Your Support System for Fibromyalgia
I am now 56 years old. I realize I lived with chronic pain and fatigue for over 15 years. In 2008 I finally found a new physician that worked with me to get a diagnosis and treatment. I was living with such pain and fatigue I could barely manage to get out of bed. I had two teenagers and was watching them through my bedroom...
View MoreDiscuss the support system you have to help face the challenges of Fibromyalgia
First, I want to express I am one of the lucky ones, my husband is a great supporter. He is helpful, not always consistent, but he knows when the pain has beat me.
Who are the key members of your support team?
So, the key members in my team would be myself, Brian and my physician. If I cannot cook or do laundry, he will. I usually have to communicate to him, that my pain level or fatigue level is so high I cannot function. My physician is willing to work with me on alternative therapies. I am on Cymbalta and Klonopin to sleep, but she has pushed me to do aqua therapy and physical therapy.
Do you believe you receive adequate support?
No, I still feel misunderstood by other family members. My physician will push me but that is not always helpful. There is no local support groups and I would love a friend that I could just sit and vent with about the frustration. I recently joined a support group on Facebook. It's good but these people do not know who I was before the fibrobeast took over my life.
What do you wish family and friends would better understand about fibromyalgia?
The inability to KNOW how you will feel on Friday night or the next day. The way fibro and fatigue affects every aspect of your life. That I had to retire early because I could not keep up with the students I was teaching It was too exhausting and so frustrating. I have never heard, " it must be hard, to leave your job" and a big part of my identity.
