What is your opinion regarding a personalized approach to treating Fibromyalgia?

The challenge with FMS is not only that each individual patient is different but also the suite of symptoms themselves continuously change, with pain, fatigue, IBS, fogginess, hypersensitivity etc... being more prominent at one time of another. As well FMS causes unpredictable reactions to medication that can obfuscate a diagnosis; the same is true when a medication that had been reliable for some time, suddenly stops working and new side effects appear. So each individual case is not only unique, but also extremely complex.

What fun things are just too hard now?

I miss going out, seeing a concert and meeting friends in bars. I miss having the energy to live a fulfilling, social and active life, and being able to pursue a career. Because of FMS I can only work part time in a routine job; by the end of the day there is no juice left in the tank to pursue any of my creative interests. My life is smaller now; I have become more introverted and spend much time alone. Mostly I feel frustrated and unproductive and I loathe not having the energy to go out for a run, cycle to work, or pursue any kind of physical activity!

Tips to Manage Debilitating Headaches

Many of us experience the undelightful headaches that come with chronic widespread pain.

My migraines can last up to 3 days. They are caused either by tension in my shoulder/neck muscles, causing them to become as hard as rock, or by my hormonal cycle (PMS). 

I’ve tried taking Maxalt wafers but they din’d do a thing, so I take strong painkillers (Mersyndol) instead. Mersyndol makes the pain bearable, although I do become dizzy and lethargic from the pills. 

A heated pillow around my shoulders eases some of the muscle tension, and I find that rubbing lavender essential oil on the temples and at the base of my neck is very soothing.

How to Ensure that Fibromyalgia is Not Under Treated

First, the successful management of FMS requires a multidisciplinary approach; in my case this involves healthcare practitioners such as GP, Rheumatologist, Physio, Psychologist, Massage therapist, Exercise physiologist, Naturopath... 

For this reason, it's essential to me, that I successfully establish a good relationship with each specialist.

This means that the rapport needs to be based on trust and clear, two-way communication. 

Secondly, if feel someone isn't on the same page as me, or that I'm not getting the best treatment available, I have no qualms seeking out a new specialist. 

After all: it is my body, my time and my hard-earned cash that are being invested here!!!

A Word About Hugging

At first, in the early years before I knew I had Fibromyalgia, whenever my husband gave me a passionate hug, I'd retreat in agony and anger. 

How could he be such a rogue - didn't he know I was as delicate as a flower? 

Only later did I realise it was not him but me; I was over sentivie! 

The man has the patience of a saint...

How Come I Don't Have It?

Someone at work once asked me what causes Fibromyalgia. I said the exact cause remained unknown; however there were a number of factors that could trigger the syndrome such as viral infections or trauma.

On hearing this, my colleague scoffed and said: “Well if Fibromyalgia is caused by trauma, how come I don’t have it?”

With all due respect for my colleague, who narrowly escaped the 2009 Victorian bushfires only to watch his newly constructed house burn to the ground, I was shocked by this lack of empathy.
This person knows nothing about me, yet I felt I was being judged; what he was really saying was that he had suffered beyond measure and that my suffering would never come close to his. For this reason, I had no excuse for feeling unwell.

When things go wrong in life one can easily become a victim of self-pity; nonetheless, measuring one’s suffering against that of another is in bad taste.

This is not a competition; there are no prises for being the one who has endured the most. And how does one measure trauma anyway?

We must all carry our own burdens. So let’s just get on with it.

Advice on Getting Your Family to Accept You Have Fibromyalgia

Fortunately, my husband is very empathetic and supportive in practical ways. He knows I do the best I can on a daily basis. Having said that, we've been dealing with FMS for many years and at first, it was not obvious to either of us what was really going on and how our lives were changing.
To begin with, I was the one who needed to understand mthe condition and learn how to clearly communicate my needs and feelings.
Instead of pushing my husband away, I had to learn to include him in the FMS management process, and now, we're both on board.
My extended family don't understand, and frankly I don't care. I'm not going to waste any energy trying to convert anyone.
I deal with it by simply asserting my needs and boundaries as required (e.g. no I will not have another glass of wine because it'll give me heartburn - or - I need to go home now because I'm quite fatigued).
I just leave it at that.