Fibromyalgia Support Group
You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.
I keep saying that i am accepting this illness and the change in lifestyle it brings but in reality I don't think I am. I was out of work for 2 months and I have returned part time. I can't believe that even with reduced hours my body is so exhausted by the time I get home. It seems like I will have to make a choice eventually to either give all of my energy to my work day leaving none for my family or stay home and give the energy time to my family. This really sucks!
How does one go from being an active person to being handicapped in a body that just doesn't have the energy to do what the mind is telling it to do? It is so hard to adjust to this.
If anyone has any ideas I'm ALL ears.
Peace and love to all of you.
How does one go from being an active person to being handicapped in a body that just doesn't have the energy to do what the mind is telling it to do? It is so hard to adjust to this.
If anyone has any ideas I'm ALL ears.
Peace and love to all of you.
A lot of illnesses involve one part of the body, or one system. Fibromyalgia, however, involves the entire body and throws all kinds of things out of whack. As bizarre and confusing as the varied symptoms may be, they're tied to very real physical causes.
Fibromyalgia can take someone who is educated, ambitious, hardworking and tireless, and rob them of their ability to work, clean house, exercise, think clearly and ever feel awake or healthy.
It's NOT psychological "burn out" or depression.
It's NOT laziness.
It's NOT whining or malingering.
It IS the result of widespread dysfunction in the body and the brain that's hard to understand, difficult to treat, and, so far, impossible to cure.
The hardest thing for patients, however, is having to live with it. Having the support and understanding of people in their lives can make it a lot easier.
I was just reading about CFS/ FIBRO, everyone is different but so difficult to find something that helps, I did read that it is best to exercise and to move but start off very slowly.
All of us struggle with not being the person we used to be - not being able to do the things we used to do. There was a time in my life (in my 20s) when I was young and uneducated when I did work that involved constant physical labor, and I reveled in both the work and my physical strength and stamina. To say I'm no longer that person is a gross understatement.
In my 30s I had better jobs, but people used to say I should come to work in running shoes because I was in constant motion, and "relaxed" at lunch by walking a fast mile that still left me time to eat my lunch. I went home and did yard work, cleaned my house, took my young child on outings, and did what normal people do.
In my 40s I discovered gyms and formal workouts, weight training, and walk-running. Then I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The pain came before the energy drain, but over time I have become a very different person on the outside from the person I used to be. Standing on my feet for more than a few minutes creates intense pain and muscle spasms, and the hardest thing I do every day is getting out of bed.
Still, I've found work I can do, causes I can support, friends who are happy to know me even if they don't see me often, and a life I can truly call meaningful.
Wasn't easy - took time - still very much a work in progress - but giving in and giving up was never an option - it's just not who I am.
Hang onto hope - there is still a life but it takes time and patience and modifications. It won't be exactly like the one you had, but it can be good.