I have just recently become a member of the National Fibromyalgia Association. The NFA is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is: To develop and execute programs dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with fibromyalgia. Their website is full of resources and articles about Fibromyalgia, as well as information on programs and regional support groups. In January of this year they began a campaign called Pledge to Care. The Pledge to Care is a way for family members, friends, and healthcare providers to show their support to persons with Fibromyalgia by making a … [Read more...]
Background Noise
I had a good day yesterday, a really good day. It was the kind of day when the pain and fatigue of Fibromyalgia is just faint background noise. Like the noise from the street that you have to really listen for to even remember it is there. And my head! My head was oh so clear and cognitive. Every thought and memory came with clarity and ease. Yesterday was a great day, a day of possibility and I was awake and alive for every moment of it. So I embraced yesterday. I took full advantage of yesterday. I used yesterday to its fullest and enjoyed every second of it. Yesterday is the reason I have … [Read more...]
Things I Love #3: Working From Home
Working from home may be one of the best things to come from living with Fibromyalgia. I have been forced to adjust my career to allow for flare-ups and for days when I am not suitable for human consumption. It has been a gradual transition from the full-time job I had when I was first diagnosed, to my current career as a freelance writer and homebody, but I am very pleased with the direction my career has taken. The doctor who diagnosed me told me plainly and simply, “You are going to have to change your life, and most definitely your career, but you will be able to live and work … [Read more...]
Fibromyalgia Support Group
Maybe my therapist was right, maybe I am a caretaker by nature. That would help explain why I have taken on the responsibility of organizing a local support group for people with Fibromyalgia and chronic pain. I have been interested in starting or joining a Fibromyalgia support group for some time. Partly it is for completely selfish reasons. I want a community I can reach out to; a group that understands how I am feeling without my needing to explain; a group I can turn to for compassion and camaraderie. But mostly it is that I want to help others find hope. I became organizer of the … [Read more...]
Why I Have Neglected my Blog
I wasn’t going to talk about it. I probably shouldn’t talk about it. But now I am going to talk about it. I have spent the last few weeks preparing for a deposition for a lawsuit I am involved in. I have filed a claim against the insurance of a person who rear-ended me. I will not go into the details, but they are 100% liable, and the insurance company is 100% trying to screw me! This accident has changed my entire life. I gave up my lucrative sales position because I could no longer maintain my territory. I have suffered tremendous pain as a result of the accident and my Fibromyalgia … [Read more...]