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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

My Experience of Fibromyalgia


In the spirit of National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, I want to share with you my symptoms of fibromyalgia and what works for me so you can be aware of how this syndrome is affecting me and what I do to cope with it.

Every day I deal with:
  • widespread muscle pain
  • muscle spasms
  • stiffness in the muscles and joints, especially in the morning
  • muscle and joint aches with tender and trigger points
  • numbness and tingling in the hands
  • severe and debilitating fatigue
  • sensitivity to weather and temperature changes
  • sensitivity to some scents and chemical odors
  • sensitivity to medications
  • sensory overload and over stimulation, especially in crowds or noisy/busy environments
  • insomnia
  • sleep apnea
  • disturbed sleep patterns
  • unrefreshed sleep
  • heart palpitations
  • dizziness
  • reduced tolerance for exercise
  • chronic headaches
  • memory problems
  • communication difficulties
What Works for Me:
  • Resting when needed
  • Sleeping as well as possible at night
  • Taking medications (over-the-counter and prescription) as needed
  • Being aware of how much energy I have each day and scheduling my activities accordingly: pacing, planning, saying no, rescheduling as needed
  • Doing something fun every day
  • Making activities "fibro-friendly", i.e. gardening becomes fibro-friendly container gardening
  • Following the Golden Guideline: Pace = Play, Push = Pay
  • Limiting social activities outside the home to no more than once a week
  • Making my home a quiet sanctuary
  • Seeking help from others when needed
  • Finding a balance between treating my chronic health problems and living my life; learning to live my best life despite chronic illness
  • Finding a balance between being open to trying new things to treat my health problems and living within a budget; setting up trial periods to evaluate if something is working and stopping if I am not getting any benefits
  • Praying
  • Making a "NOT TO DO" list and delegating tasks I really have no business doing in my condition


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1 comment

Kelly said...

THIS IS AWESOME! It is so hard to begin a "new" life. I am still one of those push - pay people and right now this pay period has been almost a month. It is not worth it. Keep fighting my friend.