Celebrate the resilience of Fibromyalgia warriors, sharing stories of strength, tips for managing symptoms, and resources for support and empowerment.
It has recently come to my attention that there is another condition that is commonly found in a number of fibromyalgia patients. The condition is called “postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome,” P.O.T.S., also known as postural tachycardia syndrome. The condition is caused by a change from the supine (face down) position to an upright position causing an abnormal increase in heart rate. The increase can range from 30 beats per minute for adults to an increase…
“Breathe and let be”, Jon Kabat-Zinn Within the last two decades, the concept of mindfulness meditation has been adopted by schools, hospitals, businesses, police, and even the military. Those who teach/mentor MM to people in the huge business of organized sport, the corporate world, and the military, no doubt live with some degree of contradiction in their lives. It is not a practice that is focused so much on ethical issues in big business or professional sport (considered by…
“Names are not always what they seem”, Mark Twain How to go about convincing experts and the general population that fibromyalgia is not a disease, but a Medically Unexplained Syndrome (MUS)? It is in fact, a dis-ease. It is mysterious in the ways in which it exhibits itself with a vast array of features, but the cause can be explained as an uneasy central nervous system! What is implied in that name? Generally, it is ‘sore…
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are”, Anaïs Nin One of the common sayings in Mindfulness Meditation is that thoughts are not facts. In chronic pain clinics, we are told that hurt does not necessarily mean harm. B.K.S Iyengar, a yoga master, says to think light and feel light. But what are we to do when we are in a state of high arousal, waiting for disaster to fall, whether…
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear” , Mark Twain Neuroscientists can now tell us amazing things about the brain, they are the experts on the nervous system. The argument that there is or is not a ‘mind’ is no longer relevant. A mind without a brain and a brain without a nervous system are not feasible. It is the mind that alerts us to fear, which may or not be…
“For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little”, Rachel Carson Many of us with fibromyalgia are extremely sensitive to environmental stimulation such as loud noises, dogs barking, loud music, bright lights, frightening images, strong tastes, and even certain smells which can be very provocative. While some smells are deliciously pleasant to many the same ones may not be ones…
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”, Maya Angelou A very interesting interview a while ago on CBC Radio with Michael Enright as host. Dr. Suzanne Koven, who is a Massachusetts General Hospital Writer-in-Residence and a primary care doctor, writes, teaches, and speaks about the healing power of story writing. She was Enright’s guest. It has allowed me to ponder upon my own need to write about fibromyalgia and in turn for others to comment…
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on”, Robert Frost My friend has become my guru for updates on research regarding pain. I take hope because of her personal struggles with the issues surrounding living with acceptance in lieu of catastrophizing. Daily pain is exhausting, depletes our energy, and leaves us with a sense of hopelessness. Each new symptom (and there are many) can be like taking one…
“My own brain is to me the most unaccountable of machinery-always buzzing, humming, soaring roaring diving, and then buried in mud”, Virginia Woolf To live a life in a state of high anxiety, boarding on panic is common among those of us with fibromyalgia. We anticipate pain, fatigue, muddled thoughts, and a myriad of other symptoms almost every waking (and sleeping!) hour. It has become a habit that often seems unable to be broken and…
“He’s (sic) the best physician that knows the worthlessness of most medicines”, Benjamin Franklin This is not a blog about doctor bashing. I have been so fortunate for many decades to have a physician who does not suggest unnecessary tests and is sympathetic, highly intelligent, and comforting. Rather it is about the run around that many people with chronic pain experience as they ‘doctor shop’. Physicians do not want their patients to suffer. However, often they…