Fibromyalgia isn’t about me, it’s not me and it’s not a pity party.
I am a whole person who has an illness or several but has many other aspects to my life that have to be met.
There’s a saying, you become what you think about. that works for the positive and the negative. If all you think about, read about, talk, and WRITE about is Fibromyalgia you become Fibromyalgia. You control your internal language.
I am grateful for the simplest of things, if the ice doesn’t spill over into the floor I’m grateful. If I cook dinner or even participate in cooking dinner, I’m grateful. I have to give myself some grace. There are many times when these things aren’t possible but if I’m not grateful for what I have then what do I have?
Our Mental Health is as important as our physical health if not more important. We can’t function fully in life with poor mental health. If I need to take a nap or sleep several days in a row, I don’t beat myself up over it. I don’t make Fibromyalgia personal, it’s an illness, not me. Again that’s where grace comes in. Work hard to take think about the positives vs the negatives.
Fibromyalgia is one of many invisible illnesses and it can be difficult for those who love us and those around us to understand. You owe no one an explanation for your illness, by that I mean, if a person doesn’t believe or continually ask but doesn’t understand, it’s not on you to change their mind or educate them. If someone cares enough about you they will look the information up and educate themselves in an effort to better communicate and support you.
Doctors can be our greatest allies or nightmare! That’s a fact we have to accept, it sucks but it’s reality. We aren’t going to change it and we can’t keep asking why. What we can do is stay the course. Take excellent notes, use a journal or a wellness guide, be specific with symptoms or the best you can. Sometimes there aren’t words for what we are feeling, give an analogy or something to help them understand what you are experiencing. Be optimistic, go into each appointment with high expectations but know that it may not find the answer. You stay the course and find another doctor, each one will get you closer to the answer. Don’t give up.
Melinda
Looking for the Light 
Sometimes I’m torn on whether I should continue to share my journey, because I don’t want to be so soaked in Fibromyalgia. However, for the time being, anyhow, I really think I am figuring out how to not become Fibromyalgia even though I am advocating and educating about it. If we don’t share, I don’t know how things will ever get better for those living with Fibromyalgia. Thank you for all you do to bring light and encouragement to those of us living with Fibromyalgia.
PS – Thank you for capitalizing Fibromyalgia 🙂
Katie
The ones I’m talking about in this post are the ones who write about how negative or horrible it is and very few answers. There are some in the group who writes the same regurgitated post every week with little effort on their part to be proactive to change their life for the better. That isn’t you by a long shot!!!!! We have to share, but like you, I have a whole life and sometimes it’s good. We have to share the good bad and ugly. If It’s all bad then how do we motivate others. It was not meant to offend but maybe open a few eyes.
Exactly! Never give up! ❤ hugs!
Nver!