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