive.

Chronic pain sufferers will also isolate themselves socially. I know I have. Going out or to visit people can become exhausting. I’m always hesitant to go too far from home because I’m scared the pain or fatigue will go out of control (which happens often). To those reading this who do not have fibromyalgia, I want you to know we do want to engage but dealing with chronic pain makes it difficult. The friends who still message, stop by for visits and understand why we cancel plans spontaneously – thank you!

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4. Yearning to do things your body no longer allows. After being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my entire life changed. Pain and fatigue put a major damper on how one used to live their life. I miss being spontaneous and taking random road trips just because I could. Now road trips have to be planned carefully and around how I feel. I’ve had to learn to let hobbies go and learn to love new hobbies. I used to love to walk long trails and hike, now if I push myself to do these activities, I know I will be bed ridden for days to come. I’m slowly learning I have to be ok with driving around to look at the sceneries more than hike through them. I used to read a novel a week. I’ve had to learn to love audiobooks, because I can’t concentrate enough to read the sentences to myself. I even tried other activities such as paint by numbers, diamond painting and began puzzles again. What do you miss?!

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5. Accepting you are chronically ill. This is one of the hardest things to do. If you have not read my blog on the grief cycle, please do! Acceptance is the last step in the cycle – a very difficult step at that. Lots of people never really learn to accept being chronically ill. we just learn to be ok with it as life carries on. It took me almost three years to accept my condition and not be so angry all the time. There is no time frame to accepting your reality – of being chronically ill!