Introduction There is a kind of exhaustion that sleep does not fix, a kind of pain that does not show on the outside, and a kind of daily negotiation with the body that most people…
Fibromyalgia has Changed all my Relationships
Relationships can be difficult for healthy individuals. They are even harder when you add the complications of being in constant pain, severe fatigue, anxiety/depression and cognitive impairment. There are many types of interpersonal relationships. Some…
Swept under the rug of Fibro…
I am like most fibromites. I struggled to get someone to believe that there was something wrong and that my symptoms were not just “in my head.” Prior to being diagnosed with fibro, I racked up…
Benefits of Back to School; working with fibromyalgia
It is that time of year when school supplies are lining the store shelves and proud parents are posting first day of school pictures. I have said it time and time again that I am…
My Story for Lady Gaga
Introduction This is my story, written as if it could reach someone whose music has often felt like a voice for people who struggle quietly behind the surface of their everyday lives. It is not…
Born This Way – Me & Lady Gaga (Me & My Story of Identity, Acceptance, and Healing Through Music)
Introduction There are songs that play in the background of life, and then there are songs that feel like they arrive at the exact moment they are needed. Born This Way by Lady Gaga is…
Finding Your Faith Within Fibromyalgia by Miashy Straus
Introduction Living with fibromyalgia often means learning to exist in a body that does not always cooperate with expectations, plans, or desires. Pain can appear without warning, fatigue can feel overwhelming even after rest, and…
That was Then…This is Now Life with Fibromyalgia
Alarm rings at 5 a.m. I jump out of bed to start making fresh blueberry muffins and the evening’s crock-pot dinner. Out the door by 6 a.m. for a full day (up to 10 hours)…
Pleasure, pain brain signals disrupted in fibromyalgia patients
New research indicates that a disruption of brain signals for reward and punishment contributes to increased pain sensitivity, known as hyperalgesia, in fibromyalgia patients. Results published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal of the American…
Young People Report Worse Fibromyalgia Than Older Patients
Introduction Fibromyalgia is often thought of as a condition that becomes more common or more difficult with age, but patient reports and clinical observations suggest a more complicated reality. Many younger people living with fibromyalgia…