Celebrate the resilience of Fibromyalgia warriors, sharing stories of strength, tips for managing symptoms, and resources for support and empowerment.
” Trust one who has gone through it”, Virgil Writing those words is psychosomatic, in fact, even thinking about the title makes me feel uncomfortable! Who wants to be labeled as one whose pain is thought to be “JUST in your head” implying it is not real? But, before we go off into a tailspin about that specific demeaning-sounding word, I should begin by saying what I now believe psychosomatic to mean. It certainly does not suggest that those…
“Memory, the warder of the brain”, William Shakespeare It has been a long and interesting journey beginning with my book in which I laid the foundation about why women are more prone to developing or at least reporting FMS, and my conclusion that it is actually caused by an over-aroused nervous system. However, while this was the first step, and the primary one, more has been revealed to me and I am very excited over the…
“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive at this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people”, Thich Nhat Hanh Since I am convinced that fibromyalgia is the result of a hyper-aroused nervous system, I wish I knew for certain if it is caused by early inadequate parenting by our…
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it”, Lena Horne HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND! We Canadians are always so happy our Thanksgiving falls in mid-October when it’s harvest time; the leaves are gorgeous and in full color and if we cook a turkey it is still a long way till Christmas and we can enjoy another one before the year ends without being tired of it! What we also love is that…
Fibromyalgia is often described as a silent battle. For millions around the world, it’s more than chronic pain—it’s an invisible weight that infiltrates every part of daily life. But for a surprising number of sufferers, there’s another distressing symptom that rarely gets the attention it deserves: the unrelenting itch. This is not your average rash or allergy-induced itch. This is the persistent, maddening sensation that feels like it’s burrowed deep beneath the skin—a torment you…
” So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us”, Gaston Bachelard A flare-up, a word for an acute attack of fibromyalgia, can be very alarming if it seems to come out of the air without warning. Even after years of living with fibromyalgia I can become overwhelmed with anxiety about an episode that I can’t account for. Sometimes the flare-up is in a localized area of my body, for example, this…
” To be seventy years young is sometimes far more cheerful and hopeful than to be forty years old”, Oliver Wendell Holmes As we age each new year brings hope of change in a positive direction. Less pain, less fatigue, and better quality sleep are the things I wish for. The new resolutions: try not to overdo like I always do on days when a flare-up has subsided; daily gentle exercises if only for a few minutes off…
“Caring is pivotal to keeping the human enterprise going, yet its function is invisible in the organization of our daily lives”, Sheila Neysmith This is my 50th blog and I have never yet discussed male caregivers! In my book, I discussed with the women living with fibromyalgia the issues regarding the people who supported them (or in many cases, those who did not provide support or understand what it meant to be living with fibromyalgia). Their answers often surprised me. I…
” The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it”, Helen Keller A condition called paresthesia results in numbness, tingling, and pins and needles in the limbs, due to disturbances in the nerve pathways. Those of us with fibromyalgia have what is also known as peripheral neuropathy, most particularly in the legs. For me, it is much worse at night and in my arms, rather than the legs. However, I also…
“The amygdala in the emotional center sees and hears everything that occurs to us instantaneously and is the trigger point for the fight or flight response “, Daniel Goleman. Many years ago I had hoped that it wouldn’t take long before most would finally give up searching for viral/bacterial/hormonal or other CAUSES of fibromyalgia and agree with my theory that this demon is caused by a hyper-aroused nervous system is highly sensitive anxious persons! My book…