If you google fibromyalgia it will say “fibromyalgia is a long term condition that causes widespread pain and chronic fatigue”
If only that was the case and we just had that to deal with!
You see fibromyalgia is so much more than pain and fatigue. It’s a whole life change.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in January 2016 but my symptoms started in late 2012 after a small operation. Not long
after that my mum was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer so I think these two things were what triggered my fibromyalgia.
It then took just over 3 years of appointments, blood tests, scans and every time the answer was always the same
“Your tests came back clear”. Which was always met with feeling happy that I didn’t have a certain condition but then that
feeling of well what is wrong with me? Is it all in my head? and eventually it does start affecting your mental health.
The first symptoms of fibromyalgia are usually pain that seems to come and go or sometimes stay in a certain area, fatigue
which seems to come out of nowhere and headaches. These were mine but other peoples can present differently.
With fibromyalgia you never know what type of day you are going to have which makes planning things with family or friends
very difficult. You hope that you will wake up and feel ok so you don’t have to let anyone down but if you wake up and are
In a flare then comes the horrible task of saying that you have to cancel. Which in turn creates the chronic illness guilt.
Chronic illness guilt is what most sufferers deal with when they are unable to do something that has been planned.
It is such a horrible feeling knowing that you have let someone down and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. This
over time creates a bit of paranoia and gradually you stop making plans which leads to you being housebound most of the
time.
If you do try to make plans then there is usually a plan on the lead up and for afterwards. This is making sure you have a few
rest days beforehand and afterwards.
Sadly there is no cure currently so we are managed by pain medication, antidepressants and changing our lives to fit
our symptoms.
So as you can see fibromyalgia ISN’T just chronic pain and fatigue.
Kommentare