{"id":6378,"date":"2024-07-22T02:15:20","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T02:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/justpaste.in\/blogs\/i-have-fibromyalgia\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T19:03:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T19:03:19","slug":"i-have-fibromyalgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justpaste.in\/blogs\/i-have-fibromyalgia\/","title":{"rendered":"Fibromyalgia vs. Me: How I\u2019m Taking Back Control"},"content":{"rendered":"

First, I\u2019m sure you\u2019re wondering what this \u201cthis<\/em>\u201d is which I can\u2019t handle any longer. Let me put it simply for the world to see. \u201cThis<\/em>\u201d can be anything. Hear me out.<\/p>\n

We all have things that we do, things that we have <\/em>to do and things that we love <\/em>doing; but fibromyalgia likes to remind us that she\u2019s here and she wants our attention.<\/p>\n

She is like a nagging little sister. She won\u2019t leave us alone and our mom makes us take her EVERYWHERE<\/em> with us. Ugh.<\/p>\n

Truth be told, my \u201cthis<\/em>\u201d may not be your \u201cthis<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cThis<\/em>\u201d can literally be any activity to which you are not able to dedicate yourself fully because of pain, stiffness, Fibro Fog, you name it.<\/p>\n

Because fibromyalgia holds you back.<\/p>\n

(That nasty little sister\u2026.)<\/em><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s my this<\/em>?<\/u><\/span><\/h2>\n

My \u201cthis<\/em>\u201d yesterday was working, as in, having a paid job.\u00a0 Did I mention that your this<\/em> can change from day to day? No? Well, now I have.<\/p>\n

Oh, and for good measure, I\u2019m going to drop the quotation marks around this<\/em> for two reasons:<\/p>\n

1- it\u2019s really annoying to have to put them around the word \u201cthis\u201d every time I want to mention this. <\/em>So now it will be italicized.<\/p>\n

2- giving our this<\/em> the power of being protected by quotation marks is not going to happen anymore.<\/p>\n

Hiding between quotation bodyguards is a cowardly move and we need to expose our this<\/em> if we want to defeat it!<\/p>\n

So anyway, my this<\/em> yesterday was working. It\u2019s a bit grim and a bit whiny of me to complain having a job. I know. I am aware of my many, many shortcomings, trust me.<\/p>\n

The Universe reminds me often enough that I am just a peon and that it\u2019s having a blast pushing me around the game board. I am also aware that I am fortunate to be able to work at all.<\/p>\n

Between the uncooperative job market and the inability to hold a steady job, you can bet I\u2019ve had my share of rejection job-wise, and I appreciate the fact that I do have a job.<\/p>\n

I am one of the lucky few who has an amazing boss. And I mean, AMAZING<\/em><\/strong>. (Hi Jenna!)<\/p>\n

I have the opportunity to work two days a week at a local cafe (The Pantry in Winsted, MN – come see us!).<\/p>\n

Some weeks go smoothly, and some other weeks, well not so smoothly. My boss is understanding and truly cares about her employees.<\/p>\n

Just the other day, I was able to sweep half the dining room and then my body quit on me.<\/p>\n

Jenna picked up the broom and finished up my task, not once complaining or shaming me or what not. She is that awesome.<\/p>\n

With that said, the customer flow varies from day to day and there is no way to predict how many tables will show up all at once. And yesterday was one of those days when everything was quiet.<\/p>\n

You turn around, next you know, you have a full dining room. This is taxing on my body, and when my body quits, my mind isn\u2019t far behind.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to this morning. I am at work and everything is going well. No issues, I like the cook I\u2019m working with today. All the regulars are here. Looks like my this <\/em>won\u2019t be work today.<\/p>\n

And there this<\/em> hits me. I have an appointment with a neurologist tomorrow. It\u2019s 45 miles away and I can\u2019t drive due to that pesky little seizure I had last month.<\/p>\n

This gets me thinking about all the things I\u2019ve been unable to do lately. Being independent and driving are often taken for granted, but when that independence is taken away from you, that\u2019s when you realize its importance!<\/p>\n

This is a burden I hate bearing. I do not like to ask for help, cause I am always afraid I am imposing on people. I\u2019m not the type to disrupt everyone else\u2019s lives just because\u00a0of me, me, me, look at me!<\/p>\n

I guess my this<\/em> today will be relying on other people for things as trivial as grocery shopping, doctor\u2019s appointments and picking the kids up from school.<\/p>\n

I hate this<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When my this<\/em> hits me, I am oh-so-tempted to whine and lament myself over my boo-hoo sob story.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not ashamed to admit it. And most days, I do wallow in a pool of self-pity and despair, but by golly, I take myself out of that pool as if it were infested with alligators!<\/p>\n

Come on now! Get a grip, Me! I don\u2019t want to give in to this <\/em>and I certainly don\u2019t want this<\/em> to win!<\/p>\n

You\u2019re better than this<\/em>!<\/u><\/span><\/h2>\n

There! That\u2019s the spirit! You are so much better than your this<\/em>! It\u2019s got nothing on you!<\/p>\n

Identifying you are\u00a0this<\/em> is the first step you will need to take to defeat it. Again, keep in mind that your this <\/em>will vary from day to day, and maybe even from hour to hour.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not easy to come to the realization that there is something you just can\u2019t do, simply because Fibromyalgia is in the way.<\/p>\n

Some days, I wonder why fibromyalgia is such a soul sucker. It gets deep down in your being and it twists heart and rips to shreds your hopes.<\/p>\n

Fibromyalgia is the Big Bad Wolf, and we are the Little Riding Hood. And the wolf may have the upper end at the start of the day, but we all know how it ends: the Little Riding Hood prevails and kicks the wolf\u2019s butt!<\/p>\n

Because let\u2019s be honest: if Fibro Warriors were to give up every time we have a bad day\u2026 none of us would be standing today!<\/p>\n

\"I<\/p>\n

Ok, so I know what my this<\/em> is. How do I move on?<\/u><\/span><\/h2>\n

The trick here is not necessary to identify your this<\/em>, though it will make your life overall easier if you can recognize the issue before it drags you down.<\/p>\n

The real trick is to know how to conquer, how to win the fight against this. <\/em><\/p>\n

There are no magical ways to feel better. I know, shocker. A lot has to do with how you can face adversity.<\/p>\n

As a Fibro Warrior, you have had your (un)fair share of hardships. And when everything else seems to be doing great, there is always that one lingering problem.<\/p>\n

Since we\u2019ve established that there is no magic wand I can wave about to make you better, the next best thing is for me to tell you what I personally do when a this<\/em> has me down.<\/p>\n

1- You are not a superhero<\/strong>. It\u2019s hard to admit, but it is OK to have moments of weakness. The trick is to not succumb to the weakness.<\/p>\n

As long as your defeated feeling is temporary, allowing yourself to lament you once in a while is a good thing. It will make you appreciate the good times even more.<\/p>\n

2- Know your enemy. <\/strong>The easier you can identify what brings you down, the more equipped you will be to deal with it.<\/p>\n

I know that some triggers or some this <\/em>are nearly impossible to avoid. But if you know that a particular activity, or time of day, or thought, is bound to bum you out, you can mentally and physically prepare yourself.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s wearing a wrist brace at work, or taking a few minutes to meditate before going to a meeting.<\/p>\n

You are the only one who truly knows, deep down inside your being, what puts you over the edge.<\/p>\n

3- Have a strategy. <\/strong>Just like major cities have escape routes, and just like you should know what to do in case of an emergency, you should have a plan just in case you can\u2019t do this<\/em> anymore.<\/p>\n

A good plan does not need to be elaborate and complex. It can be as simple as breathing exercise, taking a walk around the block or watching funny cat videos on the internet.<\/p>\n

4- You are not weak! <\/strong>It will be very tempting once your this<\/em> hits you to just feel down.\u00a0 Do not be too hard on yourself.<\/p>\n

You are a good person, and bad things sometimes happen to good people.\u00a0 There is no need for you to feel ashamed, or to feel bad about yourself.<\/p>\n

That does not mean that you should weep all day about your condition, of course. But it certainly means that being too hard on yourself will not help anything.<\/p>\n

The idea is to feel better, not worse! So take it easy, and focus your energy on overcoming your this<\/em> rather than spending it on feeling guilty.<\/p>\n

5- You got this<\/em>! <\/strong>You are a rock star, there is no denying your absolute awesomeness!<\/p>\n

Here is the deal: no matter how much you feel overwhelmed, there is nothing you can\u2019t handle. NOTHING! After all, you are a Fibro Warrior!<\/p>\n

But this<\/em> is not fair\u2026<\/u><\/span><\/h2>\n

And I will certainly not try to convince you that this is fair.\u00a0 Of course, it\u2019s not fair. Get ready for some tough love.\u00a0 Ready?\u00a0 OK. Remember what your mama used to tell you?\u00a0 Yep. \u201cLife is not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Well, now that we have re-established some age-old adage, let\u2019s see what we can do to switch things around.<\/p>\n

The fact remains that there will always be things in your daily life that will trigger some unpleasant feelings, and you may from time to time think that you have reached the end of your rope.<\/p>\n

No matter how cheesy this sounds, you need to remember that there are always better days ahead.<\/p>\n

Sure, at first it may not be days, but just hours. And sure, it may take a good long while before you see the bright light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

But you are going in the right direction. After all, the first step to solving a problem is to admit that there is a problem. And since you are reading this, you most likely already know what the problem is.<\/p>\n

So grab the bull by the horns (figuratively speaking, unless you are a ranch hand!), and take back control of your life.\u00a0 Do not allow any type of this<\/em> to dictate your life.\u00a0You are in charge of you.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

No matter what you’re\u00a0this<\/em> might be, you are a Fibro Warrior. Nothing will have you down for too long!<\/p>\n

Do you know what your this<\/em> is? How do you deal with your this<\/em>?\u00a0 Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n

Until next time, Fellow Fibro Warriors!<\/p>\n